Themes: Race Against Time, Technology Run Amok, Evil Aliens
Main Cast: Beau Billingslea, Kevin Dillon, Shawnee Smith, Donovan Leitch, Jeffrey DeMunn, Candy Clark, Joe Seneca
Release Year: 1988
Country: US
Run Time: 92 minutes
MPAA Rating: R
Plot
After the phenomenal box-office and critical success of David Cronenberg's 1986 remake of The Fly, a series of big-budget remakes of '50s horror favorites rode in on its coattails in the late 1980s -- though none managed to rise above mere camp clones of their elders, albeit garnished with modern makeup effects in an attempt to draw modern teen horror-junkies. One remake that managed to live up to its cheesy inspiration was Chuck Russell's version of The Blob, in which the title goo crashes to earth and promptly begins digesting the residents of a small California town while growing to gargantuan proportions. The clean-cut teen hero originally portrayed by Steve McQueen (his first starring role) is replaced here with a rebellious outsider (Kevin Dillon) whose preppie rival (Donovan Leitch) for the affections of the cute heroine (Shawnee Smith) is quickly eliminated by the all-consuming space-gelatin. No sooner has the plasma menace set up house in the town sewers when a shadowy government Blob Squad shows up under the direction of the grandfatherly Dr. Meddows (Joe Seneca), to clean up the mess... or not. This high-spirited remake replaces the '50s "Daddy-O" conventions of the original with '80s cynicism -- not even likeable characters are spared from the slaughter -- and anti-government sentiment. It also pushes the gore envelope in ways unavailable to its low-budget parent -- e.g. the scene in which one victim is sucked through a sink drain was only hinted at in the 1958 film, but here viewers are treated to the entire bone-crunching ordeal. Though the quality of blob effects seems inversely proportional to the creature's size (some of the climactic "wall-of-blob" footage is painfully cheap-looking), the end result is more blob for the monster-movie fan's dollar. ~ Cavett Binion, All Movie Guide
Review
This update of a beloved sci-fi favorite does a solid job of reworking its source material for a modern audience. The smart script, co-penned by director Chuck Russell with Frank Darabont, packs in plenty of popcorn movie thrills, but also makes room for an empowered heroine who is just as tough as its hero and works in a modern sense of paranoia with a clever government-oriented subplot. The Blob also keeps viewers on their toes by unpredictably killing off some of its most audience-friendly characters to ratchet up the suspense. Russell's direction delivers the thrills in a mean, lean style and his work is further aided by a likable cast: Kevin Dillon does the teen-rebel schtick to precision, Shawnee Smith's subtle transition from cheerleader to Blob fighter is believable, and reliable character thesps like Candy Clark and Jeffrey DeMunn deliver nuanced performances that flesh out the film's small-town setting nicely. Most importantly for a monster movie, The Blob's appeal is cemented by imaginative special effects: Lyle Conway's inventive creature effects give the title attraction a new, threatening sense of mobility unimaginable in the original version, and Tony Gardner's unsettling makeup effects add just the right modern touch to the mix. All in all, The Blob's well-judged blend of modern smarts and old-fashioned monster movie thrills makes it a worthwhile pick for genre fans. ~ Donald Guarisco, All Movie Guide
Art La Fleur - Pharmacist/Mr. Penny; Sharon Spelman - Mrs. Penny; Del Close - Rev. Meeker; Ricky Paull Goldin - Scott Jeskey; Paul McCrane - Dep. Bill Briggs; Billy Beck - Can Man; Michael Kenworthy - Kevin Penny; Robert Axelrod - Jennings; Beau Billingslea - Moss Woolsey; Frank Collison - Phil Hobbs Projectionist; Peter Crombie - Soldier at Command Post; Erika Eleniak - Vicki De Soto; Douglas Emerson - Eddie Breckner; Clayton Landey - George Ruiz; Pons Maar - Theater Manager; Julie McCullough - Susie; Bill Moseley - Soldier #2; Jack Nance - Doctor; Jamison Newlander - Anthony; Jack Rader - Col. Hargis; Charlie Spradling - Co-Ed; M. James Arnett - Radio Man; Rick Avery - Soldier with Cracked Faceplate; Kristen Aldrich - Co-Ed; Opelene Bartley - Old Woman in Tent; Don Brunner - 1st White Suit/ Scientist; Judith Flanagan - Eddie's Mother; Charlene Fox - Woman in Doctor's Office; Portia Griffin - Gospel Singer; Jennifer Lincoln - Young Woman in Town Hall; Daryl Marsh - Lance; Jacquelyn Masche - 2nd White Suite; Wade Mayer - Movie Patron; Moss Porter - Sergeant; Teddy Vincent - Sally Jeffers; David Weininger - Soldier #1; Noble Craig - Puddle Soldier; Richard Anthony Crenna - Soldier Outside Town Hall; Margaret Smith - Nurse
