The Stuff

And just what IS The Stuff? Well, physically, The Stuff looks like marshmallow Fluff, but it's also as addictive as supercrack and as zombie inducing as an alien space pod. And it just happens to be the latest dessert craze to sweep our nation, in Larry Cohen's 1985 sci-fi satire "The Stuff." As other dessert manufacturers go belly up, industrial spy Michael Moriarty is hired to find out just what this Stuff is all about, and he is assisted by Andrea Marcovicci (a Madison Ave. exec who is pushing The Stuff) and by a Famous Amos-like character played by Garrett Morris. Paul Sorvino pops up toward the end as Col. Spears, who seems to head his own private army, and he too is instrumental in the fight against the deadly confection. Anyway, like The Stuff itself, "The Stuff" is fun to consume but leaves one wanting still more. It has an intriguing plot, and its satire on this country's rampant consumerism does work, but at the same time, there aren't enough exciting set pieces, and the film's joking tone fritters away any real sense of suspense. This movie might have worked a lot better if it had been more serious, and less tongue in (Stuff-stuffed) cheek. It doesn't quite hold together somehow--possibly the fault of the script or the editing--and though the film looks fine, with nice Blob-like Stuff FX, it still feels slapdash somehow. But wait till you see Abe Vigoda and Clara "Where's the Beef?" Peller do a Stuff TV commercial, and hear that catchy jingle ("Enough is never enough, of The Stuff"). Fun stuff indeed!

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.

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!

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.

The Stuff (1985) is a movie currently available for free on Tubi. The storyline follows a yogurt like substance that mysteriously comes out of the Earth and somehow gets "approved" by the FDA to be sold and available in grocery stores. Shortly after it's release an "outbreak" of sorts occurs where "the stuff" expands in your body and eats away at your insides until it's explodes out of every opening in your body. This movie is directed by Larry Cohen (It's Alive) and stars Michael Moriarty (Pale Rider), Andrea Marcovicci (The Front), Garrett Morris (Ant-Man), Paul Sorvino (Goodfellas) and Danny Aiello (Do the Right Thing). This movie was brought to my attention by Into the Dark. The storyline reminded me of if they took "the blob" and put it in yogurt containers. The marketing and commercials in this were a lot of fun and well done. I really enjoyed the acting, writing and dialogue. I was cracking up throughout the film. With a storyline like this it's always fun when it doesn't take itself too seriously. The kill scenes were solid and looked like fluff coming out of every hole. It's impossible not to enjoy the facial expressions of the victims as they came to their demise. This is a fun film that is definitely worth a viewing that I'd score a solid 6.5/10 and strongly recommend.