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29 comments
20 comments
Rank This Matchup or Comment/Reply Below
on 7/17/2009
Two of the best movies ever made in the Sci-fi horror genre. Heartbraking choice....Today i'ts The Thing, tomorrow it could be Alien.
on 7/30/2009
Damn, my two favorite horror movies ever. It's like choosing between my parents.
on 9/1/2009
A truly impossible choice.
on 11/14/2009
From the isolation of the Antarctic to the isolation of Space. How do you choose between these two?!
on 11/15/2009
Wilford Brimley is the deciding factor here.
on 12/10/2009
Alien. I've always hated "The Thing". It's one of my least favorite Carpenter flicks.
on 2/3/2010
No Contest...Alien rules
on 4/30/2010
The Thing all the way, with due respect to Alien.
on 2/7/2011
Both are seared into my memory, this is a hard choice, but for now, it's The Thing, probably because I saw it first.
on 8/12/2011
A truly epic confrontation. MacReady has my vote, but I'll watch Ripley any day of the week.
on 10/14/2011
I adore both of these movies, but ultimately it all boils down to "blood test" vs. "Dallas in the vent" for me. And it's gotta go to the blood test. Jaw-dropping stuff.
on 5/23/2012
Both great and at the peak of the Sci-Fi Horror genre, but while this is probably one of the slightly more difficult "impossible" choices that I've faced (as people seem to call them), I'm going to go with Alien simply because while The Thing has great atmosphere, brilliantly tense scenes (the blood test being the most memorable) and some deliciously disgusting gory scenes, Alien also has all of these but is a little better constructed as a film; there are a couple of moments in The Thing which came across as a little out of place, particularly Wilfred Brimley's UFO and the fact that they seem to immediately understand what the Thing is with some seemingly very crude and rudimentary scientific analysis (particularly the calculation of planetary infection scene which, while tense, comes across as a little hokey). Alien had this issue as well, but the creature itself seems a little more fully realised scientifically. Arguably this could make the Thing scarier, as it is never truly understood, but the Alien comes across as a much more intimidating and believable threat. Plus I think that Alien has aged much better than the Thing, as well as the fact that the Thing owes a lot of it's existence to Alien.
Alien wins, but man....that was one tough decision...
*edit* In The Thing, they come to various assumptions about the thing without ever truly understanding it, whereas in Alien, the creature is more realised and better understood. Arguably this could make the thing scarier, but I found the Alien more intimidating and frighteningly believable etc.
I'm gonna even it up and throw my love at The Thing. Why? Because it's FUN AS HELL! Alien's a good time at the movies, obviously influential, and visually, it's amazing. But The Thing is John Carpenter and Kurt Russell on their best day. That is one wicked movie.
The Thing. Even after seeing it countless times, I still can't remember what's going to happen next. My second favorite Carpenter film.
on 6/4/2012
the thing is more interesting and watchable......................
on 7/6/2012
This hurts my heart, but I have to choose The Thing.
on 8/26/2012
I prefer The Thing.
on 9/6/2012
Both are genuinely good. My head says Alien is a more important film, but my heart tells me I gotta go with the one where the guy's chest cavity turns into a giant pair of jaws and then his head falls off and grows spider legs.
on 11/21/2012
Just rewatched The Thing and listened to the commentary by Carpenter and Russell. It wins this...
on 12/10/2012
The Thing.
on 12/11/2012
"...but my heart tells me I gotta go with the one where the guy's chest cavity turns into a giant pair of jaws and then his head falls off and grows spider legs." Fuckin' exactly!
on 4/28/2013
Alien wins
on 6/8/2013
The Thing is near-perfect sci-fi horror, but Alien still edges it out. It would probably be a different story if it were up against Aliens.
on 7/10/2013
Alien for me. Need to re-visit both coz I didn't enjoy both that much
on 9/20/2013
The Thing was cool and all, but it can't touch Alien.
on 9/23/2013
Good matchup, but Alien is simply better.
on 10/8/2013
I have to go with Alien on this one.
on 3/2/2014
Alien is the king of Sci-Fi Horror. Both film successfully establish an unsettling atmosphere though.
The Thing has always been superior, in my book.
on 4/6/2014
I love both but Alien is a better film and I love it more
on 4/16/2014
truly two of the best Horror films of the time and still both are scary and very well made they have great effects and revolutionized the genre with the make-up and creature effects. the Thing wins right now.
The Thing is pretty good in my opinion I have to re watch it Alien is a classic that I grew up with it wins this match uo
on 5/22/2014
I like them both but Alien the better one
on 6/8/2014
Both are the best of horror and have stunning special effects both are scary and well written and directed this is so hard.but going with Alien.
on 11/10/2014
Both are fantastic but I definitely prefer Alien.
on 10/27/2015
Yes Two of the best Horror films ever made but I have to go with Alien its scary in all sorts of ways and its a brilliantly made film as well, still Thing has some of the best practical special effects ever!
on 10/28/2015
The Thing is fairly more entertaining.
on 12/25/2015
Alien
on 6/4/2016
Alien is more masterfully crafted. The Thing is a stomach-churning blast from beginning to end. I suppose for its sets and atmosphere, Alien pulls ahead by a fraction.
on 2/8/2018
Alien is better crafted, but The Thing kept me guessing. Alien has a lot of suspense yet The Thing is beautifully gruesome. Two brilliant SCI-FI horrors. I guess Alien's characters had more interesting traits and was the more satisfying experience. Although, tomorrow I may be regretting picking Alien...
on 7/15/2018
Both are the greatest space Alien killing murders but Alien (xenomorph) is better alien form..
on 1/1/2019
Both amazing movies, but I'll go with the Thing. A personal favorite of mine.
on 1/3/2019
The Thing
on 4/11/2019
Switching to the Thing.
on 10/31/2019
Watched both in the past 36(?) hours and I have to say that Alien wins hands down here. The Thing is great but the writing isn't as strong nor the tension or production design
on 7/21/2020
the thing blows alien out of the water. ridley scott is a hack whos only good movie is Blade Runner, while the thing is the best horror movie ever made
Of course we all know 'Alien' is the better film, but after all it is a question of taste because both of those films are the very best of the sci-fi horror genre. So do you prefer the lonely but legendary xenomorph that started an incredible franchise or a different and more original type of alien a shapeshifter and a troublemaker who can mutate into the most terryfing thing you will ever see, personally I prefer 'The Thing' which is more original and a variant of 'Alien' which adds more diversity in alien/horror sci-fi cinema.
on 10/20/2020
I guess it's not quite as classic as Alien, but The Thing is the superior film. It gets my vote.
on 10/13/2021
I have to choose the thing I mean look at my profile name
on 1/28/2022
Makes a lot of sense as a match-up: both are arguably masterpieces of the sci-fi horror genre. As for me personally though, it's no contest: The Thing. No particular reason, really, I just like it more, simple as that.
on 1/2/2023
The Thing is an amazing horror film with great practical effects that still manages to frighten after 4 decades. I prefer Alien, myself, because I prefer Ripley over Macready as a protagonist (but this was a great matchup!)
