The Thing end scene. What are your theories?

[Dizzy]

The video I posted makes a good point about several pairs of torn undergarments/long johns being found as if they were discarded or being hidden and posits that The Thing would probably attack them when they were asleep so that it wouldn't destroy their clothes in the process.

But look at Bennings, he's fully clothed when it attacks him and by the time they make it back he's fully clothed again and looks fine outside of his giant claw hands.

 

[xenomorph4prez]

But look at Bennings, he's fully clothed when it attacks him and by the time they make it back he's fully clothed again and looks fine outside of his giant claw hands.

When WIndows sees Bennings as he is being Thinged he is shirtless and when he is found outside he is wearing a coat more than likely to conceal that he hasn't completed the transformation. I'm not sure if he is wearing a shirt under the coat though. I like the idea that the Thing is smart enough to realize it needs the clothes to complete the facade. If everyone started showing up in missing clothes or wearing different clothes it would be a dead give away.

 

[Dizzy]

When WIndows sees Bennings as he is being Thinged he is shirtless and when he is found outside he is wearing a coat more than likely to conceal that he hasn't completed the transformation. I'm not sure if he is wearing a shirt under the coat though. I like the idea that the Thing is smart enough to realize it needs the clothes to complete the facade. If everyone started showing up in missing clothes or wearing different clothes it would be a dead give away.

Yeah, I suppose you don't see many guys without their jackets which would work perfectly for concealing any torn up clothing.

 

[M3t4tr0n]

There's a short story written from the things perspective that brings a new light to the whole story. It's pretty interesting and had one some award.

 

[Kick Strickland]

There's a short story written from the things perspective that brings a new light to the whole story. It's pretty interesting and had one some award.

Yeah I read that and it was pretty good. Disturbing at the end. Somebody posted the link for it somewhere in this thread.

 

[M3t4tr0n]

Yeah I read that and it was pretty good. Disturbing at the end. Somebody posted the link for it somewhere in this thread.

Oh ok I didn't notice the link. Yeah I read it twice, but it's been a while. It was pretty interesting to see how the thing thinks. He just wanted everyone to be one or something.

 

[Kick Strickland]

Oh ok I didn't notice the link. Yeah I read it twice, but it's been a while. It was pretty interesting to see how the thing thinks. He just wanted everyone to be one or something.

Yeah i thought it was an interesting read and an interesting take on the story.

 

[ClubFoot]

Completely disagree. That conversation makes no sense if they're both things.

The place was blown to shit, arctic temperatures are now throughout the station. The point that they're alone and can't reach anyone on the radio is driven home over and over again throughout the movie. They have no choice but to freeze to death at that point.

There is absolutely no way that both are things. Nothing points to that at all.

I wouldn't be saying let's wait and see, I'd be eating the other mother fucker and cosying up in his innards to keep warm.

 

[TrueBias]

I read the first 2 pages of this thread and noticed it was theory after theory and i remembered. .. i didnt like talking about sopranos ending, i didnt like talking about inceptions ending, therefore, ill take the movie for what it was, two survivors waiting to die.

You have to remember, the movie is centered around trust and isolation. Not knowing is what shuttled this story, its fine to end with not knowing, but with the given circumstances, im fine with them surviving.

...so we can get a fucking sequel.


By the way, a fun discussion was who had the keys? But someone already figured that out:

..and i cant find the video.

The discussion of who got to the blood supply was a mystery answered. Someone made a vid and now its lost in the countless discussions.

 

[Kick Strickland]

I wouldn't be saying let's wait and see, I'd be eating the other mother fucker and cosying up in his innards to keep warm.

on one of the videos somebody posted in this thread, they said that on the dvd commentary (which I haven't personally seen) Kurt Russell said that both Childs and Macready were armed in that scene. We know Childs has a flame thrower. And a lot of people have speculated that Macready has a flame thrower hidden under his jacket. Maybe he had some dynamite still, or a molotov cocktail, or who knows what.

