The Stuff

Writer/Director Larry Cohen seems to make pictures that bear some important philosophical/social thread to them very often against a background of absurdity, sheer silliness, and subtle good performances. directions, etc... The Stuff is no exception and while nowhere as good(as far as I am concerned) a Q or It's Alive - The Stuff has a lot going for it. Oozing yogurt-like substance(alien source perhaps) is being manufactured and sold and becomes a million dollar plus commodity. Trouble is it has amazingly devastating after-effects. While The Stuff is one of Cohen's less serious films in style, it is profound if you look for it to be. It makes fun of crass consumerism, retailing, marketing, the army, the government, big business, and so many other things - all with a humorous slant but with a cutting undertow. Michael Moriarity again stars as the lead in a Cohen film and as always gives a pretty good performance. He always gives the films an air of credibility. The rest of the cast is good at playing it as half-serious with Garrett Morris standing out as well as Paul Sorvino as a macho military man. And what about the white stuff? Well, it is creepier than you might expect as it can do all kinds of things. And the saddest part is that while the story is heavily exaggerated - I found it to be credible given more realistic criteria. Cohen hits the mark on the nature of 20th century consumers and beyond.

Bounty hunter and TV advertiser team up together to discover what the ingredients are in a popular junk food that is sweeping the country, called The Stuff. However, they uncover a conspiracy in which the makers of The Stuff know that their product is causing people to become mindless zombies. Exciting and funny little Cohen film is a throwback to the horror films of yesteryear, yet with all your usual Cohen trimmings, but much more solid then usual with good special effects and an original premise. The cast is excellent and the film has various cameo's planted throughout the film.

Rated R; Violence & Profanity.

This movie is a fun, interesting take on the horror genre of alien invasion and mind/body control made famous by the likes of "The Thing" and "Invasion of the Body Snatchers." It's also a great commentary on the dangers of mindless consumerism.

The Stuff is a rare find. It should be shown more because it examines an inner message. How a product known to be addictive can still influence people to buy it in mass quantities if properly marketed. A scary thought also blends into an entertaining movie. The Stuff is very reminiscent of the classic 50's "Sci-Fi" and horror flicks where some alien, monster, or bizarre life form, tries to take over the world, and it's up to the one or two people who haven't been "taken over" by the strange creature or "thing" to stop it.

What's even more interesting is how this movie examines society's obsession with food fads. Back in the 1950's ,when these types of B-grade horror films were produced, the diets and nutritional habits of the general public did not emphasize the importance of healthy eating like they do today. Our nation has been consumed over the years with a lot of "Stuff" (pun intended) in food consumption that causes such serious health concerns as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and heart problems.

An underlining message in this movie shows how companies can be motivated to maximize profits while ignoring heath risks. Just because something "tastes great" doesn't mean that it IS great. The acting in The Stuff is very campy, cheesy, and at times way over the top. But the hidden messages about America's compulsion with food consumption plays well here.

See The Stuff! It is a much better film than you would expect!

It came from beneath the ground. The Stuff. It's the new dairy craze that turns it's addicted victims into mutating zombies. The movie is about three people attempting to get to The Stuff before it gets to them.

The Stuff is a metaphor for drug smuggling/drug addictions, which is obviously evident from the ending. Although, it could be read as metaphorical of any kind of destructive addiction, really. It could also be held as a metaphor of products liability and the lengths companies will go to rack up profits, even in the face of defective products.

The Stuff, starring Michael Miarity, Paul Sorvino, and those gorgeous Bloom Brothers, is actually not quite as ridiculous as a glance at the box might lead one to believe. In fact, it's actually a rather funny zombie-like tale with Michael Miarity as Moe "why do they call me Mo? Because when people give me money I always ask for Mo!" as he repeatedly jokes to his frustrated associates. Moe is the guy sent to find out what The Stuff is by competitor's wishing to jump on the market. But, Moe figures out much more than that. Hence, his mission to try to get rid of it.

Paul Sorvino, always a terrific actor, is funny as the overzealous army commander trying too hard to maintain his position as leader of this coup against that lovable dairy treat.

What's more is that the special effects, which in my book are about 80% of a horror film, were, much to my surprise, pretty damned good. In fact, I was actually surprised by the whole thing really, and actually came to enjoy it.

If you enjoy The Stuff, perhaps you'll enjoy a 1994 Australian horror film of a similar nature entitled 'Body Melt.' Beware, however, that Body Melt is much weirder and tons more gross than the occurrences in The Stuff, if you'd call the Stuff gross at all.