Swamp Thing (1982)

After a violent incident with a special chemical, a research scientist is turned into a swamp plant monster.

Director:

Wes Craven

Writers:

Wes Craven, Len Wein (comic book)

Stars:

Louis Jourdan, Adrienne Barbeau, Ray Wise

1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Louis Jourdan	...	Arcane
Adrienne Barbeau	...	Alice Cable
Ray Wise	...	Dr. Alec Holland
David Hess	...	Ferret
Nicholas Worth	...	Bruno
Don Knight	...	Ritter
Al Ruban	...	Charlie
Dick Durock	...	Swamp Thing
Ben Bates	...	Arcane Monster
Nannette Brown	...	Dr. Linda Holland
Reggie Batts	...	Jude
Mimi Craven	...	Arcane's Secretary (as Mimi Meyer)
Karen Price	...	Arcane's Messenger
Bill Erickson	...	Young Agent
Dov Gottesfeld	...	Commando

Storyline

Dr. Alec Holland, hidden away in the depths of a murky swamp, is trying to create a new species - a combination of animal and plant capable of adapting and thriving in the harshest conditions. Unfortunately he becomes subject of his own creation and is transformed . . . Arcane, desperate for the formula attempts to capture the Swamp Thing. An explosive chase ensues that ultimately ends with a confrontation between Holland and a changed Arcane . . .

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Plot Keywords:

swamp | scientist | based on comic book | dc comics | government agent | 

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Taglines:

Science transformed him into a monster. Love changed him even more!

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Genres:

Horror | Sci-Fi

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Certificate:

PG

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

19 February 1982 (USA)

Also Known As:

Das Ding aus dem Sumpf

Filming Locations:

Charleston, South Carolina, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$3,000,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Swampfilms

Technical Specs

Runtime:

91 min 93 min (DVD) 89 min (DVD)

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Actress Adrienne Barbeau appeared in both Creepshow (1982) and Swamp Thing (1982), with both films being comic book movies and both debuting in the same 1982 year, with Creepshow (1982) being a tribute to both the DC & EC horror comic books, and Swamp Thing (1982) being a filmed adaptation of the DC horror/sci-fi comic book character and its "Swamp Thing" DC comic books.

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Goofs

When Swamp Thing first appears, he grabs Ferret and yanks him into the water, totally submerging and soaking him (including his head). A minute or two later Ferret's head is dry.

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Quotes

Jude: Oh Shit... Here Comes Trouble!

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Alternate Versions

The 2002 DVD release by MGM features some additional shots of nudity compared to the original US theatrical release:

• When Adrienne Barbeau takes a bath in the swamp you could only see a side shot of her breast. Now you can see some extra seconds of full-on breast shots.
• At the beginning of the party scene (Bruno's big comeuppance) two dancing gypsy women taking off their clothes. This footage was not included in previous video and laserdisc releases. Reissues on DVD and Blu-ray since 2005 have reverted to the original censored PG version.

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Connections

Referenced in The Best of RiffTrax Shorts: Volume One (2009)

User Reviews

A Fun, Class B Flick

This reminded me of the 1950s science-fiction/horror films with its primitive dialog, hokey action scenes and laughable makeup for the monsters. Oh, man, does this look bad as time goes on and we have been treated to 25 years of great special-effects since this was made.

What makes this more attractive to watch than those '50s films, however, are great swamp photography, Adrienne Barbeau's body and a story that moves fast. Barbeau, as she was prone to do, appears to be only this is to show off her massive chest. However, it's pretty harmless fun, very tame compared to the horror movies of the past generation regarding gore and profanity. It's also pretty tame for a Wes Craven-directed film.

In the end, it's a good Class B film, usually fun to watch for a number of reasons.