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The Thing

  • 19821982
  • RR
  • 1h 49m
IMDb RATING
8.2/10
433K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
615
50
The Thing (1982)
Scientists in the Antarctic are confronted by a shape-shifting alien that assumes the appearance of the people that it kills.
Play trailer1:54
9 Videos
99+ Photos
HorrorMysterySci-Fi
A research team in Antarctica is hunted by a shape-shifting alien that assumes the appearance of its victims.A research team in Antarctica is hunted by a shape-shifting alien that assumes the appearance of its victims.A research team in Antarctica is hunted by a shape-shifting alien that assumes the appearance of its victims.
IMDb RATING
8.2/10
433K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
615
50
  • Director
    • John Carpenter
  • Writers
    • Bill Lancaster(screenplay)
    • John W. Campbell Jr.(story)
  • Stars
    • Kurt Russell
    • Wilford Brimley
    • Keith David
  • Director
    • John Carpenter
  • Writers
    • Bill Lancaster(screenplay)
    • John W. Campbell Jr.(story)
  • Stars
    • Kurt Russell
    • Wilford Brimley
    • Keith David
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 1.3KUser reviews
    • 389Critic reviews
    • 57Metascore
  • See more at IMDbPro
  • Top rated movie #153
    • Awards
      • 3 nominations

    Videos9

    The Thing
    Trailer 1:54
    Watch The Thing
    How "Carnival Row" Gets Lovecraft Right
    Clip 3:47
    Watch How "Carnival Row" Gets Lovecraft Right
    Through the Lens: Defining Carpenteresque and Why It Belongs in the Dictionary
    Clip 4:54
    Watch Through the Lens: Defining Carpenteresque and Why It Belongs in the Dictionary
    The Thing: Kill It!
    Clip 3:10
    Watch The Thing: Kill It!
    The Thing: It's Alive!
    Clip 3:20
    Watch The Thing: It's Alive!
    The Thing: Interviews With Mick Garris And Director John Carpenter
    Featurette 1:54
    Watch The Thing: Interviews With Mick Garris And Director John Carpenter
    The Thing: Interviews With Joel Polis, Peter Maloney, And Thomas G. Waites
    Featurette 1:12
    Watch The Thing: Interviews With Joel Polis, Peter Maloney, And Thomas G. Waites
    The Thing: Interviews With Actors, Richard Masur And Peter Maloney
    Featurette 1:11
    Watch The Thing: Interviews With Actors, Richard Masur And Peter Maloney
    Sneak Previews Season 4 Episode 36
    Video 29:47
    Watch Sneak Previews Season 4 Episode 36

    Photos182

    Keith David, Richard Dysart, Charles Hallahan, Peter Maloney, Donald Moffat, and Joel Polis in The Thing (1982)
    Kurt Russell in The Thing (1982)
    Kurt Russell and Charles Hallahan in The Thing (1982)
    Kurt Russell in The Thing (1982)
    T.K. Carter, Charles Hallahan, Peter Maloney, Richard Masur, and Donald Moffat in The Thing (1982)
    Kurt Russell, T.K. Carter, and Donald Moffat in The Thing (1982)
    Charles Hallahan in The Thing (1982)
    Charles Hallahan in The Thing (1982)
    Kurt Russell in The Thing (1982)
    Kurt Russell in The Thing (1982)
    Kurt Russell in The Thing (1982)
    Kurt Russell in The Thing (1982)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Kurt Russell
    Kurt Russell
    • MacReady
    Wilford Brimley
    Wilford Brimley
    • Dr. Blair
    • (as A. Wilford Brimley)
    Keith David
    Keith David
    • Childs
    Richard Masur
    Richard Masur
    • Clark
    T.K. Carter
    T.K. Carter
    • Nauls
    David Clennon
    David Clennon
    • Palmer
    Richard Dysart
    Richard Dysart
    • Dr. Copper
    Charles Hallahan
    Charles Hallahan
    • Vance Norris
    Peter Maloney
    Peter Maloney
    • George Bennings
    Donald Moffat
    Donald Moffat
    • Garry
    Joel Polis
    Joel Polis
    • Fuchs
    Thomas G. Waites
    Thomas G. Waites
    • Windows
    • (as Thomas Waites)
    Norbert Weisser
    Norbert Weisser
    • Norwegian
    Larry Franco
    Larry Franco
    • Norwegian Passenger with Rifle
    Nate Irwin
    • Helicopter Pilot
    William Zeman
    • Pilot
    Adrienne Barbeau
    Adrienne Barbeau
    • Computer
    • (voice)
    • (uncredited)
    John Carpenter
    John Carpenter
    • Norwegian (video footage)
    • (uncredited)
    • Director
      • John Carpenter
    • Writers
      • Bill Lancaster(screenplay)
      • John W. Campbell Jr.(story)
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      John Carpenter has stated that of all his films, this is his personal favorite.
    • Goofs
      (at around 1h 20 mins) Although Fuchs has told them that the alien organism is highly infective, they don't care about sharing the same knife to get their blood samples.
    • Quotes

      [Norris' head grows legs and tries to walk away]

      Palmer: [1:17:22] You gotta be fuckin' kidding.

    • Crazy credits
      The title of the movie is revealed in the same style as in The Thing from Another World (1951). The effect was achieved with a plastic bag placed on a stencil that was melted by a heat source placed below it.
    • Alternate versions
      CBS edited 12 minutes from this film for its 1986 network television premiere.
    • Connections
      Edited into Deep Freeze (2001)
    • Soundtracks
      Don't Explain
      Music by Billie Holiday (uncredited)

      Lyrics by Arthur Herzog Jr. (uncredited)

      Performed by Billie Holiday

      Courtesy of MCA Records

    User reviews1.3K

    Review
    Review
    Featured review
    8/10
    Who Goes There?...
    You're stationed at an isolated outpost in Antarctica when a helicopter arrives intent on shooting a dog it had been pursuing across the tundra. Things get out of hand and the occupants of the chopper have their ability to pursue curtailed, more permanently than they'd like. Not too long after this carnage it becomes apparent that the pursuing shooters had a pretty good reason for wanting to remove the dog from the land of the living as the dog turns out to have the same aspirations as its pursuers, albeit in various guises, transformations, metamorphoses and reconfigurations.

    While this was made in 1981 it remains to this day one of the greatest and most engaging pieces of horror movie making that has ever been created.
    helpful•14
    1
    • Xstal
    • Sep 12, 2022

    FAQ64

    • At the beginning, the helicopter is trying to shoot the dog as it runs through the snow. Why doesn't the helicopter just hover over the dog instead of flying way past the dog after each pass? Does it have anything to do with the cold air or altitude?
    • Why did the Norwegians dig the crater in the first place?
    • Is the prequel canon?

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • June 25, 1982 (United States)
    • Countries of origin
      • United States
      • Canada
    • Languages
      • English
      • Norwegian
    • Also known as
      • John Carpenter's The Thing
    • Filming locations
      • Kimberley, British Columbia, Canada
    • Production companies
      • Universal Pictures
      • Turman-Foster Company
      • Province of BC, Ministry of Tourism, Film Promotion Office
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • $15,000,000 (estimated)
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $19,629,760
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $3,107,897
      • Jun 27, 1982
    • Gross worldwide
      • $19,632,715
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 49 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Aspect ratio
      • 2.39 : 1

    Related news

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