Zack Sharf Digital News Director Forty-one years after “The Thing” first opened in theaters and terrified audiences, director John Carpenter is still being asked about its widely debated ending. Like Christopher Nolan’s “Inception” (Is Cobb aware or dreaming?) or Ridley Scott’s “Blade Runner” (Is Rick Deckard human or replicant?) Carpenter’s body horror favorite ends on a massive existential cliffhanger. In this case, it’s whether or not R.J.