The Blob

Director: Chuck Russell Chuck Russell

Overview

After the phenomenal box-office and critical success of David Cronenberg's 1986 remake of The Fly, a series of big-budget remakes of '50s horror favorites rode in on its coattails in the late 1980s -- though none managed to rise above mere camp clones of their elders, albeit garnished with modern makeup effects in an attempt to draw modern teen horror-junkies. One remake that managed to live up to its cheesy inspiration was Chuck Russell's version of The Blob, in which the title goo crashes to earth and promptly begins digesting the residents of a small California town while growing to gargantuan proportions. The clean-cut teen hero originally portrayed by Steve McQueen (his first starring role) is replaced here with a rebellious outsider (Kevin Dillon) whose preppie rival (Donovan Leitch) for the affections of the cute heroine (Shawnee Smith) is quickly eliminated by the all-consuming space-gelatin. No sooner has the plasma menace set up house in the town sewers when a shadowy government Blob Squad shows up under the direction of the grandfatherly Dr. Meddows (Joe Seneca), to clean up the mess... or not. This high-spirited remake replaces the '50s "Daddy-O" conventions of the original with '80s cynicism -- not even likeable characters are spared from the slaughter -- and anti-government sentiment. It also pushes the gore envelope in ways unavailable to its low-budget parent -- e.g. the scene in which one victim is sucked through a sink drain was only hinted at in the 1958 film, but here viewers are treated to the entire bone-crunching ordeal. Though the quality of blob effects seems inversely proportional to the creature's size (some of the climactic "wall-of-blob" footage is painfully cheap-looking), the end result is more blob for the monster-movie fan's dollar.

Product Details

Release Date:	10/29/2019
UPC:	0826663202793
Original Release:	1988
Rating:	R
Source:	Shout Factory
Region Code:	A
Presentation:	[Wide Screen]
Time:	1:35:00
Sales rank:	4,569

Special Features

1080p High Definition; New audio commentary with director Chuck Russell, cinematographer Mark Irwin, special effects artist Tony Gardner, moderated by filmmaker Joe Lynch; New audio commentary with actress Shawnee Smith; New interviews with Chuck Russell, production designer Craig Sterns, special effects artist Chris Gilman, actors Ricky Paul Goldin, Donovan Leitch, Bill Moseley and more; Audio commentary with Chuck Russell and film producer/film historian Ryan Turek; Isolated score; Behind-the-Scenes footage; Theatrical trailer

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits

Kevin Dillon	Brian Flagg
Shawnee Smith	Meg Penny
Donovan Leitch	Paul Taylor
Jeffrey DeMunn	Sheriff Herb Geller
Candy Clark	Fran Hewitt
Joe Seneca	Dr. Meddows
Beau Billingslea	Moss Woolsey
Art La Fleur	Pharmacist/Mr. Penny
Sharon Spelman	Mrs. Penny
Del Close	Rev. Meeker
Ricky Paull Goldin	Scott Jeskey
Paul McCrane	Dep. Bill Briggs
Billy Beck	Can Man
Michael Kenworthy	Kevin Penny
Don Brunner	1st White Suit/ Scientist
Richard Anthony Crenna	Soldier Outside Town Hall
Pons Maar	Theater Manager
Margaret Smith	Nurse
Douglas Emerson	Eddie Breckner
Jack Nance	Doctor
Charlene Fox	Woman in Doctor's Office
Erika Eleniak	Vicki De Soto
Teddy Vincent	Sally Jeffers
Clayton Landey	George Ruiz
Jacquelyn Masche	2nd White Suite
Jack Rader	Col. Hargis
Julie McCullough	Susie
Daryl Marsh	Lance
Wade Mayer	Movie Patron
Jamison Newlander	Anthony
Frank Collison	Phil Hobbs Projectionist
Judith Flanagan	Eddie's Mother
Charlie Spradling	Co-Ed
Kristen Aldrich	Co-Ed
Robert Axelrod	Jennings
M. James Arnett	Radio Man
Peter Crombie	Soldier at Command Post
Rick Avery	Soldier with Cracked Faceplate
David Weininger	Soldier #1
Moss Porter	Sergeant
Bill Moseley	Soldier #2
Jennifer Lincoln	Young Woman in Town Hall
Noble Craig	Puddle Soldier
Portia Griffin	Gospel Singer
Opelene Bartley	Old Woman in Tent

