Thing vs. Thing (Spoilers)

With another remake in the works, I thought I might compare and contrast the previous Thing movies.

Horror aficionados should know that there was a Thing movie before John Carpenter's cult classic. The Thing From Another World was released in 1951, The Thing in 1982. Both were based off of John Campbell Jr.'s Who Goes There? For the uninitiated the general plot is about research base in the Antarctic getting attacked by an alien.

So, there's that. The title font's the same, and then the similarities end.

TTFAW is only loosely based on the novella. Actually it takes place in Alaska so my summary two sentences ago is wrong (what was I going to say, it takes place at one of the poles?). The Thing in this movie is James Arness, with a judicious supply of makeup, that uses blood to grow its seeds. Yes, the people in this base fight a "super carrot." And for the most part all of the scientists and Air Force men defeat the vegetable, only suffering a few casualties. So overall it's got a feel good ending. Really how could a film be released during that time where good didn't conquer evil?

That's definitely not the case with John Carpenter's version. But first let me go over the other differences. THE GORE. Pretty easy to see that, right?
This custom-made trailer only shows a glimpse of the bloodshed. What other movies feature a head that decides to detach itself from its body and try to scurry away? Seen any with an abdomen splitting open and chewing on some poor soul's arms? You gotta love it. This alien can mimic any other living creature it meets, leading to paranoia and hostility among the group. Let's say it doesn't end well for anybody unfortunate enough to be in the Antarctic.

You might be asking is their a definitive version? Is one better than the other? Well I'm going to wuss out and say they're both great. Each of them have their own merits and both complement each other. The best idea would be to watch these as a double feature over some popcorn and milk duds (whoppers are disgusting).

Thanks to Wiki, of course, and Outpost #31 for the info, the premiere site for Thing fans. I'm not kidding, this site has maps of all the locations and a fan tattoo section plus details on all of the games, comics, and role-playing games.