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The Thing (1982)

R | | Horror, Mystery, Sci-Fi | 25 June 1982 (USA)
The Thing Poster
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A research team in Antarctica is hunted by a shape-shifting alien that assumes the appearance of its victims.

Director:

John Carpenter

Writers:

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

Stars:

Kurt Russell, Wilford Brimley, Keith David | See full cast & crew »
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Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Kurt Russell ... 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 Franco ... Norwegian Passenger with Rifle
Nate Irwin Nate Irwin ... Helicopter Pilot
See full cast »
Edit

Storyline

A US research station, Antarctica, early-winter 1982. The base is suddenly buzzed by a helicopter from the nearby Norwegian research station. They are trying to kill a dog that has escaped from their base. After the destruction of the Norwegian chopper the members of the US team fly to the Norwegian base, only to discover them all dead or missing. They do find the remains of a strange creature the Norwegians burned. The Americans take it to their base and deduce that it is an alien life form. After a while it is apparent that the alien can take over and assimilate into other life forms, including humans, and can spread like a virus. This means that anyone at the base could be inhabited by The Thing, and tensions escalate. Written by grantss

Plot Summary | Plot Synopsis

Plot Keywords:

antarctica | body horror | paranoia | isolation | research station | See All (429) »

Taglines:

Man is The Warmest Place to Hide. See more »

Genres:

Horror | Mystery | Sci-Fi

Certificate:

R | See all certifications »

Parents Guide:

View content advisory »
Edit

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Norwegian

Release Date:

25 June 1982 (USA) See more »

Also Known As:

John Carpenter's The Thing See more »

Filming Locations:

Juneau, Alaska, USA See more »
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Box Office

Budget:

$15,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$3,107,897, 27 June 1982, Wide Release

Gross USA:

$13,782,838
See more on IMDbPro »

Company Credits

Production Co:

Universal Pictures, Turman-Foster Company See more »
Show more on IMDbPro »

Technical Specs

Runtime:

| (VHS)

Sound Mix:

Dolby Stereo (35 mm prints)| 70 mm 6-Track (70 mm prints)

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.39 : 1
See full technical specs »
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Did You Know?

Trivia

There is constant conversation about how hot the flares were and how much John Carpenter and Kurt Russell burned themselves with them. In the scene where MacReady threatens the camp with dynamite and a flare, he rushed through his dialogue in order to get it all in before the 90-second flare ran out. See more »

Goofs

(at around 8 mins) When the helicopter explodes there are almost no parts near it. Later while it is getting extinguished, there are many small parts burned near it. Also the whole main rotor-blade is missing. It was on the helicopter just after the explosion. See more »

Quotes

[first lines]
MacReady: Poor baby, you're starting to lose it.
See more »

Alternate Versions

In the original Australian video version of the scene between Bennings and Childs where Bennings comes running into the room and says to Childs, "Childs! Mac wants the flamethrower!" Childs turns to look at him, and the next scene starts. But in the DVD version of the film, the scene is extended when Bennings comes in and says "Childs! Mac wants the flamethrower!" then Childs asks, "Mac wants the what?" Bennings replies "You heard what he said now MOVE!" then Childs says lastly, "Dammit!" while getting his flamethrower gear on. See more »

Connections

Referenced in The Blob (1988) See more »

Soundtracks

Don't Explain
Music by Billie Holiday (uncredited)
Lyrics by Arthur Herzog Jr. (uncredited)
Performed by Billie Holiday
Courtesy of MCA Records
See more »

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Are there any deleted scenes for this movie?
Q: Is there an alternate ending?
Q: What happened to the survivors?
See more »

User Reviews

One of the best scary films I've seen
11 August 1998 | by RBrooks – See all my reviews

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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