The Blob (1988)

Did a recent rewatch of the 1988 remake of The Blob at a local screening.  Always loved this movie and still one of the better remakes in horror.  It is also another one of those few remakes that truly surpasses the original film.  The 80's produced some great remakes that really benefited from taking tame and often cheesy sci fi films of old, and turning them into darker and more realistic horror films.  They really just could do so much more with effects as well as violence that many of these old movies like the original Blob and The Thing couldn't do.  And of course as with many horror fans, we love the use of practical effects and that's where these movies shined.

Halp

The Blob is great with how simple it is, it doesn't try to be anything more than a monster movie about a big gooey gelatinous pile of living goop.  While that may not sound that scary, Chuck Russell and his special effects team took what was nothing but a cheesy 50's creature and made it extremely creepy.  The gore effects are amazing, people literally melting and coming apart at the acidic touch of the blob creature.  The blob itself is also just impressive to look at and can't imagine the effects work that went into some of those scenes.  The creature is no longer just a bunch of rolling goop, but actually has texture to it, almost like it's living tissue, and it animates like a living creature in this remake.  It's a vicious living thing that devours everything it can.

Hate rude people at the cinema

 

 

It is surprising how dark the movie is, where it even ignores the common horror trope of little kids surviving.  Everyone in this film is a target and you are surprised at how characters are quickly dispatched here without a care.  Annoying kid?  Pile of goo now.  You got the government coming in to help, and of course they are evil too.  As the movie progresses, the creature just gets bigger and the chaos just increases with it.  The movie's finale is all out street battle with guns, explosions, fire, and tons of victims everywhere.  It's just a great film, and while some of the miniature effects and stop motion work is showing it's age, it just still works.  The movie has so many great kills and effects that wow a person still.  If you have never seen the 1988 The Blob or only ever seen the original, you need to do yourself a favor and check this one out.  This is one of those movies that to me makes 80's horror so good.

Shawnee Smith channeling her inner Ripley!