John Carpenter

The Eleventh Doctor made reference to the "Carpenter, Kurt Russell Thing" when Amy Pond asked him if he'd ever seen The Thing, as they approached the deserted Arctic Geological Survey Base in Zebra Bay. He questioned if she meant Carpenter's film, or the "Howard Hawks Thing-y with the walking carrot". (GAME: Blood of the Cybermen)

Behind the scenes
John Carpenter directed The Thing (1982), inspired by Howard Hawks' The Thing from Another World (1951). Carpenter's first name is not given in dialogue, nor is it explicitly stated that he was the director.