The Thing Is Crushing At The Box Office Four Decades After Its Original Release
The 1980s are back with a vengeance. It seems like you can't turn on the radio these days without hearing Kate Bush's "Running Up That Hill," which has soared back to popularity thanks to its inclusion in an episode of "Stranger Things" Season 4. The song even hit number one on the U.K. charts and entered the top five here in the States (via CNN). And now, another hit from the '80s has returned to dominate the zeitgeist.
Fathom Events recently held special screenings of the 1982 horror classic "The Thing." Directed by John Carpenter, "The Thing" follows an extraterrestrial threat that arrives at an Antarctic station where a research team is posted up. One by one, the danger takes the team out in an extremely gruesome fashion, utilizing the genre of body horror to great effect. It's rightfully considered one of the best horror films of all time, but that doesn't make it any less impressive that during a recent Fathom Events showcase for the film, it managed to break its way into the top 10 movies at the box office (via Collider).
A lot of factors worked against The Thing
"The Thing" making its way into the top 10 is impressive considering the film only had one showing from Fathom during the weekend ending on Sunday, June 19. But pulling in the dough is only part of the reason why "The Thing" has been in the news as of late.
Many people took to social media to voice complaints that Fathom Events showed the film outside its original aspect ratio. As reported by Variety, the film was shown in an altered 1.85:1 ratio as opposed to the original 2.35:1. Screenwriter Mick Garris took to Twitter to write, "I just got back from seeing John Carpenter's masterpiece at the Fathom Events 40th anniversary screening at the Universal Citywalk AMC... and I will never EVER see a Fathom Event again, and I recommend that you avoid them like the plague."
Plenty of others joined in the chorus of disappointment, to the point where Fathom had to issue an apology: "We are aware that the recent showing of 'The Thing' wasn't shown in its original aspect ratio and the disappointment it caused. Wednesday's scheduled event will be shown in the proper aspect ratio, so you can see the film in theaters, as it was meant to be seen."
Despite all the hurdles, it sounds like people still hold a soft spot for the classic film. When it first came out in 1982, the film was received poorly by critics and didn't exactly light up the box office (via Den of Geek). Now it enjoys a stellar reputation where people come out in droves to see it on the big screen. Time, indeed, heals all wounds.