| Swamp Thing | |
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Film poster |
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| Directed by | Wes Craven |
| Produced by | Benjamin Melniker Michael E. Uslan |
| Screenplay by | Wes Craven |
| Based on | Swamp Thing by Len Wein Bernie Wrightson |
| Starring | Louis Jourdan Adrienne Barbeau Ray Wise David Hess Mimi Craven Dick Durock Nicholas Worth |
| Music by | Harry Manfredini |
| Cinematography | Robbie Greenberg |
| Editing by | Richard Bracken |
| Studio | Swampfilms |
| Distributed by | Embassy Pictures |
| Release date(s) | February 19, 1982 |
| Running time | 91 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $3 million |
Swamp Thing is a 1982 horror film written and directed by Wes Craven. It tells the story of scientist Alec Holland (Ray Wise) who becomes transformed into the monster Swamp Thing (Dick Durock) through laboratory sabotage orchestrated by the evil Anton Arcane (Louis Jourdan). Later, he helps out a woman named Alice (Adrienne Barbeau) and battles the man who made responsible for it all, the ruthless Arcane. The film was based on the DC Comics (later Vertigo Comics) character of the same name by Len Wein and Bernie Wrightson.
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In the swamps of Louisiana, Dr. Alec Holland works with his sister Linda on a top-secret bio-engineering project to create a plant/human hybrid capable of thriving in extreme environments. Government agent Alice Cable arrives just as Holland makes a major breakthrough, and begins to develop feelings for him. However, a paramilitary group led by the evil Dr. Arcane, who is obsessed with immortality, kills Linda while trying to steal the formula. Dr. Holland is covered in chemicals, caught on fire, and runs screaming in the swamp, presumably to die, but returns as a monstrously mutated plant creature. As the Swamp Thing, Holland battles Arcane's forces to protect Cable, and eventually takes on the mad doctor himself, who has also mutated from his incomplete understanding of the formula.
Filming occurred primarily on location in Charleston, South Carolina, and nearby Johns Island, South Carolina.
Author John Kenneth Muir notes that Swamp Thing differs in many respects from Craven's usual work, in that Craven's intent was to show the major Hollywood studios that he could handle action, stunts and major stars,[1] Craven substituted his usual focus on the problems of the family and society for pure entertainment.[2] Nevertheless, Muir points out, some of Craven's usual themes and images do appear in Swamp Thing. For example, as in The Last House on the Left (1972), and The Hills Have Eyes (1977), Craven shows a close connection between the landscape and his characters.[3] The film was adapted in comics form as Swamp Thing Annual #1. The character later reported disliking the film.
The film received generally average to positive reviews from critics, currently holding 69% on Rotten Tomatoes. Of the early Craven films, this was regarded as another of his finest.
A low-budget sequel entitled The Return of Swamp Thing appeared in 1989.
In 2009 it was announced that Joel Silver will produce the remake of the movie. The story is written by Akiva Goldsman.[4] In April 2010 Vincenzo Natali was confirmed to direct the 3-D remake of the film.[5]
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