Credit
Jeffrey S. Ginn - Art Director, Jeff Burks - Animator, Kent Burton - Animator, John Hays - Boom Operator, Johanna Ray - Casting, Jack H. Harris - Co-producer, Elliott Kastner - Co-producer, Joseph Porro - Costume Designer, Josh McLaglen - First Assistant Director, Chuck Russell - Director, Tod Feuerman - Editor, Terry Stokes - Editor, Andre Blay - Executive Producer, Ralph B. Meyer - Location Manager, Rupert Harvey - Line Producer, Michael Hoenig - Composer (Music Score), Pam Barlow - Songwriter, Gary Cambra - Songwriter, Wayne Coster - Songwriter, Janet Minto - Songwriter, Mike Slamer - Songwriter, Keith Whitley - Songwriter, Tony Gardner - Makeup, Kathryn Miles Kelly - Makeup, Tony Gardner - Makeup Special Effects, Jeffrey S. Ginn - Production Designer, Craig Stearns - Production Designer, Mark Irwin - Cinematographer, Rupert Harvey - Producer, Anne H. Ahrens - Set Designer, Sally Thornton - Set Designer, Gary Steele - Set Designer, Randy Moore - Set Designer, Lyle Conway - Special Effects, Dream Quest Images - Special Effects, Hoyt Yeatman - Special Effects, Robert DeVine - Special Effects, D. Kerry Prior - Special Effects, AJ Workman - Special Effects, Robert J. Anderson, Jr. - Sound/Sound Designer, Frank A. Fuller Jr. - Sound/Sound Designer, Richard E. Yawn - Sound Editor, Tim A. Davison - Stunts, Gene Hartline - Stunts, John Meier - Stunts, Bennie Moore - Stunts, Bob Porter - Stunts, Dennis Scott - Stunts, Ric Waugh - Stunts, M. James Arnett - Stunts, Rick Avery - Stunts, Greg Brickman - Stunts, Bud Davis - Stunts, Steve M. Davison - Stunts, Michael Deluna - Stunts, Gary Epper - Stunts, Steve Holladay - Stunts, Gary Hymes - Stunts, Rick LeFevour - Stunts, Gary McLarty - Stunts, Janet Brady - Stunts, Tommy Huff - Stunts, Paula-Marie Moody - Stunts, Larry Nicholas - Stunts, Danny Rogers - Stunts, Pat Romano - Stunts, Paul Sherrod - Stunts, Freddie Hice - Stunts, Joni Avery - Stunts, David Burton - Stunts, Debby Porter - Stunts, Gilbert B. Combs - Stunts, George Fisher - Stunts, Tracy Keehn-Dashnaw - Stunts, Richard Wright - Stunts, Bobby Burns - Stunts, Hoyt Yeatman - Special Effects Supervisor, Philip Bartko - Special Effects Supervisor, Gordon Wolf - Unit Production Manager, Daryl Kass - Unit Production Manager, Frank Darabont - Screenwriter, Chuck Russell - Screenwriter, Robert Barker - Production Assistant, Tony Gardner - Animatronic Effects, Michael Condro - First Assistant Camera, Carole Kravetz - Production Coordinator, Matthew Iadarola - Re-Recording Mixer, Jeffrey Perkins - Re-Recording Mixer, J. Tom Archuleta - Second Assistant Director, Daniel E. Teaze - Camera Loader, John D. Kretschmer - Leadman, Amanda J. Flick - Lead Scenic Artist, Michael D. Costello - Scenic Artist, Pete von Sholly - Storyboard Artist, Chuck Comisky - Visual Effects, Jeff Matakovich - Visual Effects, Philip Barberio - Visual Effects, Joseph H Catmull - Construction Foreman, Glenn T. Morgan - Foley Supervisor, James W. Gavin - Pilot, Craig Hosking - Pilot, Bundy Chanock - Set Medic/First Aid, C. Marie Davis - Visual Effects Editor, Mark Siegel - Puppeteer, Mitch Jones - Puppeteer
A meteorite crashes near the town of Arborville, California. An elderly transient discovers, within the sphere, a jelly-like substance (the Blob) that attaches itself to his hand. Three high-schoolers, Brian (Kevin Dillon), Meg (Shawnee Smith) and Paul (Donovan Leitch), encounter the man and take him to a hospital. After Brian leaves, Paul witnesses the transient melting from exposure to the Blob. As he calls for help, the Blob drops on top of him. Meg arrives to see Paul being consumed by the growing Blob. The Blob oozes out of the hospital.
