The Thing, John Carpenter, 1982. Photo: NFSA.
MA15+ 109 Mins | 1982 | DCP |US | D: John Carpenter
At an isolated research station in Antarctica, a rescued dog reveals itself to be a monstrous creature that can shapeshift into perfect replicas of its victims. With trust shattered and the creature picking them off one by one, resourceful helicopter pilot MacReady (Kurt Russell) leads the dwindling crew in a brutal fight for survival against the ever-changing enemy.
A flop upon first release in 1982, John Carpenter’s The Thing has gained cult status and is now considered a masterpiece.
The screening will be followed by a lively panel discussion unpacking what we learn about ourselves and our planet through the study of ice – and what we can expect to find.
‘a peerless masterpiece of relentless suspense, retina-wrecking visual excess and outright, nihilistic terror’ – Empire Magazine
Presented in collaboration with Geoscience Australia for Earth Science Week.
Part of Science. Art. Film., a free monthly series that uncovers wacky, weird and wonderful facets of science and art in films. Presented by the National Film and Sound Archive of Australia, the Australian National Centre for the Public Awareness of Science and ANU Humanities Research Centre.
Panellists:
Ryan Ruddick is a geodesist at Geoscience Australia involved in the development and operation of geodetic infrastructure across Antarctica, which is used to measure and monitor Earth processes such as tectonic movement and sea level change. He has undertaken several trips to Antarctic, where his most memorable moments have been camping beside remote rock outcrops in the Prince Charles Mountains.
Ross Whitmore is an Antarctic geoscientist at Geoscience Australia who specialises in geologic mapping, landscape vulnerability, landscape evolution, exposure dating, ice sheet reconstruction and structural geology. His time in Antarctica has forever altered his views on our literal and figurative footprints on the planet.
Dr Wilma Huneke is a research fellow at the Research School for Earth Sciences at the Australian National University. Her research focuses on the circulation in the Southern Ocean and the interaction between the ocean and the Antarctic ice sheet. Wilma primarily uses computer models for her work and has been to Antarctica twice.
Dr Anna-Sophie Jürgens (moderator) is a Senior Lecturer in Science Communication at the Australian National Centre for the Public Awareness of Science and the Head of the Popsicule – ANU’s Science in Popular Culture and Entertainment Hub. Her research explores the cultural meanings of science in different pop cultural media.
The details
What: The Thing Earth Science Week free screening + panel discussion
When: 6 pm, Wednesday 9 October 2024
Where: Arc Cinema, NFSA Acton
Cost: Free; bookings essential via the NFSA website
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