The Blob
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Movie Reviews of The Blob
Movie Review: Terror Has No Shape...But It Looks Kinda like Jell-O
Summary: 4 Stars
Chuck Russell's 1988 version of the classic horror film THE BLOB is really less a remake and more what is nowadays called a "re-imagining." Both films have the same fundamental plot: Gelatinous hunk of sentient goop piggybacks to Earth on a meteor, then proceeds to eat--or, more accurately, dissolve and absorb--every living creature it encounters, while in the mean time, two in-the-know teenagers try to warn the incredulous populace of a nearby rural town. The original 1958 production, starring a young Steve McQueen, is a satire of 1950s white-bread conservatism, as well as a tongue-in-cheek parody of that decade's popular sci-fi and horror films. The more recent film, on the other hand, is basically straight-on horror, and fans of the older film should therefore not delve into the newer one with the hopes of finding that familiar gee-whiz tone--it just ain't there.As a basic '80s horror flick, however, the 1988 incarnation of THE BLOB is actually quite good. The story is fairly tight and gripping, and there aren't too many noticeable plot holes. The two principal characters are, in contrast to the original, earnest and fairly accurate depictions of teens from the film's era, and the two actors portraying them--Kevin Dillon and Shawnee Smith--are decidedly adequate for the task. There is, of course, more blood and guts in this film than in the original, with several shots peering into the insides of the translucent monster as its human meals dissolve in potently acidic digestive juices. And though the amorphous lump of goo here bears a stronger resemblance to Jell-O than to its hip 1950s predecessor--yes, Steve McQueen's globular extraterrestrial nemesis actually looks pretty cool, despite the stop-motion technique used to animate it--the special FX in this film are very well done and quite realistic, and the aforementioned "digestion" scenes will definitely delight gore hounds.
Although there is no doubt that Chuck Russell's 1988 "re-imagining" of THE BLOB is built on the dusty foundation of the first, making a qualitative comparison of the two is really unjustified, as each filmmaker created their work with different ends in mind. As mentioned before, the 1958 film presents a satirical and parodic look at the decade in which it was made, whereas the 1988 film offers up straightforward scares, thrills, and chills. Consequently, each film will evoke a different response from the audience--one a smirk, the other gooseflesh. So although the 1988 version does not have the multi-layered subtext of the film that came before it, it certainly is a generator of goose bumps aplenty, and as such, it is just as successful--if not just as "good"--as the original.
The Columbia/Tristar DVD edition of 1988's THE BLOB offers a crisp widescreen digital transfer at a very reasonable price, so even those who find they like this version but still prefer the original can afford to have BOTH versions in their collections.
Movie Review: I think... you pissed it off!
Summary: 4 Stars
This is a great 80s horror movie, it's fun and the 95min run time flies by. Filled with good fx, comedy, and action. This movie was also in Fangoria's 101 best horror movies you've never seen book sold by Amazon. (i should get a free dvd for that plug)
So, the plot, A meteor (or is it!)crashes to earth jellylike goo busts out of so called meteor, this goo slithers through anything and attaches itself to humans devouring these humans and getting bigger and bigger. A loner rebel (Or is he!) named Brian Flagg (Almost as scary as the blob is his mullet) played by Kevin Dillon (entourage, platoon) teams up with hot cheerleader Meg Penny to lead the fight against the BLOB!
This movie also wasn't as predictable as i thought *SPOILER ALERT*, earlier in the movie a nice waitress Fran gets asked out by equally nice and fair Sheriff Herb Geller. Fran declines cause she has to work , but wait leaves a note on the check "i get out at 11" oooh i can't wait. So this is the making of something beautiful right, nope the blob squashes Fran in a telephone booth, and guess who she sees right before this squashing Sheriff Herb, does he blow a kiss goodbye? Negative he is up in the blob that is about to devour her. At least they do become one.
Even before Meg Penny goes on her date with responsible and likeable Paul. He meets her dad and her mom, he's an established character from the beginning, so he makes it right? Wrong again, blob food. I knew he was a goner when at the hospital rebel loner Brian Flagg shows his soft side to the bumb and Meg was swooning, it was all over for football player Paul Taylor at that point.
Finally the nice priest who makes teens buying condoms at the pharmacy guilty, gets attacked by goo. I know what your saying, stop it, not the priest .... No, the priest makes it but is that a good thing or a bad thing ..duh duh duh!!!
This movie was a blast. So, if you collect dvds, horror, or 80s movies this is a nice add to your collection, it had me wanting to peg my pants, wear skidz, some old air jordans, and shave some lines in my head. It's also a great remake up there with dawn of the dead (2004) and cat people(1982), i can't think of any others off the top of my head.
