January celebrates two notable dates in science-fiction history: “National Science Fiction Day” on January 2 to coincide with the birth of world renowned sci-fi writer Isaac Asimov, and 12 January being when Arthur C. Clarke’s HAL 9000 was created. Accordingly, I dedicate January to celebrating sci-fi in all its forms.

Quick Facts:
This rightfully celebrated remake of the 1958 cult classic reunited screenwriter Frank Darabont with director Chuck Russell and saw Lyle Conway, Stuart Ziff, and Tony Gardner collaborate on the gruesome and inventive special effects, which utilised silk bags filled with Methyl cellulose. Though widely praised as a more cynical piece evocative of the more rebellious 1980s, attempts at another remake have constantly stalled.

The Review:
Shifting its setting to Arborville, California The Blob initially begins in a similar fashion to the 1958 original, though with some fun twists. In place of Steve McQueen we have star quarterback Paul Taylor (Donovan Leitch), a gifted youngster from a wealthy background who, despite nursing what looks like a concussion, attracts shapely cheerleader Megan “Meg” Penny (Shawnee Smith). Despite his bravado, Paul’s wingman, Scott Jeskey (Ricky Paull Goldin), gets cold feet when buying condoms ahead of his late-night tryst with Vicki DeSoto (Erika Eleniak) when football loving Reverend Meeker (Del Close) corners him in the local chemist. Wishing to appear virtuous rather than a creep who practically date rapes girls, Scott paints Paul as a wayward soul, much to the disgust of pharmacist Tom Penny (Art LaFleur). This lands Paul in hot water when he pops over (in his letterman jacket, of course) to pick up Meg and realises Tom is her father, though Meg mostly laughs it off while apologising for her bratty little brother, horror fanatic Kevin Penny (Michael Kenworthy). Unfortunately for Paul and Meg, Paul accidentally knocks down a panicked old hermit (Billy Beck). Like in the original, the vagabond investigated a flaming meteorite that crashed into the woods, poking it with a stick and ending up screaming in agony when a strange, slime-like substance latched on to his hand. Luckily for the “old dude”, ruffian Brian Flagg (Kevin Dillon) was fixing his motorcycle nearby and helped, though his presence immediately rubs Paul and Meg the wrong way as Flagg’s a known troublemaker who’s been in and out of juvenile detention centres and is very much an outsider amongst his peers and the town.

Genuinely caring for the old man, who had applauded his earlier failed attempt to jump a busted bridge with his motorcycle, and to ensure Paul doesn’t pin the incident on him, Flagg accompanies them to the doctor’s office but quickly leaves after being frustrated by red tape. Paul is horrified to discover the hermit’s skin bulging alarmingly. Panicked, he pleads with the doctor (Jack Nance) for help, only to discover the old man dissolved from the torso down! Alarmed, Paul frantically calls Sheriff Herb Geller (Jeffrey DeMunn) but his chances at being a leading man like McQueen are dashed when the titular “Blob”, now vastly grown, envelops him and leaves Meg unconscious and hysterical after she walks in on him being consumed by the organism. Unfortunately, Paul had time to name-drop Flagg, so the moody outsider is apprehended and grilled by Deputy Bill Briggs (Paul McCrane), who’s convinced that Flagg was involved despite it being literally impossible for him to have melted the two to a mess of meat. Knowing this, Sheriff Geller sets Flagg free and he’s quickly sought out by a desperate Meg, who wants to verify what she saw. While at Fran Hewitt’s (Candy Clark) diner, Flagg dismisses Meg’s wild stories and gives her nothing but resentment, but his disbelief shatters when he hears a commotion and finds Fran’s cook, George Ruiz (Clayton Landey), literally being pulled down the drain by the Blob! Horrified, Brian and Meg take shelter in the freezer, discovering that the Blob is sensitive to the cold, and seek out Sheriff Geller once the coast is clear, oblivious that he, Scott, Vicki, and Fran have all been consumed by the amorphous, acidic creature.

