It qualifies only as instant junk. This is what Vincent Canby said in his review of 1982s The Thing. Director John Carpenters sixth feature film (which mixed the genres of science fiction and horror) told the tale of deadly extraterrestrials in Antarctica through the use of extreme visuals and constant paranoia. While both of these trademarks found in this novella adaptation were initially torn apart by many critics upon release, the Kurt Russell starring movie later found immense success through these same two attributes when it was later released on home video and syndicated on television.