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SYFY WIRE The Thing

'The Thing' turns 40: Celebrating the incredible special effects in John Carpenter's masterpiece

Actor Keith David, associate producer Larry Franco, and cinematographer Dean Cundey talk about John Carpenter's iconic film.

By Tara Bennett
The Thing Stills

Time flies by when you're battling aliens with a flamethrower flame in Antarctica! It's hard to be believe, but June 25 marks the 40th anniversary of John Carpenter's seminal horror/paranoia classic, The Thing. A rather faithful adaptation of writer John W. Campbell Jr. novella Who Goes There? (1938), The Thing put Kurt Russell together with an incredible cast of character actors including Keith David, Wilford Brimley, Richard Dysart, and Richard Masur and had them fight for their lives as an alien creature slowly picks them off, one by one. 

Five years ago, SYFY WIRE reunited actor Keith David, associate producer Larry Franco, and cinematographer Dean Cundey to talk about the film. The trio discuss The Thing's visceral practical effects (created by Rob Botin) and the lengths to which Carpenter and his crew went in order to sell the locale, isolation and intensity of the movie. 

Relive the deep dive below, and catch the original film streaming now on Peacock.

Stream The Thing right here, on Peacock.