John Carpenter has said that of all his films, The Thing is his personal favourite. It’s also a favourite on one film fan who has spent copious hours recreating the spaceship crash site from the film as a diorama-cum-coffee-table in honour of the cult classic’s 40th Anniversary – a one of a kind movie collectible which is now available for sale.

Inspired by the 1930s novella Who Goes There? by John W. Campbell Jr and with the tagline ‘The ultimate in alien terror’, The Thing bombed at the box office when it first reached our cinemas in 1982. It went on however, to achieve great success following its home video release and considerable critical re-evaluation. Now the film is often hailed as one of the best science fiction and horror films ever made and forty years on from the film’s release, despite only screening in 700 theatres over two days in the US for its anniversary re-release, the film made it’s way into the box office Top 10 last month. 

The one-of-a-kind diorama, handmade by fan Chris Younger, captures the moment where helicopter pilot MacReady (Kurt Russell), Norris and Palmer (David Clennon) discover the Antarctic UFO crash site and empty ice hole where the Thing froze.

First, lets recap on the story

The UFO crashed in Antarctica 100,000 years ago, and became buried under millennia’s worth of snow and ice. According to The Thing Wiki “The UFO is first seen in the opening credits entering Earth’s atmosphere, in such a disoriented manner that it is implied that it was not even attempting to land, but had completely lost control, possibly due to the actions of The Thing on board. The Thing crawled out of the ship a short distance, but was unable to withstand the harsh cold weather and subsequently froze. It was buried in ice along with the UFO, only to be discovered in the modern day.”

Fast forward to the winter of 1982, and a group of American researchers working at an outpost near the crash site, discover the UFO buried in the ice. They encounter the eponymous ‘Thing’, a hostile shape-shifting extraterrestrial life-form that assimilates and imitates other organisms. The group become gripped by suspicion and fear as they realise that anyone of them could in fact be the Thing. 

A painstaking dedication to The Thing

Hobbyist Chris Younger has a background in making all kinds of interesting things like exotic wood rings, film related wall art, custom clothing and costumes but his elaborate story-telling coffee table is his first venture into making a model in homage to one of his favourite films. 

Standing some 81cm long and 50cm wide, this unique yet functional piece of furniture dedicated to the The Thing can hold your coffee cups and coasters, and is even illuminated.