Nfts And Left Bank Pictures Launch UK Writers Program
The National Film and Television School (Nfts) is launching a new writers development program in partnership with Left Bank Pictures, the production company behind shows as Netflix’s The Crown. Set to launch in March 2024, the scheme will replace the Nfts’s former diverse writers development program. Six screenwriters from under-represented backgrounds will be chosen to take part in the paid, intensive 10-week program that will immerse them in a dynamic environment of creativity and collaboration. During the course, four full series ideas will be developed and pitched with the aim of creating commercially viable television drama concepts. “Together with Left Bank Pictures, we hope to carve a new path where diverse voices illuminate the way forward, ensuring the stories we tell on screen are as vibrant and varied as the world we live in,” said Nfts Director Jon Wardle. “We...
The National Film and Television School (Nfts) is launching a new writers development program in partnership with Left Bank Pictures, the production company behind shows as Netflix’s The Crown. Set to launch in March 2024, the scheme will replace the Nfts’s former diverse writers development program. Six screenwriters from under-represented backgrounds will be chosen to take part in the paid, intensive 10-week program that will immerse them in a dynamic environment of creativity and collaboration. During the course, four full series ideas will be developed and pitched with the aim of creating commercially viable television drama concepts. “Together with Left Bank Pictures, we hope to carve a new path where diverse voices illuminate the way forward, ensuring the stories we tell on screen are as vibrant and varied as the world we live in,” said Nfts Director Jon Wardle. “We...
- 10/2/2023
- by Zac Ntim
- Deadline Film + TV
Woot woot! My pick to win Best Director at the Oscars took home the Feature Film trophy at the recently concluded Directors Guild of America awards. And it's truly deserving! Cuaron defied gravity, yes pun intended, to create "Gravity," a movie grounded in sci-fi realism that many directors before him (including James Cameron) were saying that it would be hard to do. But Cuaron did it, and did it extremely well! So hats off to "Gravity" and Cuaron's direction!
Here's the complete list of winners of the DGA awards and right after the jump, check out my interview with Cuaron for "Gravity" that we conducted back in October. Oh, and take a look at my interview with the lovely Sandra Bullock as well.
Feature Film:
Winner: Alfonso Cuaron ("Gravity")
Paul Greengrass ("Captain Phillips")
Steve McQueen ("12 Years a Slave")
David O. Russell ("American Hustle")
Martin Scorsese ("The Wolf of Wall Street...
Here's the complete list of winners of the DGA awards and right after the jump, check out my interview with Cuaron for "Gravity" that we conducted back in October. Oh, and take a look at my interview with the lovely Sandra Bullock as well.
Feature Film:
Winner: Alfonso Cuaron ("Gravity")
Paul Greengrass ("Captain Phillips")
Steve McQueen ("12 Years a Slave")
David O. Russell ("American Hustle")
Martin Scorsese ("The Wolf of Wall Street...
- 1/27/2014
- by Manny
- Manny the Movie Guy
Updated: Gravity does not seem to be falling on the awards circuit. Alfonso Cuarón walked away with the top honor at the Directors Guild of America Awards Saturday night in Los Angeles, beating out Martin Scorsese, David O. Russell, Paul Greengrass, and Steve McQueen.
“This is truly an honor and I am humbled by it,” Cuarón said to the audience of his peers after last year’s winner Ben Affleck presented him with the award. But Gravity was not the work of just one mind, and no one knows that more keenly than Cuarón. “Directing is about the work of your collaborators,...
“This is truly an honor and I am humbled by it,” Cuarón said to the audience of his peers after last year’s winner Ben Affleck presented him with the award. But Gravity was not the work of just one mind, and no one knows that more keenly than Cuarón. “Directing is about the work of your collaborators,...
- 1/26/2014
- by Lindsey Bahr
- EW - Inside Movies
News Ryan Lambie
Ever wondered what the pre-cg effects in 2011's The Thing prequel may have looked like? Here's a brief sample from an unused ending...
"Well, the initial plan – slightly naïve, maybe – was to build everything practically," director Matthias van Heijningen Jr told this very site in a 2012 interview about his prequel to John Carpenter's The Thing. "Although we shot the film practically, at the end of the day, it didn’t hold up. It looked a bit like an 80s movie, actually, which for some people is really special, but perhaps not in 2010, 2011. So we enhanced it with CG."
Already greeted with much criticism before it was even released, The Thing was neither a critical nor financial hit when it scuttled into cinemas back into 2011. Although we won't go into the relative merits of the film here (we've often said it's not as a bad a movie...
Ever wondered what the pre-cg effects in 2011's The Thing prequel may have looked like? Here's a brief sample from an unused ending...
"Well, the initial plan – slightly naïve, maybe – was to build everything practically," director Matthias van Heijningen Jr told this very site in a 2012 interview about his prequel to John Carpenter's The Thing. "Although we shot the film practically, at the end of the day, it didn’t hold up. It looked a bit like an 80s movie, actually, which for some people is really special, but perhaps not in 2010, 2011. So we enhanced it with CG."
Already greeted with much criticism before it was even released, The Thing was neither a critical nor financial hit when it scuttled into cinemas back into 2011. Although we won't go into the relative merits of the film here (we've often said it's not as a bad a movie...
- 1/3/2013
- by ryanlambie
- Den of Geek
You’ve probably already caught several trailers for the upcoming Bond film, Skyfall, and if you’re in theaters (and in front of screens) as much as I am, you’ve no doubt noticed that Heineken has teamed up with the film, and is providing a lot of interesting marketing efforts.
In one of the latest elements of the broader ‘Open Your World’ campaign, we get an interactive extension to a Heineken/Skyfall reel you might have seen at theaters. This ‘Crack the Case’ campaign keeps you moving beyond the marketing video, and then hopes you will allow for Facebook integration to continue. A less interesting, non-Facebook continuation exists, but the fun is really seeing your picture pop up throughout the video. (Hint- If your Facebook profile is a picture of your cat… well, it’s not as interesting.)
Not only is the original video a pretty decent affair, with...
In one of the latest elements of the broader ‘Open Your World’ campaign, we get an interactive extension to a Heineken/Skyfall reel you might have seen at theaters. This ‘Crack the Case’ campaign keeps you moving beyond the marketing video, and then hopes you will allow for Facebook integration to continue. A less interesting, non-Facebook continuation exists, but the fun is really seeing your picture pop up throughout the video. (Hint- If your Facebook profile is a picture of your cat… well, it’s not as interesting.)
Not only is the original video a pretty decent affair, with...
- 10/25/2012
- by Marc Eastman
- AreYouScreening.com
Whether you measure your movies by box office, reviews, or popular appeal, Sony’s $125 million remake of the 1990 Ah-nuld Schwarzenegger interplanetary action fest Total Recall looks like a strike-out. The movie opened with a lethal softness; a $25.7 million first weekend meaning Recall won’t even come close to making back its budget during its domestic theatrical run. In fact, despite 22 years of ticket price increases, it’s doubtful the movie will even match the original’s $119.3 million haul.
And for those of you who think maybe the problem is Total Recall was outgunned opening while The Dark Knight Rises was still sucking up box office coin, entertain, at least for a moment if you will, the possibility the movie just plain sucks. According to Rotten Tomatoes’ canvas, almost 70% of reviewers – and over three-quarters of “top critics” – gave Total Recall a thumbs-down. Those who went to see the movie didn’t...
And for those of you who think maybe the problem is Total Recall was outgunned opening while The Dark Knight Rises was still sucking up box office coin, entertain, at least for a moment if you will, the possibility the movie just plain sucks. According to Rotten Tomatoes’ canvas, almost 70% of reviewers – and over three-quarters of “top critics” – gave Total Recall a thumbs-down. Those who went to see the movie didn’t...