 

[ClubFoot]

on one of the videos somebody posted in this thread, they said that on the dvd commentary (which I haven't personally seen) Kurt Russell said that both Childs and Macready were armed in that scene. We know Childs has a flame thrower. And a lot of people have speculated that Macready has a flame thrower hidden under his jacket. Maybe he had some dynamite still, or a molotov cocktail, or who knows what.

Then I would hit em with teh jab.

 

[Kick Strickland]

Then I would hit em with teh jab.

That's a bit overkill don't ya think?

 

[minute bull]

Firedick, probably. Scorching case of herpes FTW .

 

[ClubFoot]

They should have done that from the start then it would have been a none story

 

[RedFoxOne]

What a fucking bum. This guy loses credibility 2 minutes into the whole thing.

The set of circumstances are as follows:

1.) Windows gets the keys from Garry

2.) Windows finds Bennings being assimilated, drops the keys

3.) The men burn Bennings and look for Blair

4.) Blair goes apeshit and destroys the radio

5.) Men lock up Blair and discuss the blood-serum test

6.)Garry gives Doc the keys

7.) Fuchs and Doc discover the blood has been tampered with

8.)The men argue over who could have opened it. Garry and Doc are the prime suspects as they both had access to the keys. Windows begins to freak out because he dropped the keys earlier and is afraid they're going to call attention to that fact, and they've already created a Garry/Windows dynamic which plays out a few minutes later when Garry threatens to kill Windows.

Bennings was wasted before they even thought of the blood-serum test, and the blood isn't tampered with until AFTER they've discussed the possibility that they can "detect" who has been infected. The keys are reintroduced after Windows drops them but before they find the storage blood destroyed.

The more interesting question is when was Blair assimilated? Before or after the radio room rampage?

 

[Flemmy Stardust]

the suspense that was built up over the movie leaves you with this inability to trust anything you see


great fucking movie

I think this is the best way to look at it.

Whenever you have these ambiguous sorts of endings, you should always go with the one that completes the precedings the best way.

Take Inception. You can argue that it was all Leo's dream, but then you just watched 2+ that netted a difference of zero. The only good movie is the one where the things that happened accomplished something.

In this case, too much of what was established gets thrown out the window unless they're both human...for me at least. And If they're not both paranoid at the end, all that work to build paranoia throughout the movie gets alleviated too easily for bad reasons.

Of course, one could be the thing and it could have decided to go a passive route. It's not illogical, but it's not poetic. The Thing, we learn throughout, hides until you're alone and vulnerable - unless it's hand is forced - and in either case it attacks violently. That ending is the point where Macready and Childs are THE MOST alone and vulnerable. If one is The Thing, and it's in that situation, it removes a lot of the poetry in the rules and world-building that got us to that point. If they're both paranoid humans, i think it adds to it.

It's tough to argue a sensible point for both being assimilated.

 

[Plissken]

I prefer to leave it open ended in my mind, it's why the scene works and over analysis ruins a lot of good things.

 

[Gene Tunney]

I might be conflating several sources, but I recall that Carpenter wanted a non-definitive ending. Rodriguez then made the point that, no matter what, the Thing can be reduced to a single cell and still viably predate; so whether it was one, the other, both, or none -- it wouldn't make a difference because even a tiny speck of it would simply hibernate and wait for the next opportunity.

The ways in which the Things met their end would have left Things all over the place, particularly regarding the Bennings Thing and the final boss Thing. There could be be little Things all over the place. What about the dogs? Where they sufficiently cremated? I question if the crew could optimally dispose of Thing material while under heightened duress. This is likely why those crazy Swedes where somewhat sloppy with Thing remains as well. And what did Macready do with his cassette tape log? Ensuring that the rescue team finds that tape would be a high priority on Mac's or even Childs' to-do list. That is to say, if either one of them were human.

 

[Cptn1NSAN0]

Damn now I've spent hours reading about The Thing.

 

[the ambush]

You know it was a bad ass movie when it was theatrically released in 1982 and we are still intelligently discussing its plot and story today. I like an ending where they are both survivors, or an ending where one is a survivor & one is infected. IMO an ending where they are each infected is really just strawpicking. I believe Carpenter is a wizard when it comes to filmmaking.