#47 - "The Thing" (1982) with Ron West

John Carpenter directed a slew of classic films including "Escape From New York", "They Live", "Halloween", and "Big Trouble In Little China". One of his most celebrated works is this 80’s flick. Upon release, the bleak horror movie was panned by critics as boring and over-indulgent with its violence. The masses barely bothered heading to the movie theaters to see it. In the years since, however, it has found an audience who recognize its excellence. The atmosphere, special effects and performances are all top notch. So grab your box of flares, a bottle of J&B Rare Blend Scotch, and don’t freak out when we test your blood sample as Tim Williams and guest co-host, Ron West, discuss “The Thing” from 1982 on this episode of the 80’s Flick Flashback Podcast!

Here are some additional behind the scenes trivia we were unable to cover in this episode:

• While discussing the character of MacReady, John Carpenter and Kurt Russell discussed having MacReady be a former Vietnam War helicopter pilot who was involved in some sort of tragedy and since felt disgraced by his service. Because of this, MacReady suffers from PTSD, alcoholism, and severe insomnia. This backstory ultimately did not make it into the finished film, though it explains why MacReady was awake to hear the dogs whining, why he isn't phased by the grotesque violence, and it also adds deeper context to the line "I'm a real light sleeper, Childs”.
• A scene with MacReady absentmindedly inflating a blow-up while watching the Norwegian tapes was filmed but was not used in the finished film. The doll would later appear as a "jump scare" with Nauls. Other scenes featured expanded or alternate deaths for various characters. In the finished film, Fuchs's charred bones are discovered, revealing he has died offscreen, but an alternate take sees his corpse impaled on a wall with a shovel. Nauls was scripted to appear in the finale as a partly assimilated mass of tentacles, but in the film, he simply disappears.

Wikipedia, IMDB, Rotten Tomatoes, Reddit

https://screenrant.com/john-carpenter-thing-movie-behind-scenes-secrets/

Intro & Outro Music: "Total Eclipse" by Nathaniel Wyver

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