- 8/15/2012
- by Bill Mesce
- SoundOnSight
He’s one of the film world’s most undisputed masters of horror with a catalog of work that delivers classic after classic. That’s why whenever we get a chance to talk with legendary director John Carpenter, we’re on it like a dog on a bone.
Recently John took a few minutes to chat about his career, his opinion of the genre today, and what he’s been up to in his spare time...
“Of all my movies, I've always had a special fondness for The Thing. Dark and fierce, it was perhaps too much of a downer for audiences at the time. Appreciation for it has grown over the years, which makes me very happy.”
Everyone has their favorite John Carpenter movie, but ask around and the usual consensus is the Kurt Russell-starring remake of The Thing From Another World, which just hit its 30th anniversary.
Recently John took a few minutes to chat about his career, his opinion of the genre today, and what he’s been up to in his spare time...
“Of all my movies, I've always had a special fondness for The Thing. Dark and fierce, it was perhaps too much of a downer for audiences at the time. Appreciation for it has grown over the years, which makes me very happy.”
Everyone has their favorite John Carpenter movie, but ask around and the usual consensus is the Kurt Russell-starring remake of The Thing From Another World, which just hit its 30th anniversary.
- 7/24/2012
- by Aaron Williams
- DreadCentral.com
It Was exactly 30 years ago yesterday (June 25) that John Carpenter's The Thing arrived on Us screens.
As it happens, that turned out to be a good date for sci-fi classics. Ridley Scott's Blade Runner also had its Us release on that same day in 1982.
Neither film did that well at the time, with some scathing reviews and disappointing ticket sales. The Thing opened at No8 in the box office charts and Blade Runner at No2, as both were eclipsed by the continued popularity of Spielberg's more uplifting, family-friendly alien adventure E.T the Extra-Terrestrial which had launched two weeks earlier.
But each has gained status over the years and in 2011, Matthijs van Heijningen Jr directed a prequel to The Thing that is now out on DVD and Blu-ray.
Exactly three decades after Carpenter's original, guest writer Adam Dolan takes a look at this latest revisit to the franchise to...
As it happens, that turned out to be a good date for sci-fi classics. Ridley Scott's Blade Runner also had its Us release on that same day in 1982.
Neither film did that well at the time, with some scathing reviews and disappointing ticket sales. The Thing opened at No8 in the box office charts and Blade Runner at No2, as both were eclipsed by the continued popularity of Spielberg's more uplifting, family-friendly alien adventure E.T the Extra-Terrestrial which had launched two weeks earlier.
But each has gained status over the years and in 2011, Matthijs van Heijningen Jr directed a prequel to The Thing that is now out on DVD and Blu-ray.
Exactly three decades after Carpenter's original, guest writer Adam Dolan takes a look at this latest revisit to the franchise to...
- 6/26/2012
- by David Bentley
- The Geek Files
The Thing
Stars: Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Joel Edgerton, Ulrich Thomsen, Eric Christian Olsen, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje | Written By Eric Heisserer | Directed By Matthijs van Heijningen Jr.
Though it has the same name, this 2011 film titled The Thing is a prequel to the 1982 film, showing the events leading up to the beginning of the John Carpenter original, but for the most part it manages to do all right as it’s own film. I’ve never seen the original film, nor do I know much about it, but I managed to enjoy it.
The Thing follows a group of American and Norwegian scientists as they discover an alien buried deep in the ice of Antarctica. Before they get the chance to study it, the ‘Thing’ escapes, and starts imitating people, hiding inside their bodies till it attacks, and starting off a series of murders and fights between the aliens and the humans.
Stars: Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Joel Edgerton, Ulrich Thomsen, Eric Christian Olsen, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje | Written By Eric Heisserer | Directed By Matthijs van Heijningen Jr.
Though it has the same name, this 2011 film titled The Thing is a prequel to the 1982 film, showing the events leading up to the beginning of the John Carpenter original, but for the most part it manages to do all right as it’s own film. I’ve never seen the original film, nor do I know much about it, but I managed to enjoy it.
The Thing follows a group of American and Norwegian scientists as they discover an alien buried deep in the ice of Antarctica. Before they get the chance to study it, the ‘Thing’ escapes, and starts imitating people, hiding inside their bodies till it attacks, and starting off a series of murders and fights between the aliens and the humans.
- 3/21/2012
- by Maahin
- Nerdly
As icy sci-fi horror prequel The Thing gets its home release, we speak to director Matthijs van Heijningen Jr about its writing, shooting and effects…
Following John Carpenter’s out-and-out classic The Thing would be a daunting task for any director. Since its release in 1982, the film’s gained a revered status, with its sublime mixture of Dean Cundey’s cinematography, Ennio Morricone’s murmuring bassline and Rob Bottin’s special effects still standing up remarkably well even 30 years later.
When Universal sought to continue the legacy of The Thing as a potential franchise, thawing out a property that has, like the shape-shifting beast of the title, lain dormant for some time, it’s to the studio’s credit that it didn’t attempt to make some sort of PG-13 blockbuster to win over the multiplex crowd.
Instead, producers Marc Abraham and Eric Newman were given the latitude to pursue the same downbeat,...
Following John Carpenter’s out-and-out classic The Thing would be a daunting task for any director. Since its release in 1982, the film’s gained a revered status, with its sublime mixture of Dean Cundey’s cinematography, Ennio Morricone’s murmuring bassline and Rob Bottin’s special effects still standing up remarkably well even 30 years later.
When Universal sought to continue the legacy of The Thing as a potential franchise, thawing out a property that has, like the shape-shifting beast of the title, lain dormant for some time, it’s to the studio’s credit that it didn’t attempt to make some sort of PG-13 blockbuster to win over the multiplex crowd.
Instead, producers Marc Abraham and Eric Newman were given the latitude to pursue the same downbeat,...
- 3/20/2012
- Den of Geek
It's no small feat for any screenwriter to try and carve out a career under the weight of franchise-starved Hollywood big-wigs – taking what are already hugely successful and beloved stories and retelling them anew, all the while trying your damn best to avoid the wrath of the existing fan base, simultaneously attracting a new generation. Eric Heisserer was faced with this challenge, putting together a story that helped rejuvenate the tired Final Destination saga, co-penning Platnium Dunes' 2010 A Nightmare On Elm Street remake and scripting the recent prequel to The Thing. As with all retreads, they each evoked a mixed reception.
Now, with the dust settled and the release of Matthijs Van Heijningen's TheThing well behind us, Shock thought it would be a good time to catch up with Heisserer and join him to reflect on how he thought his work has panned out.
Read more...
Now, with the dust settled and the release of Matthijs Van Heijningen's TheThing well behind us, Shock thought it would be a good time to catch up with Heisserer and join him to reflect on how he thought his work has panned out.
Read more...
- 3/3/2012
- by ryanrotten@shocktillyoudrop.com (Aaron Williams)
- shocktillyoudrop.com
Director: Matthijs van Heijningen. Review: Adam Wing. In the winter of 1982, a twelve-man research team at a remote Antarctic research station discovered an alien buried in the snow for over 100,000 years. Once unfrozen, the form-changing alien wreaked havoc, making its mark in one of the strongest horror movies of the last thirty years. Arguably John Carpenter’s finest hour, The Thing is a certified classic of the genre. Which means (rather disturbingly) it was only a matter of time before Hollywood came a calling. The filmmakers are keen to remind us that this isn’t a remake, that their movie depicts the events leading up to Carpenter’s original. While this is most certainly the case, it’s hard to believe that The Thing didn’t start life as a ‘re-imagining’ of some kind; such are the similarities between the two films. Whether or not you take the filmmakers for...