However, Flagg and Meg learn that Briggs is at the crash site. Looking for answers, they head over and find Doctor Christopher Meddows (Joe Seneca) leading a military operation of shady government types in haz-mat suits. While Dr. Meaddows is courteous, Flagg is a sceptical, wary bad boy who doesn’t trust or like authority figures so he’s unconvinced by Dr. Meaddows’ explanation that the Blob is an alien bacteria that once wiped out the dinosaurs. Of course, Flagg’s right to be suspicious. After escaping, Flagg overhears a conversation between Dr. Meaddows and Colonel Templeton Hargis (Jack Rader) that reveals the film has reimagined the Blob as a man-made parasite, an advanced form of warfare created during the Cold War that was launched into space in a satellite. Space radiation caused it to unexpectedly mutate and crash to Earth and Dr. Meddows is super excited at the prospect as it means one-upping those pesky Russkies. Accordingly, Dr. Meaddows orders Arborville be pacified with talk of a quarantine from a potential infection and then isolated to contain the Blob, even if it kills the town. Despite his better judgement, Flagg races to warn people using the town’s vast sewer pipes, reuniting with Meg after she was forced to flee down there with Kevin and his friend, Eddie Beckner (Douglas Emerson). Kevin and Eddie’s wholesome midnight screening of a slasher was interrupted by the Blob, which sent the cinema patrons fleeing or consumed them in a far more gruesome and bloody reimagining of the iconic scene from the original film. The Blob then doubles down by melting poor Eddie, leaving Flagg, Kevin, and shellshocked soldier (Bill Moseley) trapped in the sewers ahead of the explosive finale.

Although its origins are different, the Blob is still an amorphous, voracious creature driven only to consume and grow. Even when small, the Blob is tenacious, latching onto the hermit’s hand with a corrosive grip and melting him inside out. This sees it grow large enough to engulf poor Paul, who’s left a screaming, suffocating, melting mess within the creature’s jelly-like body. While the Blob was disappointingly absent for most of the 1958 film, it’s a persistent threat here, stalking through the grass to invade Vicki from the inside out, collapsing her in on herself to attack Scott with writhing tentacles. The Blob is far more versatile here thanks to improved practical and visual effects, appearing in various forms and sizes thanks to miniatures, animatronics, rear projection, and puppetry. Accordingly, it utilises tentacles to ensnare its prey, like when it entangles itself on Meg’s hair or yanks George down the drain. Other times, it simply engulfs its targets, slithering over the telephone booth to absorb Fran while still digesting lovelorn Sheriff Geller. The Blob’s increased screen presence delivers some fantastically gory kills and moments: Paul’s arm is ripped off and lies twitching and melting on the floor, a projectionist (Unknown) gets plastered to the ceiling and left gasping as he dissolves into the creature, and poor Eddie gets melted to a screaming, half-skeletal mush! The Blob grows “at a geometric rate” as a result, eventually becoming large enough to swat solders with giant tentacles, shrug off C4 and flamethrowers (leaving Reverend Meeker horribly burned), and growing thrashing appendages so strong they snap Briggs in half! Dr. Meaddows’ insane attempt to contain the creature and somehow turn it to his advantage see him disregard all civilian and military lives, leading to his deserved end when the Blob snags him through a manhole and leaves him a bloodstain within his suit.

Flagg’s rebellious nature and distrustful attitude see his hunch about Dr. Meaddows pay off in the worst way and, despite him planning to leave town, Flagg’s compelled to go back (he even chastises himself for having his head turned by a cheerleader!) Despite saving Meg, Kevin, and the soldier, Flagg is met with suspicion by the town thanks to Briggs’ prejudice and Dr. Meaddows insisting that Flagg is infected by some unknown pathogen and a danger to them. Flagg manages to instil some doubt into Briggs but, luckily for him, the Blob soon convinces the civilians of the true threat. After Colonel Hargis orders the Blob to eat some C4, the creature emerges bigger than ever and goes on a rampage, scooping up, swatting, and consuming everything in its path as the terrified residents flee to the town hall. Thanks to Meg, they fend off the Blob with fire extinguishers, buying Flagg time to commandeer one of Moss Woodley’s (Beau Billingslea) beloved snow making trucks and blast the Blob with freezing cold liquid nitrogen. The Blob reacts violently, overturning the snow truck and threatening to consume Flagg, so Meg completes her evolution into a forthright action heroine by distracting it with an assault rifle and priming some C4 attached to the snow truck. Though both are momentarily imperilled due to being snagged on wires or seatbelts, the two race to safety just as the explosive goes off, flash-freezing the Blob into thousands of ice crystals and bathing the town square in snow. Flagg and Meg embrace as the relieved residents come out of hiding and Moss helps transport the remains to the icehouse. However, Revered Meeker is left badly scarred and traumatised by the ordeal, which he saw as a sign of the apocalypse. Thus, some time later, he preaches of the Rapture and a coming doomsday and is seen to possess a single, writhing piece of the Blob, hinting that the creature may return for seconds…

