3. The Thing - Norris
First off, this film is so amazing - story, tone, characterisation, effects - that this entire article could have been gleaned from its 109 minutes. But there is one scene above all that stands out. A scene so eye-popping and cutting edge that it has still yet to be beaten even now, 30 years later. Norris collapses and the following minutes melted the brains of everyone watching the film. For a start, his chest bursts open as Copper slams down with the defibrillators. Then it closes shut, slicing off the poor mans arms. Now comes the brain melting bit! Norriss neck starts to stretch, pulling away from his body, and
slides down the table to the floor! Yeah, you read right. From there it slides under a table and sprouts spider-like legs and eyes on stalks and scuttles away. Its a truly mind bending scene, one that revolutionised what you thought was even possible with special effects (and the human imagination). It is so cerebellum frying that hyperbole is impossible, word cannot adequately describe what you feel, and all you can do is echo Palmer, slack-jawed in disbelief:
you gotta be fucking kidding.