I realize that the Halloween season is over, but screw it. I recently re-watched "The Thing" (the John Carpenter 1982 version), and noticed some new details. After another more focused viewing, and some research, I've decided to put together a quiz. Be forewarned, most of these questions are very obscure, and are completely trivial, and are mostly unrelated to the movie's plot and overall point. I'll put the answers below, so folks can play along and try to answer the questions if they want. Also, all of these are based on the movie alone, and not from the novelization, comic books, video games, prequel, etc. Oh, and obviously there are some spoilers to the film.
1) J & B scotch whisky is featured very prominently in the film, both as a beverage, and its bottles being used as Molotov cocktail containers. What two other types of alcohol are seen?
2) What type of chess game is MacReady playing? (Hint, it's a game for the computer, and he's using an Apple II.)
3) Staying on that, what move by the computer beats him, causing him to react very poorly?
4) What is the name of the American Antarctic research camp, according to the wooden sign shown at the beginning of the movie. (Hint, it's a mistake by the filmmakers, as another name is mentioned by the characters later.)
5) We see an oil drum briefly as the Norwegian helicopter approaches the American camp. What oil company is it from?
6) How long had the Norwegians been at their camp?
7) And how many Norwegians made up their research camp?
8) Childs and Palmer are seen watching a taped television show on their VCR. What is it? (They switch to an unseen show or movie later, but it is unidentified.)
9) Even more detailed, what peoples' names are mentioned on the show?
10) Ardent fans surely recall that Stevie Wonder's "Superstition" is played in the movie. But what other famous song is heard briefly, from the jukebox? (I'm not counting background music created for the movie, clearly.)
11) According to the map shown briefly, where was the crashed alien ship recovered, roughly? (And I don't mean 5-6 miles northeast of their camp, I mean where on the Antarctica continent.)
12) Fuchs asks to speak with MacReady in private, in one of the vehicles outside. What is the vehicle's name and number? (Hint, Fuchs misspeaks, and refers to it as a Thiokol.)
13) Aside from the Thing, of course, only one character is shown eating something. Who is it?
14) When the Thing first reveals itself, a character is briefly shown full frontally naked, in the hallway. Who is it?
15) According to Norris, how long, at least, has the alien ship been in the ice?
16) What is the name of the pinball machine shown in the rec room?
17) Most of the men's occupations are pretty obvious, with one exception, I think. What is Palmer's occupation? (Hint, it's actually two things.)
18) All of the characters are referred to only by their (presumed) surnames. (We do see that MacReady's initials are "R.J.," but don't see or hear the actual names.) With one exception--who is it, and what is his first name?
19) What two other screenplays did writer Bill Lancaster pen?
20) Child's earring is rather noticeable, and figures into several theories about whether he's human or not at the end. However, one other character has a visible piercing. Who is it?
21) What specific kind of handgun did Garry carry?
22) Staying on this topic, before he picks up Garry's handgun, what specific firearm does MacReady use?
23) There are no female characters in the movie. However, a woman does voice the chess game. Who is it?
24) How long does Garry say he knew Bennings?
25) A poster is seen prominently in the rec room, which has a drawing of a woman on it. What does it say?
26) How many stitches does it take to close Benning's gunshot wound?
27) The character of the Norwegian passenger with the rifle in the opening scene is played by someone who also had jobs on the crew. Who is he, and what were these other jobs?
28) Why does a scientific research station need several flamethrowers? (Just kidding, there is no good reason for this, other than the filmmakers wanted them in the movie to serve the plot!)
Answers:
1) Smirnoff vodka, usually with Blair, and Budweiser beer, seen quickly as the Thing first makes its presence known, and MacReady pulls the fire alarm while holding the can.
2) The Sargon II chess game.
3) Rook to knight 6.
4) United States National Science Institute Station 4. Windows and MacReady refer to the camp as Outpost 31, though, and this is apparently the actual name.
5) Chevron.
6) 8 weeks.
7) 10 men. (The 2011 Thing prequel changes this, but I'm just going by what's in the 1982 "The Thing."
8) "Let's Make a Deal," the game show that was most notably hosted by Monty Hall.
9) Contestant Dawn Screen, and her friend Anna.
10) "Don't Explain," performed by Billie Holiday.
11) Southeast of Dronning Maud Land (aka Queen Maud Land), west of Kemp Land, and west-southwest of Enderby Land, near the meridian 40 degrees East.
12) It's a Bombadier Skidozer 301.
13) Blair is seen eating out of a can while confined to the storeroom.
14) Copper. Enjoy this treat, heterosexual women and gay guys!
15) 100,000 years.
16) The ironically named "Heat Wave."
17) He's the assistant mechanic, to Childs, and the helicopter pilot trainee.
18) MacReady calls Bennings "George" right after Bennings is shot.
19) "The Bad News Bears" (1976), and "The Bad News Bears Go to Japan" (1978).
20) Copper, of all people, has a nose piercing, in his right nostril.
21) A .357 Magnum Colt Trooper Mark III revolver.
22) A 12 gauge Ithaca 37 shotgun.
23) Actress Adrienne Barbeau provides the voice. She was in a couple of Carpenter's other movies, and was married to him at the time.
24) 10 years.
25) "They Aren't Labeled, Chum," and in smaller letters, "I Have VD." It's a warning poster about the dangers of sexually transmitted diseases from the World War II era.
26) 4.
27) Larry Franco, who was also an associate producer and the first assistant director.
Hope you enjoyed this. And if it makes people feel better, I didn't know most of these answers until I re-studied the movie myself.
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