“The Thing: Assimilation,” Universal Studios Florida, 2007.
On this date in 1982, John Carpenter’s “The Thing” premiered in theaters. The film was a loose remake of Howard Hawks’ 1951 film, “The Thing from Another World,” which was itself based on the novella “Who Goes There?” by John W. Campbell Jr.
In Carpenter’s “The Thing,” members of an Antarctic research team discover the crashed wreckage of an extraterrestrial spacecraft frozen beneath the ice. Alien remains are recovered from the craft and examined, and it soon becomes clear that the creature is not only still alive, but that it has the ability to take on the appearance of any living creature.
“The Thing” was not especially successful at the box-office, however it has since gained a substantial cult following and is often considered a modern horror classic. The film is often recognized for it’s excellent creature designs and special effects, accomplished mostly through practical methods (as opposed to today’s predilection for CGI).
The first Halloween Horror Nights appearance of “The Thing” came in Florida’s 2007 “The Thing: Assimilation” house (above). Shortly thereafter, creatures from the film appeared in HHN 19’s “Silver Screams” house and “Horrorwood Drive-In” scarezone.
2011 was a big year for “The Thing:” a sequel film was released in theaters, HHN Orlando featured a “The Thing” house, and HHN Hollywood held their own version of “The Thing: Assimilation.”
Photo by D. Gerow.