The Blob

A remake of the 1958 Steve McQueen film of the same name which follows a jelly-like, amoebic organism that crashes down to Earth from a meteorite n dissolves anything in its path, thereby growing in size.

I first saw this in the early 90s on a vhs. Revisited it recently. As a fan of McQueen, i consider the original as a classic monster film of the 50s, this one i consider as a creature film of the 80s.

It is more violent than the original with lots of body counts including that of a small kid. It has humor n action too. While the original is a simple one, this one functions as a biological weapon gone haywired as well as an authoritarian one where the military doesn't care about the citizens. We have Matt Dillon with mullet n leather jacket n a very young Shawnee Smith.

The sheriff's death scene was ahead of its time n later imitated many times in horror movies. Dr Meddows' death sequence, i believe, inspired the one in Deep Blue Sea involving Morgan Freeman. Watch out for Bill Moseley in a tiny role of that of a soldier (watch closely the sewer scene).

The Blob (1988) was a bloody and nasty update to the fifties "classic" horror/science fiction film THE BLOB. I actually prefer the remake (one of the few times you'll hear me say that) because it covered ground that the original failed to cover and the Blob looked meaner and nastier than the original pile of goo. Kevin Dillion stars as the reluctant hero. The story to the remake is very much the same (except for the expected eighties additions and themes). No hokey pokey stuff here folks. If you like the original then you probably wont enjoy this update. More horror than science fiction and the gore level is real high.

I hope they don't try and remake this movie again. I felt that once is enough. Kevin Dillion was enjoyable as the rapscallion who does good and Shawnee Smith is in hot mode, Bill Mosley, Donavan Leitch, Art La Fleur and Candy Clark co-star as well.

Recommended.

Usually, when they attempt a remake of a classic sci-fi/horror flick, they bungle it beyond redemption. "The Blob" is actually a pretty good remake, elaborating the original's story. In this case, the protagonist - aside from the title character - is punk Brian Flagg (Kevin Dillon). The movie's strength comes from the intrigue that it portrays.

Needless to say, now that the censorship laws had eased, they were able to add in some more things. I'll never forget the sink scene (as I call it). And, as I understand it, Donovan starred in this movie (or was it someone else with the name Donovan Leitch?). Oh well, the point is that they eked out a good movie with this remake.

Remakes are often frowned upon by film fans, and for good reason, but Chuck Russell's take on the silly fifties Sci-Fi flick of the same name certainly doesn't disappoint! The film has the fifties plot structure and ideas, but it's been updated to the eighties - which means gratuitous amounts of special effects, a trashy atmosphere and lots and lots of gore! This remake has sentimental value for me personally, as it's the only film in history to make me physically sick. I would have been about seven at the time, and watching this film over breakfast isn't recommended for seven-year-old kids! However, I did, of course, get the day off school. I've grown up a bit since then, but upon watching The Blob again; I've got to say that it's lost none of it's charm, only I managed to hold back on being sick this time. The plot follows an asteroid that comes down from space. Upon inspecting it, a lowly bum finds himself with a strange organism stuck to his hand! The Blob also takes advantage of the eighties teen comedy craze, and after a couple of kids find the tramp on the road, they take him to the hospital, and that's where the fun really starts…

The special effects are often silly, but nevertheless; very effective! The sequences are very imaginative, and take advantage of the eighties style humour that make eighties horror films what they are. The way that the blob consumes people is always disgusting, and seeing the half-melted outlines of people inside the creature is lots of fun and makes for some really good horror. Because it was made in the eighties; many of the scenes focus on raunchy kids, and this gives The Blob lots of room to manoeuvre the central monster into all kinds of hilarious situations. The acting, as you would expect, is nothing to write home about; but the cast approach their roles with gusto, and the fun performances help to make the film what it is. Chuck Russell does a great job of creating the right sort of atmosphere for the film and the screenplay is better than you would expect for a trashy eighties horror flick. Some will notice that the script was co-written by one Frank Darabont, who would, of course, go on to write and direct one of the 'best films of the nineties'. Personally, I'd rather this watch this film!

This movie takes the classic made in 1957 and updates it with a modern tone and special effects. If you are unfamiliar with the plot; A meteor crashes to Earth, and contained within is a gelatinous creature with an insatiable appetite for humans. As it eats more and more people, it grows in both mass and red color. How do you stop a creature that is impervious to bullets? Beware the blob. Comparing apples to apples here, the original movie is like a Sunday drive with your grandparents, slow but ominous. The remake is more like a Grand Prix race with a driver on speed. What the different tempo and special effects could not do is vastly improve upon the original. If this was your first exposure to The Blob, I would say you would hate the 50's version. If you saw that one first, then you will like this movie, just not quite as much. All in all this is a great updating, but it lacks some of the heart.