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What If: Greg Nicotero Had Done the SFX for 'The Thing' Prequel?

I’ve already invested plenty of time discusng Matthijs van Heijningen Jr.’s 2011 prequel to John Carpenter’s famed effort of the same name. I think the movie boasts damn near every quality required to make it a fine feature. The acting is more than sufficient, the character development, while heaped upon viewers quickly, is handled with respectable care, and the details spent in the picture are absolutely admirable. Then, there’s the special effects work.

Digital imagery isn’t cutting it with most fans these days. Yet, we’re clearly and continuously inundated with the idea that it’s the greatest creation nce tree pruners. It’s not, it hasn’t been, and unless some really, really wild advancements happen to be made in the near future, it likely never will be. CGI is, in 98 percent of cases a visual assault; a failure.

And that’s where The Thing went completely wrong. The brains behind this project decided it would be a nice idea to shelve those brains, and leave the “terror” up to computers, and for the most part, it just doesn’t work. So, I propose this question: What is Greg Nicotero had free, practical reign to turn this monster into something amazing?

The man boasts one of the finest special effects pedigrees in the buness today as well as a very extenve background. From clasc gems like Creepshow 2, to the contemporary smash hit series, The Walking Dead, Greg is officially a master of his craft, of this there is no doubt. His unique ability to make the unbelievably grotesque look all too real is often unnerving, and always satisfying to the gore fan.

How do you think last year’s The Thing would have fared had Greg been given full control over the special effects aspect of the film?

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It would have kicked visual ass, that's what I think. That man is damned god, in my opinion. Anytime I see his work on screen its always amazing. Just look at some of the stuff he did on From Dusk till Dawn (including the deleted scenes) some of that shit (the transformations) had to be influenced by Carpenter's The Thing. He would have been perfect for this movie. I can't believe were still doing these shitty CGI movies, its unbelievable how bad they look. It think any 80's movie with practical effects trumps any modern movie with computer effects - my eyes can tell the difference between something I could actually touch and something that's bacally animated. I really hope this crap ends soon, it's insulting.

Kurtzman actually handled the majority of FDTD - but I feel you 100% Nick!