- 2/20/2012
- 24framespersecond.net
The Thing 2011 was recently released to Blu-ray/DVD and I had a chance to revisit the film. Although I don’t have the same hate for it that some of the other fans and critics did, I see the film as a missed opportunity that more closely resembles a fan film. The most disappointing area is the over use of CG, when practical effects were created for the film. Continue reading for more thoughts on the movie and Blu-ray extras.
Almost 30 years after John Carpenter’s The Thing arrived in theaters, Universal has released a prequel. Although the story has elements of a prequel and is marketed as one, like the creature itself, this new movie is just an imitation of the original. Any prequel elements in the film seem to have been included to avoid instant fan backlash, and the final product more closely resembles a remake.
Mary Elizabeth Winstead...
Almost 30 years after John Carpenter’s The Thing arrived in theaters, Universal has released a prequel. Although the story has elements of a prequel and is marketed as one, like the creature itself, this new movie is just an imitation of the original. Any prequel elements in the film seem to have been included to avoid instant fan backlash, and the final product more closely resembles a remake.
Mary Elizabeth Winstead...
- 2/13/2012
- by Jonathan James
- DailyDead
Chicago – John Carpenter’s “The Thing” is a brilliant study in paranoia. It is more than a mere horror film. The remake/prequel, recently released on Blu-ray and DVD, is a decent horror film but the comparison to the classic original and some serious mistakes in the final act make “decent” not good enough by association.
Rating: 3.0/5.0
Meant to detail what happened before Kurt Russell and company encountered the dog carrying a creature from another planet, “The Thing” has numerous odes to the wildly influential Carpenter film and fits seamlessly with it (I highly recommend popping in the Carpenter version after this one just to marvel at how they tie together and instantly see a few of the notable flaws of the 2011 version). After a reasonably strong start, the fatal flaw with “The Thing” is that it turns from a thriller about paranoia and isolation into a pretty generic alien horror movie.
Rating: 3.0/5.0
Meant to detail what happened before Kurt Russell and company encountered the dog carrying a creature from another planet, “The Thing” has numerous odes to the wildly influential Carpenter film and fits seamlessly with it (I highly recommend popping in the Carpenter version after this one just to marvel at how they tie together and instantly see a few of the notable flaws of the 2011 version). After a reasonably strong start, the fatal flaw with “The Thing” is that it turns from a thriller about paranoia and isolation into a pretty generic alien horror movie.
- 2/13/2012
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
Ive already invested plenty of time discussing Matthijs van Heijningen Jr.s 2011 prequel to John Carpenters famed effort of the same name. I think the movie boasts damn near every quality required to make it a fine feature. The acting is more than sufficient, the character development, while heaped upon viewers quickly, is handled with respectable care, and the details spent in the picture are absolutely admirable. Then, theres the special ef…...
- 1/12/2012
- Horrorbid
Note: Contrary to my traditional practice of omitting spoilers, you may very well find a few revealing details in this piece. So, if you havent seen this picture, and arent out to have me ruin it for you, it may be a good time to head back to the home page and read something else Breaking down Matthijs van Heijningen Jr.s prequel to John Carpenters treasured feature, The Thing is a bit of a daunting task. Not because its a particularly…...
- 1/2/2012
- Horrorbid
The Thing a prequel to John Carpenters original masterpiece and is directed by Matthijs van Heijningen and stars Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Eric Christian Olsen, Joel Edgerton, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, Ulrich Thomsen and Kim Bubbs. To be honest The Thing 2011 was not very good (read the review). Why? Way too much CGI, and to make it worse bad CGI. I knew the film was in trouble from one of the scenes at the beginning of the film. A snow truck goes head first into a deep ravine, we were immediately assaulted with a pair of fully CGI'ed pair of glasses on the windshield of the truck. A video showing the practical effects for the film was released from Amaigamated Dynamics the company that actually produced the effects.
- 12/15/2011
- Best-Horror-Movies.com
In his editorial on The Thing premake, Michael Felsher mused that something had to have gone wrong during post-production on the flick. The film just switches gears into a CGI-laden mess. Where were the practical effects? Well, sadly ... we're about to show them to you.
Sometimes it's hard to see videos that are so mind-blowingly cool. It'll break your heart these effects didn't make it into the final product. You'll laugh, you'll cry, and then you'll be filled with anger as you watch the video below from Amalgamated Dynamics, Inc., the company behind the visual effects.
From the Press Release
An expedition of a lifetime becomes a subterranean nightmare in The Thing, the thrilling prelude to John Carpenter's 1982 film of the same name. Debuting on Blu-ray™ Combo Pack with UltraViolet™, DVD, Digital Download and On Demand on January 31, 2012, The Thing stars Mary Elizabeth Winstead (Scott Pilgrim vs. The World...
Sometimes it's hard to see videos that are so mind-blowingly cool. It'll break your heart these effects didn't make it into the final product. You'll laugh, you'll cry, and then you'll be filled with anger as you watch the video below from Amalgamated Dynamics, Inc., the company behind the visual effects.
From the Press Release
An expedition of a lifetime becomes a subterranean nightmare in The Thing, the thrilling prelude to John Carpenter's 1982 film of the same name. Debuting on Blu-ray™ Combo Pack with UltraViolet™, DVD, Digital Download and On Demand on January 31, 2012, The Thing stars Mary Elizabeth Winstead (Scott Pilgrim vs. The World...
- 12/15/2011
- by Uncle Creepy
- DreadCentral.com
Looking for an alternative Christmas movie? James explains why John Carpenter’s The Thing is the perfect festive flick…
I'm applying my Sherlock skills and seeing ripped Advent calendars, hearing festive pop muzak and getting telepathic messages from frightened turkeys. These signs all lead me to deduce that it's December and, as such, I declare it okay to sit back and enjoy Christmas movies.
This is the permissive period when you can watch Home Alone flicks without it being 'wrong'. Of course, watching Home Alone, It's A Wonderful Life, The Muppet Christmas Carol or White Christmas, to name a few, at any other time of the year isn't strictly verboten. However, I'd still hold that it's a minor crime – like jaywalking – that raises questions about the offender's personal character. In fact, it's worse than reckless road crossing, because at least that has an edgy, living dangerously aspect to it and...
I'm applying my Sherlock skills and seeing ripped Advent calendars, hearing festive pop muzak and getting telepathic messages from frightened turkeys. These signs all lead me to deduce that it's December and, as such, I declare it okay to sit back and enjoy Christmas movies.
This is the permissive period when you can watch Home Alone flicks without it being 'wrong'. Of course, watching Home Alone, It's A Wonderful Life, The Muppet Christmas Carol or White Christmas, to name a few, at any other time of the year isn't strictly verboten. However, I'd still hold that it's a minor crime – like jaywalking – that raises questions about the offender's personal character. In fact, it's worse than reckless road crossing, because at least that has an edgy, living dangerously aspect to it and...
- 12/8/2011
- Den of Geek
With The Thing now in UK cinemas, what better time to bring you this cast and crew interview featurette for the film which is helmed by director Matthijs van Heijningen and stars Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Eric Christian Olsen, Joel Edgerton, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje and Ulrich Thomsen as members of the Norwegian team who were the first to face the alien enemy in the Antarctic. And if you haven’t read Maahin’s review of the film yet, you can check that out here.
