Roger Ebert said WHAT?!

[CptStern]

I dont see what's so bad about his review of the Thing:

I mention the previous incarnations of THE THING not to demonstrate my mastery of The Filmgoer's Companion, but to suggest the many possible approaches to this material. The two 1950s versions, especially BODY SNATCHERS, were seen at the time as fables based on McCarthyism; communists, like victims of the Thing, looked, sounded, and acted like your best friend, but they were infected with a deadly secret. ALIEN, set on a spaceship but using the same premise, paid less attention to the "Who Goes There?" idea and more to the special effects

I kind of agree with him: carpenter took out the political elements that made the first one creepier/paranoia that was a reflection of the political landscape of the day. carpenter played it as a straight horror pic. Ebert has a point; the movie is memorable for it's effects

 

[Yuri]

Dear ****ing lord, are you ****ing serious? I really need to know, are you ****ing serious right now? The Thing's genius doesn't only lie in it's special effects, those were only an excellent addition. The genius lies in exactly what Ebert said it doesn't have: the tension and fleeting trust between a group of marooned men. It's a psychological thriller and captures the essence of this so ****ing well that it is among my favorite films. The scene on the couch where they are testing each other with a flamethrower is the most tense ****ing thing I have ever ****ing seen, it is ****ing brilliant. Have you even seen the goddamn movie?

OH NO WAIT RIGHT EBERT SAID IT MUST BE TRUE

Seriously, WHAT THE ****, every opinion Ebert seems to have ever had is made out of BULLSHIT. Why do people actually respect this ****ing clown, it infuriates me to no end.

 

[CptStern]

spare me your melodramatics. in no way did I say it wasnt a good movie

It's a psychological thriller and captures the essence of this so ****ing well that it is among my favorite films. The scene on the couch where they are testing each other with a flamethrower is the most tense ****ing thing I have ever ****ing seen, it is ****ing brilliant. Have you even seen the goddamn movie?

it's clear you dont understand the point he's making because you're agreeing with him: it's a horror movie.

 

[Deleted member 56031]

FFFFFUUUUUUUUUU-

NO ONE INSULTS THE THING!!

 

[Yuri]

spare me your melodramatics. in no way did I say it wasnt a good movie





it's clear you dont understand the point he's making because you're agreeing with him: it's a horror movie.

I love how you quote me as saying it's a psychological thriller to prove I am saying it is strictly a horror film. Spare me the misguided condescension.

It's a psychological thriller as well as a horror film. Ebert said that The Thing relies only on horror-related special effects, whereas its predecessors embrace psychological tension of their McCarthyist time period. He stated that The Thing's suspenseful tension due to the lack of trust between its characters apparently does not exist, as it is strictly a horror movie that uses special effects as a crutch.

Now, that's completely and utterly wrong to the point where it is infuriating. It is exactly what he says is missing from the film which is its greatest strength, and what separates it as a great psychological thriller. Once again, Ebert generalizes to the point where you wonder if he's even seen the film.

But it seems clear that Carpenter made his choice early on to concentrate on the special effects and the technology and to allow the story and people to become secondary.

See that, that right there, is not true.

 

[Asknoone]

Ebert is wrong, The Thing is a masterpiece of psychological horror.

 

[Deleted member 56031]

But it seems clear that Carpenter made his choice early on to concentrate on the special effects and the technology and to allow the story and people to become secondary.

I have lost ALOT of respect for ebert right there :|

Again i dont necessarily take his opinion as gospel or anything but i do...or did respect him >_>

 

[Yorick]

I'm sure he'll cry himself to sleep on his gigantic pile of money knowing that you guys don't agree with him.

 

[Sheepo]

Well it wouldn't surprise me if he did, although it would probably be due to the fact that he's in tremendous pain rather than us. Guy's dumb though.

 

[Bad^Hat]

I'm sure he'll cry himself to sleep on his gigantic pile of money knowing that you guys don't agree with him.

Or we could just spam him with opinions of dissent until he's forced to publicly apologise.

 

[Yuri]

haha, that was a well written response

Doesn't change his big stupid head movie opinions though