Province of BC, Ministry of Tourism, Film Promotion Office The Turman-Foster Company
(US) Turman-Foster Company Universal Pictures
(US)
Plot Summary:
A twelve-man team at a remote Antarctic research station discovers an alien buried in the snow for over 100,000 years. Soon unfrozen, the form-changing creature wreaks havoc, creates terror...And becomes one of them.
MacReady: Trust is a tough thing to come by these days.
Childs: How will we make it? MacReady: Maybe we shouldn't.
Garry: 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!
MacReady: Hey, Sweden!
Trivia:
At the beginning of the film the Norwegian with the rifle screams in Norwegian: "Stop, get the hell away! It's not a dog - it's just an imitation of a dog, it's a kind of thing. It imitates. Get the hell away from the dog you fucking idiots!"
The film was originally banned when released in Finland.
To give the illusion of icy Antarctic conditions, interior sets on the Los Angeles sound stages were refrigerated down to 40°F while it hovered around 90°F outside.
In the scene where Norris' (Charles Hallahan) head separates from his body, special-FX designer Rob Bottin used highly inflammable materials for the construction of interior of the head and neck models. During the shoot John Carpenter decided that, for continuity reasons, they needed some flames around the scene. Without thinking they lit a fire bar and the whole room, which by now was filled with inflammable gasses, caught fire. Nobody got hurt, but the entire special effects model, on which Bottin had worked several months, was destroyed.
The Norwegian camp scenes were actually the charred remains of the American site from the end of the film. Rather than go to the expense of building and burning down another camp, Carpenter re-used the destroyed American camp.
DVD Easter Eggs: (Hidden So You Don't See Anything You Don't Want To See)
Edition: Universal Collectors Edition
Region: 1
Description: Hidden Music Score
Go to the Bonus Materials from the main menu and there select the Terror Takes Shape documentary. Go to Language Selection and you will find an menu called Music Score. It's the entire music score for the film.
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