10 Greatest Use Of Practical SFX In Horror Movies

Another classic sci-fi/horror remake and arguably the finest movie in John Carpenter’s esteemed directorial repertoire, The Thing (1982) tells the tale of a group of research scientists who become stranded in their Antarctic base, where they are hijacked by an alien being who absorbs its prey, taking over their living form. The Thing is the ultimate paranoid suspense movie, as the group are unable to decipher which of them may be the alien.

As great as the story is, it is the practical effects that The Thing's most fondly remembered for. At first we discover that the alien presence has taken the form of a husky dog, and it transforms into a grotesque spider-like creature, shooting tentacles out to consume other petrified dogs it is caged with. The scientists discover it devouring and merging itself with another dog, and the effects are truly stomach churning as the creature grows and starts to attack them.

In the movie's standout scene, as we see the survivors enter the final act, they are tied to chairs by Macready (Kurt Russell) as he tests a blood sample from each of them to try and decipher if anyone has been infected. The suspense builds as he and the audience have no idea whether any of the characters have been taken over by the Thing. As the alien is eventually exposed, the human its inhabiting’s face melts as it shows its true form and starts attacking with its tentacles, looking to feed on the tied-up men.