The Thing (1982)

Director:

John Carpenter

Writers:

John W. Campbell Jr. (story)
Bill Lancaster (screenplay)

Release Date:

25 June 1982 (USA)

Genre:

Horror | Mystery | Sci-Fi | Thriller

Tagline:

Man is The Warmest Place to Hide.

Plot:

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

Plot Keywords:

Dog | Helicopter | Alien | American | Scientist

Awards:

3 nominations

US TV Schedule:

Fri. Dec. 4

3:20 AM

MAX

Cast

Kurt Russell	...	R.J. MacReady
Wilford Brimley	...	Dr. Blair (as A. Wilford Brimley)
T.K. Carter	...	Nauls
David Clennon	...	Palmer
Keith David	...	Childs
Richard Dysart	...	Dr. Copper
Charles Hallahan	...	Vance Norris
Peter Maloney	...	George Bennings
Richard Masur	...	Clark
Donald Moffat	...	Garry
Joel Polis	...	Fuchs
Thomas G. Waites	...	Windows (as Thomas Waites)
Norbert Weisser	...	Norwegian
Larry J. Franco	...	Norwegian Passenger with Rifle (as Larry Franco)
Nate Irwin	...	Helicopter Pilot

Also Known As:

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

Runtime:

109 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Norwegian

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.20 : 1

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

Filming Locations:

Kimberley, British Columbia, Canada

Company:

David Foster Productions

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.

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.

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]

Movie Connections:

Referenced in The Faculty (1998)

Soundtrack:

SUPERSTITION

Flips the scenario round from the original to great effect.

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.