Alright /tv/ I rewatched the thing on Monday and I'm wondering what yall think about the possibility of Childs being the thing. Your thoughts?
I don't think so.
It really doesn't matter to me. He could be and you would never know until it's too late, thats the horror of it. Either way they'll be dead by sunrise
>>68238798
One of the alternate endings had Macready living and sort of implying that childs lived too
>>68238700
Let's get a couple things out of the way up front:
1) Childs' breath is visible, it's just hard to see because of the lighting
2) Macready did not give Childs a whiskey bottle filled with gasoline
>>68239600
Theres a music cue when he drinks, every time the music had played before that the thing was in the scene. I remember noticing this a long time ago but I honestly cant remember if its true if the cue has EVERY scene the thing is present in. If this is true its a definite hint that Childs was the thing.
>>68239810
I think Childs most likely is the thing. His behavior seemed off. I'm just saying I don't buy the gasoline theory.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GA4Ozqt7338
>>68238700
I think it was obvious that Childs was not human. I mean his last words in the film were "At long last, after these many years of waiting, I am finally...The Thing." I thought it was pretty clear, OP.
>>68240130
Memester pls go, Thing threads are not the place.
>>68239876
>I'm just saying I don't buy the gasoline theory.
Why not?
>>68238700
Childs probably was the thing what with disappearing during the final fight and leaving from an exit that an assimilated Blair would have passed on his way to generator basement.
But ultimately it doesn't matter if one or both were infected at this point as the entire planet is fucked either way.
Its unlikely they were able to sufficiently destroy the entirety of the organism. And eventually more people will arrive to investigate what happened.
They'll find something buried under snow and rubble and eventually it will thaw out again starting the cycle once more.
>>68238700
MacReady's the Thing
>>68240207
Macready was sitting there by himself and had no idea Childs was going to walk up. It seems to me he was having one last drink before his inevitable death.
>>68240179
If you want a serious answer, I don't think Childs was the Thing. Him and Kurt Russel were alone together and yet Childs didn't immediately try to assimilate him, which he would've done if he was the alien, since there was nothing to stop him from doing so.
>>68240207
Carpenter said it's just booze
>>68240249
Do you really think that or are you just playing devil's advocate? Just curious because the only time we really lose track of Mac is when he sees the light on in his shack and then it cuts to him breaking into the storeroom.
It's likely both were infected but neither completely taken over yet.
>>68240319
Not him but I like to think that both Childs and MacReady are the thing but neither knows that the other is also the thing.
>>68240380
Interesting. When do you think it got Mac then?
>>68240249
Deckard's the thing, MacReady was a replicant.
>they're supposed to be a bunch of scientists in Antarctica
>they carry with them HK3s, grenades, TNT, shotguns, revolvers, flamethrowers
there was something fishy going on
>>68240404
slowly over time via infection like Blair.
>TFW you go to squeeze on the doggo but get brutally assimilated
>>68240435
Got to protect yourselves against the Russkies.
>>68240435
Were they all supposed to be scientists though? That's one aspect of the movie I was never clear on.
>>68240435
americans, a salad cost more than a gun there
>>68240404
I don't remember off hand. It's been a few years since I watched the movie. I should remedy that.
>>68240465
You're not me.
That said I believe that was the idea.
>>68240506
The Norwegians had them too.
>>68240503
I'm not sure. I think there was a few different jobs at the camp. MacReady was a helicopter pilot. And there was a guy in charge of taking care of the dogs (which is a full time job as far as I know)
>>68240501
They're Norwegians, Mac.
>>68238700
Its like asking if Tony Soprano died or not in the end. If you had to ask you should watch it again
>>68240558
He die?
>>68240465
That's not how it works though. The thing is not a parasite. It consumes and then duplicates its victims.
Who killed fuchs?
Assassination by the thing or self immolation out of fear of what was to come?
first time I saw it I thought mac could've been the thing and infected childs thus the smile, but I've heard people say here that it was gasoline in the bottle and the thing didn't know to react in disgust and mac smiled like "checkmate"
my head canon is that they both fucking died.
He's not a thing, period. The end.
You can see his goddamn breath which debunks the entire thing.
Yeah, I'm mad; idiots keep buying into it despite that THEY CAN WATCH THE FUCKING SCENE AND SEE THE GODDAMN BREATH.
Fuck.
>>68240611
And who left the ripped pair of Macready's longjohns out in the snow?
>>68240586
Wrong it also duplicates on a cellular level and can take over from within. That's why in the movie they suggest they prepare their own meals.
>>68240651
Not necessarily. The thing is supposed to be a perfect copy which would mean lungs and all I guess.
>>68238798
AFAIK there was intended to be a sequel where it's revealed they're still alive, but have to fight a different Thing
>>68240586
You're half right. It certainly can consume and duplicate it's victims but it's also possible for cells from the thing to get inside of you and to consume you from the inside out.
One of the characters at the starts gets licked on his face by the dog at the start and later turns out to be the thing.
>>68240678
Still though, Macready would have had to have been infected sometime after the blood test which seems like a big cheat. I think it was always him.
>>68240651
>You can see his goddamn breath
Bennings was human?
https://twitter.com/thehorrormaster/status/272063161832701953
Watch Clark.
>>68240769
The breath thing has no basis in anything. It's complete fan theory and can be discarded.
>>68240846
No kidding since you can see Thing-Benning's breath
>>68240760
Not necessarily. If you had a few cells in you, you'd still pass the test. The Blood test is for completely assimilated or advanced infected victims.
>>68240503
They weren't scientists? So what were they doing there?
>>68240794
oh fuck
>>68241019
I know some were but I don't know about all of them. Like >>68240549 MacReady was just a pilot, so I guess he was government contracted?
