Swamp Thing is a 1982 American science fiction horror film written and directed by Wes Craven, based on the DC Comics character of the same name created by Len Wein and Bernie Wrightson. 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 a woman named Alice Cable (Adrienne Barbeau) and battles the man responsible for it all, the ruthless Arcane. It was followed by a sequel, The Return of Swamp Thing in 1989.
In the swamps of Louisiana, Doctor Alec Holland works with his sister Linda on a top-secret bio-engineering project to create a plant/animal 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. Anton Arcane, who is obsessed with immortality, kills Linda while trying to steal the formula for their own purposes.
During the attack, Alice escapes and Alec is covered in chemicals, caught on fire, and runs screaming in the swamp, presumably to die. However, he returns as a monstrously mutated plant creature. As the Swamp Thing, Holland battles Arcane's forces to protect Cable, and eventually takes on Arcane himself, also mutated by the Holland formula.
Cast
- Ray Wise as Alec Holland
- Adrienne Barbeau as Alice Cable (a female version of Matt Cable but in place of Swamp Thing's comic book love interest Abby Arcane, who however appears in the sequel)
- Louis Jourdan as Anton Arcane
- Dick Durock as Swamp Thing
- David Hess as Ferret
- Nicholas Worth as Bruno
- Don Knight as Harry Ritter
- Al Ruban as Charlie
- Nannette Brown as Dr. Linda Holland
- Reggie Batts as Jude
- Karen Price as Karen
Check out the Swamp Thing bio and history over at Comic Vine
