The Thing

About

Introduced by T. Sean Shannon, former comedy writer for "Saturday Night Live." A research team in Antarctica is hunted by a shape-shifting alien that assumes the appearance of its victims. A masterpiece of paranoid sci-fi horror, The Thing's cultural significance lies in pioneering, groundbreaking, grotesque practical effects, subverting the heroic tropes of its predecessors. The film succeeds as an allegory for profound existential distrust, body horror, McCarthyism, and invisible, infectious threats, while also tackling transformation and identity. The cast includes Wilfred Brimley, T.K. Carter, Keith David, Donald Moffat, and Kurt Russell. Tickets: $9 general admission; $7 for MFAH members, students with ID, and seniors (65+). This screening takes place in Brown Auditorium Theater in the Law Building. About the Presenter: T. Sean Shannon grew up near NASA and attended the University of Houston. During college, he performed stand-up at the Comedy Workshop, which launched his career from Houston to TV's biggest shows. He has written for The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, In Living Color, and Saturday Night Live, for which he won an Emmy. He wrote and directed Harold (2008) starring Cuba Gooding Jr. and continues to do stand-up and work on his YouTube series Baseball Card Theater.