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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 10% 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
User Comments:
Today it's still one of the best horror films 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:
In the scene where Norris' (Charles Hallahan) head separates from his body, special-FX designer Rob Bottin used highly flammable materials for the construction of interior of the head and neck models. During the shoot John Carpenter decided that, for continuity reasons, they needed some flames around the scene. Without thinking they lit a fire bar and the whole room, which by now was filled with flammable gases, caught fire. Nobody got hurt, but the entire special effects model, on which Bottin had worked several months, was destroyed. more
Goofs:
Revealing mistakes: At one point they are looking out the window at the thermometer which reads well below zero. There sure is a lot of moisture and water drops out there for being so cold. more
Quotes:
Palmer: Don't argue with him. more
Movie Connections:
Referenced in "Ben 10: The Return (#3.11)" (2007) more
Soundtrack:
SUPERSTITION more

FAQ

How much sex, violence, and profanity are in this movie?
What happened to the burned corpse-thing in the storage room?
When was Norris assimilated?
more
83 out of 95 people found the following comment useful:-
Today it's still one of the best horror films, 11 July 2005
9/10
Author: Stibbert from Norway

Antarctica, winter 1982. The team on an American research base get surprised by a couple of mad Norwegians who is chasing a dog with a helicopter, trying to kill it. All the Norwegians are killed and the Americans are left with nothing, but a dog, a couple of bodies and questions. That's the beginning of the greatest horror/thriller film I've ever seen.

From the very beginning all to the end you feel the tense, paranoid mood. Helpless and alone out in no-mans land. Ennio Morricone was nominated for a Razzie Award for his score. Why I don't know 'cause as far as I can see his score is simple, creepy and very good. It really gets you in the right mood.

The acting is great! The best performance is probably given by the dog who's just amazing. As for Russell and the others on two legs I can say nothing less.

You may think 1982 and special effects are not the most impressive? Well, think again! You haven't seen it all until you've seen this. Bodyparts falling off and creatures changing forms... Rob Bottin has done a great job witch today stands as a milestone is special effects makeup.

The movie didn't get a big response when it first hit the big screen due to other alien films at the time and so it's not very well known. In fact you can almost consider it an unknown movie. Nobody I've asked have heard of it. However the movie has managed to survive for over twenty years as a cult film on video and DVD. Twenty years is a long time and except for the haircut the movie is still pretty much up to date. This movie is to be considered a classic.

The movie is without doubt one of my, if not my favorite. I've seen it several times, but it's just as good as the first time I saw it. As a Norwegian the only thing I don't like about this movie is that MacReady keeps calling the Norwegians swedes!

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Message Boards

Discuss this movie with other users on IMDb message board for The Thing (1982)
Recent Posts (updated daily)User
This film is actually two films... stunnersmp
question about the blood test... spoiler? sinicalmofo
Movies with a cold jogvanv
Remakes that are better than originals. What are yours? karlgalvan123
Other movies like this paultagonist
Best commentary track ever! Spankman101
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