Surnames. Why.
Why do the characters refer to each other by their surnames? Instead of ‘What’s goin on Fuchs and Blair?’ why not ‘Hi Dave, wassup Mike?’ like normal people.
shareThe movie is, from a emotional standpoint, about trust..who do you trust? Calling people by their first names would create trust. By using last names only, this sets a emotional detachment that fits in well with the underlying theme of the movie.
They were doing it before the Thing even appeared, and why the hell would the attack cause them to use surnames?
Would you suddenly start calling your friend ‘Mike’ by his surname ‘Papadopoulos’ once an emergency situation arose?
Seems bizarre.
If you have experience in police or military it is not.
Last names are on uniforms/work out gear in the academy. People just start using them instead of first names.
MacCready and other peoples last names were written on clothing. Because torn clothing was part of the story, the use of last name only would make it easier for the viewer to remember who is who.
Once the Thing appeared, trust issues among the crew started, this is why default last name came back. You figure most had some military experience. If you are unsure that the person you are talking to is really that person, you don't use a first name.
The writers were smart to leave this in as I said in my prior post.
"I said WATCH Clark" has more resonance than "Watch Danny"