No palpable suspense in 'The Thing'

In 1982, John Carpenter directed the science-fiction horror 'The Thing', which imagined a violent battle between humans and a parasitic life form with the ability to clone its prey.

Released at the same time as Steven Spielberg’s 'E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial', which provided a cheerier close encounter with aliens, Carpenter’s film failed to set alight the box office but subsequently gained a cult following on video.