The Thing: Terror Takes Shape (1998 Video) User Reviews

The Thing Terror Takes Shape: Solid documentary

[Platypuschow · 7/10 · 9 April 2018]

The Thing was years ahead of it's day, it was a stupidly original science fiction horror movie that looked amazing and delivered on near every single front.

This feature length documentary on the films creation is a decent enough effort though I'd have appreciated an additional 30-60 minutes

Featuring interviews with a select group of cast and crew (Many notable people including Keith David are sadly mising). We hear from the likes of leading man Kurt Russell & the films mastermind horror legend John Carpenter

The documentary covers the movies origins, how several of the special effects were created and the initial public response which alike many cult classics wasn't that favorable.

Though The Thing is an outstanding film this documentary simply doesn't cover enough and though I'd say its essential viewing for fans it could/should have been a lot more thorough.

The Good:

Decent enough interviews

Some interesting stories

The Bad:

Too short

Some stories were too vague

Things I Learnt From This Documentary:

Nobody has the right to be as cool as Kurt Russell

A wonderful inside look into one of the best horror flicks ever made.

[Analog_Devotee · 8/10 · 7 January 2021]

Carpenter's The Thing has been in my top 3 horror films of all time list for years and years. Yet somehow, I'd never seen this documentary. To say it was a treat would be an understatement. I often wondered how they managed to achieve the effects in this film as well as the snowy, dreadful atmosphere. All those questions and more are answered here very in depth. This documentary is fan service in its most true form. Don't be put off from the 1998 release of this 'Making Of...', it's just as important to watch today as it was back then (assuming you love the film).

It was very sad knowing Charles Hallahan passed away not long after this documentary was filmed.

The Thing:Terror Takes Shape

[Scarecrow-88 · 10/10 · 2 May 2009]

John Carpenter's THE THING was one of the first dvds I ever purchased and I can remember feeling so thrilled that there was actually a feature discussing the making of one of my favorite films growing up as a kid horror junkie. I come from a generation(..an 80s child)who "experienced" THE THING as something we had never seen. The visual effects gave me nightmares and the creatures scared the hell out of me. As I got older, I wasn't as scared as impressed, appreciating how well made they were. THE THING, unless you are the type who complains about gore effects(..like critics were doing at the time of it's release), set a standard in effects that motivated imaginative filmmakers and technicians since. Unfortunately, I feel, like many others, that the "CGI age", contributed to by the likes of THE MATRIX and it's ilk, took away from what made films like THE THING so special and powerful, were to ability to experience authentic practical effects made by the hands of men, and their imaginations. When you watch this thoroughly engrossing and fascinating documentary, you come to realize just how involved so many were into bringing THE THING to life..it's no wonder, considering the great talent who were a part of this production, why the movie turned out so well. I still feel that THE THING is far more than JUST an effects movie. But, you learn a lot about how the film came to be and some rewarding interviews contribute to how THE THING was created, how the efforts of many breathed life into a sci-fi horror classic that remains potently shocking. I do feel THE THING holds up today, decades since first hitting theaters to an audience unprepared or willing to accept it on the terms Carpenter and others unleashed it to them.

Rob Bottin(..the master behind most of the effects work) provides some of the most interesting anecdotes along with actors such as Richard Masur and Chuck Hallahan talking extensively about how difficult, but enjoyable it was to bring such a film to life. Bottin is so enthusiastic and down-to-earth, you just would love to work with such a guy. He provides some of the most revealing and humorous points about the film's making. We learn about an aborted idea using stop motion animation(..seeing a little bit in the doc)and about how life-threatening such a location was in driving to and from the set during a rather dangerous winter. A real fan of the film should get a kick out of THE THING:TERROR TAKES SHAPE, because it tells you so much about the trials and difficulties associated with getting a film right, dwelling on the toughest instances the cast & crew faced along the way.

Marvelous

[TBJCSKCNRRQTreviews · 10/10 · 20 March 2009]

On the DVD of The Thing you'll find this making-of documentary, that was put together almost twenty years later. While this does indulge in the silly gimmick of every chapter name utilizing the title card of the film itself, it is an excellently put together, very entertaining and quite informative piece. It consists of interviews with cast and crew, both groups having plenty to say and being a joy to listen to, behind-the-scenes footage, concept art/examples of how stuff did look or could have and finally clips from the movie, as well as from a couple of others. A specific highlight is Rob Bottin, whose hard work(and I mean that, he actually went to the hospital from exhaustion after they wrapped) helped make the piece as amazing as it was and is. He did just about all of the special effects, and he's a blast to listen to and watch. A comic book fan who was in his early twenties when he worked on the production, he's got a certain manic enthusiasm to him. He is a lot of fun, for both the anecdotes and the breakdown of some of what he created. In general you get to hear a lot about how it was on set, and how they achieved the many tricky aspects. It never becomes too technical to follow for people who don't live and breathe Hollywood, and it never lingers too long. Coming in at 83 minutes, feature-length, almost an hour and a half, this manages to remain worth the energy and time spent on it, throughout. The pacing is spot-on. There is a little love-fest going on, but mostly, it stays on point. I would say that for anyone into John Carpenter and this of his directorial efforts in particular, this alone is reason enough for getting the disc. I recommend this to any fan of him, anyone else who was employed on it, and the silver screen release itself. 10/10

A superb documentary to accompany a landmark movie.