>>68240993
I'm no scientist so I can't call bullshit on this but it seems pretty unlikely that MacReady was ever infected.
>>68241019
Scientists need chopper pilots, cooks, doggo wranglers, etc
>>68241133
But what were they studying there?
And why did they have all that blood stored?
>>68240435
This was height of the cold war late 20th century and not bleeding heart liberal happyland 21st century.
>>68238700
can I order that print anywhere online? The Thing has become one of my favorite movies to watch as of recently
>>68241129
It's likely that most were infected early on. None of the crew (except Blair) had an idea of micro-contagion until Blair's notes were read late in the movie.
>>68240557
YOU'VE GOTTA BE FUCKIN' KIDDING!
>>68241181
They had blood bags, for emergencies.
Are you actually retarded?
>>68241181
Not sure what they were studying. Glacier patterns maybe? The blood was probably in case of a medical emergency.
>>68241181
medical emergency. They're isolated away from civilization. They better have blood handy.
>>68240752
mmmm - he got Thinged later on in the storeroom. Still, though: you are right about cellular infection.
>>68241378
>mmmm
BOYS
>>68241222
You are good people.
>>68240611
I always assumed he took his own life because he knew what they had found out there was gonna be their doom.
Fuchs could have burned himself if he was paranoid about already being assimilated too.
Ok let's see
MacReady - helicopter pilot
Blair - MD
Nauls - Cook
Palmer - ?
Childs - ?
Dr. Copper - MD
Norris - ?
Bennings - ?
Clark - Dog Guy
Garry - Boss/Marshall
Fuchs - MD or something
Windows - Radio guy
What were they actually doing there?
>>68240207
Macredy would have no reason to sit around contemplating drinking gasoline.
Still think Childs is a thing, though. Dude wanted to play defensive when they were all grouped up. No way he'd run off into a snowstorm once he's by himself.
>>68240435
Cold War, breh. Half the "scientific" statio
It's left open so nerds could debate it forever, although even Carpenter probably didn't think anyone would because the film tanked so hard initially.
If you really want to go into it, this 2-part video is pretty good.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SppG-I_Dhxw
Wasn't the flame thrower there for clearing ice from the helicopter blades or something silly like that? and the guns in case of a wildlife attack like a bear
>>68241532
Studying the effects of flamethrowers on dogs.
>>68240281
well childs had the flamethrower and mcready had the dynamite so i think the idea is that those kept the thing at bay until the other slipped up
>>68241562
Could have assimilated MacReady, or just burned him on the spot. No point in trying to reassure Mac.
>>68241648
There are no bears in Antarctica.
>>68241676
But they got giant electric penguins like the ones who attacked the explorer Scott.
>>68241676
>implying people on the set knew that
>>68241532
Palmer = chopper pilot and mechanic
Childs = botanist
Norris = geologist
Bennings = climatologist
Blair = biologist
wat do? maintain antarctic base
>>68241665
Except it doesn't know whether MacReady's got a flamethrower by his side or whatever. It's gauging the situation just like it's done before.
>>68241769
>botanist
There are no trees or shrubs in Antarctica, and only two species of flowering plants are found:
We have to go deeper.
>>68239600
I've never understood why The Thing's breathe wouldn't be visible in the cold? It's a PERFECT imitation of a human, why wouldn't it breathe fog up?
>>68238700
It's a possibility but there's no real way to confirm it and I'm sure John wouldn't wanna spoil it.
I really need to buy this on Blu-Ray for my collection.
>>68242173
childs was the mechanic and palmer is listed as assistant mechanic.
Probably why they shared a sleeping quater and seemed chummy together
>>68242243
The argument is that it isn't actually breathing but absorbing oxygen through some other means, and it doesn't understand how humans work so it just simulates breathing by heaving and making noises, not understanding that that isn't how it works.
This of course goes against how it works earlier in the movie. All to make the "you can't see the breath" mind-blower to work.
He wouldn't even know if he was, that's the thing about it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q0FhSHqGg74
>YWN see a glorious 70MM projection of John Carpenter's The Thing
>>68242543
I respect his Sam elliot stash
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ziOISjHN3nk
Skip to the end.
>>68242173
They had a greenhouse in a cut scene. Were experimenting with growing things in green house in antarctica.
>>68240286
>Carpenter said it's just booze
I'm fucking tired of this shit. Who fucking cares what the director says?
The film is the story. If what the director said mattered, the movie would just be an audiobook of him reciting the story he has in mind.
It's what the director shows you that counts. If he doesn't show you whether it's booze or not, then *you will never know*.
Even if the director comes along later and says "herp derp I meant to show it", or even worse "herp derp I didn't show it but I meant it", that doesn't change the fact that *he made a movie and didn't show it*.
Is it booze? Is it not? Watch the movie and decide for yourself. Fuck whatever Carpenter says it is. Look at what he actually shows you, and make up your own mind.
>>68243187
>muh headcanon
>>68243187
See >>68241562 and >>68240272. The gasoline theory really doesn't make much sense.
>>68240003
It's a tough call. The whole thing with sharing the whiskey seems more like them both accepting the futility of the situation.
>>68238700
I like to think that Macready gave him fuel inside a bottle, and that he knew it was a thing when he drank it, and so he laugh.
At first carpenter said that there wasnt fuel on the bottle and that childs was human, but on recent years he seems to have backed out of that statement.
>>68243664
I agree with you, anon. What I don't agree with is people who cite "word of god" as their basis.
>>68243664
dude macready was throwing molotov cocktails left and right like 5 minutes prior.
>why would he be sitting around carrying a flamethrower all by himself? Did he wanted to drink some flames too?? HMMMM?? Checkmate atheists
Why did they blow up the base in the end? It never really made much sense to me.
>>68239876
What's the gas theory
