The Thing was released on June 25, 1982. The movie was based on the short story "Who Goes There?" by John W Campbell Jr. and the movie The Thing from Another World, which had a release date of April 7, 1951. Film maker John Carpenter was a big fan of The Thing from Another World and not only had it appear in his iconic film Halloween, but went on to direct the remake with the shortened title The Thing. While considered a bomb at the time that really hurt his career, the 1982 version has since gone on to be a major cult classic. Like the short story, and unlike the 1951 film version, the film had an all male cast and due to higher budget and access to better special effects and animatronics, it also restored the creature's shape changing ability. It has been reported that viewing of The Thing has become an annual tradition at Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station in Antarctica. ("The Thing", Sci-Fi Movie Event)