IMDb > The Thing (1982)
The Thing
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The Thing (1982) More at IMDbPro »

Videos (see all 4)
The Thing (1982) -- Scientists in the Antarctic are confronted by a shape-shifting alien that assumes the appearance of the people that it kills.
The Thing (1982) -- MyMovieScripts.com - Trailer (Flash)

Overview

User Rating:
MOVIEmeter: ?
Down 9% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.
Director:
Writers:
John W. Campbell Jr. (story)
Bill Lancaster (screenplay)
Contact:
View company contact information for The Thing on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
25 June 1982 (USA) more
Tagline:
Man is The Warmest Place to Hide. more
Plot:
Scientists in the Antarctic are confronted by a shape-shifting alien that assumes the appearance of the people that it kills. full summary | full synopsis
Plot Keywords:
Awards:
3 nominations more
NewsDesk:
(162 articles)
Horror-filled Fundraiser in Burbank this Sunday!
 (From Fangoria. 18 November 2009, 10:05 PM, PST)

Palisades Tartan Video’s Terror Pack Vol. 1 (DVD Review)
 (From Fangoria. 16 November 2009, 3:54 AM, PST)

User Comments:
Flips the scenario round from the original to great effect. more (691 total)
US TV Schedule:

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)

Additional Details

Also Known As:
John Carpenter's The Thing (USA) (complete title)
more
Runtime:
109 min
Country:
Language:
Color:
Color (Technicolor)
Aspect Ratio:
2.20 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Dolby (35 mm prints) | 70 mm 6-Track (70 mm prints)
Certification:
Finland:K-16 (1999) (uncut) | Finland:K-16 (1989) (cut) | Finland:K-18 (1982) (cut) | Finland:K-15 (DVD rating) (2004) | Iceland:16 | Finland:(Banned) (original rating) | Portugal:M/12 | Argentina:18 | Netherlands:16 | Denmark:15 | New Zealand:R16 | UK:15 (re-rating) | Germany:16 (re-rating) (2009) | West Germany:16 (original rating) | West Germany:Not Rated (SPIO/JK) (1984-2009) | Norway:11 (blu-ray) | Sweden:11 (blu-ray) | Australia:MA (DVD release) | Australia:M | France:-12 | Hong Kong:III | Ireland:18 | Italy:VM18 | Norway:18 | Singapore:M18 | South Korea:(Banned) (original rating) | South Korea:18 (re-rating) | Spain:13 | Sweden:15 | UK:18 (video rating) (1987) | UK:X (original rating) | USA:R

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
Vintage "making of" special contains scenes that never made it to the theatrical or TV versions, such as the tentacles from the "Dog Thing" starting to attack the dog, seen later partially digested in the final cut. more
Goofs:
Continuity: When one of the characters turn into the thing, they fly upward onto the ceiling, causing the panel to break apart. But in the next shot the panel is undamaged. more
Quotes:
MacReady: [talking into tape recorder] Nobody... nobody trusts anybody now, and we're all very tired... there's nothing more I can do, just wait... RJ MacReady, helicopter pilot, US outpost #31.
[turns off recorder]
more
Movie Connections:
Referenced in The Faculty (1998) more
Soundtrack:
SUPERSTITION more

FAQ

How much sex, violence, and profanity are in this movie?
If Palmer and Norris were both Things, why not assimilate Mac at the crater?
What happened to the burned corpse-thing in the storage room?
more
20 out of 23 people found the following comment useful.
Flips the scenario round from the original to great effect., 4 March 2008
10/10
Author: JohnRouseMerriottChard from United Kingdom

John Carpenter shows how much he loves the 1951 original by giving it the utmost respect that he possibly could, the only difference here is that Carpenter chooses to stick to the paranoiac core of John W Campbell Jr's short story. The secret to this version's success is the unbearable tension that builds up as the group of men become suspicious of each other, the strain of literally waiting to be taken over takes a fearful hold. Carpenter manages to deliver the shocks as well as the mystery needed to keep the film heading in the right direction. Be it an horrific scene or a "what is in the shadow" sequence, the film to me is a perfect fusion of horror and sci-fi. The dialogue is spot on for a group of men trying to keep it together under duress, and Carpenter's score is a wonderful eerie pulse beat that further racks up the sense of doom and paranoia seaming thru the film. The cast are superb, a solid assembly of actors led by Carpenter fave Kurt Russell, whilst the effects used give the right amount of impact needed. But most of all it's the ending that is the crowning glory, an ending that doesn't pander to the norm and is incredibly fitting for what has gone on before it, lets wait and see what happens indeed, 10/10.

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