HFX and the Monstrous: Part 2 - "You've gotta be fucking kidding"; The Monstrous Body in John Carpenter's The Thing

In Part One of this HFX feature, I explored its origins and intertwining relationship with the horror genre. In this second part, an in-depth exploration into how HFX constructs the monstrous body shall be conducted, using a specific example - John Carpenter’s The Thing (1982). This was a film that, upon initial release, suffered a less than favourable reception. Hindered by the success of E.T. the Extra Terrestrial (1982), it appeared evil aliens were just not fashionable in film anymore. However, over time The Thing has garnered an incredibly powerful cult following, especially for Rob Bottin  and his HFX. Showcasing visceral lunacy, mind-boggling effects are implemented to distort the human body, forever placing a mark on the history of HFX and the horror film. 

As a remake of The Thing from Another World (1951), based on the novella Who Goes There (1938), written by John W. Campbell, Jr, the basic premise of John Carpenter’s The Thing surrounds a research base, Outpost 31. In an isolated Antarctic setting, the all male crew are infiltrated by a shape-shifting alien. It imitates the form of individual crew members one by one, subsequently causing an onslaught of chaotic paranoia and un-imaginable bodily destruction. 

The 1951 original production deleted ‘all references to the alien’s shape shifting skills out of necessity... the state-of-the-art in make-up effects in 1951 simply could not accommodate what Campbell had written’ (Hogan, 1982, p. 49). Equally, Carpenter made it clear of his wishes to avoid "another guy in a rubber suit", which, as explored in Part One, was characteristic of HFX in the 1950s. Consequently Bottin decided that ‘since it had been all over the galaxy, [the Thing] could call upon anything it needed whenever it needed it’ (Hogan, 1982, p. 54). In other words, the Thing could be anything, thus granting creative license and freedom for Bottin to construct a form of the monstrous that had never been seen before.

Bottin collaborated with storyboard artist Mike Ploog to establish initial concept artwork, an example of which can be seen below.

Each design was then brought to life and created by ‘pushing the state-of-the-art make-up effects to the limit’ (Hogan, 1982, p. 54). The scene in which this is most evident is the Norris sequence, where said character suffers an apparent heart attack and is urgently rushed to a table for medical assistance from Copper. Whilst using a defibrillator, Copper’s hands become engulfed in Norris’ stomach, which miraculously opens imitating a mouth with sharp teeth. Following this an alien bursts outward and a cavalcade of bodily disintegration and transformation ensues. Words will never do it justice so you can experience it below...

So how does HFX construct the monstrous practically here? To begin with, to achieve the opening of Norris’ stomach, a duplicate of his body was created with fibreglass and covered in foam latex skin. The body cavity (filled with latex organs and membranes) was opened and closed using a hydraulic ram controlled by a technician. Charles Hallahan (Norris) also lay underneath the table, apart from his head and shoulders, giving way to the duplicate body. To achieve the amputation of Copper’s arms, replicas were sculpted using blood-coloured gelatine, blood tubes and dental acrylic bones. An amputee extra was used, whose arms were scored at the intended points of separation.

For the alien being that thrusts vertically from Norris’ torso, the overall movement was controlled through a hole in the false ceiling, yet the face was operated mechanically via radio control to achieve individual movement. To separate Norris’ head from his body, a manually-operated push-rod was hidden within the inner neck of the sculpted head (that in turn had radio-controlled facial expressions). The operator of the effect was once again placed out of shot. The ineffable ooze was concocted using multiple ingredients such as bubble gum and melted plastic. To achieve the effect in which Norris' tongue attaches itself to the adjacent desk, reverse printing was used as the action was shot in a backward sequence, whilst HFX technicians pulled on cables and mono-filament fishing line.

Arguably one of the strongest images to emerge from this sequence is the protrusion of eyes and spider’s legs from the head of Norris. To achieve this, three tiny holes were drilled in each side, from which thin-gauge aluminium tubing sprouted. The extension of the legs were radio controlled however the movement of the head in its entirety was achieved through the use of a custom-built car. The head was mounted on said car and as it drove forward, the legs would also move creating the illusion of independent motion. Thus a ‘horrible, yet ultimately entrancing’ (Hogan, 1982, p. 68) finale to the visceral manipulation of Norris’ body, as six tiny legs transport a severed head across the floor. Palmer’s line, “You’ve gotta be fucking kidding...”, is a piece of dialogue that boasts the utmost resonance here, as the relentless lunacy comes to a climactic close, having just showcased all manners of bodily monstrosity and HFX innovation.

Altogether, various manifestations of the Thing were sculpted in clay, moulds were taken from the sculptures, foam latex pieces were made and the necessary mechanics were installed. Additional materials were used when needed including the unconventional use of heated Bubble Yum gum, strawberry jelly, mayonnaise, cream corn, melted crayons and food thickener. Overall, this combination of mechanics, prosthetics, amputee extras, unlikely materials and wild imagination, enabled Bottin to achieve a tangible deconstruction of the human body, a believable depiction of bodily abjection.

So... does this have any symbolic inference? Does this construction of the monstrous transcend beyond the figure itself to say... the films’ narrative and protagonists? Keep your eyes open for Part Three to find out.

Sources:

Hogan, D. J. (1982). The Making of The Thing. Cinefantastique, 13(2-3), pp. 49-58