Editing The Thing (1982 film) (section)

==Legacy==
===Retrospective reassessment===
In the years following its release, critics and fans have reevaluated ''The Thing'' as a milestone of the horror genre.{{sfn|Abrams|2016}} A prescient review by [[Peter Nicholls (writer)|Peter Nicholls]] in 1992 called ''The Thing'' "a bleak, memorable film [that] may yet be seen as a classic".{{sfn|Nicholls|2016}} It has been called one of the best films directed by Carpenter.{{sfn|Corrigan|2017}}{{sfn|Anderson, K|2015}}{{sfn|O'Neill|2013}} [[John Kenneth Muir]] called it "Carpenter's most accomplished and underrated directorial effort",{{sfn|Muir|2013|p=285}} and critic [[Matt Zoller Seitz]] said it "is one of the greatest and most elegantly constructed B-movies ever made".{{sfn|Zoller Seitz |2016}}

Trace Thurman described it as one of the best films ever,{{sfn|Thurman|2017}} and in 2008, ''[[Empire (film magazine)|Empire]]'' magazine selected it as one of The 500 Greatest Movies of All Time,{{sfn|Empire500|2008}} at number 289, calling it "a peerless masterpiece of relentless suspense, retina-wrecking visual excess and outright, nihilistic terror".{{sfn|Mahon|2018}} It is now considered to be one of the greatest horror films ever made,{{sfn|Muir|2013|p=285}}{{sfn|LegBoston|2007}} and a classic of the genre.{{sfn|Greene|2014}} Several publications have called it one of the best films of 1982, including [[Filmsite.org]],{{sfn|Filmsite|2018}} [[Film.com]],{{sfn|Filmcom|2018}} and ''[[Entertainment Weekly]]''.{{sfn|Rome|2013}} Muir called it "the best science fiction-horror film of 1982, an incredibly competitive year, and perhaps even the best genre motion picture of the decade".{{sfn|Muir|2013|p=285}} ''[[Complex (magazine)|Complex]]'' named it the ninth-best of the decade, calling it the "greatest genre remake of all time".{{sfn|Barone|2013}} Numerous publications have ranked it as one of the best science fiction films, including number four by ''[[IGN]]'' (2016);{{sfn|LegacyIGN|2016}} number 11 by [[Rotten Tomatoes]] (2024);{{sfn|LegacyRT|2024}} number{{spaces}}12 by ''[[Thrillist]]'' (2018);{{sfn|Fischer|2018}} number{{spaces}}17 by ''[[GamesRadar+]]'' (2018);{{sfn|LegacyGR|2018}} number 31 by ''[[Paste (magazine)|Paste]]'' (2018);{{sfn|Paste|2018}} number 32 by ''[[Esquire (magazine)|Esquire]]'' (2015) and ''[[Popular Mechanics]]'' (2017).{{sfn|Hoffman|2015}}{{sfn|Hoffman|Kelly|2017}}

Similarly, ''The Thing'' has appeared on several lists of the top horror films, including number one by ''[[The Boston Globe]]'';{{sfn|LegBoston|2007}} number two by [[Bloody Disgusting]] (2018);{{sfn|Thurman|2018}} number four by ''Empire'' (2016);{{sfn|Williams|2016}} and number six by ''[[Time Out (magazine)|Time Out]]'' (2016).{{sfn|Huddleston|2016}} ''Empire'' listed its poster as the 43rd best film poster ever.{{sfn|Nugent|Dyer|2017}} In 2016, the [[British Film Institute]] named it one of ten great films about aliens visiting Earth.{{sfn|O'Callaghan|2016}} It was voted the ninth best horror film of all time in a ''Rolling Stone'' readers poll,{{sfn|Greene|2014}} and is considered one of the best examples of [[body horror]].{{sfn|Faulkner|2017}}{{sfn|Peitzman|2014}}{{sfn|Smith|2000}}{{sfn|Barone|2014a}} ''GamesRadar+'' listed its ending as one of the 25 best of all time.{{sfn|Edwards|2019}} [[Review aggregation]] website [[Rotten Tomatoes]], which has compiled old and contemporary reviews, reports that 85% of 85 critics provided positive reviews for the film, with an average rating of 7.4/10. The site's critics consensus reads: "Grimmer and more terrifying than the 1950s take, John Carpenter's ''The Thing'' is a tense sci-fi thriller rife with compelling tension and some remarkable make-up effects."{{sfn|RottenTomatoes|2024}} On [[Metacritic]], a similar website that aggregates both past and present reviews, the film has a weighted average score of 57 out of 100 based on 13 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews".{{sfn|RevMeta|2018}}