Final Thoughts:
I was probably way too young when I first saw The Blob, but I don’t regret it one bit. This is another example of a remake done right as it takes everything that worked about the original and dials it up to eleven, with the twist that The Blob takes its premise very seriously and is much more of a monster movie/body horror than a cheap (if ambitious) B-movie. As over the top as Flagg’s roguish depiction is, I really liked his characterisation as an outsider who’s been abandoned by his family and is constantly misjudged but who has a good heart and rises to the occasion. Shawnee Smith did a decent job being more than just a pretty, screaming face but I did find her a bit weak compared to Kevin Dillon, though Flagg and Meg made for a good odd couple. I really enjoyed how closely the film sticks to the premise of the original but puts little twists on things, like having the bad boy be the lead protagonist, featuring the creature more to showcase the effects, and altering its origin to make it a man-made parasite as an example of humanity’s hubris and war-like nature. Every complaint I had about the original is addressed here as we see the Blob in full glory for each kill, which are suitably ghastly and disturbing thanks to some truly remarkable practical effects. I loved how the Blob consumed its victims, engulfing them and melting their flesh and bone and leaving them shrieking, helpless messes of meat within its churning body. The Blob was extremely aggressive, sprouting tentacles and changing form to overwhelm its prey and truly depicted as unstoppable rather than being downplayed as a prank. The Blob even has the balls to kill off a kid, something rarely seen in horror, and never fails to entertain me no matter how many times I see it.

My Rating:

Great Stuff

Do you agree that The Blob is one of the best horror remakes out there? Were you a fan of bad-boy Flagg and his rebellious attitude? Did you like the changes made to the Blob’s origins or do you prefer it to be a purely space-bound creature? Were you impressed by the gruesome special effects and gory kills? Are you disappointed that we never got a sequel to this film? What sci-fi movies are you watching this January? Tell me what you think about The Blob in the comments, check out my other sci-fi reviews, and donate to my Ko-Fi to suggest more sci-fi content for the site.

January celebrates two notable dates in science-fiction history: “National Science Fiction Day” on January 2 to coincide with the birth of world renowned sci-fi writer Isaac Asimov, and 12 January being when Arthur C. Clarke’s HAL 9000 was created. Accordingly, I dedicate January to celebrating sci-fi in all its forms.

Quick Facts:
Based on 1950 reports of a strange substance falling from the sky and undergoing several title changes, The Blob was a showcase for rising star Steve McQueen. The special effects were created by Valley Forge Films using silicone mixed with red vegetable dye, time-lapse photography, and miniatures. A critical flop at the time, this cult classic inspired a far worse 1972 sequel, a well-regarded 1988 remake, and an annual “Blobfest” celebration and re-enactment in Phoenixville, Pennsylvania.

