Tonight Watch My Favorite Scary Movie; It's Directed By John Carpenter, But It's Not 'Halloween'

Forget going to a Halloween party, turn off the lights and watch a scary movie directed by one of the pioneers of terror.

John Carpenter got his break directing the landmark horror film 'Halloween', but for my money his best movie, and my favorite horror movie, was another Carpenter film.

Don't bother watching torture movies like "The Green Inferno" or a film featuring the now tired cliche' of teens getting chased by some evil killer. Instead, check out John Carpenter's "The Thing", a film that avoids the aforementioned cliches. In fact, it's just the opposite as it features no teens and there are no female characters to be found.

Released in 1982, "The Thing" features Kurt Russell as the star of a talented ensemble cast that even includes Wilford Brimley dropping an 'F-bomb'! They are all American scientists stationed in the middle of nowhere Antarctica who are stirred out of their normal routine by a nearby Norwegian camp hunting down a dog approaching the Americans.

Why are they trying to kill this dog? The answer turns into a movie of paranoia and horror. The special effects, while slightly dated, hold up because these were models created by Rick Baker without the help of any CGI effects.

Enjoy this movie and avoid the prequel, which was released in 2011.