Watch the very different inspiration for John Carpenter's The Thing

The news article discusses the different inspirations behind John Carpenter's 1982 film "The Thing" and the 1951 film "The Thing from Another World." While both films are based on the same source material, the 1951 version is described as "optimistic and humanistic," whereas Carpenter's 1982 adaptation is characterized as "dark and paranoid." The article highlights the contrast between the two films, noting that the 1951 version presents a more positive and human-centric approach, in contrast to Carpenter's more cynical and distrustful take on the material. It suggests that the 1982 film's inspiration was shaped by the social and political climate of the time, which was marked by a growing sense of unease and mistrust. The article does not provide any additional details about the specific plot points or characters of the films, but focuses on the overall tonal and thematic differences between the two adaptations of the same source material.