A great joy of writing is that sometimes, our scribbled thoughts create inspiration in others—or other writers can inspire us! So it was that my delayed review of 1982’s The Thing provided a bit of inspirado for our dear Audre Myers.
I don’t think it was my purple prose that jolted her memory about this film; rather, the genius of The Thing reminded her of this flick, which is also set in a desolate Arctic wasteland, and which deals with some quite complex questions about humanity, biomedical ethics, and technology.
I’m adding it to my must-see list, and I suspect you should, too.
With that, here is Audre’s review of 1984’s Iceman:
Thank you to Portly Politico for the wonderful review of The Thing (1982) remake (https://theportlypolitico.com/2023/01/30/monday-morning-movie-review-portlys-top-ten-best-films-3-the-thing-1982/). It was reading that which prompted me to write the following:
Iceman, released in 1984, is a Timothy Hutton movie that hits all the ‘feels’ – funny, touching, sad, thought-provoking. The absolute star of this movie is the actor John Lone:
This man will break your heart in this movie. I can’t even imagine what it took for him, as he internalized the role he was playing, to find that part of us that is somewhere back in our collective unconscious. But he is remarkable to watch. Best acting ever!
Like Port’s Thing, Iceman happens in the Arctic as scientist/explorers discover a full, pristine body of a human frozen in ice. The task then becomes how to get the body out of situ and into the lab. Then the process of thawing the body. Then the process of examination. Then the process of removing those things found on the body so that they can be dated. Based on those things, they put the age of the body at 40,000 years old. We can’t even conceive of that kind of age and the scientists are very excited, indeed. And then …
Someone gets the bright idea (or most horrific thought?) – we have all the knowledge, equipment, and technology right at our finger tips … let’s see if we can bring him back to life. Sigh. We’ve been here before; we know it’s never a good idea to use modern ‘medicine’ on ancient things – or people.
All the things I want to tell you about this movie will absolutely ruin the movie for you. Better you see the movie for yourself. Just as a suggestion – when you watch it, choose a time that is free from ‘things to do’, when you can just sit and watch it beginning to end. Some of it is very subtle and nuanced and I’d hate for you miss out on anything. You can rent the movie on YouTube for $3.99. Money well spent.
The Portly Politico 
Thank you, Port, for your unflagging kindness.
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When I think of decisions made for the cause of science, I’m reminded of the line Ian Malcolm gives us in Jurassic Park – ‘your scientists were so preoccupied with whether or not they could that they didn’t stop to think if they should.’
I don’t think the latter ever enters a scientists mind. Remember that Oppenheimer became racked with guilt only after creating the nuclear weapon, not before. A good many decisions could have been wiped out if scientists thought about the moral implications of their folly.
I’ll have a look for the film and see if it floats our boat. Thanks Audre. 🙂
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‘your scientists were so preoccupied with whether or not they could that they didn’t stop to think if they should.’ Exactly. And Iceman gives us one answer. It’s a moving experience and the relationship between Timothy Hutton and John Lone, in their character roles – emotional. At least it was to me. I love this movie.
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There were a lot of movies in the 80s and many will have missed my radar. I’ll check it out.
And reciprocating what you said to me on yesterday’s Reader’s Forum, keep an eye out on Friday. 🙂
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