The most terrifying space aliens from movies.

What is the most frightening space critter to ever grace the silver screen? 

The critter in the original "The Thing".

Directories by Christian Nyby?

No, John Carpenter.

With Kurt russel and burt lancaster?

Sorry Bill Lancaster 

I haven't seen the 2011 'thing'.  The '82 version is scary, the 1951 version is a pretty good 'B' movie.   Apparently watching "the thing" is a tradition at polar science bases!

@keithprosser @ethang5 

Well since this is a debate site and since we now have two nominees perhaps we could discuss the differences between the two and see if there is a case for one being more frightening.

First ethang5 do you recall if they ever say how much of the thing must survive to go on infecting others? I know a relatively small amount of blood retains this property but would we have to be afraid of fingernail clippings and dandruff? I feel that may affect which is more frightening.

I haven't watched the 82 Thing for 20 years and I don't seem to have it in my collection.   I just remember enjoying it at the time..!

 

That's okay just for this discussion you can just be pro xenomorph. Unless of course the case for the th8ng becomes too strong of course.

The scary thing about the Thing was what it did to the group when they could not tell if the alien was one of them. The scene where the blood jumps away from the heated wire remains one of the scariest in all of movie history.

We never knew what the things natural state was, or what it's motive was. Made it mysterious, and therefore more scary. Alien was scary no doubt, but once you saw it, what was scary was the death it would inflict, not the monster itself.

So in your opinion the scary thing about the thing is that anyone can be the monster including one or both of the men sharing scotch at the end?

Yes! And they no longer care. It's futile.

Sort of a,lovecraftian creeping doom.