THE BLOB Review On "Violent Maniac's Cage"

BLOB, THE

(1988, USA)

DIRECTED BY: Charles Russell.

At first, I didn't want to which this one. I've seen the old one and something about deadly jello just doesn't scare me. Plus the title is so funny that I couldn't imagine this movie having any merits. Well, I was wrong. This movie succeeds because it has something none of the other films I've reviewd had: a budget.

The plot of THE BLOB is easy to follow. It's a small town, you're basic Americana. Out of the sky comes a meteorite containing an evil alien substance known to us as...(if you don't know, then you're just plain stupid). Anyways, now that I've patronized my readers, I'll continue. Through various chains of events, the blob spreads until it grows and takes on a life of it's own, killing and destroying everything in its path.

What the blob didn't count on were a couple teenagers..the first to encounter the blob (but of course, no one believed them!!). Through their ingenuity and teenage savoir-faire, these two (including Kevin Dillon...a name actor!) work to defeat the blob. Do they win? Well, you'll just have to see the movie.

I had a great time watching THE BLOB. It was a remake of a typical 50s horror movie which ended up being...a typical 50s horror movie. It revelled in its stereotypes and satirized them as well. This was especially true when two kids are sitting in a horror movie watching a typical slice-and-dice film...a horror cliche within a horror cliche, brilliant.

Of course there's some bad acting and the lead actress just doesn't get me rooting for her enough, but the special effects rocked! The first half of the film is better because the killings are cooler...there's some nice gory effects including two classics...one in which the blob actually sucks an entire man down a sink drain, and another in which a woman is surrounded by the blob in a phone booth.

THE BLOB is not a great film, but it definitely is entertaining. Complete with good effects and gore, and a FANTASTIC final scene which has wit and is the perfect wrap-up to this movie, THE BLOB of the 90s far outdoes THE BLOB of the 50s and is tons of fun.

Rating: *** (out of a possible 4)

Review by: Dan Sachar

Email: webdaddy@smackem.com

BLOB, THE

(1988, USA)

DIRECTED BY: Charles Russell.

Remake of the original leaves it in the dust. Better effects is really what makes this film stand out. The cast are nothing special but the gore effects are eye opening. We watch the Blob devour loads of jocks and other townspeople in gruesome ways.

The Blob seems like it comes out of the sky in a meteor shape. When it starts to wreck gory havoc a government research team show up suspiciously fast. This ranks up there with John Carpenters The Thing remake. The most memorable scene being a short order cook who is sucked down a drain while he tries to plunge the Blob. Great monster movie.

Rating: 4 Skulls

Review by: Richard J. Taylor

Email: rtaylor@roadrunner.nf.net

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