| Enter the LaNd of your nightmares! |
| The Blob (1958) |
The Blob (1958)
Reviewed by FreD
Tagline-- Indescribable... Indestructible! Nothing Can Stop It!
Directed by-- Irvin S. Yeaworth Jr.
Written by--Kay Linaker and Irving H. Millgate
Cast
Steve McQueen .... Steve Andrews (as Steven McQueen)
Aneta Corsaut .... Jane Martin
Earl Rowe .... Lt. Dave
Olin Howlin .... Old man
Alden 'Stephen' Chase .... Dr. T. Hallen (as Steven Chase)
John Benson (I) .... Sgt. Jim Bert
Synopsis:
We start this classic film with a bunch of swirly designs, credits, and a song that contains lyrics such as "Beware of the Blob, It creeps, it leaps...". After the insanity of the credits and the laughing fit that they'll surely cause, we jump head first into a car with our hero Steve and heroine Jane to watch them make out 50's style. All of the fun is interrupted when a shooting star (via special ef-x that would make Ed Wood blush) falls. Steve and Jane go to investigate (shooting star or sex..... hmm, what a tough choice) but are beat to the punch by a nameless (poor guy) old farmer. The farmer discovers a cracked meteor, whose viscous inner substance proceeds to attack him (as space blobs are known to do). From there, hilarity ensues as our 2 lovebirds come across the nameless old coot, who's viably in pain. Being good kids, they take him to the town doc for help. The doc, of course, is bewildered, and sends our heroes back to the crash site to look for clues. Unfortunately, on their way, they run into a group of greaser-thugs that want to race. Steve reluctantly agrees, but wait until you see the stipulation, it's cheese ball movie gold! After a run-in with the police and a chat with our stereotypical thugs (which, BTW, include some great 50's style shlock dialogue), the whole happy crew goes back to the task at hand. Meanwhile, the blob on the old timer's arm is getting BIGGER *gasp*! This won't ever stop, by the way. After checking out the crash site, the Thugs head to the theater while our happy heroes head back to the doc's place, where he and his nurse were just attacked by the now-mobile alien blob. Wackiness then ensues involving the Police (who *shock* don't believe the kids when they talk about the evil blob attacking the town), which is fairly entertaining. Ok guys, at this point in the movie, it's time to take a nap, so everyone pull out your pillow and let's all catch some z's....... Ok, after about 20 Blob-less minutes, you should be at the scene in the theater, where Steve, Jane, and the thugs decide to go blob hunting. Amusing scenes follow, including a hoppin' party and teenagers making out in the bushes outside of a park. Pure genius I tells ya! Finally, the blob is back on screen, this time in a grocery store, where it proceeds to attack Jane and Steve. From there, as the Blob gets bigger, more town people seem to catch on, and it gets to be time for a showdown. Can the townsfolk beat this vile horror from beyond the stars? Well, as always, I won't tell, but just be ready for a "chilling" conclusion.
My Thoughts:
This is an alright movie all round. The special ef-x are outstanding for the time, and the acting is complete crap. Who could ask for more? The biggest downfalls of this flick are as follows : A. It was the 50's, so no nudity is to be found. Sorry guys, it's true. and B. The pacing is terrible. They try to be "dramatic" and have scenes which involve are lovebird protagonists attempting to be "serious actors" . Needless to say, they really fall flat, and it makes the movie completely drag at points. Basically, if the blob isn't on screen, be prepared to doze off. The Blob, however, looks great, and the ef-x involving our space parasite still, IMHO, hold up today. This is easily one of the best 50's shlock sci-fi movies, and I urge everyone to check it out. It's been ripped off countless times, in such notable shlock favorites as "Killer Klowns from Outer Space" and "Creepshow". That alone should show you how much of an impact that it had on future B-movie filmmakers. The `88 remake isn't bad either, but that's another story for another time. Oh yeah, and, by the way, this is tough guy Steve Mcqueen's first movie, so all of you Mcqueen fanatics ( ROSIE!!! ) have to check this one out!
Final Thoughts:
The Blob is easily better than a lot of the other films (and I use that term loosely) of its generation. With the exception of being terribly paced and being sadly over-dramatic, it's an alright Flik. If you want a kooky movie to take you on a trip down memory lane, to see where shlock movies started, then I suggest you pick up the Blob.
2 outta 5 stars for nostalgia
HELPER CHARACTERS!
"This is Steve McQueen's first starring role. Who woulda thought that 10 years later he'd be a huge star?" - Percy