Episode 230 - The Thing (1982)

John Carpenter’s The Thing (1982): Kurt Russell wasn’t first choice, the sombrero was locked in before he could object, and the best performance might have come from a wolfdog named Jed. 🐺

This week on 100 Things We Learned from Film, we dig into the making of The Thing with Biggie from the To Be Continued Podcast. We cover the casting story, how Rob Bottin’s 57-week effects marathon nearly broke him, and why a film critics trashed and audiences ignored became a horror masterpiece.

In this episode:

• The casting story: who else was considered before Kurt Russell
• Why Russell hated the sombrero, and why it stayed
• Jed the wolfdog, his stand-in, and the animal actor who stole the opening
• Rob Bottin, the 22-year-old effects wizard who worked seven days a week for 57 weeks
• Stan Winston’s last-minute dog-puppet rescue
• Jell-O arms, a ten-hour chest-burst setup, and other practical effects madness
• The ending Russell and Carpenter shaped together
• Opening the same summer as E.T. and Blade Runner
• Morricone’s score and what happened to his unused music

Whether you’ve seen it forty times or you’re about to take your first blood test, there’s something here for you.

👍 Like, subscribe, and tell us your favourite Thing moment in the comments.

GUEST: BIGGIE (TO BE CONTINUED PODCAST)

Biggie is one third of the To Be Continued Podcast. Go and subscribe, because they’re brilliant.

📺 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@tbcmoviepodcast