20 Things You Didn't Know About The Thing
18. The Opening Title Was Achieved Totally Practically
The Thing's opening title sequence is one of cinema's all-time most memorable, with the title's letters methodically burning onto the screen while misty light leaks in behind them.
Though you might assume this was produced through some early visual effects trickery, it was actually an elegantly simple and totally practical process.
The film's title designer simply drew the title onto an animation cel and stuck the cel on the back of a fish tank filled with smoke and lights.
They then covered the fish tank with a black plastic bag and lit the bag on fire, resulting in a gradual title reveal that any sufficiently motivated person could pull off at home.