After Brian and Meg have unsatisfactory encounters with the police, they meet at a diner where Meg tells Brian about the Blob. Brian's disbelief is shattered when the diner's handyman is sucked down a sink by the Blob. It pursues them to the diner's walk-in freezer where it retreats because it cannot tolerate cold. After eating the diner's owner and the town's sheriff, the Blob reenters the sewers.
Meg and Brian return to the police station, where the dispatcher tells them Deputy Briggs (Paul McCrane) is near the meteor-landing site. They discover a military operation led by a scientist, Dr. Meddows (Joe Seneca), who orders the town quarantined. Brian escapes a military van and collects his motorbike.
Meg is taken to town where she learns her younger brother Kevin (Michael Kenworthy) is missing. Meg learns he and his friend Eddie (Douglas Emerson) have sneaked into the local theater to see a slasher film thanks to Eddie's usher brother Antony (Jamison Newlander). The Blob infiltrates the theater and attacks the staff (including Antony) and then the audience. Meg just manages to rescue Eddie and Kevin.
Brian eavesdrops on Meddows speaking to his assistant Jennings (Robert Axelrod) and learns that the Blob is a biological warfare experiment created during the Cold War. He also learns that Meg, Kevin and Eddie are in the sewers and Meddows is willing to let them die to contain the creature. Brian is discovered listening in and evades military personnel by driving his motorcycle into the sewers.
In the sewers, Meg, Kevin, and Eddie flee from the Blob. Kevin escapes to the surface by scaling a pipe and squeezing through a grate while Eddie is devoured. Meg is saved by Brian, who confronts Meddows in front of the townsfolk and Briggs. After failing to convince everyone Brian is contaminated and must die, Meddows attempts to shoot Brian, but is killed by the Blob as it bursts onto the surface. The Blob proceeds to feast upon the population, proving impervious to the military's attempts to stop it. In the ensuring panic, the town's Reverend Meeker (Del Close) proclaims the scene to be the prophesied end of the world, when a failed flamethrower attack on the Blob sets him ablaze. Meg saves him with a fire extinguisher, and in the process blasts the Blob with it. The monster backs off, and she realizes that it cannot stand cold.
The surviving humans retreat to the town hall and hold the Blob at bay with furniture-barricades and fire extinguishers, but it is a losing battle. Brian goes to the town's garage and gets a snow maker truck that has canisters of liquid nitrogen attached. Just as the Blob is about to devour Meg and her family, Brian drives to town hall and shoots snow at the creature, which is angered and knocks the truck over. As the Blob surges toward the stunned Brian, Meg lures it away from him towards the canisters - which she has rigged with an explosive charge taken from a dying soldier. She tries to get clear, but snags her foot between two pieces of metal, leaving her dangling upside down. Brian regains consciousness and runs over to free her. The Blob is about to overrun them when the charge goes off, blowing up the canisters and covering the Blob with liquid nitrogen. The creature is flash-frozen, shattering into a mass of crystallized pieces. Moss Woodley (Beau Billingslea) has its remains hauled away to the town icehouse.
The film cuts to a tent-meeting church service in a field, where Meeker, disfigured by his burn injures, is now crazed, preaching a doomsday sermon sounding like the Blob's attack. Asked when the time of reckoning will come, he replies "Soon...Ma'am...soon...when the Lord gives me a sign", and holds up a glass jar containing a fragment of the Blob, which is slowly moving.