Antarctica: an extraordinary continent of awesome beauty. It is also home to an isolated outpost where a discovery full of scientific possibility becomes a mission of survival when an alien is unearthed by a crew of international scientists. The shape-shifting creature, accidentally unleashed at this marooned colony, has the ability to turn itself into a perfect replica of any living being. It can look just like you or me,...
Antarctica: an extraordinary continent of awesome beauty. It is also home to an isolated outpost where a discovery full of scientific possibility becomes a mission of survival when an alien is unearthed by a crew of international scientists. The shape-shifting creature, accidentally unleashed at this marooned colony, has the ability to turn itself into a perfect replica of any living being. It can look just like you or me,...
- 12/4/2011
- by Phil
- Nerdly
Hugo (U)
(Martin Scorsese, 2011, Us) Asa Butterfield, Ben Kingsley, Chloë Grace Moretz, Sacha Baron Cohen. 126 mins.
Eyebrows were raised and expectations lowered at the prospect of a Scorsese-made 3D family movie – but now it all makes sense. This is less a kids' romp than a hymn to early cinema – sugar-coated with a junior steampunk adventure revolving around an Parisian orphan and his mystery automaton. It's a satisfyingly lavish affair technically, with a story that's intelligent and heartfelt.
We Have A Pope (PG)
(Nanni Moretti, 2011, Ita/Fra) Nanni Moretti, Michel Piccoli, Jerzy Stuhr. 105 mins.
Moretti's Vatican satire is wry rather than scathing, which will disappoint many. But there's fun to be had as Piccoli's panicked new pope seeks therapy from Moretti's secular psychoanalyst.
Surviving Life (15)
(Jan Svankmajer, 2010, Cze) Václav Helsus, Klára Issová, Zuzana Krónerová. 109 mins.
More light-hearted Freudian comedy, with Monty Python-style cut-out animation, as a middle-aged man prefers his dream world to reality,...
(Martin Scorsese, 2011, Us) Asa Butterfield, Ben Kingsley, Chloë Grace Moretz, Sacha Baron Cohen. 126 mins.
Eyebrows were raised and expectations lowered at the prospect of a Scorsese-made 3D family movie – but now it all makes sense. This is less a kids' romp than a hymn to early cinema – sugar-coated with a junior steampunk adventure revolving around an Parisian orphan and his mystery automaton. It's a satisfyingly lavish affair technically, with a story that's intelligent and heartfelt.
We Have A Pope (PG)
(Nanni Moretti, 2011, Ita/Fra) Nanni Moretti, Michel Piccoli, Jerzy Stuhr. 105 mins.
Moretti's Vatican satire is wry rather than scathing, which will disappoint many. But there's fun to be had as Piccoli's panicked new pope seeks therapy from Moretti's secular psychoanalyst.
Surviving Life (15)
(Jan Svankmajer, 2010, Cze) Václav Helsus, Klára Issová, Zuzana Krónerová. 109 mins.
More light-hearted Freudian comedy, with Monty Python-style cut-out animation, as a middle-aged man prefers his dream world to reality,...
- 12/3/2011
- by Steve Rose
- The Guardian - Film News
Universal Studios Home Entertainment is dropping their 2011 The Thing prequel on January 31, 2012. Directed by Matthijs van Heijningen and starring Mary Elizabeth Winstead (Scott Pilgrim vs. the World), Joel Edgerton (Warrior), Ulrich Thomsen (Season of the Witch), Eric Christian Olsen (NCIS: Los Angeles) and Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje (Lost), the movie is a direct prequel to the classic 1982 John Carpenter movie of the same title.
In addition to the movie both the DVD and Blu-ray will carry the following bonus features:
Deleted/extended scenes. Audio commentary track with director Matthijs van Heijningen and producer Eric Newman. Two featurettes examining the making of the movie: "Fire & Ice" - in a frigid environment and against a relentless foe, there's only one hope: Fire. Join the cast as they train with flame-throwers, battle wild fires on-set and get schooled in the importance of understanding fire's unpredictable personality; "The Thing Evolves" - profiling key behind-the-scenes stories of...
In addition to the movie both the DVD and Blu-ray will carry the following bonus features:
Deleted/extended scenes. Audio commentary track with director Matthijs van Heijningen and producer Eric Newman. Two featurettes examining the making of the movie: "Fire & Ice" - in a frigid environment and against a relentless foe, there's only one hope: Fire. Join the cast as they train with flame-throwers, battle wild fires on-set and get schooled in the importance of understanding fire's unpredictable personality; "The Thing Evolves" - profiling key behind-the-scenes stories of...
- 12/2/2011
- by Patrick Sauriol
- Corona's Coming Attractions
Blu-ray/DVD Release Date: Jan. 31, 2012
Price: Blu-ray/DVD Combo $34.98
Studio: Universal Pictures Home Entertainment
Mary Elizabeth Winstead and Ulrich Thomsen check out The Thing.
The science fiction-horror movie The Thing, directed by Matthijs van Heijningen Jr., is a prelude to John Carpenter’s 1982 film of the same name.
In other words, the 2011 Thing is a prequel serving as a sequel to a remake of a movie that was originally made in 1951 and directed by Christian Nyby and Howard Hawks. Hmmm.
The movie is set at a remote Antarctic research station where paleontologist Kate Lloyd (Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Scott Pilgrim vs. the World) and pilot Carter (Joel Edgerton, Warrior) discover a mysterious organism buried in the ice. It’s not too long before a simple experiment frees the strange creature, seemingly an extraterrestrial lifeform, from its frozen prison. The shapeshifting alien quickly unleashes a flood of chaos and paranoia upon the camp,...
Price: Blu-ray/DVD Combo $34.98
Studio: Universal Pictures Home Entertainment
Mary Elizabeth Winstead and Ulrich Thomsen check out The Thing.
The science fiction-horror movie The Thing, directed by Matthijs van Heijningen Jr., is a prelude to John Carpenter’s 1982 film of the same name.
In other words, the 2011 Thing is a prequel serving as a sequel to a remake of a movie that was originally made in 1951 and directed by Christian Nyby and Howard Hawks. Hmmm.
The movie is set at a remote Antarctic research station where paleontologist Kate Lloyd (Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Scott Pilgrim vs. the World) and pilot Carter (Joel Edgerton, Warrior) discover a mysterious organism buried in the ice. It’s not too long before a simple experiment frees the strange creature, seemingly an extraterrestrial lifeform, from its frozen prison. The shapeshifting alien quickly unleashes a flood of chaos and paranoia upon the camp,...
- 12/1/2011
- by Laurence
- Disc Dish
The Thing prequel that was recently released in theaters is set to be released on Blu-ray and DVD on January 31th 2012. We've also got all the the details on what will be included with the release, and it's loaded with a ton of Special Features, including deleted/extended scenes, featurettes, and audio commentary.
I actually enjoyed this movie and thought it did a great job leading in to John Carpenter's classic 1982 film. As much as I enjoyed it, it's one of those films that I don't feel I need to see for a second time.
Here are all the details. Look them over at tell us what you think. Did you like the movie enough to buy it?
An expedition of a lifetime becomes a subterranean nightmare in The Thing, the thrilling prelude to John Carpenter 's 1982 film of the same name. Debuting on Blu-ray™ Combo Pack with UltraViolet™, DVD,...
I actually enjoyed this movie and thought it did a great job leading in to John Carpenter's classic 1982 film. As much as I enjoyed it, it's one of those films that I don't feel I need to see for a second time.
Here are all the details. Look them over at tell us what you think. Did you like the movie enough to buy it?