[Hey_Sweden · 20 November 2011]

I agree with an acquaintance I've made at this web site: that there are often certain defining movie experiences in one's life that either lead one to embrace a genre or turn away from it. In my case, seeing "The Thing" for the first time turned me into a loyal horror fan. A skillful, intense, creepy, downbeat, wildly imaginative (in terms of the special effects), and more faithful second adaptation of John W. Campbell's short story "Who Goes There?" (after "The Thing from Another World" of 1951), it found its audience not in its original theatrical run (where both the critical and public reactions were pretty stormy) but on video in the years to come, and has become incredibly influential; it's now more than a mere cult movie but often regarded as a genre classic (although, to be fair, it does still have its detractors). In fact, it's had a kind of staying power that some movies that have been big box office successes haven't had. This superb documentary, basically consisting of sit down interviews, goes through virtually the entire process of making the movie, from conception to execution to aftermath. Interviewees include director John Carpenter, screenwriter Bill Lancaster, producer David Foster, cinematographer Dean Cundey, production designer John Lloyd, and editor Todd Ramsay, makeup and creature creator Rob Bottin, additional creature effects creator Stan Winston, optical effects contributor Peter Kuran, model maker Susan Turner, legendary matte artist Albert Whitlock, and cast members Kurt Russell, Richard Masur, Charles Hallahan, and Joel Polis. Lots of interesting tidbits are shared, with Carpenter discussing the genesis of the project, Lancaster mentioning the aspects of the story that intrigued him the most, Bottin (who comes off as a really bright, cheerful, enthusiastic guy) regaling us with stories of takes gone awry (they sound funny now, but have to have been depressing at the time), while he and Winston go into detail on the creation of their monsters, Lloyd bringing up a potentially disastrous incident (and doing so with disarming good humour), and the actors talking about how they approached playing their characters. One telling detail is that Russell, Hallahan, and Masur all mention that fans often name this movie as being one of the movies, or *the* movie, that they love the most out of all the things they've done. But perhaps the most delightful aspect (for this fan, anyway) is seeing such things as vintage 'making of' footage, stills, storyboards, and the like, as well as hearing Whitlock discuss his technique. For anybody who's fond of the movie itself, seeing this engaging documentary is a true no-brainer. Ten out of 10.

All Things considered...

[poe-48833 · 10/10 · 24 September 2015]

Superb look back featuring most of the major players, from the producers (who are rarely to be found in such documentaries) to the "talent" (the actors). THE THING is one of the few genuinely MYSTERIOUS movies that draws you in from the opening moments (the chase across the snow) and manages to hold you riveted until the final fade out- thanks primarily to director John Carpenter. (It's amazing to me that no one's written a detailed biography of Carpenter: surely his insights into low budget movie-making alone would be worthy of study- not to mention his childhood forays into filmmaking and self-publishing and his work on the Academy-Award winning short, THE RESURRECTION OF BRONCHO BILLY.) (Better still: Carpenter's AUTOBIOGRAPHY would be even better...)

Nice Look Back at The Thing

[Michael_Elliott · 19 January 2012]

The Thing: Terror Takes Shape (1998)

*** 1/2 (out of 4)

Very good documentary taking a look at the making of John Carpenter's THE THING. Carpenter is joined by cast members Kurt Russell, Richard Masur, Charlie Hallahan and crew members Rob Bottin, Stan Winston, Peter Kuran, David Foster, Bill Lancaster, Dean Cundy, Todd Ramsay, Susan Turner and John Lloyd. With so many original members on hand you can imagine that quite a bit of detail is given on the making of the film and as Carpenter says, it's rather amazing that they were able to do what they did in the conditions that they were working in. You hear various stories about the production of the movie, which was often hampered by the snow and cold and there are a few great stories from the cast members dealing with a troubled bus ride just getting to the location. Bottin, the man behind the ground-breaking special effects, tells a lot of stories including how he met Carpenter, how he got hired and of course there's talk of how all the special effects were done. As usual Carpenter is great to listen to and he really gives you a great idea of what he wanted out of the film and he also talks about the original movie and story and why he wanted this one to be different. Cast members share plenty of stories as well including what it was like working on an all male cast. Of course, another big subject is how the film didn't do too well at the box office only to gain popularity on video. Fans of THE THING are really going to enjoy seeing so many of the original cast members and the stories are usually great and worth listening to.

A Wonderful Documentary On A Wonderful Film

[esstee55 · 21 January 2004]

As a huge fan, since its release, of John Carpenter's now-classic "The Thing," I was ecstatic to find out that this was included in the DVD version of the movie, but I have to admit that I was also disappointed as well. There'd been a rumor for nearly two decades (perpetrated by Fangoria magazine) that the brilliant Rob Bottin had actually made much more of a dynamic final scene than the one we now see, but that Carpenter had "chickened out" and cut alot of it at the last minute. So, I figured this documentary would show the "real" ending, especially since the DVD box advertized that there were "deleted scenes." Alas, all you see, when it comes to that final scene, is some home-movie footage of a tiny model being animated by the stop-motion process. I guess we'll never know if that rumor was true or not. Oh well, as stated above, the doc as a whole is still wonderful, with Director Carpenter, star Russell, and several others of the cast and crew, reminiscing and recanting. Rob Bottin rules!!!