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The Thing
Man Is The Warmest Place To Hide
( Action / Horror / Sci-Fi / Thriller )


The Thing Poster



US Runtime: 109 min

Premiere Date:
Jun 25, 1982   [USA]
 
Director: John Carpenter
 
Writer: John W. Campbell Jr.   [story Who Goes There?]
 
Producers: Wilbur Stark   [Executive Producer]
Lawrence Turman   [Producer]
David Foster   [Producer]
Stuart Cohen   [Co-Producer]
Larry J. Franco   [Associate Producer]
 
Music by Ennio Morricone
 
Cinematography: Dean Cundey
 
Edited by: Todd C. Ramsay
 
Production Companys: Turman-Foster Company
Universal Pictures
 


Cast:

Kurt Russell
R.J. MacReady
Wilford Brimley
Dr. Blair
T.K. Carter
Nauls
David Clennon
Palmer
Keith David
Childs
Richard A. Dysart
Dr. Copper
Charles Hallahan
Norris
Peter Maloney
Bennings
Richard Masur
Clark
Donald Moffat
Garry
Joel Polis
Fuchs
Thomas G. Waites
Windows
Norbert Weisser
Norwegian
Larry J. Franco
Norwegian Passenger With Rifle
 
Nate Irwin
Helicopter Pilot
William Zeman
Pilot
Eric Mansker
Jerry Wills
Rock A. Walker
Anthony Cecere
Norwegian in video footage
Ken Strain
Kent Hays
Norwegian in video footage
Clint Rowe
Larry Holt
Melvin Jones
Denver Mattson
John Carpenter
Norwegian in video footage (uncredited)
Adrienne Barbeau
Computer Voice (uncredited)
 
 

Crew:

Dave Anderson
gaffer: British Columbia
Dan Anglin
transportation captain
Jim Aupperle
animator: animation effects sequence
Dillard Brinson
key grip: British Columbia
Clyde E. Bryan
first assistant camera
Ronald I. Caplan
costume supervisor
James T. Colovin
assistant dog trainer
Randall William Cook
dimensional animation effects creator
Bob Cornell
transportation captain
Ernest D. Farino
animator: animation effects sequence
David Geddes
second assistant camera: British Columbia
Dave Gordon
dolly grip: British Columbia
Chris Helcermanas-Benge
still photographer: British Columbia
Laszlo Horvath
best boy grip
James L. Hurford
best boy grip: British Columbia
Nate Irwin
helicopter pilot: British Columbia
Karen Kalton
production secretary: British Columbia
Katherine Kean
animator: main title sequence
Ray Kinzer
grip
Robert Knoechel
auditor: British Columbia
Kris Krosskove
dolly grip
Gilbert Loe
costume supervisor
 
Ron Macinnes
production assistant
Terry Marshall
lamp operator
Thomas Marshall
gaffer
Craig Miller
marketing consultant
Maynard M. Miller
technical advisor: Juneau
Charles E. Nippell
best boy electric
Douglas Olivares
assistant camera
Michael Orefice
lamp operator: British Columbia
Paul Prince
first assistant camera: British Columbia
Douglas Pruss
second assistant camera: British Columbia
Clint Rowe
dog trainer
Peter J. Silbermann
publicity coordinator
Raymond Stella
body double for hypodermics
Raymond Stella
camera operator
Ken Strain
helicopter pilot: British Columbia
Mark Walthour
gaffer
Robert Weatherwax
animal trainer
Christine Wilson
script supervisor: British Columbia
Stan Winston
special thanks
Len Wolfe
best boy electric: British Columbia
Ronald Woodward
key grip
 

Special Effects:

Dreamstate Effects
Motion Graphics
computer graphics
Stan Winston Studio
 
Universal Title
optical effects
Visual Concept Engineering (VCE)
visual effects
 

Miscellaneous Companies:

Pickwick/Maslansky/Koenigsberg, Inc.
special publicity
RGB Optical
opticals
 
Universal Title
end titles
 

Filming Locations: (Now With Clickable Links To Location On Google Maps)

 

Tech Info:

Budget:
$10,000,000 (USA)
Color Info:
Color (Technicolor)
Aspect Ratio:
2.35 : 1
Cinematographic Process:
Panavision
Film Negative Format:
35 mm
Printed Film Format:
35 mm / 70 mm
Shooting Dates:
Jun 1981 - ????

Quotes:

  • [Last line]
    MacReady: Why don't we just wait here for a while... see what happens.
     
  • MacReady: I know I'm human. And if you were all these things, then you'd just attack me right now, so some of you are still human. This thing doesn't want to show itself, it wants to hide inside an imitation. It'll fight if it has to, but it's vulnerable out in the open. If it takes us over, then it has no more enemies, nobody left to kill it. And then it's won.
     
  • MacReady: Hey, Sweden!
     
  • MacReady: First goddamn week of winter.
     
  • Garry: What can we do? What can we do?
     

Trivia:

  • To give the illusion of icy Antarctic conditions, interior sets on the Los Angeles sound stages were refrigerated down to 40°F while it hovered around 90°F outside.
     
  • Donald Pleasence was the original choice for the character of Blair. Pleasence was unable to perform the role due to a scheduling conflict.
     
  • In the scene where Norris' (Charles Hallahan) head separates from his body, special-FX designer Rob Bottin used highly inflammable 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 inflammable gasses, caught fire. Nobody got hurt, but the entire special effects model, on which Bottin had worked several months, was destroyed.
     
  • There are no female characters in the film. The only female presence in the movie is in the voice of MacReady's chess computer and the contestants seen on the game show that Palmer watches. A scene containing a blow-up doll was filmed and then left on the cutting room floor. Additionally, one of the crew was a woman but she fell ill during the outdoor shoot and was replaced with a man.
     
  • The Norwegian dog in the film was named Jed. He was a half wolf/half husky breed. Jed was very obedient, never barked and acted perfectly on cue for his scenes.
     

DVD Easter Eggs: (Hidden So You Don't See Anything You Don't Want To See)


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