An expedition of a lifetime becomes a subterranean nightmare in The Thing, the thrilling prelude to John Carpenter 's 1982 film of the same name. Debuting on Blu-ray™ Combo Pack with UltraViolet™, DVD,...
- 12/1/2011
- by Venkman
- GeekTyrant
Universal has announced that The Thing (2011) will be released on Blu-ray, DVD, Digital Download, and VOD on January 31st. We included a copy of the official press release, which includes the list of technical specs and bonus features.
Universal City, Calif., Nov. 30, 2011 — An expedition of a lifetime becomes a subterranean nightmare in The Thing, the thrilling prelude to John Carpenter’s 1982 film of the same name. Debuting on Blu-ray(Tm) Combo Pack with UltraViolet(Tm), DVD, Digital Download and On Demand on January 31, 2011, The Thing stars Mary Elizabeth Winstead (Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World,) as paleontologist Kate Lloyd who, along with the crew’s pilot Carter (Joel Edgerton, Warrior), discovers a mysterious organism buried in the ice.
When a simple experiment frees the creature from its frozen prison, it unleashes a flood of chaos and paranoia upon the camp, pitting the team against one another. With the ability...
Universal City, Calif., Nov. 30, 2011 — An expedition of a lifetime becomes a subterranean nightmare in The Thing, the thrilling prelude to John Carpenter’s 1982 film of the same name. Debuting on Blu-ray(Tm) Combo Pack with UltraViolet(Tm), DVD, Digital Download and On Demand on January 31, 2011, The Thing stars Mary Elizabeth Winstead (Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World,) as paleontologist Kate Lloyd who, along with the crew’s pilot Carter (Joel Edgerton, Warrior), discovers a mysterious organism buried in the ice.
When a simple experiment frees the creature from its frozen prison, it unleashes a flood of chaos and paranoia upon the camp, pitting the team against one another. With the ability...
- 11/30/2011
- by Jonathan James
- DailyDead
The premake of the John Carpenter classic The Thing is on its way to DVD and Blu-ray, and if you didn't see it in theatres, now's your chance to decide which camp you'll fall into - forgiving and happy, indifferent, or flaming pissed.
From the Press Release
An expedition of a lifetime becomes a subterranean nightmare in The Thing, the thrilling prelude to John Carpenter's 1982 film of the same name. Debuting on Blu-ray™ Combo Pack with UltraViolet™, DVD, Digital Download and On Demand on January 31, 2011, The Thing stars Mary Elizabeth Winstead (Scott Pilgrim vs. The World) as paleontologist Kate Lloyd who, along with the crew's pilot Carter (Joel Edgerton, Warrior), discovers a mysterious organism buried in the ice.
When a simple experiment frees the creature from its frozen prison, it unleashes a flood of chaos and paranoia upon the camp, pitting the team against one another. With...
From the Press Release
An expedition of a lifetime becomes a subterranean nightmare in The Thing, the thrilling prelude to John Carpenter's 1982 film of the same name. Debuting on Blu-ray™ Combo Pack with UltraViolet™, DVD, Digital Download and On Demand on January 31, 2011, The Thing stars Mary Elizabeth Winstead (Scott Pilgrim vs. The World) as paleontologist Kate Lloyd who, along with the crew's pilot Carter (Joel Edgerton, Warrior), discovers a mysterious organism buried in the ice.
When a simple experiment frees the creature from its frozen prison, it unleashes a flood of chaos and paranoia upon the camp, pitting the team against one another. With...
- 11/30/2011
- by Uncle Creepy
- DreadCentral.com
Rating: 2.5 out of 5 stars
“Reboot”, “reimagining” and “reinvisioning” are fashionable terms bandied around by studios to try and explain the presence of usually unnecessary quasi-remakes of classic films. Almost always shot through without due respect for the original work, keen only to exploit a new generation’s lack of awareness about cinema history and their appetite for the latest in quality visual effects, they are among the crassest calculations in Hollywood’s sizeable repertoire. A more disturbing trend may be emerging, then, with The Thing, a film so unimaginative that it not only mimics the title of its 1982 John Carpenter predecessor, but shamelessly remakes that film while disguising itself tenuously at best as a prequel.
The opening of Carpenter’s The Thing featured a Norwegian gunman trying to kill a fleeing dog, before the American crew of the Antarctic base discovered some disturbing and unusual remains, as well as the...
“Reboot”, “reimagining” and “reinvisioning” are fashionable terms bandied around by studios to try and explain the presence of usually unnecessary quasi-remakes of classic films. Almost always shot through without due respect for the original work, keen only to exploit a new generation’s lack of awareness about cinema history and their appetite for the latest in quality visual effects, they are among the crassest calculations in Hollywood’s sizeable repertoire. A more disturbing trend may be emerging, then, with The Thing, a film so unimaginative that it not only mimics the title of its 1982 John Carpenter predecessor, but shamelessly remakes that film while disguising itself tenuously at best as a prequel.
The opening of Carpenter’s The Thing featured a Norwegian gunman trying to kill a fleeing dog, before the American crew of the Antarctic base discovered some disturbing and unusual remains, as well as the...
- 11/30/2011
- by Shaun Munro
- Obsessed with Film
John Carpenter may well be the master of horror filmmaking, but that’s not to say that someone else can’t tackle his esteemed previous work. In fact, Dutch filmmaker Matthijs van Heijningen Jr’s 2011 version of The Thing could be argued as a brave career choice, considering the 1982 film’s cult following. Not to be confused as a remake of the first, but a prequel – both based on John W. Campbell Jr.’s 1938 novella Who Goes There?, whichever way you look at it, van Heijningen Jr’s new film is certain to spark similar debate over its genetics ideas.
Just to confuse matters, this prequel is set in 1982, and sees American paleontologist Kate Lloyd (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) recruited by scientists Dr. Sander Halvorson (Ulrich Thomsen) and assistant Adam Finch (Eric Christian Olsen) to join a Norwegian scientific team that has stumbled across a crashed extraterrestrial spaceship buried beneath the ice of Antarctica.
Just to confuse matters, this prequel is set in 1982, and sees American paleontologist Kate Lloyd (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) recruited by scientists Dr. Sander Halvorson (Ulrich Thomsen) and assistant Adam Finch (Eric Christian Olsen) to join a Norwegian scientific team that has stumbled across a crashed extraterrestrial spaceship buried beneath the ice of Antarctica.
- 11/30/2011
- by Lisa Giles-Keddie
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
Some have argued that The Thing, the prequel to John Carpenter’s 1982 classic, should never have been made. Here’s Ryan’s defence of a decent sci-fi chiller…
“The Thing has no subtext, no humour, no genre invention,” reads one review. “The Thing is so single-mindedly determined to keep you awake that it almost puts you to sleep,” moans another. “A foolish, depressing, overproduced movie that mixes horror with science fiction to make something that is fun as neither one thing or the other,” yet another critic seeths.
These quotes aren’t, as you may have imagined, plucked from the reviews of Matthijs van Heijningen Jr’s The Thing, out on Friday, but John Carpenter’s 1982 movie.
Now rightly regarded as a classic, it’s easy to forget just how venomous the critical response was towards Carpenter’s film – worse still, The Thing wasn’t a big hit with audiences,...
“The Thing has no subtext, no humour, no genre invention,” reads one review. “The Thing is so single-mindedly determined to keep you awake that it almost puts you to sleep,” moans another. “A foolish, depressing, overproduced movie that mixes horror with science fiction to make something that is fun as neither one thing or the other,” yet another critic seeths.
These quotes aren’t, as you may have imagined, plucked from the reviews of Matthijs van Heijningen Jr’s The Thing, out on Friday, but John Carpenter’s 1982 movie.
