I've had headaches that feel like this.  You should see my three-year-old when he picks up the toy I have based on this moment from John Carpenter's 'The Thing'

Credit: Universal Home Video

What are you doing next Thursday night?

That's a week from now.  I can tell you what I'll be doing.  I'll be at the Arclight in Hollywood, where I'll be moderating a special Q&A after a glorious bigscreen viewing of John Carpenter's "The Thing."

And I hope you'll be there with me.

Right now, the roster of guests we're going to have there is growing every day, and I hope to have some great surprises for you after the film.  There's going to be a giant display of props and other memorabilia downstairs at the Arclight, a special commemorative program book that's being produced for the event, a special poster… it's crazy how much effort's gone into this, but that's because Taylor White, the man behind Creature Features, has geek in his DNA, and when he sets out to put one of these events together, he pulls out all the stops.

You should do a search for "Rocketeer" and "El Capitan" on Google to see what sort of event you're in for if you attend.  Taylor was the organizer of that amazing "Rocketeer" reunion screening that happened in June, and I'm hoping this is just the start for him.  There are obviously many revival screenings in LA, and I'm excited at the way the whole revival scene seems to be exploding, focused around the New Beverly and CineFamily.  But an event like this is all about going the extra mile and giving the audience something more than just a great screening of the film.

Here's the information that Taylor posted on Facebook about the screening:

"Mayday…mayday…can anyone hear me? We found something in the ice…"

In 1982, Director John Carpenter unleashed a motion picture that shocked audiences and set new standards in terror and special effects.

Now, nearly 30 years later, Creature Features proudly presents an unprecedented reunion screening of this masterpiece at the Arclight Cinema in Hollywood on Thursday, October 13th at 7:30pm.

This special event showcases Carpenter's vision in its vivid, widescreen glory for one last big-screen viewing before Universal Pictures premieres its chilling new prequel the following day.

Admission includes:

-- Cast and crew members recount their personal insights and recollections with host Drew McWeeny of www.hitfix.com. (Guests to be announced).

-- A spectacular display of original props, artwork and memorabilia from both the 1951 version and the 1982 remake, gathered exclusively for this event.

-- Commemorative program book created especially for this event with rare photos and commentary.

-- Special merchandise manufactured exclusively for this event, including a deluxe limited edition screen print illustrated by noted comic artist Tommy Lee Edwards.

-- and much more!

Tickets are $20 per person and can be purchased exclusively at www.creaturefeatures.com beginning Friday, September 30th.

As Scott Swan and I worked with John Carpenter on two episodes of "Masters Of Horror," we took every opportunity to ask him questions about his films, and we've spent hours grilling him about "The Thing" over the years.  What I look forward to in the Q&A after the film is talking to a number of cast and crew members about the work they did and about their recollections of the experience.  "The Thing" was not an easy film for anybody, but all of the difficulty resulted in something with lasting  power, a film that was rejected at the box-office when it was first released but which has grown into a generally acknowledged masterpiece at this point, a classic of the genre.

And, hey, since you'll already be in Hollywood, you might want to just hang out and catch a midnight show of the prequel, which opens on the 14th.

I'll have my review of that film plus some interviews with the cast here on HitFix next week.  For now, though, I urge you to join me for what should be the ultimate evening out for any fan of Carpenter's film.

See you there.  Or at least something that looks like you.  Never can tell...