The Blob (1988)

Title: The Blob
Director: Chuck Russell
Released: 1988
Starring: Kevin Dillon, Shawnee Smith, Donovan Leitch, Jeffrey DeMunn, Candy Clark, Del Close, Sharon Spelman, Beau Billngslea, Art LaFleur, Paul McCrange, Joe Seneca

Plot: Crash landing on the outskirts of a small mountain town, it’s not long before the ravenous alien has set its sights on consuming the entire town.

Review: Joe Bob Briggs once questioned why Hollywood doesn’t remake bad movies with a good idea than just remaking good movies. It certainly seems to be advice taken on by Chuck Russell who after Nightmare on Elm St Part 3 gave us possibly one of the best horror remakes ever. Here he teams up again with Frank Darabont on script duties and effects by a then unknown Tony Gardner who would go on to do Darkman and The Adams Family.

Now while the original was not without it’s b-movie charms it’s plodding pacing always stopped me from liking it as much as I wanted even though the titular creature is just fantastic. In the hands of Russell though it’s a completely different beast of a movie as this version of the blob flies about the screen, dissolving cast members and small children alike all while providing some truly memorable moments of horror.

These changes however aren’t just limited to the titular monster as Russell pulls a fun switch-a-roo as he introduces the good looking football player Paul (Leitch) only to suddenly kill his character off and go with the motorcycle riding troubled youth Brian (Dillon). Putting this spin on the story gives it fresher feel than just being a by the numbers remake while essentially making anyone in the film a potential victim. The other major change here being the introduction of the evil government scientists which put them in perfect confict with the anti-authority Brian while on a visual side seeing a group of scientists running around in white Bio-Hazard suits is such a great visual to the film, clearly marking them out from the townsfolk.

Because the monster is much more of an imposing threat not to mention the advances in practical effects we get some great kills throughout the film as Russell uses the creatures gelatinous state to enable it to appear anywhere and give us such memorable moments as one victim being dragged down a plughole, while another finds herself being smothered inside a phonebox. The visuals of these attack scenes all having such great build up combined with the unrelenting nature of the creature which essentially only lives to hunt and consume everything. Throw into the mix a creepy / fanatical preacher, Bio-hazard clad scientists, flamethrowers, Paul McCrane threatening to shoot Brian “out of his shoes” aswell as a fun third act twist on the premise and it’s just a blast throughout even if the finale which teases a sequel never to happen still bugs me like like the sequel baiting ending of “Deep Rising”.