The Review:
What starts as a cosy night in the forest for “teenagers” Steve Andrews (Steven McQueen) and Jane Martin (Aneta Corseaut) quickly turns into an exasperating experience trying to convince their small Pennsylvania town of an unusual threat. Initially, Steve and Jane’s biggest concerns are making sure their relationship is legitimate. Jane seems reluctant to go too far with smooth talking Steve and he’s anxious to prove he’s not a hot-shot frat boy, dutifully keeping his hands to himself and offering to drive her back to town so he can apologise. However, Steve almost hits a panicked old man (Olin Howlin), who stumbles into the road after investigating a nearby meteorite crash. While poking around the red-hot rock, the old man witnessed the titular “Blob” seeping from the rock, which quickly affixed itself to his hand, driving him into a frenzy. Naturally eager to help, Steve loads him into his prized car and races to Doctor T. Hallen’s (Stephen Chase) office, unwittingly insulting fellow “teens” Tony Gressette (Robert Fields), “Mooch” Miller (James Bonnett), and Al (Anthony Franke) by outpacing Tony’s car. Although Steve gets the old man to Dr. Hallen in time, the doctor is stumped by the strange, parasitic growth on his hand, which has doubled in size and appears to be absorbing and dissolving the limb. After anesthetising the old man, Dr. Hallen asks Steve to find some clue as to what happened, causing Steve to attract kindly but authoritative Police Lieutenant Dave Barton (Earl Rowe) after accepting Tony’s challenge for a drag race. Luckily, Steve sweet talks his way out of it and makes amends with Tony’s crew, who reluctantly join Steve and Jane in discovering the remnants of the meteorite.

While Tony and the others head to the cinema, Steve finds Dr. Hallen being consumed by the now larger and more voracious Blob. Rattled, Steve races to the police station for help, only to be met by aggressive scepticism from war veteran Sergeant Jim Bert (John Benson), who believes Steve’s talk of murder and monsters is an elaborate hoax. Dismissing Bert’s accusations, Dave checks out the doctor’s office with Steve, Jane, and Bert, finding it ransacked and Dr. Hallen missing, which only furthers Bert’s suspicions. Steve’s so flustered by what he saw and Bert’s accusations that he briefly questions himself, concerned that he somehow imagined the Blob, though Jane strengthens his resolve and he goes to recruit Tony’s crew in warning the town. Steve’s concerns only double when he spots his father’s (Hugh Graham) grocery store unlocked and he and Jane encounter the far larger and more bulbous Blob inside. They hide in the meat freezer and decide to set off the air raid sirens to get the town to listen. Surprisingly, most of The Blob is focused on this adolescent drama as Steve and the others desperately try to convince the town of the danger, with only Dave taking them seriously as Steve’s a good (if cheeky) kid who’s clearly terrified. Bert, however, is as unconvinced as the townsfolk, who constantly dismiss Steve’s warnings and regard the kids as delinquents pulling an elaborate prank. Jane’s father, Henry Martin (Elbert Smith), is particularly aggrieved by it all, seeing Steve as a bad influence, and Tony and his crew don’t help with that perception. Ironically, Tony and his friends are instrumental in stopping the Blob in the finale, working alongside Henry and even Bert to gather the town’s fire extinguishers. However, as many as forty deaths occur prior to that, primarily because the kids weren’t taken seriously.

And, I mean, why would they be? These “kids” all seem to be in their late twenties for starters and all they do is lounge around, having drag races and rotting their brains with bad horror movies (that, ironically, even the older townsfolk enjoy). Even when the townsfolk are warned of the danger, they’re more concerned about having their sleep disturbed and how they should dress for the crisis. It doesn’t help that Steve cannot accurately describe what he saw, mainly because it was so surreal and he barely caught a glimpse of the Blob as it devoured Dr. Hallen. There’s also no trace of the creature in the doctor’s office and any who encounter it (like an unsuspecting mechanic (Ralph Roseman)) are simply absorbed by the gelatinous creature. The Blob is an unknowable, mysterious thing that crash-lands in the forest near Steve and Jane. Silent and caustic, the Blob appears to be a parasite rather than a thinking, malicious alien organism, consuming living flesh and adding to its mass simply on instinct rather than actively stalking its prey. We barely see what the Blob is capable of as it mostly attacks offscreen, meaning we’re left relying on Steve’s shaken explanations and a few brief glimpses of the Blob. Although it’s accompanied by a jazzy theme song that’s as tone-deaf as some of the acting, the Blob largely disappears for a huge chunk of the movie as Steve runs around trying to convince people of the threat. Unsurprisingly, the amorphous creature’s effects have aged as badly as the re-dubbing peppered throughout the film, largely seen attacking miniatures or as stop-motion-esque goo badly spliced into the film. The creature is immediately said to be unstoppable after only minimal attempts to stop it. Bullets do about as much against it as acid, live wires, and fire, and that’s about all the townsfolk have to use, meaning they’re powerless to keep the animated glob from enveloping a diner Steve, Jane, and her well-meaning but naïve little brother, Danny Martin (Keith Almoney), shelter in.

