Over the past few days I watched John Carpenter’s “The Thing” (1982) and its prequel, “The Thing” (2011).
Definitely a cosmic-horror, I feel confident to say it is also very much Lovecraftian.
It succeeds where nearly all Lovecraftian movies fail. Not in the source material (being an huge fan of H.P. Lovecraft myself), but in its execution and in an inherent misunderstanding of what exactly is the horror of this master’s work.
In “The Thing” (both movies), yes there is a monster, yes there are a few fun jump scares, yes there is gore, but the horror does not hinge upon any of these points. These points are only a byproduct of the true horror and are only accessories.
Where most attempts to translate Lovecraft’s work to the medium of TV or movie fail is in the focus on these wrong points: that of the monster or the gore, possibly the ‘horror’ of the fear of physical torture or suffering. (As Clive Barker’s Cenobites run rampant with).
But these are not true horror. These are instinctive fears, as Lovecraft himself makes note of in “Supernatural Horror in Literature” (published August 1927).
One favourite short story of mine by Lovecraft is “The Hound” (1924). Through various conversations and forums I have heard far too many self-appointed horror aficionados declare that this short story is all about gore. Yes, it cannot be denied that the collection and residence of the narrator and friend St. John, would most definitely be gruesome, and that the remains of what is found of St. John would also clearly fall within the realm of gore (should one choose to forum upon it), but the true horror of this story is nothing that we see. Similar to the true horror of “The Thing.”
What I found most captivating, most horrifying, is the alien ship itself - or more specifically, its implications. On preliminary glance one can simply presume the alien ship crashed in the arctic, depositing The Thing in the ice, leaving you to ponder its origin, the conditions of its homeworld and environments, etc. But we have no reason to believe this ship is The Thing’s spacecraft. Far from it. In all likelihood, the owners of this alien ship were simply victims of The Thing. Whether it crashed do to its inability to pilot or navigate the ship (which is unlikely because it would have had access to its crew’s knowledge and memories) but through accidental crash landing.
It could have, and very well might have, travelled to countless worlds, as its various non-forms or appendages would suggest from its collected memories. This hypothesis is hinted at in “Barlow’s Guide to Extraterrestrials” (published 1979).
But the horror of The Thing extends beyond this. We are led to believe that the replicate or doppleganger, not only has its host’s knowledge and memories, but experiences and believes itself to be that same original host. The implication is terrifying. We ourselves could be it and never know. Again, another theme throughout Lovecraft’s works.
Although I am sure opinions will vary greatly, it is my belief that the truest horror of H.P. Lovecraft’s works are what you cannot see. His horror does not, and should not in movies/TV/visual media, be based upon monsters or gore.
To further pursue this current obsession with The Thing, I have endeavoured to get my hands of its original book, “Who Goes There?” by John W. Campell, Jr.. However, this could prove challenging during this times of the pandemic lockdown.
I am as interested in The Thing: The Northman Nightmare, by Dark Horse Comics, c. 2011.
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