Now rightly regarded as a classic, it’s easy to forget just how venomous the critical response was towards Carpenter’s film – worse still, The Thing wasn’t a big hit with audiences,...
- 11/28/2011
- Den of Geek
With a third version of The Thing out in cinemas on Friday, Terence examines why a story originally written in 1938 is so enduringly popular…
Note: this article discusses the 1951 and 1982 Thing movies in depth, but we have been careful not to mention specific details about the new film.
There is now a third movie in what could now be referred to as The Thing franchise. Like the titular shape-shifting creature, the story and basic premise of The Thing has mutated and adapted to the themes, issues and even fears of the various times in which the films were made.
There has consistently been a new movie version of The Thing every 30 years or so since 1951. The original novella, Who Goes There?, written by legendary sci-fi writer John W Campbell Jr under the pseudonym Don A Stuart, was first published in the 1930s. If you take into account the underlying archetypal themes of the story,...
Note: this article discusses the 1951 and 1982 Thing movies in depth, but we have been careful not to mention specific details about the new film.
There is now a third movie in what could now be referred to as The Thing franchise. Like the titular shape-shifting creature, the story and basic premise of The Thing has mutated and adapted to the themes, issues and even fears of the various times in which the films were made.
There has consistently been a new movie version of The Thing every 30 years or so since 1951. The original novella, Who Goes There?, written by legendary sci-fi writer John W Campbell Jr under the pseudonym Don A Stuart, was first published in the 1930s. If you take into account the underlying archetypal themes of the story,...
- 11/28/2011
- Den of Geek
Rating: 2.5 out of 5 stars
Its 1982. Big hair is in, and E.T is whipping up a storm at the box office. Meanwhile in Antarctica, a very different E.T is causing a stir of its own. When three Norwegian explorers stumble upon an ice tomb, they find a spacecraft inside, and a frozen alien specimen nearby. Graduate student Kate Lloyd (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) is soon recruited by scientist, and uber jerk, Dr Sander Halvorson (Ulrich Thomson) to assist the team in digging up and experimenting on the alien life form. But not long after Kate’s arrival in Antarctica, the group awaken the deadly alien Popsicle, and all hell breaks loose.
Confusingly given the exact same name as its predecessor, The Thing is a prequel to John Carpenter’s 1982 movie The Thing which itself is a remake of the Howard Hawks produced 1951 horror The Thing From Another World. In fact,...
Its 1982. Big hair is in, and E.T is whipping up a storm at the box office. Meanwhile in Antarctica, a very different E.T is causing a stir of its own. When three Norwegian explorers stumble upon an ice tomb, they find a spacecraft inside, and a frozen alien specimen nearby. Graduate student Kate Lloyd (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) is soon recruited by scientist, and uber jerk, Dr Sander Halvorson (Ulrich Thomson) to assist the team in digging up and experimenting on the alien life form. But not long after Kate’s arrival in Antarctica, the group awaken the deadly alien Popsicle, and all hell breaks loose.
Confusingly given the exact same name as its predecessor, The Thing is a prequel to John Carpenter’s 1982 movie The Thing which itself is a remake of the Howard Hawks produced 1951 horror The Thing From Another World. In fact,...
- 10/31/2011
- by Brad Williams
- Obsessed with Film
It's only been a few weeks since the release of director Matthijs van Heijningen, Jr.'s version of The Thing, and to tell you the truth, I'd all but forgotten about it until this week's Motion Picture Purgatory arrived from Trembles. Check it out, and see if you agree with his take on the flick.
Synopsis
Antarctica: an extraordinary continent of awesome beauty. It is also home to an isolated outpost where a discovery full of scientific possibility becomes a mission of survival when an alien is unearthed by a crew of international scientists. The shape-shifting creature, accidentally unleashed at this marooned colony, has the ability to turn itself into a perfect replica of any living being. It can look just like you or me, but inside, it remains inhuman.
In the thriller The Thing, paranoia spreads like an epidemic among a group of researchers as they’re infected, one by one,...
Synopsis
Antarctica: an extraordinary continent of awesome beauty. It is also home to an isolated outpost where a discovery full of scientific possibility becomes a mission of survival when an alien is unearthed by a crew of international scientists. The shape-shifting creature, accidentally unleashed at this marooned colony, has the ability to turn itself into a perfect replica of any living being. It can look just like you or me, but inside, it remains inhuman.
In the thriller The Thing, paranoia spreads like an epidemic among a group of researchers as they’re infected, one by one,...
- 10/29/2011
- by The Woman In Black
- DreadCentral.com
The Thing a prequel to John Carpenters original masterpiece and is directed by Matthijs van Heijningen and stars Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Eric Christian Olsen, Joel Edgerton, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, Ulrich Thomsen and Kim Bubbs. This October two horror movies are playing in theaters nationwide Paranormal Activity 3 and The Thing Prequel. While Paranormal Activity 3 did great, The Thing pretty much flopped. A couple of reasons, one is horror fans are tired of remakes and prequels to classic horror movies. Another reason is most of the youth in American don’t know about John Carpenters The Thing and if they do they like the classic for a reason, it’s a classic.
- 10/26/2011
- Best-Horror-Movies.com
Total Film caught up with Mary Elizabeth Winstead on the set of The Thing, to find out what she’d be bringing to the prequel to John Carpenter’s 1982 classic. Director Matthijs van Heijningen Jr told us that he wanted to differentiate this model from the earlier movie by bringing in a strong female character in the vein of Sigourney Weaver’s Ellen Ripley. When we asked Winstead, who up to this point is probably best known for playing the object of Scott Pilgrim’s affection, about the comparison, she responded:...
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- 10/26/2011
- by Total Film
- TotalFilm
After trailing behind Real Steel on the weekend and on Monday, Footloose topped the North American box-office chart for three days in a row. Its box-office rule, however, is already over, as Paranormal Activity 3 opened with an estimated $8 million at Thursday midnight screenings at 2,200 locations, according to Box Office Mojo. [Photo: Kenny Wormald, Julianne Hough in Footloose.] As Bom's Ray Subers remarks, that's considerably better than Paranormal Activity 2's $6.3m at 1,800 sites last year. Paranormal Activity 2 went on to gross $84.75 million in the Us/Canada and $177.51 million worldwide. The original Paranormal Activity collected $193.35 million worldwide. Including Thursday midnight's box-office take, Paranormal Activity 3 is expected to take in approximately $40 million this weekend — that would be more than any other movie at the North American box office since Rise of the Planet of the Apes on the first weekend of August. That is also proof that, as pundits everywhere affirm, audiences want original, quality movies and storylines.
- 10/22/2011
- by Zac Gille
- Alt Film Guide
Issue #6 of the horror movie magazine Diabolique hits the stands this week and We Are Movie Geeks got a sneak preview. This issue is 90% dedicated to St. Louis. own Vincent Price and they sent a reporter to our town in May to cover the Vincentennial, the Vincent Price 100th Birthday Celebration held here in the actor’s hometown. The 64-page, full color, slick mag has a nice photo of the fabulous Hi-Point Theater here as well as a shot of Roger Corman speaking at the Hi-Pointe. There are shots of the Vincentennial, the Legacy of Vincent Price exhibit that was at the Sheldon Art Galleries here including pics of items from the collections of Vincentennial participants Rick Squires, Robert Taylor, and Sara Waugh as well as a great shot of the life size Vincent Price figures at the exhibit that were sculpted and loaned by Cortland Hull. There are quotes...
