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The Thing
The ultimate in alien terror.
( Horror / Mystery / Sci-Fi )

The Thing Poster



US Runtime: 109 min

Country of Origin: Canada / United States of America

Premiere Date:
Jun 25, 1982   [USA]		  
Director: John Carpenter
 
Writer: Bill Lancaster   [Screenplay]
 
Producers: Stuart Cohen   [Co-Producer]
David Foster   [Producer]
Larry Franco   [Associate Producer]
Wilbur Stark   [Executive Producer]
Lawrence Turman   [Producer]
 
Cinematography: Dean Cundey
 
Edited by: Todd C. Ramsay
 
Music Composed by John Carpenter
Alan Howarth
Ennio Morricone
 
Production Design: John J. Lloyd
 
Casting by Anita Dann
 
Production Companys: Province of BC, Ministry of Tourism, Film Promotion Office
The Turman-Foster Company   (US)
Turman-Foster Company
Universal Pictures   (US)
 

Plot Summary:

    A research team in Antarctica is hunted by a shape-shifting alien that assumes the appearance of its victims.
Cast: (First 20, for the rest click 'Show All Cast & Crew' below.)
Kurt Russell
MacReady
Keith David
Childs
Wilford Brimley
Blair
T.K. Carter
Nauls
David Clennon
Palmer
Richard 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 Franco
Norwegian Passenger with Rifle
Nate Irwin
Helicopter Pilot
William Zeman
Pilot
 
 
Show All Cast & Crew
Miscellaneous Companies:
Pickwick/Maslansky/Koenigsberg, Inc.
special publicity
RGB Optical
opticals
  
Universal Title
end titles
 
Special Effects Department:
Dreamstate Effects
Motion Graphics
computer graphics
Stan Winston Studio
  
Universal Title
optical effects
Visual Concept Engineering (VCE)
visual effects
 
Filming Locations: (Now With Clickable Links To Location On Google Maps)
 
Tech Info:
Budget:
$15,000,000
Revenue:
$19,629,760
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:
  • Childs: How will we make it?
    MacReady: Maybe we shouldn't.
     
  • Garry: What can we do? What can we do?
     
  • Palmer: I was wonderin' when El Capitan was gonna get a chance to use his popgun.
     
  • MacReady: Trust is a tough thing to come by these days.
     
  • MacReady: Hey, Sweden!
     
Trivia:
  • Donald Pleasence was the original choice for the character of Blair. Pleasence was unable to perform the role due to a scheduling conflict.
     
  • The film was originally banned when released in Finland.
     
  • This is the first film in what John Carpenter calls his Apocalypse Trilogy. The other two are Prince of Darkness and In the Mouth of Madness.
     
  • 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.
     
  • 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.
     
DVD Easter Eggs: (Hidden So You Don't See Anything You Don't Want To See)

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