Cinema Shock

THE THING bombed at test screenings, got savaged by critics, and lost the summer box office war to E.T. — a failure so bad it nearly ended John Carpenter's career. This episode covers the fight over the film's bleak final scene, the reviews that tanked it on release, and how the home video boom rescued the film years later, turning a flop into a classic.

Want the full story without the wait? CinemaShock+ members get extended, ad-free episodes that combine every part into one seamless listen — plus bonus content you won't hear anywhere else. Join at cinemashock.net/plus.

CINEMA SHOCK ASSOCIATE PRODUCERS:

Andy Lancaster | asotirov | Benjamin Turpin | Benjamin Yates | Capiapoa | courtland ashley | curtcake5k | Dick Jones | Elton Novara | Interzone78 | Jackson_Baker | JoeyP | John sweet bussy Greaney | KDurden | Lucy Lawson | MagicBloat | mcdudely | Nate Izod | Princess Krishna Kali | RockGokd | shadowcut | Tim G | triplr1478

Theme Song: "There's Still a Little Bit of Time, If We Hurry and I Mean Hurry" by Slasher Film Festival Strategy.

This episode was written, produced and edited by Gary Horne & Justin Bishop.

Image: "Portrait of John Carpenter.jpg" by Kyle Cassidy, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Modified from original. This derivative work is also licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.

For episode archives, merch, show notes, and more, visit cinemashock.net

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Filming THE THING meant spending weeks in sub-zero temps in Stewart, British Columbia — and a bus crash that nearly killed the cast and crew before the shoot even began. In Part 3 of our deep dive, we cover the brutal Canadian location shoot, Carpenter's script rewrites happening in real time, the practical explosions built by effects coordinator Roy Arbogast, as well as the strange, difficult collaboration with legendary composer Ennio Morricone on the film's minimalist score.

Want the full story without the wait? CinemaShock+ members get extended, ad-free episodes that combine every part into one seamless listen — plus bonus content you won't hear anywhere else. Join at cinemashock.net/plus.

CINEMA SHOCK ASSOCIATE PRODUCERS:

Andy Lancaster | asotirov | Benjamin Turpin | Benjamin Yates | Capiapoa | courtland ashley | curtcake5k | Dick Jones | Elton Novara | Interzone78 | Jackson_Baker | JoeyP | John sweet bussy Greaney | KDurden | Lucy Lawson | MagicBloat | mcdudely | Nate Izod | Princess Krishna Kali | RockGokd | shadowcut | Tim G | triplr1478

Theme Song: "There's Still a Little Bit of Time, If We Hurry and I Mean Hurry" by Slasher Film Festival Strategy.

This episode was written, produced and edited by Gary Horne & Justin Bishop.

Image: "Portrait of John Carpenter.jpg" by Kyle Cassidy, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Modified from original. This derivative work is also licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.

For episode archives, merch, show notes, and more, visit cinemashock.net

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

THE THING (1982) shot its Antarctic scenes on the refrigerated soundstages of Universal Studios, where special effects designer Rob Bottin spent months building creature work nobody in Hollywood had attempted before. This episode breaks down the freezing interior shoots, Dean Cundey's stark visual palette, and the physical toll of pulling off the film's groundbreaking prosthetic sequences.

Want the full story without the wait? CinemaShock+ members get extended, ad-free episodes that combine every part into one seamless listen — plus bonus content you won't hear anywhere else. Join at cinemashock.net/plus.

CINEMA SHOCK ASSOCIATE PRODUCERS:

Andy Lancaster | asotirov | Benjamin Turpin | Benjamin Yates | Capiapoa | courtland ashley | curtcake5k | Dick Jones | Elton Novara | Interzone78 | Jackson_Baker | JoeyP | John sweet bussy Greaney | KDurden | Lucy Lawson | MagicBloat | mcdudely | Nate Izod | Princess Krishna Kali | RockGokd | shadowcut | Tim G | triplr1478

Theme Song: "There's Still a Little Bit of Time, If We Hurry and I Mean Hurry" by Slasher Film Festival Strategy.

This episode was written, produced and edited by Gary Horne & Justin Bishop.

Image: "Portrait of John Carpenter.jpg" by Kyle Cassidy, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Modified from original. This derivative work is also licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.

For episode archives, merch, show notes, and more, visit cinemashock.net

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

For our August new release review, we're taking a look at the latest film David Robert Mitchell, THE END OF OAK STREET.

Anne Hathaway and Ewan McGregor star as parents trying to hold a fractured family together when their entire suburban cul-de-sac gets dropped into the prehistoric past. We get into Mitchell's shift from IT FOLLOWS dread into full-on 1980s Amblin energy, Mike Gioulakis's wide-frame staging, and why an original, big-budget dinosaur flick feels like such a rare treat.

48:11 - Spoiler Discussion Begins

1:08:17 - September Voting Announcement

Want the power to vote on our next new release review? Head to cinemashock.net/plus today to become a member!

CINEMA SHOCK ASSOCIATE PRODUCERS:

Andy Lancaster | asotirov | Benjamin Turpin | Benjamin Yates | Capiapoa | courtland ashley | curtcake5k | Dick Jones | Elton Novara | Interzone78 | Jackson_Baker | JoeyP | John sweet bussy Greaney | KDurden | Lucy Lawson | MagicBloat | mcdudely | Nate Izod | Princess Krishna Kali | RockGokd | shadowcut | Tim G | triplr1478

Theme Song: "There's Still a Little Bit of Time, If We Hurry and I Mean Hurry" by Slasher Film Festival Strategy.

This episode was written, produced and edited by Gary Horne & Justin Bishop.

For episode archives, merch, show notes, and more, visit cinemashock.net

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

THE THING (1982) spent years stuck in development as John Carpenter transitioned from low-budget indie successes to his first major studio feature. This episode covers the project's long development history, discarded script drafts from Tobe Hooper and others, Bill Lancaster's script construction, and the tense ensemble rehearsals that left the entire cast deeply paranoid before cameras even rolled.

Want the full story without the wait? CinemaShock+ members get extended, ad-free episodes that combine every part into one seamless listen — plus bonus content you won't hear anywhere else. Join at cinemashock.net/plus.

CINEMA SHOCK ASSOCIATE PRODUCERS:

Andy Lancaster | asotirov | Benjamin Turpin | Benjamin Yates | Capiapoa | courtland ashley | curtcake5k | Dick Jones | Elton Novara | Interzone78 | Jackson_Baker | JoeyP | John sweet bussy Greaney | KDurden | Lucy Lawson | MagicBloat | mcdudely | Nate Izod | Princess Krishna Kali | RockGokd | shadowcut | Tim G | triplr1478

Theme Song: "There's Still a Little Bit of Time, If We Hurry and I Mean Hurry" by Slasher Film Festival Strategy.

This episode was written, produced and edited by Gary Horne & Justin Bishop.

Image: "Portrait of John Carpenter.jpg" by Kyle Cassidy, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Modified from original. This derivative work is also licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.

For episode archives, merch, show notes, and more, visit cinemashock.net

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.