In a 2011 interview, Carpenter remarked that it was perhaps his favorite film from his own filmography. He lamented that it took a long time for ''The Thing'' to find a wider audience, saying, "If ''The Thing'' had been a hit, my career would have been different. I wouldn't have had to make the choices that I made. But I needed a job. I'm not saying I hate the movies I did. I loved making ''[[Christine (1983 film)|Christine]]'' (1983) and ''[[Starman (film)|Starman]]'' (1984) and ''[[Big Trouble in Little China]]'' (1986), all those films. But my career would have been different."{{sfn|Adams|2011}}

===Cultural influence===
The film has had a significant effect on popular culture,{{sfn|Thurman|2017}} and by 1998, ''The Thing'' was already considered a [[Cult film|cult classic]].{{sfn|Rome|2013}}{{sfn|Mahon|2018}} It is listed in the film reference book ''[[1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die]]'', which says "one of the most influential horror movies of the 1980s, much imitated but rarely bettered{{spaces}}... It is one of the first films to unflinchingly show the rupture and warp of flesh and bone into grotesque tableaus of surreal beauty, forever raising the bar of cinematic horror."{{sfn|Scheider|2013}} It has been referred to in a variety of media, from television (including ''[[The X-Files]]'', ''[[Futurama]]'', and ''[[Stranger Things]]'') to games (''[[Resident Evil 4]]'', ''[[Tomb Raider III]]'',{{sfn|Thurman|2017}} ''[[Icewind Dale: Rime of the Frostmaiden]]'',{{sfn|Hall|2020}} and ''[[Among Us]]''{{sfn|Coates|2020}}), and films (''[[The Faculty]]'', ''[[Slither (2006 film)|Slither]]'', and ''[[The Mist (film)|The Mist]]'').{{sfn|Thurman|2017}}
[[File:Amundsen-Scott marsstation ray h edit.jpg|thumb|''The Thing'' is screened annually at the [[Amundsen–Scott South Pole Station]].|alt=A low shot of a station at the South Pole taken at night. Nearest the front of the photo is a metal structure with a curved roof and a large, open door from which bright light emanates. Slightly further in the distance are two larger buildings. The sky above is a dark blue littered with stars and a green light present across the middle of the sky.]]

Several filmmakers have spoken of their appreciation for ''The Thing'' or cited its influence on their own work, including [[Guillermo del Toro]],{{sfn|Nordine|2016}} [[James DeMonaco]],{{sfn|Lambie|2016}} [[J. J. Abrams]],{{sfn|Boucher|2011}} [[Neill Blomkamp]],{{sfn|Liptak|2017}} [[David Robert Mitchell]],{{sfn|Taylor|2015}} [[Rob Hardy]],{{sfn|Hemphill|2015}} [[Steven S. DeKnight]],{{sfn|Meslow|2018}} [[Quentin Tarantino]],{{sfn|Horton|2016}} and [[Brian Patrick Butler]].{{Sfn|Stone|2020}} In 2011, ''The New York Times'' asked prominent horror filmmakers what film they had found the scariest. Two, [[John Sayles]] and [[Edgar Wright]], cited ''The Thing''.{{sfn|Zinoman|2011}} The 2015 Tarantino film ''[[The Hateful Eight]]'' takes numerous cues from ''The Thing'', from featuring Russell in a starring role, to replicating themes of paranoia and mistrust between characters restricted to a single location, and even duplicating certain angles and layouts used by Carpenter and Cundey.{{sfn|Horton|2016}} Pieces of Morricone's unused score for ''The Thing'' were repurposed for ''The Hateful Eight''.{{sfn|Jagernauth |2015}} Tarantino also cited ''The Thing'' as an inspiration for his 1992 film ''[[Reservoir Dogs]]''.{{sfn|Freer|2016}}

The film is screened annually in February to mark the beginning of winter at the [[Amundsen–Scott South Pole Station]].{{sfn|Freer|2016}}{{sfn|McLane|2013}} In January 2010, ''[[Clarkesworld Magazine]]'' published "[[The Things (short story)|The Things]]", a short story by [[Peter Watts (author)|Peter Watts]] told from the Thing's point of view; it is unable to understand why humans are hostile toward it and horrified to learn that they do not shapeshift. The story received a 2011 [[Hugo Award]] [[Hugo Award for Best Short Story#Winners and nominees|nomination]].{{sfn|Freer|2016}}{{sfn|Watts|2010}} In 2017, a 400-page art book was released featuring art inspired by ''The Thing'', with contributions from 350 artists, a foreword by director [[Eli Roth]], and an afterword by Carpenter.{{sfn|Eddy|2017}}

The 2007 [[Halloween Horror Nights]] event at Universal Studios in Orlando, Florida, featured "The Thing: Assimilation", a [[haunted attraction (simulated)|haunted attraction]] based on the film. The attraction included MacReady and Childs, both held in stasis, the Blair-Thing and the outpost kennel.{{sfn|Brigante|2011}}{{sfn|Phalin |2008}}