- 10/17/2011
- by Tom Stockman
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Matthijs van Heijningen Jr.'s prequel to John Carpenter's beloved film, The Thing hit theaters this weekend. While I've already shared my personal thoughts on the matter (you can check out my review right here, there are certainly plenty who will disagree and write the picture off as little more than afterthought. The question is, just how many purists haul that attitude, and how many will refuse to give the film a chance on the big screen? Thes…...
- 10/15/2011
- Horrorbid
Opening weekend of the Matthijs van Heijningen Jr-directed prequel “The Thing” is upon us. Fans of the 1982 John Carpenter film have eagerly been awaiting, or dreading, the impending Universal prequel for some time. But before some of you flock out to the theaters to see it, maybe you should read on to find out more about the whole process of bringing this prequel to life on the big screen, along with the creature’s variously disturbing forms. At an Antarctica research site, the discovery of an alien craft leads to a confrontation between graduate student Kate Lloyd (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) and scientist Dr. Sander Halvorson (Ulrich Thomsen). While Dr. Halvorson...
- 10/15/2011
- by melissa
- ShockYa
Chicago – With Halloween approaching, what will truly scare us at the cinema this month? One strong entry is this weekend’s “The Thing,” the third remake of a wild and mysterious monster movie. It combines a European-style approach to paranoia with some truly unique monster effects.
Rating: 3.5/5.0
Newcomer Matthijs van Jeijningen directs this version as a prequel to the events in John Carpenter’s “The Thing,” and uses the cold tundra of Antarctica as a character, interacting with the human element that is isolated with a monster they cannot control. The stress of this situation is palpable throughout the film, and that is what sets it apart – the willingness to use simple psychology to generate the fright. The special effects monster itself is one-of-a-kind, created with a look that is fascinatingly grotesque.
An Antarctica exploration team makes an amazing discovery, an energy force that turns out to be a hidden alien spacecraft.
Rating: 3.5/5.0
Newcomer Matthijs van Jeijningen directs this version as a prequel to the events in John Carpenter’s “The Thing,” and uses the cold tundra of Antarctica as a character, interacting with the human element that is isolated with a monster they cannot control. The stress of this situation is palpable throughout the film, and that is what sets it apart – the willingness to use simple psychology to generate the fright. The special effects monster itself is one-of-a-kind, created with a look that is fascinatingly grotesque.
An Antarctica exploration team makes an amazing discovery, an energy force that turns out to be a hidden alien spacecraft.
- 10/15/2011
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
Now that you've seen it, what did you think? The Thing has a long history. Its origins are in John W. Campbell's short story "Who Goes There?"; there's a 1951 adaptation; and there's John Carpenter's beloved cult classic 1982 version. In theaters today is Matthijs van Heijningen's prequel to Carpenter's film, also titled The Thing, telling the story of the Norwegian camp that first discovers a creature from another world in the ice. So how is it? Is it a worthy follow-up to Carpenter's classic? How are the effects? What about the characters and performances? Once you've seen it, leave a comment and tell us your thoughts on The Thing! To fuel the fire, while there are some good moments in this new The Thing, overall I was honestly let down. It felt like it was missing a lot, some pieces that would've made it feel a lot more complete.
- 10/14/2011
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
Synopsis:
At an Antarctica research site, the discovery of an alien craft leads to a confrontation between graduate student Kate Lloyd and scientist Dr. Sander Halvorson.
Review:
Here it is! What is probably the most anticipated horror film of the fall, if not the year, has finally arrived. Director Matthijs van Heijningen Jr’s “Prequel” to John Carpenter’s remake of the 1951 Howard Hawks original (Whew! Try saying that three times quickly) hits multiplexes all over the country today. And everyone who is a fan of Carpenter’s film has been questioning why it was even attempted 30 years later.… More...
At an Antarctica research site, the discovery of an alien craft leads to a confrontation between graduate student Kate Lloyd and scientist Dr. Sander Halvorson.
Review:
Here it is! What is probably the most anticipated horror film of the fall, if not the year, has finally arrived. Director Matthijs van Heijningen Jr’s “Prequel” to John Carpenter’s remake of the 1951 Howard Hawks original (Whew! Try saying that three times quickly) hits multiplexes all over the country today. And everyone who is a fan of Carpenter’s film has been questioning why it was even attempted 30 years later.… More...
- 10/14/2011
- by The Black Saint
- Horror News
The Thing is a missed opportunity that I wish had been better but I’m still gonna recommend it. An adequate prequel to John Carpenter’s beloved sci-fi classic of the same name, this new The Thing does nothing really new with its conventional alien-in-the-ice scheme and doesn’t even outdo the 1982 version in terms of special effects. A Norwegian scientific team led by Dr. Sander Halvorson (Ulrich Thomsen), discovers an extraterrestrial ship buried in the Antarctic ice, and enlists the services of American Paleontologist Kate Lloyd (Mary Elizabeth Winstead). There is a creature frozen in the ice, so they carve out a block and take it back to the camp, but of course it wakes up ready to kill, absorb humans, and do the nasty things that The Thing likes to do. Kate must join the crew’s pilot, Carter (Joel Edgerton), to keep it from killing them off one at a time.
- 10/14/2011
- by Tom Stockman
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
The Thing takes us back to the Antarctic for a prequel to John Carpenter's 1982 classic. Ron finds out how it shapes up...
When a group of geologists at a Norwegian research facility in Antarctica find an unusual-looking spacecraft frozen in the ice, they’re not sure what to do. They put the call out to some scientists, and then they bring those guys in to check out the thing they’ve found. After some research, grad student Kate Lloyd (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) is summoned from her cozy office at Columbia by Dr Sander Halvorson (Ulrich Thomsen) and his assistant Adam Goodman (Eric Christian Olsen) for a very special job.
As it turns out, those Norwegians found a spacecraft and the body of an extraterrestrial, and they need Kate to pull it out of the ice. But why use a grad student? Well, Dr Halvorson wants to keep all the credit for himself,...
When a group of geologists at a Norwegian research facility in Antarctica find an unusual-looking spacecraft frozen in the ice, they’re not sure what to do. They put the call out to some scientists, and then they bring those guys in to check out the thing they’ve found. After some research, grad student Kate Lloyd (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) is summoned from her cozy office at Columbia by Dr Sander Halvorson (Ulrich Thomsen) and his assistant Adam Goodman (Eric Christian Olsen) for a very special job.
As it turns out, those Norwegians found a spacecraft and the body of an extraterrestrial, and they need Kate to pull it out of the ice. But why use a grad student? Well, Dr Halvorson wants to keep all the credit for himself,...
- 10/14/2011
- Den of Geek
How does the 2011 'Thing' stack up against the '82 original?
By Kara Warner
Mary Elizabeth Winstead and Joel Edgerton in "The Thing"
Photo: Universal Pictures
The subject of film remakes and reboots has become a sensitive one. With two variations on that theme opening at the box office this weekend, "Footloose" and "The Thing," respectively, there are very defined, conflicting opinions on Hollywood's continued obsession with churning out new takes on old classics.
With regard to "The Thing," a prequel to John Carpenter's '82 film, the critical conversation is especially opinionated, given the fact that the horror community takes its films very seriously and that the original is so beloved by fans. Some critics were satisfied and entertained by Dutch filmmaker Matthijs van Heijningen's take on the film, along with the performances by Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Joel Edgerton and Ulrich Thomsen; some were not.
Without further ado, let's...
By Kara Warner
Mary Elizabeth Winstead and Joel Edgerton in "The Thing"
Photo: Universal Pictures
The subject of film remakes and reboots has become a sensitive one. With two variations on that theme opening at the box office this weekend, "Footloose" and "The Thing," respectively, there are very defined, conflicting opinions on Hollywood's continued obsession with churning out new takes on old classics.
