This is not a new topic. If you’re a fan of The Thing, you probably have a slight resentment for E.T., as the two movies came out within the span of a couple of weeks in 1982, and though they’re two separate movies, E.T.’s cultural impact ultimately had a negative impact on the reception of The Thing. According to The Thing’s director, John Carpenter, the poor critical reception adversely impacted his career, despite having already made several good movies.
The big issue here is the that two movies are similar enough to be grouped together naturally, but the differences are so stark it was probably going to split audiences, even though theoretically, viewers should be able to like both movies. I haven’t seen E.T. since I was a kid, so I will be going off of memory. The Thing is one of my favorite movies, so I am coming in a little biased. But The Thing was cursed by its timing.
Sames
1). Both came out in June of 1982:
This is the basis for the many comparisons that have taken place. E.T. came out on June 11th, The Thing on June 25th. Unfortunately for The Thing, the lighter, more family-friendly movie came first.
2). Both stories are about an alien coming to earth and interacting with humans:
Again, the similarity may have doomed The Thing. It’d be one thing if movies with opposite tones came out so close together, but the fact that these are both “alien movies” invites the comparisons that were drawn.
3). Great scores, visual effects, and directing:
Though it took a couple of years after its release, The Thing is now widely accepted as one of the best horror/sci-fi movies of all-time. Unsurprisingly, both movies were helmed by fantastic directors. Steven Spielberg is in Cooperstown; after making Jaws, Close Encounters of the Third Kind and Raiders of the Lost Ark, he may have already been a Hall of Famer by the time E.T. came out. Critics would probably consider John Carpenter a borderline Hall of Famer, however, he is a respected filmmaker. Although he’s made a quite a few solid movies, I think he has to be in the Hall of Fame for making two of the greatest horror movies of all-time, and arguably the two defining movies for their sub-genre: slashers (Halloween) and shape-shifters (The Thing).
E.T. won Oscars for Best Score and Best Visual Effects. Both were crucial to the movie, and a big part of why the movie is as beloved as it was. The Thing wasn’t nominated in either category, but the score is ominous and atmospheric, from an all-time great composer, Ennio Morricone. I don’t know whether it was better than the other nominees that year, but it’s a fantastic part of the movie. Not nominating The Thing for Visual Effects is one of the greatest mistakes in Oscars history.
Opposites
Where do we…begin?
1). The titles, and what they say about our alien characters:
“E.T. the Extra-terrestrial” sounds official, like a museum exhibit. Also, it invites curiosity by stating what it is straight out; it’s an alien lifeform. It also sounds important, like Richard the Lionheart, or something like that.
“The Thing” sounds ominous, definitely negative. Like some kind of beast/freak being that defied easy categorization. So right off that bat, one title portrays the alien in an interesting and respectable light, the other as something to be wary of.
2). Naturally, the relationship the alien has to humans:
E.T. hails from a friendly alien species that comes to earth to collect botanical samples. He’s left behind by accident. He hides from people out of fear, but ultimately becomes a friend and family member to Elliot’s family.
The titular Thing is trying to assimilate the human race until they no longer exist. This human-alien relationship is more contentious.
3). Their future plans:
E.T. is trying to get home. He doesn’t want to take over the world or anything like that. The Thing has landed on earth and it ain’t leaving. Even if it’s bested, it will go into the ground and freeze within the ice until someone thaws it out.
4). Supernatural powers:
E.T. can heal things like wounds and dead plants. He also has telekinesis that he never uses for bad.
The Thing can shape-shift. No one ever uses shape-shifting for good. If anything, it’s dishonest by its very nature: a person or thing pretending to be something or someone else.
5). The atmosphere:
E.T. takes place in a suburb of Los Angeles. There are people around and it’s a relatively warm, weather-free climate. The conditions don’t mean anything to the story.
The tough part about The Thing is that it’s so frigid at their Antarctic outpost that the research team can’t really do anything, but be inside with the thing. It’s brutally cold, and there is no one around for miles.
6). The ending:
E.T. ends in a touching, heartfelt way. There were likely tears shed in the movie theaters. The whole story makes people feel good.
The Thing has an unresolved ending that is both bleak and nihilistic. It’s perfect for the movie, but not a crowd-pleaser.
While E.T. was a touching story about alien-human friendship, The Thing was all about an alien life-form trying to take over the human race. Not only was it unfriendly, but the shape-shifting nature of the alien caused the team at Outpost 31 to become paranoid and turn on one another. Basically, the exact opposite effect E.T. had on the family.
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