Technical Credits

Chuck Russell

Frank Darabont

Chuck Russell	Director,Screenwriter
Anne H. Ahrens	Set Decoration/Design
Robert J. Anderson	Sound/Sound Designer
M. James Arnett	Stunts
Rick Avery	Stunts
Joni Avery	Stunts
Pam Barlow	Songwriter
Philip Bartko	Special Effects Supervisor
Andre Blay	Executive Producer
Janet Brady	Stunts
Greg Brickman	Stunts
Jeff Burks	Animator
Bobby Burns	Stunts
Kent Burton	Animator
David Burton	Stunts
Gary Cambra	Songwriter
Gilbert B. Combs	Stunts
Lyle Conway	Special Effects
Wayne Coster	Songwriter
Frank Darabont	Screenwriter
Bud Davis	Stunts
Steve M. Davison	Stunts
Tim A. Davison	Stunts
Michael Deluna	Stunts
Robert DeVine	Special Effects
Gary Epper	Stunts
Tod Feuerman	Editor
George Fisher	Stunts
Frank A. Fuller	Sound/Sound Designer
Tony Gardner	Makeup,Makeup Special Effects
Jeffrey S. Ginn	Art Director,Production Designer
Jack H. Harris	Co-producer,Producer
Gene Hartline	Stunts
Rupert Harvey	Producer
Freddie Hice	Stunts
Michael Hoenig	Score Composer
Steve Holladay	Stunts
Tommy Huff	Stunts
Gary Hymes	Stunts
Dream Quest Images	Special Effects
Mark Irwin	Cinematographer
Elliott Kastner	Co-producer,Producer
Tracy Keehn-Dashnaw	Stunts
Kathryn Miles Kelly	Makeup
Rick LeFevour	Stunts
Josh McLaglen	Asst. Director
Gary McLarty	Stunts
John Meier	Stunts
Janet Minto	Songwriter
Paula-Marie Moody	Stunts
Randy Moore	Set Decoration/Design
Bennie Moore	Stunts
Larry Nicholas	Stunts
Joseph Porro	Costumes/Costume Designer
Debby Porter	Stunts
Bob Porter	Stunts
D. Kerry Prior	Special Effects
Johanna Ray	Casting
Danny Rogers	Stunts
Pat Romano	Stunts
Dennis Scott	Stunts
Paul Sherrod	Stunts
Mike Slamer	Songwriter
Craig Stearns	Production Designer
Gary Steele	Set Decoration/Design
Terry Stokes	Editor
Sally Thornton	Set Decoration/Design
Ric Waugh	Stunts
Keith Whitley	Songwriter
AJ Workman	Special Effects
Richard Wright	Stunts
Richard E. Yawn	Sound Editor
Hoyt Yeatman	Special Effects,Special Effects Supervisor

Editorial Reviews

This update of a beloved sci-fi favorite does a solid job of reworking its source material for a modern audience. The smart script, co-penned by director Chuck Russell with Frank Darabont, packs in plenty of popcorn movie thrills, but also makes room for an empowered heroine who is just as tough as its hero and works in a modern sense of paranoia with a clever government-oriented subplot. The Blob also keeps viewers on their toes by unpredictably killing off some of its most audience-friendly characters to ratchet up the suspense. Russell's direction delivers the thrills in a mean, lean style and his work is further aided by a likable cast: Kevin Dillon does the teen-rebel schtick to precision, Shawnee Smith's subtle transition from cheerleader to Blob fighter is believable, and reliable character thesps like Candy Clark and Jeffrey DeMunn deliver nuanced performances that flesh out the film's small-town setting nicely. Most importantly for a monster movie, The Blob's appeal is cemented by imaginative special effects: Lyle Conway's inventive creature effects give the title attraction a new, threatening sense of mobility unimaginable in the original version, and Tony Gardner's unsettling makeup effects add just the right modern touch to the mix. All in all, The Blob's well-judged blend of modern smarts and old-fashioned monster movie thrills makes it a worthwhile pick for genre fans.

All Movie Guide