The Thing is my favorite horror movie, and boy do I enjoy being around people who haven't seen it before! That shit is still freaky as hell, man. One of the few movies where over-the-top special effects really do add a lot to the movie, mostly because John Carpenter knows when to use 'em for maximum impact. I love that movie so much.
Anyway, next batch of picks!
1. They Live (1988): Rowdy Roddy Piper Nada is a drifter who finds a strange group meeting one night in a church's soup kitchen. In a box at the church, Nada finds sunglasses; these sunglasses allow him to see the world in shades of grey, and subliminal signs and horrifying aliens who have taken on the appearance of powerful humans. Nada realizes that he must destroy the aliens by any means necessary. Directed by John Carpenter, starring Rowdy Roddy Piper, Keith David and Meg Foster.
2. The Stepford Wives (1975): Joanna Eberhart moves with her family to a clean-cut Connecticut suburb. However, she quickly grows bored with the neighborhood because every woman in town seems to be concerned only with housework. And the deeper Joanna pries into the town, the more unsettled she becomes with what she finds underneath the surface. Directed by Bryan Forbes, starring Katharine Ross, Paula Prentiss and Peter Masterson.
3. The Lady from Shanghai (1947): Michael O'Hara meets the beautiful blonde Elsa and is convinced to work as a seaman on the boat of Elsa's husband, the elderly defense attorney, Arthur Bannister. After a while, Bannister's partner, George Grisby, approaches Michael with a plan: Help fake Grisby's death so that someone can collect the insurance on the behalf of Grisby and give Michael a good chunk of change for his troubles. Michael agrees, but soon comes to regret his decision as he plunges into a complex plot of murder and deceit. Directed by and starring Orson Welles, Rita Hayworth and Everett Sloane.
4. The Hustler (1961): "Fast Eddie" Felson is a small-time pool hustler with big-time skill. He dreams of being the greatest pool player of all time and travels to challenge the legendary Minnesota Fats but loses badly due to his arrogance. Eddie retreats and meets alcoholic Sarah Packard, who reluctantly takes him as he works his way up to challenge Fats once again, even as he plunges further into the dark world of underground pool. Directed by Robert Rossen, starring Paul Newman, Piper Laure, George C. Scott and Jackie Gleason.
5. Strangers on a Train (1951): Amateur tennis star Guy Haines wants to divorce his unfaithful wife to be with the woman he really loves. While on a train, he meets a stranger, Bruno Anthony, and as they talk a bit, Bruno introduces his idea of the perfect murder -- Bruno kills Guy's wife, and Guy kills Bruno's father. No motive for the murderer, perfect alibis for those most suspicious, no case for the police. Guy hurriedly leaves the train, disturbed, but it is not the last he has seen of Bruno. Directed by Alfred Hitchcock, starring Farley Granger, Robert Walker and Ruth Roman.
