Filmed in Stewart, British Columbia, John Carpenter’s film is the second adaptation of John W Campbell’s novella ’Who Goes There?”, previously filmed by Howard Hawks and Christian Newby in 1951 as The Thing From Another World.
Set in American Antarctic research station, the film follows the discovery of a similar Norwegian site, the scene of some recent unexplained horrors that claimed the lives of everyone on the base. Records show that the Norwegians recently came across a UFO buried in the ice…
Legendary for the shocking creature fx created by Rob Bottin, The Thing is now widely perceived as a classic in its own right, one of the scariest films ever made, although as VIFF+ Premium member Mathew Lyle points out, when it first came out the film was considered a flop.
Content Considerations: Graphic violence
The Thing is one of [Carpenter’s] greatest moments, creating a terrifying atmosphere of claustrophobia, suspense and paranoia. And Kurt Russell is as good as he’s ever been, wearing one of the best beards in movie history.
Total Film
John Carpenter
Kurt Russell, Wilford Brimley, Keith David, Richard Masur
USA
1982
English
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Credits
Screenwriter
Bill Lancaster
Cinematography
Dean Cundey
Editor
Todd C. Ramsay
Production Design
John J. Lloyd
Art Director
Henry Larrecq
Premium Horror
To celebrate Halloween, VIFF+ Premium members nominated the scariest movies they have ever seen — and now we’re playing them.
An American Werewolf in London
Two American students get into a spot of bother with the wildlife in rural England. Then they introduce the virus to the big city... John Landis's goofy horror comedy is a very good night out. So long as it's not a full moon...
Cure
This month's VIFF Premium member selection is a spellbinding thriller from Kiyoshi Kurosawa. Detective Kenichi Takabe (Koji Yakusho) is faced with a string of apparently unmotivated murders committed by different people, but bearing the same signature.
