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)

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Overview

User Rating:
MOVIEmeter: ?

Down 31% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.

Director:

John Carpenter

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:

more

Awards:

3 nominations more

NewsDesk:
(160 articles)

‘Mad Men’ Writer to Have a ‘Fright Night’
 (From Atomic Popcorn. 12 November 2009, 5:33 AM, PST)

Terrifyingly Gnarly #18 – House Of The Devil’s A.J. Bowen
 (From Fangoria. 28 October 2009, 5:38 PM, PDT)

User Comments:

Today it's still one of the best horror films more (690 total)


Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)

Additional Details

Also Known As:

John Carpenter's The Thing (USA) (complete title)
more

Runtime:

109 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Norwegian

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 (1989) (cut) | Finland:K-16 (1999) (uncut) | 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:

Based on the classic short story "Who Goes There?" by pioneering science fiction editor John W. Campbell Jr., he is not credited in the DVD version until the end credits. more

Goofs:

Continuity: When Blair is being put into the tool shed, the window is seen boarded up when viewed from the outside, but not boarded up when viewed from the inside. more

Quotes:

MacReady: I know I'm human. And if you were all these things, then you'd just attack me right now, so some of you are still human. This thing doesn't want to show itself, it wants to hide inside an imitation. It'll fight if it has to, but it's vulnerable out in the open. If it takes us over, then it has no more enemies, nobody left to kill it. And then it's won. more

Movie Connections:

Referenced in The Remake (2006) more

Soundtrack:

ONE CHAIN DON'T MAKE NO PRISON more


FAQ

Whose shadow was on the wall?
What did the Norwegian say to the men at Outpost #31?
Who is infected at the end?
more
93 out of 105 people found the following comment useful.
Today it's still one of the best horror films, 11 July 2005
9/10
Author: Stibbert from Norway

Antarctica, winter 1982. The team on an American research base get surprised by a couple of mad Norwegians who is chasing a dog with a helicopter, trying to kill it. All the Norwegians are killed and the Americans are left with nothing, but a dog, a couple of bodies and questions. That's the beginning of the greatest horror/thriller film I've ever seen.

From the very beginning all to the end you feel the tense, paranoid mood. Helpless and alone out in no-mans land. Ennio Morricone was nominated for a Razzie Award for his score. Why I don't know 'cause as far as I can see his score is simple, creepy and very good. It really gets you in the right mood.

The acting is great! The best performance is probably given by the dog who's just amazing. As for Russell and the others on two legs I can say nothing less.

You may think 1982 and special effects are not the most impressive? Well, think again! You haven't seen it all until you've seen this. Bodyparts falling off and creatures changing forms... Rob Bottin has done a great job witch today stands as a milestone is special effects makeup.

The movie didn't get a big response when it first hit the big screen due to other alien films at the time and so it's not very well known. In fact you can almost consider it an unknown movie. Nobody I've asked have heard of it. However the movie has managed to survive for over twenty years as a cult film on video and DVD. Twenty years is a long time and except for the haircut the movie is still pretty much up to date. This movie is to be considered a classic.

The movie is without doubt one of my, if not my favorite. I've seen it several times, but it's just as good as the first time I saw it. As a Norwegian the only thing I don't like about this movie is that MacReady keeps calling the Norwegians swedes!

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