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The Thing
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The Thing (1982) More at IMDbPro »

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The Thing (1982) -- Scientists in the Antarctic are confronted by a shape-shifting alien that assumes the appearance of the people that it kills.

Overview

User Rating:
MOVIEmeter: ?
Up 13% in popularity this week. See rank & trends 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:
(123 articles)
Weekly Ketchup: Conan Gets a New Austrian Bodybuilder
 (From Rotten Tomatoes. 19 June 2009, 7:12 AM, PDT)

Moon (Film Review)
 (From Fangoria. 18 June 2009, 11:35 PM, PDT)

User Comments:
One of the best scary films I've seen more
US TV Schedule:
Thur. July 168:00 PMMAX   

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:
Germany:18 (SPIO/JK) | Finland:K-16 (1999) (uncut) | Finland:K-16 (1989) (cut) | Finland:K-18 (1982) (cut) | Finland:K-15 (DVD rating) (2004) | Germany:16 (original rating) | Iceland:16 | Finland:(Banned) (original rating) | Portugal:M/12 | Argentina:18 | Netherlands:16 | Denmark:15 | New Zealand:R16 | UK:15 (re-rating) | Australia:R | 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 | Germany:BPjM Restricted

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
At a horror convention Q&A session in 2008, Keith David (Childs) was asked if he ever knew who, at the very end of the movie, was infected with the alien. He smiled and said, "Well, I don't know about (Kurt Russell), but it sure as hell wasn't me." more
Goofs:
Crew or equipment visible: Right after Fuchs yells on the intercom to turn the music down and we see his request ignored by Nauls in the kitchen, the following scene that slowly dollies from right to left in the empty medical room, the moving wheels of the dolly and a man in a light blue shirt pushing the dolly are clearly seen in the reflection of bottom and top pane of glass of the stainless steel and glass medical cabinet. Especially visible on the Blu-ray version. more
Quotes:
Childs: You're gonna have to sleep sometime, MacReady.
MacReady: I'm a real light sleeper, Childs.
more
Movie Connections:
Referenced in The Many Masks of Michael Myers (2007) (V) more
Soundtrack:
SUPERSTITION more

FAQ

Why does Norris have a heart attack if he is the Thing?
Who was with Norris and Mac at the crater?
Who is infected at the end?
more
71 out of 105 people found the following comment useful:-
One of the best scary films I've seen, 11 August 1998
Author: Ray Brooks from California

Hitting the video store late on a Saturday when all of the current films were unavailable, we ran across The Thing in the "classic" racks. I've seen this film at least twice before and truly enjoyed seeing it again. If it lacks plot or character development, the premise is frightening enough to make it an engrossing film. The gross-out special effects don't hurt either. For me, The Thing ranks with Alien as one of the best scary films I 've seen.

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Message Boards

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Best commentary track ever! Spankman101
The alternative 'happy' ending: anybody actually seen it? DarthGlock
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