October 11, 2018
Written by: Irvine Millgate, Chuck Russell, Frank Darabont
Starring: Shawnee Smith, Kevin Dillon, Donovan Leitch Jr.
Budget: $19,000,000
Quote: "Consuming sinner and saint alike... who shall be lifted up to rapture when the judgment trumpet blows? None but the faithful brothers and sisters... None but the faithful."
Trivia: Of the film's US$19 million budget, US$9 million went toward visual effects.
The Blob is a remake of a 1958 Steve McQueen creature film, but with the fear and cynicism that is characteristic of the 1980s. Both the original and the remake deserve a place in horror history. The original movie, since its release, has gained a type of cult following due to its originality and it being one of the better creature features of the 1950s. I remember watching it with my dad when I was a kid and absolutely loving the ending when they drop the blob off in Antarctica and the ending screen shows "The End?" I had never seen an ambiguous ending like that before. The 1988 remake is also incredible in its own way. The special effects are top notch. Almost half of the movie's entire budget went toward visual effects. That is $9 million dedicated to visual effects, and it shows. The visual effects are absolutely stunning! Also, the movie benefits from a few plot twists that separates it from its predecessor.
The basic premise is that a meteor which is carrying an alien, viscus, blob-like substance lands on earth. The first person that comes in contact with it is an homeless man that the blob immediately attaches to. He is taken to a hospital by Matt Dillon's younger brother (Kevin Dillon, the guy from Entourage) where the blob quickly consumes the body and leaks acidic goop everywhere that disintegrates anything it touches. The blob continues to grow as it continues to eat gaining in size and aggression. Eventually the military is called upon to quarantine the town and we learn that the blob is not an alien life form but a secret government biological weapon that was accidentally released. The blob then takes out a movie theater, crawls around the sewers, before finally hitting the streets devouring everything in its path. It's here that the people discover that the blob doesn't like cold when they accidentally spray it with a fire extinguisher. An eventual trap is laid out for the blob, and despite a few snags, they are able to freeze the blob causing it to explode into little blob crystals. Later, at a tent revival, one person has a jar with a small blob in it. The preacher begins talking about Judgement Day as he looks into the camera. The End...?
Yeah, it's the end. The movie ended up being a commercial disaster. While costing $19 million to make, it only made $8.2 million at the box office, leaving the producers with a $10 million deficit. It was a giant flop. People lost their jobs. Which is unfortunate, because it really is a damn good movie.
The visual effects are incredible! The blob itself is realistic looking and it's really fun watching it towards the end of the movie when it is the size of a house. Also, after the blob devours people, there are moments when you can see the bodies of these people being dissolved within it. The blob envelops a phone booth and as the woman inside panics, her friend's dissolving body floats into focus. The individual blob consumptions are also really impressive during which the people's futile fight to escape the blob is captured. The movie is another example of a solid horror flick without any blood. Although there is a bunch of gore as bodies are broken down and destroyed.
The movie never takes itself too seriously and there are numerous scenes that are really funny. The blob's first victims after it slimes its way out of the hospital are a high school couple. The football jock guy is trying to seduce some girl by making her cocktails and giving her his class ring. When he goes to the back of the car we see that he has dozens of class rings an entire bar in his truck. It is kind of funny seeing the goofy bastard try to act like Don Juan, that is until he tries to get handsy on the passed out girl. His non-consensual groping leads his hand straight into the blob which had been feeding on the girl's insides the whole time. While the blob is the villain in this movie, even villains can have heroic moments. Blob - 1. Date Raper - 0.
I also love how the filmmakers veered away from the original plot of the 1950s movie. Instead of your classic alien come to earth movie, the filmmakers decided to place the blob story into the context of Cold War paranoia and post-Vietnam/Watergate cynicism. The original film came out in 1958, a year after the USSR launched Sputnik into the atmosphere and America really began looking towards the skies. While this was a time of nervousness for America, it was also a time of optimism. Still feeling the confidence and cheer of the post-war years, America had not entered its rebellious phase of the sixties. In 1958, most American were sure that the government was there to protect them and serve their best interest. Thirty years later, that confidence in the government was replaced with a dark cynicism. Americans did not need to only look outward for enemies, but within. The idea that the government and military was not always a friend to the American people was understood by many Americans. This remake is a part of that cultural milieu. The American government is seen as both incompetent and vicious, making egregious mistakes and then doing anything to cover them up.
It is so interesting to see the change in movies over time. Looking at the two Blob movies, offers a unique insight into the changes in the American character. It also offers an opportunity to turn your brain off, enjoy the visual effects, and have fun as you watch a blob eat a small town. Whatever you're in to.
...what's your thoughts?
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