“I know you gentlemen have been through a lot, but when you find the time, I’d rather not spend the rest of this winter tied to this fucking couch!” – Gary (Donald Moffat) protests mightily after MacReady violently completes the blood test on the trapped survivors in the Antarctic Station! This shocking segment is just one of the many gruesome scenes in John Carpenter’s classic sci-fi/horror The Thing (1982). Let the fun begin! Thomas Mariani, Doc Rotten and Christopher G. Moore tackle another gruesome horror film from the 1980s.
Decades of Horror 1980s
Episode 93 — John Carpenter’s The Thing (1982)
The second official selection in Decades of Horror 2016 October Selection, JOHN CARPENTER’S THE THING (1982) is one of the best examples of practical effects in film…ever. Sadly, the film flopped at the box office when it was released in the States on June 25, 1982 – thanks to, in no small part, E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial. Yet, the film has continued on to become one of the most recognizable and cherished films of the decade. Many claim it is John Carpenter’s best film above other horror, genre classics such as Halloween (1978) and Escape from New York (1981). At only 22, effects artist Rob Bottin creates some of the most iconic and enduring effects, holding up today as easily as they amazed horror fans in 1982. The Eighties would not be the same with out this film.
Thomas Mariani is joined by Doc Rotten and Christopher G. Moore to take a look at the second selection for this month’s special look at the top horror films of the decade. Just one year after John Carpenter reinvented Kurt Russell as an action hero as Snake Plissken in Escape from New York (1981), he provides his favorite star with a role that would challenge him ever more than ever before: R.J. MacReady. Set in the Antarctic, John Carpenter’s The Thing follows a group of researches who face the unknown when they are invaded by a creature that can become anything it wants to, including any one of them. Paranoia sets in as the body count rises. No one is safe, everyone is suspect and the audience is treated to sights they’ve never seen before and will never see again – not even close. The grue-crew look back at the classic horror film from 1982, The Thing.
We want to hear from you – the coolest, most gruesome fans: leave us a message or leave a comment on the site or email the Decades of Horror 1980s podcast hosts at thomasmariani@decadesofhorror.com or docrotten@decadesofhorror.com. We also want to be sure to thank Neon Devils for their killer track “Bone Chillin'” which we use for the intro and outro of this show.
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Doc a lifelong fan of horror films, sci-fi flicks and monster movies first discovering Universal Monsters and Planet of the Apes as a young child in the 1970's searching out every issue of Famous Monster of Filmland (and, later, Fangoria). Favorite films include Jaws, The Car, The Birds, The Tingler, Vampire Circus and The Exorcist. Still a huge fan of horror films from the 70s, Doc continues consuming horror films to this day for the site, for the podcasts and for the fun of it all.
