A massive deep dive that keeps you interested from start to finish, The Thing Expanded is an incredible look at one of the great films of its day.
The Thing Expanded Documentary Review
Orson Welles’ Citizen Kane is (rightfully) the most dissected film in the history of the medium, as it is a true groundbreaker where its director fought to get his full vision to the screen only to have the public turn away at the time of its 1941 release. As the decades went on (thanks to ardent fans and reevaluations) Welles’ thunderous cinematic debut was finally recognized as a masterpiece. John Carpenter’s, The Thing, suffered a similar fate. Upon its summer 1982 release (only three weeks after Spielberg’s E.T. won the hearts of the world), the picture was trashed by critics and the public turned away. The VHS boom of the 1980s allowed horror fans to see Carpenter’s maligned movie over and over; positive word of mouth fueling many to give it a chance or a rewatch. This rediscovery would eventually see The Thing discussed in film classes, studied by FX aficionados, and sometime in the 1990s, the word “masterpiece” would (at last) be attached to John Carpenter’s financial and critical flop. While there have been symposiums devoted to Citizen Kane, Ian Nathan’s The Thing Expanded is one of the most studied and intricate film documentaries ever produced.
The Thing Expanded is an incredible look at one of the great films of its day. Nathan covers everything. From the conception of doing a modern update of John W. Campbell Jr.’s novella “Who Goes There?”, to John Carpenter helming his first studio picture, to the casting, the FX, and just about everything and everyone (both in front of and behind the camera) that brought this masterwork to life.
For the cast members, the film gets a chance to speak with almost everyone. Kurt Russell, Keith David, Richard Masur, Thomas G. Waites, David Clennon, Peter Maloney, and Joel Polis share amazingly intimate stories about their time on the film. On the production side, producers Stuart Cohen and Larry Franco make viewers realize the tough job a movie producer truly has, when fighting studio heads and budget restraints. Each actor spins fascinating tales of their auditions, character building, and eventual time in the extreme colds of Alaska and British Columbia.
The FX crews get a lot of time and regale fans with intoxicating stories of how the creatures and the gore were created and executed. Longtime Carpenter collaborator Dean Cundy discusses his visual stylings for Outpost 31, while John Carpenter himself shares his many ups and downs of the filmmaking process of an indie director under the watchful eye of a major studio, Universal.
As with the best film docs, The Thing Expanded is stuffed to the gills with captivating recollections of the highs and lows of creating one of the great works of genre cinema. What the documentary reveals is how every cast member took this quite seriously. With so many horror films, when actors are interviewed, it always seems like a party. “We had a good time making that one” is an oft-heard phrase when a performer speaks about working on a genre film. The cast of The Thing all had respect for their director and each one speaks of the “homework” they did in creating their respective characters. These guys weren’t treating this as a genre picture to have fun with. The story (an original screenplay by Bill Campbell that
Carpenter tweaked) is all about paranoia and distrust in a contained environment. This cast (while admittedly having fun at the bars during days off) was here to work hard. Their trust in the material and in John Carpenter’s vision comes through with every remembrance and anecdote.
Thomas G. Waites was an accomplished stage actor who was just coming off of a great turn in Walter Hill’s The Warriors and an important role in Norman Jewison’s And Justice For All. Waites’ remembrance of his prep reveals his discovery of a pair of sunglasses he found and used to give his character a more important presence, going so far as to change the name to “Windows”, to which John Carpenter and his cast warmed to.
Keith David and Kurt Russell speak highly of their fellow performers, while all fondly remember Donald Moffat, the elder statesman of the cast. No one has a bad thing to say about anyone. Carpenter assembled a group of men who were more than up to the task. Even T.K. Carter stepped up. An actor born in Beverly Hills, Russell remembers how Carter was a bit “out of his element.”
Each member of the cast continues to marvel at the astonishing special effects created by Rob Bottin and his team. Some of the FX crew are interviewed (special effects artists Margaret Beserra and Ken Diaz are a blast), but director Nathan was not able to get the reclusive Bottin. Long one of the masters of creature and make-up design, CGI has caused many of his ilk (Rick Baker included) to retreat. The studios have no place for them anymore, as money can be saved creating monsters and mayhem on computers. Baker has retired. Bottin has gone into self-imposed exile. Even Joe Dante told the director that there was no way he would be able to get Bottin to participate in this doc. Dante’s prophecy proved correct. Along with the cast members who died before or during production, Rob Bottin is an important voice missing from the fold.
There are so many voices beyond the legacy film who share their thoughts on why the film is important to them. Stephen Collbert calls The Thing his “comfort movie.” Frank Darabont and Gullermo Del Toro hold court on how their careers were influenced and fueled by Carpenter’s masterwork.
A sweet touch comes during the end credits, as director Nathan plays self-recorded testimonies from some of the many backers, as the film was crowd-funded. Not only does Ian Nathan show great respect for John Carpenter and the cast and crew of the 1982 classic, the filmmaker gives thanks in the best way, by allowing some of the folks who gave money to record themselves stating their thoughts on how important The Thing is in their own lives. As the credits roll, we witness the massive amount of backer’s names roll by on screen and understand why only some folks were chosen. Including these moments from true fans is a sweet touch that adds to the special nature of this wonderful documentary.
Verdict
Clocking in at 5 hours and 12 minutes, The Thing Expanded guides the audience through The Thing, scene by scene and pre-production to completion and through its initial reception. The film is a massive deep dive that never meanders and never loses interest. Those afraid of documentaries or long running times should fear not.
John Carpenter’s The Thing failed to earn respect in 1982. That it is now hailed a masterpiece is a deserved (and long overdue) honor. Ian Nathan’s The Thing Expanded is a 21-gun salute to John Carpenter, his cast and crew, the wizards of practical FX, and to the dedicated fans who have kept The Thing held in high regard for almost 45 years.
Digital copies of THE THING EXPANDED will be available May 7 – May 21 for a limited time, exclusively available at TheThingExpanded.com.
Reviewer: Anthony Francis. He is the CEO and Editor-in-Chief of The Movie Revue. You can find his reviews, interviews, and other works at TheMovieRevue.com, as well as on Instagram and Facebook.
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