The Blob (1988)

It still shocks me that this thing bombed back in '88.



The Blob (1988)
Created By: Chuck Russell (A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors)




The Prologue
I few years ago I came down with a very nasty bug/virus. I ended up in E.R. thinking I was having a stroke (what can I say, I panic!) but it turned out to be a combination of a stomach bug, a migraine, and my hand falling asleep all at once. Long story short, they put me on some nice meds and while I was in bed later on half asleep and half out of it, 1988's The Blob came on TV. And from what I recall of it, it was awesome! I kept meaning to buy it and revisit it and I have no idea why it took so long for me to actually do it. But I did buy it and I'm going to review it here. So, now that I'm not jacked up on anything besides Dr.Pepper, does the film still seem as awesome? Well, read and find out!



The Movie
This is the remake of the 1958 horror sci-fi about a deadly blob from another planet which consumes everyone in its path. Teenagers try in vein to warn the townsfolk, who refuse to take them seriously. Soon the military come into play, and as we all know that never ends well. When all is said and done, can our youngsters break free of the military goons, convince the town folk of what's really going on, and save the day? I am afraid I can't just tell you because that would take the fun out of it!

One cool thing you'll notice here is we have the 1988 Shawnee Smith as our female lead character, Meg. You kids might remember her more recently from the SAW franchise, but let me just tell you that she was a nice little number back in the day. Not to mention her character is a cheerleader and has the town jock as well as the town outcast both in her company. And that right there is an interesting dynamic set with the plot upfront. We have a certain female lead, but not one but TWO guys who appear to be the male lead. That's great storytelling right there. It also makes you care what happens to them.


On that same note, a lot of these characters are very well written. We spent just enough time with them, they have the right casting, and it invents a clever situation where you never know just who will go. And as noted, it actually matters when one does bite the dust! This was rare for the 80s and it's nearly unheard of today. This film is just soo well written and presented, I still can't believe it didn't do any better than it did when it came out. It's just an all around fun movie that keeps you interesting. And to make matters even better, that's not even the best part of the film.

This film put on display some of the best gore and effects that you will ever see on film, not just the 80s but ever. It's not CGI, it's the natural stuff too. Sure, the Blob it's self isn't what you would call "natural" but what that thing does to people is just epic in it's presentation. It also helps with leaving a lasting effect that was everything I remembered it being and then some. The film's only fault is it slightly drags a bit before heading into the third act, but it never truly gets boring. Overall, it's a fun and corny slice of the 80s. And when I say corny, trust me when I say that I mean that in the nicest and best way possible. They just don't make a lot of stuff like this anymore and that's just a shame.


The Conclusion
For what it's worth, I think The Blob is among the best in horror films of the 80s. It's fun, it's well written, and it has some very awesome effects. When you get the combo of all of those things right, then you usually end up with a real winner. It's a proven format that works and a lot of today's movies could learn a lot from The Blob.


The Rating (8/10)