Toxic Masculinity Tuesday: John Carpenter’s ‘The Thing’ (1982)

It’s that time again to embrace your toxic masculinity with a high-potent dose of more toxic masculinity back when Hollywood knew what they were doing by watching 1982’s The Thing, which happens to be one of the greatest sci-fi horror films of the 20th century. Released in the summer of 1982, the film was a box office bomb that grossed just under $20 million against its $15 million budget. Panned by critics for its bleak tone and gruesome special effects (from practical effects legend Rob Bottin), it only had two weeks to prove itself before Stephen Spielberg’s hopeful, family-friendly E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial took over cinemas, and proved the summer audiences wanted a loveable alien rathe than a nihilistic, shape-shifting monster from space. The movie, a remake of a 1951 scifi horror film The Thing from Another World, quickly achieved cult-classic status on home video and is now considered a suspense masterpiece and one of the finest horror movies ever produced. It’s also this week’s TOXIC MASCULINITY TUESDAY recommendation. John Carpenter’s The Thing isn’t merely one of the greatest horror films ever made. It’s a slow burn in a frozen, blood-soaked nightmare chock full of mascu...