With regard to "The Thing," a prequel to John Carpenter's '82 film, the critical conversation is especially opinionated, given the fact that the horror community takes its films very seriously and that the original is so beloved by fans. Some critics were satisfied and entertained by Dutch filmmaker Matthijs van Heijningen's take on the film, along with the performances by Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Joel Edgerton and Ulrich Thomsen; some were not.
Without further ado, let's...
- 10/14/2011
- MTV Movie News
How does the 2011 'Thing' stack up against the '82 original?
By Kara Warner
Mary Elizabeth Winstead and Joel Edgerton in "The Thing"
Photo: Universal Pictures
The subject of film remakes and reboots has become a sensitive one. With two variations on that theme opening at the box office this weekend, "Footloose" and "The Thing," respectively, there are very defined, conflicting opinions on Hollywood's continued obsession with churning out new takes on old classics.
With regard to "The Thing," a prequel to John Carpenter's '82 film, the critical conversation is especially opinionated, given the fact that the horror community takes its films very seriously and that the original is so beloved by fans. Some critics were satisfied and entertained by Dutch filmmaker Matthijs van Heijningen's take on the film, along with the performances by Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Joel Edgerton and Ulrich Thomsen; some were not.
Without further ado, let's...
By Kara Warner
Mary Elizabeth Winstead and Joel Edgerton in "The Thing"
Photo: Universal Pictures
The subject of film remakes and reboots has become a sensitive one. With two variations on that theme opening at the box office this weekend, "Footloose" and "The Thing," respectively, there are very defined, conflicting opinions on Hollywood's continued obsession with churning out new takes on old classics.
With regard to "The Thing," a prequel to John Carpenter's '82 film, the critical conversation is especially opinionated, given the fact that the horror community takes its films very seriously and that the original is so beloved by fans. Some critics were satisfied and entertained by Dutch filmmaker Matthijs van Heijningen's take on the film, along with the performances by Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Joel Edgerton and Ulrich Thomsen; some were not.
Without further ado, let's...
- 10/14/2011
- MTV Music News
Movie review of The Thing, starring Mary Elizabeth Winstead and Joel Edgerton. Finally, here it is: the prequel to John Carpenter’s cult-classic 1982 horror film, the identically titled The Thing. The new one doesn’t quite match up in quality, and its marketing materials’ giveaway of so many adrenaline-pumping surprises doesn’t help matters (so don’t watch them beforehand). But it does cleverly and methodically set the stage for the Carpenter film, itself a remake of 1951’s The Thing From Another World, based on John W. Campbell Jr.’s 1938 novella, Who Goes There? In the ‘82 film, an American team at one point explores the burned-out wreckage of a Norwegian camp -- this prequel tells the Norwegians’ story, including their helicopter chase of the alien (in wolf form) to the American outpost, the iconic beginning of Carpenter’s film. In Dutch director Matthijs van Heijningen’s feature film debut, the...
- 10/14/2011
- Upcoming-Movies.com
In a brilliant marketing move to counteract the remake backlash, Universal Pictures, writer Eric Heisserer (Nightmare On Elm St. remake and Final Destination 5) and director Matthijs van Heijningen, Jr. cleverly approached The Thing from a different angle. Even though all aspects would tell you otherwise, this 2011 prequel to the remake of 1952′s The Thing From Another World, is technically a precursor to what happened in John Carpenter’s 1982 masterpiece The Thing. Do we have that straight? For so many reasons Carpenter’s paranoia monster flick still stands as one of my favorite horror films of all time. Going into the screening, I knew that the horror classic is not going to be outdone by a first time director. That is why you have to remind yourself while watching this film: It’s only a prequel. It’s only a prequel. It’s only a prequel. Yet, why does it still look like a remake?...
- 10/14/2011
- by Michael Haffner
- Destroy the Brain
The prequel to John Carpenter's classic of the same name, The Thing, is finally opening in a theater near you, and as usual we want to help you decide if you should part with your hard earned dough by putting together this neat package of coverage.
In case you don't already know from our non-stop coverage this week, The Thing stars Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Joel Edgerton, Eric Christian Olsen, Jonathan Walker, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, Dennis Storh¿i, Trond Espen Seim, J¿rgen Langhelle, Stig Henrik Hoff, Jan Gunnar R¿ise, Kristofer Hivju, and Jo Adrian Haavind. Matthijs van Heijningen is the director. Eric Heisserer and Ronald D. Moore are the writers.
Win yourselves some The Thing swag.
You can stream the original John Carpenter The Thing on Netflix right now.
Make sure to tell us in the comments section below how you think the premake stacks up!
Read our Review...
In case you don't already know from our non-stop coverage this week, The Thing stars Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Joel Edgerton, Eric Christian Olsen, Jonathan Walker, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, Dennis Storh¿i, Trond Espen Seim, J¿rgen Langhelle, Stig Henrik Hoff, Jan Gunnar R¿ise, Kristofer Hivju, and Jo Adrian Haavind. Matthijs van Heijningen is the director. Eric Heisserer and Ronald D. Moore are the writers.
Win yourselves some The Thing swag.
You can stream the original John Carpenter The Thing on Netflix right now.
Make sure to tell us in the comments section below how you think the premake stacks up!
Read our Review...
- 10/14/2011
- by kwlow
- DreadCentral.com
With The Thing (review here) morphing its way into theatres tomorrow, we figured right about now would be a great time to give away some goodies to ya! Dig it!
To enter for your chance to win the hat and t-shirt shown below, just send us an E-mail Here including your Full Name And Mailing Address. We’ll take care of the rest.
Matthijs van Heijningen, Jr., is directing from a screenplay by Eric Heisserer and Ronald D. Moore. The cast includes Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Joel Edgerton, Jonathan Walker, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, Dennis Storhøi, Trond Espen Seim, Jørgen Langhelle, Eric Christian Olsen, Stig Henrik Hoff, Jan Gunnar Røise, Kristofer Hivju, and Jo Adrian Haavind.
Synopsis
Antarctica: an extraordinary continent of awesome beauty. It is also home to an isolated outpost where a discovery full of scientific possibility becomes a mission of survival when an alien is unearthed by a crew of international scientists.
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Matthijs van Heijningen, Jr., is directing from a screenplay by Eric Heisserer and Ronald D. Moore. The cast includes Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Joel Edgerton, Jonathan Walker, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, Dennis Storhøi, Trond Espen Seim, Jørgen Langhelle, Eric Christian Olsen, Stig Henrik Hoff, Jan Gunnar Røise, Kristofer Hivju, and Jo Adrian Haavind.
Synopsis
Antarctica: an extraordinary continent of awesome beauty. It is also home to an isolated outpost where a discovery full of scientific possibility becomes a mission of survival when an alien is unearthed by a crew of international scientists.
- 10/14/2011
- by Uncle Creepy
- DreadCentral.com
As we all know by now, Matthijs van Heijningen Jr.'s The Thing is not a remake of John Carpenter's 1982 The Thing, which in turn wasn't really a remake of Howard Hawks and Christian Nyby's 1951 The Thing from Another World. So now we have two Things that are only tangentially related to the first Thing, although the thing about the third Thing is that it explains how the Thing of the second Thing demolished the Norwegian explorers who were dead by the time that Thing was even a thing. The Thing of the third Thing basically does the same thing we saw it do in the second Thing, so the third Thing probably isn't for you if the second Thing wasn't your thing.
- 10/13/2011
- Movieline
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