The Blob

Director - Chuck Russell (A Nightmare on Elm St. 3: Dream Warriors, The Scorpion King)
Starring - Kevin Dillon (The Doors, Platoon), Shawnee Smith (Saw, Carnival of Souls), and Donovan Leitch Jr. (Cutting Class, The Dark Knight)
Release Date - 1988
Genre - Horror/Sci-Fi
Tagline - "Scream now, while there's still time to breathe"
Format - Bluray (Personal Collection) (Screener)

Rating (out of 5):

     May years ago I watched the 1988 remake of The Blob at my grandmother's house.  I can't recall if I had rented the tape or it was on television but I do remember watching it at her home.  When it was over I told her that I really liked it and she told me to check out the original.  The remake is a fun take on The Blob which removes the drive-in charm of the original but adds the trashy look of 1980s cinema.  When I was in college I found the movie on DVD and picked it up where I watched it several times since then.  Sometime back Scream Factory announced that they would be releasing the film on blu.  I had to have it so I reached out to them and they were kind enough to send a copy my way.  Thanks guys!

     The film follows rebellious teen Brian (Dillon) who was recently released from juvi and is trying to lay low when he finds a man in the woods with a mass growing on him.  The man flees through the woods and into the road where he collapses in front of Meg (Smith) and her date who thinks that Brian did something to him.  They rush him to town where the doctor could check him out but soon something strange happens when the mass on the old man consumes him.  It then makes it's way through the nurse and doctor and before long it has got Meg's date.  Brian and Meg run back into each other and tries to warn the townsfolk but meet a dead end.  Soon the government arrives and tries to quarantine the town but Brian knows they are hiding something from them.  Soon they learn what the blob really is and must stop it before it absorbs everyone in their town.

     The original The Blob is a campy classic that is everything that I truly love about drive-in era cinema.  Cheesy effects, a simple story that fits in with the atom age monsters and space invaders, and a cast that hams it up.  The 1988 remake of The Blob removes all that and dives deep into 80s culture and delivers a practical effects fueled story that rivals the original.  Both are genuinely entertaining but for different reasons.  The acting in this one is hit or miss for me.  Even the actors that I thoroughly enjoyed deliver some pretty bland moments throughout the film.  I was never sold on Kevin Dillon as the mullet-headed rebel mixed with a greaser.  He always looks confused unless he's yelling.  I get there should be moments where he is confused but the moments he is balls deep in the action he still looks confused.  Shawnee Smith delivers an amazing performance but there is several times where her reactions are a little underwhelming.  The one that stands out the most to me is when she is tangled upside down.  A giant man-eating blob is making it's way for her and she shows no emotion.  Aside from these few scenes she still delivers a solid performance.  The supporting cast has some ups and downs as well but the overall film is well acted.  The story for this one is what was established in the 1958 classic but built upon.  The distrust with the government is in full swing when controversial president George H. W. Bush is elected.  The film plays on the distrust of this and adds the government cover up angle which has made it's way into films since the late 60s.  This works and adds another level to the story that we don't get in the original.  The film has some solid pacing and the story builds at a solid pace.  Some of the scenes feel a little lengthy but nothing to fully distract from the film.  Finally, this film is full of amazing practical effects and memorable kills.  The kills are a lot more gorier and entertaining than the previous two films.  The practical effects need to be seen to be believed but these kills will stick with you.  It's been a few days since I last watched the film and I'm still daydreaming about some of the kills and how amazing the special effects are.  Overall, The Blob is a phenomenal film.  It's a worthy remake and can even be considered superior to the original in several ways.  The blu looks superb from Scream Factory which only makes these amazing effects look even better.  I highly recommend this one for horror and sci-fi fans alike.