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The Blob (1988)
Starring Kevin Dillon, Shawnee Smith, Donovan Leitch, and Jeffrey DeMunn. Cinematography by Mark Irwin. Edited by Tod Feuerman and Terry Stokes. Produced by Jack H. Harris and Elliott Kastner. Written by Chuck Russell and Frank Darabont. Directed by Chuck Russell.
The Blob is a remake of the tremendously popular cult classic from 1958. The story goes that a small pile of slime, henceforth referred to as “The Blob”, has fallen to Earth from the depths of space via a meteor. Some idiot pokes it with a stick and the space ooze attacks and consumes him, resulting in a slightly larger pile of slime. The creature travels on towards Arbeville, a small town in Colorado, in search of more victims. The more it kills and eats, the bigger it gets. And who is better suited to battle a space creature but an assorted group of teenagers? Well that’s what the film gives us for heroes. The remade version follows the same major plot points as the original Blob up until the point where the authorities get involved. A distrust and paranoia that was not as apparent in 1958 is reflected in the government’s decision of how to handle The Blob. Why would they want to destroy it when it could be used as an incredible weapon?
Frank Darabont has always had a place in his heart for horror films and the early part of his career was filled with them. His success with A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors created the opportunities for his next two projects; this film and The Fly II. The Blob was the second collaboration between Darabont and the film’s director, Chuck Russell. The two have continued to work together throughout their careers.
This was also a very popular time to reshoot the sci-fi classics of the fifties. The Blob fell right into the end of the same line as The Invasion of the Body Snatchers of 1978, The Thing of 1982, The Fly of 1986, and Invaders from Mars of 1986. Those who have overanalyzed this version of The Blob have suggested that the remade version uses The Blob as a metaphor for the AIDS epidemic which was much more ambiguous at the time than it is today. In the film, every time characters get together with sexual intentions, The Blob comes out of nowhere and kills them. But ultimately we’re talking about a campy, teenage, horror flick so digging too deep for meaning may prove to be unrewarding.
Budget: $???
Total US Gross: $8,247,943
Genre: Horror
Runtime: 95 Minutes
US Release Date: 8/5/88
Aspect Ratio: ???
Awards: none
Tagline: Scream Now While There’s Still Room To Breath.
Quote: “That organism is potentially the greatest breakthrough in weapons research since man split the atom. What we do here will affect the balance of world power!”
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