That night at the American base, the Husky changes into the Thing, and the Americans learn first hand that the creature has the ability to mutate into anything it kills. I Want To Watch The Full Cartoon Of A Town Called Panic here. For the rest of the film the men fight a losing and very gory battle against it, never knowing if one of their own dwindling number is the Thing in disguise. Though resurrected as a cult favorite, The Thing failed at the box office during its initial run, possibly because of its release just two weeks after Steven Spielbergs warmly received E. T. The Extra Terrestrial. Along with Ridley Scotts futuristic Alien, The Thing helped stimulate a new wave of sci fi horror films in which action and special effects wizardry were often seen as ends in themselves. Anthony Reed, Rovi.