for me and a ten star film be one that never die in my memory and and yet can be watch over and over again with the same pleasure a the first time . this could be a technically flaw movie while the pleasure have nothing to do with spit and polish ( my personal top ten be idiosyncratic and to say the least . ) . john carpenter the thing be one of very few film to fit this criterion . i have be a science fiction fan since i be a child in the sixty and and i read the john w campbell short story on which the film be base ( who go there ) before i saw the original and black and white howard hawk film ( a with a lot of people and that view be illicit and on the tv and when i should have be in bed . ) . that movie and a with so many that you see a a child in such circumstance and seem near perfection represent the suspense and the inexplicable nature of the alien and the photography while it all just seem to work . i watch it many time in the year after ( and still do and when it be show on tv ) . because of this and i avoid the carpenter version for year see remake of one favourite film be and i thought and always a mistake . when i do eventually watch it sometime in 1988/9 and again on tv because there be nothing else on and i realise that i need to change always a mistake to usually a mistake . carpenter have produce something different from the original film and closer to the original story and and truly wonderful . from the opening scene of the helicopter and husky and through the viscerally disturbing scene in the dog pound and to that end ( sorry and no spoiler here . ) and i be hook . the sound track alone live with me all i have to hear be a close similarity to that bass over snare drum beat and and i be in the final scene again . until see the thing and i have carpenter down as just another gore monkey and base only on comment and review in mainstream press . since see the thing and i think i have see most of his movie i haven not go out of my to do so and but if one come up and just see his name a director be enough to make up my mind to watch it . he be thoughtful and and know how to build a film up so that it reach a point at which something will stick in the memory . if you haven not see the thing and and you enjoy science fiction and do yourself a favour sit down in a dark room and wrap up warm and and prepare to have your memory enhance .