In a world that celebrates mediocrity, I guess it’s expected that we can’t stop re-hashing The Thing. A bloated, mutated creature that takes on the form of everything it touches and turns it into an unholy creation deserving of horror? What a perfect metaphor for Hollywood!

God forbid we talk about new, original scifi. It’s a sad reality, but it’s one that we need to acknowledge if we want to see real progress in our society. Nowhere is this more evident than in the film industry.

Take for example the recent trend of cashing in on nostalgia by creating unnecessary documentaries for movies that are decades old. The latest victim? John Carpenter’s 1982 sci-fi/horror film The Thing. Yes, a movie that has been analyzed and dissected countless times is now getting not one, but TWO documentaries. Because apparently, we just can’t get enough of it.

Instead of using this opportunity to showcase the advancements in science and technology since the film’s release, we’re wasting resources on recreating a title sequence from 1982. Don’t get me wrong, the title sequence is iconic and Peter Kuran’s work is impressive, but do we really need a whole documentary just to show how it was done?? Can’t we focus on something more relevant and beneficial to society?

And it’s not just this documentary that’s guilty of this. We see it all the time in the film industry, where good enough is often praised and anything that challenges the status quo is deemed too complicated or inaccessible for the general public. But why are we dumbing things down to make everyone happy? Why are we settling for mediocrity when we could be pushing boundaries and inspiring the next generation of scientists and engineers?

We deserve better. We deserve a science and technology focus that challenges us, that pushes us to think outside the box, that doesn’t just settle for what’s easy and familiar. We deserve documentaries that showcase the incredible advancements that have been made in these fields, that inspire us to strive for excellence and innovation.

And there are people out there doing just that. Look at Elon Musk and his work in SpaceX, or Greta Thunberg and her advocacy for climate change. These are just a few examples of individuals who are pushing the limits and making real change in the world. We should be celebrating and supporting these kinds of endeavors, not wasting time and resources on unnecessary nostalgia trips.

So, entertainment industry: No. Just stop. Re-hashing The Thing is not going to make us happy. We demand more. Better entertainment, more insightful stories, deeper human connection. Documentaries that educate and inspire, that showcase the incredible advancements in science and technology, and that challenge us to do better. Wouldn’t that be worth something? I think so – good enough isn’t good enough. It’s time we start holding ourselves and our media to a higher standard.