Product: The Blob (1988)
Rating: 5.0
Steve McQueen...Eat Your Heart Out!
This 1988 remake of the 1956 cult-classic is a shocking, eye-opening wonder from the hands of Chuck ("Eraser", "The Mask") Russell! Of course, the special and mechanical FX surpass those that brought the original, gelatinous monster to life in the 50's. However, Russell's interpretation accomplishes a lot in bringing the classic thriller up-to-date with newly-awaited terrors. I thought it was nice touch this time around having the Blob's twisted creators invade the besieged small-town under the guise of a "friendly" biological containment team that wants to save the town from potential microbial devastation. This action comes after the scientists realize that their little cosmic bacterial experiment has taken an ominous turn for the worst (the Blob is basically an unintended by-product of their work). Some very memorable scenes are portrayed in this version (I was terrified to sleep after my initial viewing of "The Blob"). They include the hospital double-murder of Paul Taylor (Donovan Leitch) and the hapless "Can Man" who first discovers the oozing killer after it crashes to Earth, the kitchen sink tragedy of the cook who unwittingly plunges the Blob up and is sucked down to a grisly demise (probably the most graphic of all the death scenes), Candy Clark's dialing "M" for her own murder when the Blob engulfs & traps her inside a phone booth as another late-nite snack, and the half-devoured movie projectionist scene is quite compelling (one will never look at ventilator shafts the same way again)! Truly the Blob's insatiable appetite for destruction never waivers in bringing new gut-wrenching horrors for young & old alike!Other treats this modern version puts on the table are Tony ("Darkman") Gardner's sickeningly-real makeup FX, outstanding visual FX from the Oscar-winning company Dream Quest Images ("The Abyss", "Total Recall", and the "Nightmare on Elm Street" anthology), and an eerie score from Mike Hoenig. The ending is also great (unlike most horror films) in that it is completely unpredictable for first-time viewers (but I won't disclose and ruin it for everyone (WINK, WINK)).I recently purchased the '88 Blob on a trip to LA after years of renting it and cable viewing, and I will never tire of seeing the exploits of this pernicious, soulless mass of blood-red protoplasm!!! For first-timers, I do recommend seeing the '56 Blob so that you can appreciate these two disparate versions of the same terrifying tale.