I was looking at the screenshots comparing the new anamorphic DVD to the old non-anamporphic DVD at DVD Answers and while the new disc seems to be sharper and a bit brighter, it also looks to have extremely differente colors, perhaps those that the DP Dean Cundey did not approve, much like what Anchor Bay did to Halloween: 25th Anniv. DVD.

What do you think?

http://www.dvdanswers.com/index.php?r=0&s=2&c=1176

Here's an example:

Dunno about different colors but the contrast looks to be dialed down a good deal.

Woah, I don't remember it being that blue... where in the movie is that shot from? If their's that much difference I may consider getting the new version - is it one of Target's $10 DVD's?

You got it backwards, the original DVD I believe is the way it was meant to look, ala H25. Anyone know if the original DVD was approved by Dean Cundey?

I don't know, but the bottom one looks way more realistic.

interesting, my bro-inlaw has the old copy, we need to compare

The "Original" looks like sun up and the "New" looks like sun down.

I wonder which mirrors the movie when originally shown at theaters???

those bastards! The new one looks so much better in that shot.

But look at the difference in the color scheme, something's wrong with one or the other.

I saw it twice in the theater on initial run (what a movie!!!)... I don't remember it looking super-blue like that top one; but then again, that was in 1982, so I may not remember so well...

If they want to do another release of the Thing for the 25th anniversary soon, go ahead... Id buy any new version to go with my other two I already have.

If the original is the way it was supposed to look -- which I seriously doubt considering it looks like crap -- then it needed to be changed anyway because, well, the original looks like crap.

The new addition's video looks SO MUCH better. Plus, it's anamorphic! Of course it's it's not the way it was intended, that's one thing...but still I don't care how it was intended...the new release looks better.

i can't imagine the contrast boosting of the first release was intended. if you look at the left side of the image, detail in the highlights had clearly been lost.

Universal has announced a HD-DVD version for the end of this year, so there ya go.

Here's another comparison from DVD Beaver:

http://www.dvdbeaver.com/film/DVDCompare6/thething.htm

They seem to agree that the new version is much improved.

Screenshots?

I have both DVDs and the new one looks great.

Do you remeber it being that dark?

It also has been showing on one of the movie channels this month...might compare that as well

I'm not saying the new one doesn't look good, in fact it looks better. I'm just questioning the big difference in color.

It's quite strange. I have the R4 PAL - which has basically the same programme content as the previous R1 special edition - and the one I watch whenever I need a hit of Carpenter's greatest looks a hell of a lot more like the new 16:9 version. Which, by the way, looks a lot like the film I fell in love with in 1982 and have seen on the big screen at every available opportunity since. Admittedly some of the prints were not in the best of shape but most of them still had good colour fidelity. And I believe 'The Thing' NEVER looked that blue on a print. And I'm finding it difficult to believe it looks like that on DVD. Can someone who has the R1 verify if it DOES look like that?

I like the new transfer way better. The color in the in the new transfer is probably correct. The extreme blue in that outdoor shot looks wrong and I doubt it was intended.