John Carpenter explains The Thing's ending?

[bassman]

At the end of the day.....it's up to the viewer. The whole point of the ending is that you don't know. Just like the entire film, you don't know who you can trust. You follow Macready, but you don't know. The ending is left ambiguous. Just like the rest of the film. Carpenter is like Romero these days - senile. Take it for what it is. Enjoy it.

[MinionZombie]

They have no transportation, the fires "won't last long though", and they're generally a bit buggered - so they're resigning themselves to death - so they don't care. Drink up and let the cold smother you into the abyss...

[MoonSylver]

They have no transportation, the fires "won't last long though", and they're generally a bit buggered - so they're resigning themselves to death - so they don't care. Drink up and let the cold smother you into the abyss... Yeah except for possibly one of them, it's only temporary...

[Mr. Clean]

So, we watched "The Thing" (2011) last night but wouldn't let the kids watch it....this annoyed my son soooo much and so he starts bugging me wanting to see the thing dog from the original movie(I mentioned it to my wife and he over heard the conversation)....So while surfing youtube I seen a video from the Video Game (2002) and it made me decide to look up the ending.... Thoughts??? - - - Updated - - - This game is suppose to take place after the first movie (1982)...... I really can't come to a conclusion either way.......after seeing the end of the 2011 movie....it's really hard to form an opinion that's not basis. I would love to think that Mac survived. I just can't say for sure.

[MinionZombie]

Not sure what the 2011 prequel ending has to do with the 1982 ending ... but as for the videogame (which I played back in the day and quite enjoyed), it's quite open to interpretation as to whether he's a Thing or not, but it's also a bit of fan service.

[wayzim]

So, we watched "The Thing" (2011) last night but wouldn't let the kids watch it....this annoyed my son soooo much and so he starts bugging me wanting to see the thing dog from the original movie(I mentioned it to my wife and he over heard the conversation)....So while surfing youtube I seen a video from the Video Game (2002) and it made me decide to look up the ending.... Thoughts??? - - - Updated - - - This game is suppose to take place after the first movie (1982)...... I really can't come to a conclusion either way.......after seeing the end of the 2011 movie....it's really hard to form an opinion that's not basis. I would love to think that Mac survived. I just can't say for sure. I still have all of the Dark Horse TFAW comicbook series (1992) and they absolutely say what really happened after the closing scene of the original Carpenter film, so I'm definitely biased. Wayne Z

[Mr. Clean]

Not sure what the 2011 prequel ending has to do with the 1982 ending ...   I was unaware that the thing could kill other "things" or at least assist in killing.....2011 movie ending made me realize this.(In the movie, The helicopter pilot was a thing...which is why the girl fried him in the snow vehicle.) Mac helps the main character in the video game kill the final boss. I really like the idea that Mac could have beat all the odds but it seems very unlikely.

[AcesandEights]

So while surfing youtube I seen a video from the Video Game (2002) and it made me decide to look up the ending.... Thoughts??? My thought is..."Wow, I forgot how much I was a fan of this game once I actually got around to playing it!"

[Mike70]

I've watched "The Thing" several times in the last month (its been hard to avoid on IFC) and i think that Carpenter must be having some sort of flashbacks or maybe he's been smoking some really heavy shit. also: if Childs isn't breathing, how in the fark is he talking? the two kind of go together.

[bassman]

I've watched "The Thing" several times in the last month (its been hard to avoid on IFC) and i think that Carpenter must be having some sort of flashbacks or maybe he's been smoking some really heavy shit. also: if Childs isn't breathing, how in the fark is he talking? the two kind of go together. Exactly. As I said earlier in the thread....you can't trust what these old guys say after the fact. They probably remember less about the film(s) than we do...

[AcesandEights]

Exactly. As I said earlier in the thread....you can't trust what these old guys say after the fact. I agree. There's a lot of after the fact self-aggrandizing that goes on with the whole "Well, let me tell you what it was really all about..." Seen it before and doubtless, we'll see it again.