Of course, The Blob’s big showcase moment is its attack on the local cinema, where Tony and his crew enjoy a cheesy black-and-white horror flick with their girlfriends. Although they saw the remains of the meteorite, they’re clueless to the Blob’s threat but are begrudgingly convinced to help Steve and Jane warn the town, though their efforts are largely wasted until they cause a ruckus. While most of the town gathers outside in the shopping district, the cinemagoers remain glued to their film, unaware that the Blob has seeped through the vents and attacked the projectionist (Eugene Sabe). They soon realise what happened when the movie abruptly stops and the Blob oozes from the projectionist’s area, sending them fleeing and screaming into the streets. Sadly, we never get to see what the Blob does to those too slow to escape; we only hear from Dave that it’s a gruesome site. Enlarged to gigantic proportions, the Blob seeps from the cinema, finally convincing Bert of its threat, and summarily traps Steve, Jane, and Danny in the diner. Though Dave tries to electrocute the Blob, this just sets the diner ablaze, threatening a grisly end for those trapped inside. Luckily, Steve recalls that the Blob recoiled from the cold in the freezer and manages to radio Dave and have him gather up all the fire extinguishers they can find and aim them at the creature, successfully causing it to recede and freeze in record time. The film then abruptly ends with the frozen Blob being dumped in the Arctic by the Air Force and then shoehorns in a forced environmental message that warns that global warming will cause the creature to revive and threaten the world anew. Although the meat freezer scene established the Blob’s aversion to the cold, this is an extremely sudden and anti-climactic ending to a disappointingly dull B-movie that stretches logic to breaking point and leaves the movie on a cliff-hanger was certainly an ambitious choice, to say the least.

Final Thoughts:
I vaguely remember watching The Blob many, many years ago. Or, at least, parts of it. But I grew up with the 1988 remake, which was a gruesome piece of body horror cinema that I still regard as one of the best remakes. Watching the 1958 original only reinforces that as this is a ridiculously dull and toothless B-movie sci-fi flick. While Steve McQueen makes for a good leading man, I didn’t believe for a second that he was a teenager, and his performance is hampered by the comical, overly theatrical performances rampant in 1950s movies. Jane was essentially a blank piece of wood, there to worry about Dr. Hallen’s dog, cling to Steve when frightened, and bolster his resolve when it faltered. I quite liked Tony and his crew; they were fun anti-heroes who came through in a pinch, but extremely underdeveloped as characters. Bert was the dirt worst, judging the kids as delinquents due to his prejudices and embodying the town’s dismissive and apathetic attitude towards the youngsters, who are seen as nothing but troublemakers. Sadly, we’re stuck with these boring-ass characters for most of the film as the Blob disappears after eating that mechanic and is only talked about until Steve spies it in the grocery store, grinding the film to a halt as we watch these “kids” desperately try to warn the town of the creature’s threat. When the Blob does appear, it’s an impressive and ambitious series of special effects that haven’t aged too well but are still more entertaining to watch than the lead actors. The cinema sequence is an all-time moment, for sure, but I liked the gooey Blob effects when it attacked people and slithered under doors. Sadly, The Blob is largely forgettable beyond this. The ending comes out of nowhere and is a masterpiece of convenience, the environmental message is lacklustre and tacked on, and the overall plot of the kids having to prove themselves just didn’t grab me.

My Rating:

Could Be Better

Do you consider The Blob a sci-fi classic? Did you enjoy the focus on the teens trying to prove the creature’s threat or did you always find it boring? Were you impressed by the Blob’s special effects or were you disappointed by its lack of screen time? Would you poke alien goop with a stick? Have you ever attended Blobfest? Would you like to see a new version of The Blob and how are you celebrating sci-fi this January? Leave a like and a comment with your thoughts, check out my other sci-fi reviews, and donate to my Ko-Fi to suggest other sci-fi content you’d like to see.