The Blob (1988)

A strange lifeform consumes everything in its path as it grows and grows.

Director:

Chuck Russell

Writers:

Theodore Simonson (earlier screenplay), Kay Linaker (earlier screenplay),

Stars:

Kevin Dillon, Shawnee Smith, Donovan Leitch

6 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
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
Del Close	...	Reverend Meeker
Paul McCrane	...	Deputy Bill Briggs
Sharon Spelman	...	Mrs. Penny
Beau Billingslea	...	Moss Woodley
Art LaFleur	...	Pharmacist / Mr. Penny
Ricky Paull Goldin	...	Scott Jeske
Robert Axelrod	...	Jennings
Bill Moseley	...	Soldier #2
Frank Collison	...	Hobbe

Storyline

Remake of the 1958 horror sci-fi about a deadly blob from another planet which consumes everyone in its path. Teenagers try in vain to warn the townsfolk, who refuse to take them seriously.

---

Plot Keywords:

blob | teenager | remake | teen | tentacle | 

---

Taglines:

Terror has no shape.

---

Genres:

Horror | Sci-Fi

---

Certificate:

R

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

5 August 1988 (USA)

Also Known As:

La mancha voraz

Filming Locations:

Abbeville, Louisiana, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$19,000,000 (estimated)

Gross:

$8,247,943 (USA)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Palisades California Inc., TriStar Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

95 min

Sound Mix:

Ultra Stereo

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Donovan Leitch, who plays Paul Taylor, had to have a full body cast made of himself for one of the more complicated scene where Paul underneath the blob. There were about 50 people running the unstrung Paul. However, 'Chuck Russell' did not tell Shawnee Smith it was really Donovan Leitch underneath the Blob for the first part of the scene. She believed it was going to be an unstrung person. This was so he could get more of a shock out of her. That is the take that is now seen in the movie when Meg screams out Paul's name upon discovering him.

---

Goofs

While George (the cook) is pulled down the drain, Fran panics and drops a plate of food, which stains the door behind her. But when Brian and Meg come in through the same door, the stain is gone.

---

Quotes

[first lines]
Announcer: That's a first down. Ball at a thirty five-yard line.

---

Crazy Credits

"Blob Wrangler" is one of the texts in the credits.

---

Connections

Referenced in When Darkness Came: The Making of 'The Mist' (2008)

---

Soundtracks

"Feel My Love"
Written by Alien, Janet Minto and Pam Barlow
Performed by Alien
Courtesy of Virgin Scandinavia AB

User Reviews

A 'Blob' of Cheese

If you're reading the comments to decide whether you should see this movie, you've already overthought it. This is not the type of film you think about. It's the type you watch by accident. But the good news is, it's a happy accident.

"The Blob" is the very essence of a B movie, and that's meant as a compliment. Equal parts ham and cheese, this flick aspires only to deliver schlocky fun. And boy does it succeed.

Kevin Dillon overplays the snarky rebel with tongue-in-cheek glee. Shawnee Smith, who will never be mistaken for Meryl Streep, glides through the proceedings with an I-can't-act obliviousness that actually enhances the film. I can't decide if this is her best or worst performance ever. It may be both.

If you enjoy campy B-movies, camp here for 85 minutes. It might be a Blob, but it ain't a mess.