Film on Vinyl: John Carpenter's The Thing

It’s time to blow the dust off that record player and celebrate the return of everyone’s favorite (so all the cool kids are saying) column discussing soundtracks on vinyl, Film on Vinyl. It’s been too long since Joe Donohue has given us the lowdown on the best movie soundtracks pressed on the oh-so- sweet vinyl record. To really commemorate this return to your computer screens, the next soundtrack that comes up on the playlist is Waxwork Records’ pressing of John Carpenter’s classic, “The Thing.”

Remakes are nothing new to Hollywood. So much so, that the mere whisper of a classic being redone for a new generation immediately sends the hardcore moviegoers into a frenzy. While the last ten years has definitely brought about many mind-numbingly bad remakes. I’m looking at you, Nicholas Cage. You and your bees. It’s easy to forget that some of the most revered movies are actually remakes themselves. Case in point: John Carpenter’s “The Thing”. This horror classic, a remake of the other horror classic “The Thing from Another World”, is the perfect blend of John Carpenter, gloriously bearded Kurt Russel, and Ennio Morricone’s unnerving score.

Packaging:

Few directors in the horror genre have managed to cement their name in the eternal world of Hollywood. Even less have earned the privilege of having their names be a part of the film’s title: Wes Craven, George A. Romero, and none-other-than John Carpenter. Mr. Carpenter is one of the god fathers of the slasher genre, and has managed time and time again to scare the pants off of moviegoers. And while the likes of Halloween and The Fog brought this filmmakers talent into public eye, The Thing is arguably the film that cemented his place in cinema history. This film was the perfect concoction of talent in front and behind the camera, stellar practical effects, and eerie score.

A near perfect film requires a near perfect vinyl pressing, and the creative minds behind Waxwork Records have done just that. With the help of Justin Erickson of Phantom City Creative, Waxwork has created a mind-blowing sleeve that harkens back to a minimalistic era of horror movies where less meant more. As seen in the picture below, the front shows a radar reading of Antarctica, and what appears to be veins running through the continent. The back continues with the motif by highlighting the research center and space both being connected by the same veins. What’s so breathtaking about this album cover is the contrast of blacks and blues, and stark white.

If that wasn’t impressive enough. The beautiful gate fold shows the Americans from the film coming across the frozen spaceship. The contrast of blues and whites perfectly shows how the humans are dwarfed by the massive ship. A great representation of how small we really are in the universe.

And the piece de resistance has to be the heavyweight, high-gloss, break-away “ice” slipcase. This beautiful piece was hand assembled and adds such a cinematic feeling to the album cover.

Tracks:

Ennio Morricone is a master at what he does. For years he’s been orchestrating iconic score after iconic score, and has easily cemented himself as one of the most prolific and ground-breaking film composers. While Carpenter is a master of the visual scare, it’s Morricone’s score that truly makes movie goers feel uneasy throughout the film. There are times where a film’s score just feels like a cheap add on, but in this case Morricone’s score feels like a character all of its own.

This 180-gram vinyl sounds as beautiful as it looks. While the score itself doesn’t contain many individual tracks, it still packs an enormous punch. I’d like to tell you what my favorite track is, but sadly I can’t. This score is so intricate that there isn’t just one track that stands out more than the other. I suggest only spinning this bad boy when you have the time to consume it from beginning to end.

Thoughts in a Nutshell:

There’s nothing more that I can say, that I already haven’t. Waxwork Records continually seems to outdo themselves with each new release, but John Carpenter’s The Thing is the prized jewel of the collection. It’s quite obvious that this group of cinephiles have a deep love for this film because it oozes out of every pore this vinyl pressing. Whether you’re talking about the Deluxe “Trapped in Ice” edition or the “Snow” edition, if you don’t have this release on your shelves, then you need to rectify this immediately. Seriously. Stop reading this article and get going. I’ll wait.

Until next time, make sure that you’re always using the appropriate cartridge. Remember to always spin responsibly.

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