Movie Review: True 80's Horror
Summary: 4 Stars
1988's The Blob is a sure horror movie for any type of horror movie fan. And for a remake, it does justice for its original. A feat some remakes never come close to doing. Maybe that's just my personal opinion, and I stand true to it. The film's not just an update to the 1958 version of The Blob, it's more of a different turn on the story. We're taken to a small town where basically everyone knows everyone. It's your average day Mayberry type deal. We're introduced to many residents of the town, but the two main ones are the star cheerleader (Shawnee Smith as Meg Penny) and the town rebel (Kevin Dillon as Brian Flagg). When the two cross paths as a result of some of the blob's terror, we follow these two as they fight for their town and for their lives.
The Blob has a pretty equal formula for a great, fun horror movie. Of course for any horror movie, there's got to be tense scenes. The film has it's share of some. Most noteable are the whole diner / diner lady chase scene, and the oh-too-great theatre / sewer chase scene. Those two scenes are basically the whole movie, but they make for great viewing! Not only for the intensity, but for the great shooting and colorizations that are there. And the gore? Aw man, the gore is plentiful here. We get gooey body parts, the blob engulfing and then melting body parts off, and more of the gooey melted body parts. It's crazy. Yet not totally overdone. If I dare say, "tastefully" done to please any gore fiend. As usual, for any horror movie, we get cliched characters, but they are all handled well here. Shawnee Smith is wonderful as the heroine. She kicked major [behind] here. Kevin Dillon is kind of stale at some times in the movie, but he pulls through and makes a viewer happy. The supporting cast have their own little perks.
Chuck Russell, director of The Blob, knew what he was doing when he made this movie. And in itself, 1988's The Blob has become it's own cult classic.
Movie Review: They don't remake them like this anymore!
Summary: 4 Stars
This is a great remake of the original 1958 flick. It has the best of both worlds, cramming the 50's Sci-fi horror flick with 80's characters and special effects. A rare gem, indeed: a horror film that is actually horrifying. 'the blob' breaks most of the cardinal rules of cinema ('thou shall not kill people we like, nor the innocent, nor children'), leaving the viewer adrift, with no safe place to go and no idea what is going to happen next. It makes us genuinely like and care about the characters as if they are people we actually know, then systematically murders them in truly terrible ways, all before our disbelieving eyes.
Furthermore, the cast isn't too bad and Shawnee Smith and Kevin Dillon do the best they can with their throwaway roles as the cheerleader and the town rebel respectively. Dillon is especially irritating at first with his macho attitude but at least mellows throughout the course of the film. A lot of the supporting characters don't make it out alive and I was really surprised when some of the cast were killed off. People thought Hitchcock was crazy for killing his main character in 'psycho' just a few brief moments into the film, but it stands as a classic today because he made the right decision to truly frighten his audience. 'The blob' is every bit as well crafted, and makes all the right decisions.
Tight, well-crafted direction. Camera movements that help create, magnify and unleash terror. A script that is almost impossibly good, with believable characters that drive the film from the first scene. Truly horrific that stands the test of time and without a doubt one of the best horror films to come out of the slasher-soaked 80s and definite proof that remakes don't always have to haywire.
Movie Review: An Ooey Gooey Good Time!
Summary: 4 Stars
A massive, formless, shape-shifting creature is devouring everything in sight. No, it's not Kirstie Alley, it's The Blob!
In this 1988 update of the Steve McQueen semi-classic, "The Blob," the titular character descends on a small Colorado town to infringe on its residents' favorite past-time of trying to get some on the first date. A pretty but tough cheerleader (Shawnee Smith of "Saw" fame) joins forces with a rebel (Kevin Dillon) without a cause (or apparently a hair-stylist with taste) in an attempt to save the town from the gelatinous blubber while the government has different plans altogether.
Director Chuck Russell and writer Frank Darabont, hot off of the heels of their success with "A Nightmare on Elm Street 3 - Dream Warriors," hit another home-run with their jazzed up improvement on an original. Sure, it's b-movie material, but it knows it, and the outrageous special effects and disgustingly decadent death scenes are the real stars at hand. While a handful of effects have not aged well (most noticeably during the finale) they only serve to add to the charm of the film. This is a true 80's horror classic, from the not-so-subtle
jabs at its own genre to the gruesome mullets that out-gross The Blob itself. From front to back, "The Blob" is pure fun that is easy to get
sucked into.
Now, how about a Special Edition release?