Library Classics... 'The Blob' (1988)


Well, that's another 'Loki Wednesday' that I've missed... I got to re-watch an old favourite of mine, last night, though so I'm not too fussed. You can have my thoughts on 'Loki' tomorrow instead ;o) In the meantime...

Thanks to various Twitter folk who voted on what I'd be watching yesterday evening. I had a suspicion, proved correct, that I wouldn't get much reading done last night so declared it a 'Movie Night' instead. For a while, it looked like Twitter was pointing me in the direction of 'Doctor Who: The Movie' but some last minute voting saw a hard fought and narrow victory for the 1988 version of 'The Blob' instead, for which I'm very grateful (nothing against 'Doctor Who: The Movie', it's just been a while since I last watched 'The Blob' and I love this movie).

I first came across 'The Blob' in the college library (far too long ago now...) where I should have been working but was working my way through their film collection instead. The college library had both the original and remake, I'd already watched the 1958 version so figured I may as well watch the other one too.. I hadn't seen an awful lot of horror movies at that point (and while 'The Blob' does have its sci-fi roots, I count it as horror as well; I mean, just watch it and see if you don't agree with me) and 1988's 'The Blob' just blew me away with what it was prepared to do in order to shock the viewer. Don't get me wrong, there's nothing wrong with 'original The Blob' but the remake is where it's at for me. It took me ages to track down a DVD copy but I did and here we are.

The plot for 'The Blob' is one of those plots where even if you haven't seen the film, you know the story. It's hard not to, the Blob arrives in a small American town and starts eating the inhabitants, growing bigger as it does so. The teenagers who discover it must now find a way to stop it.

That's the plot of the original film and it's fair to say that the remake doesn't stray too far from this basic premise. Actually, it doesn't really stray at all apart from the introduction of the scientists but that hardly takes away from the main thrust of the plot. And I'm cool with this. The Blob is a simple creature whose only purpose is to feed and it has to be stopped. If you have a simple antagonist then there's only so much you can do with the plot and it will end up going the same way as before.

Or does it...?


What I love about 1988's 'The Blob' is how it embraces practical effects and uses these to turn the plot from something that was just creepy into something that's still creepy but stomach churning as well. Seriously, the Blob may still look like something I used to cough up when I was smoking but what we see it do to people is just, well... nasty. You can't keep your eyes off it, while it's happening, though. And no-one is safe either, 1988's 'The Blob' loves to make you think that we're going to get the movie through a certain characters eyes, only to have those eyes melt and run down that character's face as they are being digested. The effects on display here were never going to fool anyone but that's kind of the whole point really. It's over the top and it's dialled up to 11, that's the point. It may well be the same film but it's a hell of a lot more intense and that's what I'm after here, that's what I get as well. And that's why I love this film so much.

All of this is backed up by a cast who put in a solid shift to make it all work, even the poor bastard who is credited as 'Puddle Soldier'. I mean, that's what he was but what a way to be remembered... 'The Blob' doesn't get any ideas above it's station; it knows exactly what it is and plays to it's strengths to deliver on that front. And it does, every time as far as I'm concerned. You've watched it already (I'm pretty sure you must have done) but if you haven't, it's worth a look. I won't leave it so long before my next rewatch ;o) Anyone else here seen it?

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