I didn't like this movie when I saw it as a kid - too gory too bleak. But time has been extremely kind to it, especially when seen on the big screen, as I managed to do.
It looks fantastic with those snowy vistas and cramped interiors. Big screen make it easier to differentiate the characters too, which is a problem looking at it on the smaller screen - in this one I fully got who was who and appreciated the sublety in many performances, such as Richard Dysart as the doctor.
Some random observations:
* I think it would've been better if the bulk of the action had played out over one night instead of several days.
* They should have covered why Macready can fly to the Norwegian base and where the spaceship was found but not to help.
* I love Wilford Brimley going nuts.
* Many ideas of Macready turn out to be bad eg locking Brimley in the tool shed (so he can build a space ship).
* I realised one of the guys, the radio dude, is played by the actor whose character was killed off on The Warriors because he was annoying.
* A stoner character is useful in sci fi because they can make really outlandish claims as comedy, which helps sell the reality of the world you are creating.
* The quality of acting is very strong - there are no bad performances. It wouldn't have hurt to have two females though.
* The creepiest bits are the quiet ones... the dog entering someone's room and it fading to black, the creature moving under the blanket without the others knowing.
* There's a very American quality to the actions of the group. No thought of quarantining a strange dog even after people kill it. A lack of hygene. A tendency to pull out the flame throwers when things get testy. And the decision to blow things up before considering other possibilities.
Still, a wonderful movie. See it on the big screen if you can.
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