The Stuff (1985)

A delicious mysterious goo that oozes from the Earth is marketed as the newest dessert sensation. But the sugary treat rots more than teeth when zombie-like snackers begin infesting the world.

Director:

Larry Cohen

Writer:

Larry Cohen

Stars:

Michael Moriarty, Andrea Marcovicci, Garrett Morris

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Michael Moriarty	...	David 'Mo' Rutherford
Andrea Marcovicci	...	Nicole
Garrett Morris	...	'Chocolate Chip' Charlie W. Hobbs
Paul Sorvino	...	Colonel Malcolm Grommett Spears
Scott Bloom	...	Jason
Danny Aiello	...	Vickers
Patrick O'Neal	...	Fletcher
James Dixon	...	Postman
Alexander Scourby	...	Evans
Russell Nype	...	Richards
Gene O'Neill	...	Scientist
Catherine Schultz	...	Waitress
James Dukas	...	Gas Attendant
Peter Hock	...	Miner
Colette Blonigan	...	Jason's Mother

Storyline

Weird yummy goo erupts from the earth and is discovered by a couple of miners. They taste it and decide to market it because it tastes so good. The American public literally eats up the new dessert sensation now known as the Stuff but, unfortunately, it takes over the brains of those who eat it, turning them into zombie-like creatures. It is up to ex-FBI agent David Rutherford and a kid named Jason to stop the spread of the mind-devouring dessert.

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Plot Keywords:

stuff | dessert | ex fbi agent | advertising | ice cream | 

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Taglines:

WARNING! If you see The Stuff in stores... call the police. If you have it in your home... don't touch it...get out. The Stuff is a product of nature... a deadly living organism. It is addictive and destructive. It can overcome your mind and take over your body... and nothing can stop it.

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Genres:

Horror | Comedy | Sci-Fi | Mystery

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Certificate:

R

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

14 June 1985 (USA)

Also Known As:

A Coisa

Filming Locations:

Accord, New York, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$1,700,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Larco Productions, New World Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

93 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

According to the audio commentary on the 2000 Anchor Bay DVD, some of the substance props or stand-ins for the real Stuff used in the movie included lots of Häagen Däzs ice-cream, yogurt, and, for one scene involving an enormous avalanche-like effect of Stuff crashing though a wall, fire-extinguishing foam. Other shots, such as the ones of the giant lake of Stuff required superimposed images and animation.

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Goofs

During the Taste scene at the end with Patrick O'Neal, his character says, "We tested it. We tested it in a small Illinois Town." Between those two sentences, a car horn sounds off from outside the building.

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Quotes

[pursuing escaping Stuff]
'Chocolate Chip' Charlie W. Hobbs: You are not thinkin' about goin' after it!
David 'Mo' Rutherford: I hope you got a gun on you, Charlie!
'Chocolate Chip' Charlie W. Hobbs: How many times am I supposed to tell you my hands are lethal weapons?
David 'Mo' Rutherford: I hope you're right, 'cause if that thing tries to kill me, you kill me first!

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Crazy Credits

Brooke Adams holding a container of Stuff as in a commercial: "Enough is never enough."

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Connections

Featured in Cinemassacre's Monster Madness: Dracula vs. Frankenstein (2010)

User Reviews

Lot's of fun to be had with Cohen's The Stuff!

The Stuff is another delightful horror film from the hand of Larry Cohen and plays out something like a meeting between Invasion of the Body Snatchers and The Blob. After seeing films like It's Alive and Q: The Winged Serpent, the style and way that this film plays out doesn't come as a surprise. Larry Cohen is a master of schlock horror, and I definitely rate The Stuff as one of his best films! The film is definitively eighties; the whole feel of The Stuff is very much reminiscent of the trash decade and things such as the 'flash' advertisements for the product at the centre of the film, as well as the music help to ensure this. The story takes in ideas of greed and, more importantly, consumerism as we follow a couple of miners who discover a viscous white liquid emanating from the ground. The chances of me tasting something that I'd just seen bubble out of the Earth are nil, but these guys do and discover that it's actually very tasty! One successful marketing campaign later and everyone is tucking into the tasty new desert...but there's more to what people are calling 'The Stuff'...

Given that this is a silly horror film, its commentaries and themes are actually put across rather well. The audience is never allowed to take it completely seriously, but the way that the film builds up the scenario and sees everyone purchasing what the media has told them to buy is strangely haunting all on its own. Besides that, even themes in a film that can't really put them across appropriately is better than no themes at all, which shows Larry Cohen's talent for creative scriptwriting. The film is lead by Michael Moriarty, who worked with Cohen in Q and the third instalment of the It's Alive series and does a great job in this one. While his acting isn't very good, he's constantly amusing and actually has really good screen presence; I often found myself wanting to see him back on screen during the scenes he wasn't in. The special effects are typically silly; but far better and more believable than most CGI rubbish. The scenes that see people breaking apart are oddly frightening, and I've got to say that I loved the 'Blob' style scenes where The Stuff itself was on the rampage. On the whole, The Stuff might not do much for those who don't like schlock horror; but if you ask me, it's a great fun ride and I highly recommend it!