Reviews & Ratings for
The Blob More at IMDbPro »

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53 out of 61 people found the following review useful:

The Code of horror protocol was broken in 1988

Author: ApolloBoy109 from United States
17 October 2003

Thank God.

All bets were off when the five credited screenwriters decided, hey the monster can kill a ten year old kid, and it can be fun.

This wise remake (re-imaging) based on the old Steve McQueen solid drive-in hit delievers the horror/suspense goods in spades. And rather than make a retread, they dropped a little 'explaination' into the frey and not only does it work, it enhances the original.

Kevin and Shawnee prove they can hold their own in the leading man and woman roles. It's odd that this really marks Kevin's biggest contribution to the entertainment world. Perhaps he looks too much like his brother.

In any event, chills and spills in this wacked out story abound. I mean, who of us wouldn't be scared of a thing without a face -- a thing that just eats everything in sight.

Catch it.

38 out of 49 people found the following review useful:

A 'Blob' of Cheese

Author: FunnyMann from Los Angeles
9 August 2001

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.

46 out of 67 people found the following review useful:

Only a 5.4 rating? This film is FUN!

Author: Wayne Malin (wwaayynnee51@hotmail.com) from United States
7 May 2004

A meteor falls near a small town in the USA. A homeless man goes to see what's in it and a jelly-like substance "attacks" him and starts eating away at him. He's discovered by local tough kid Kevin Dillon and (with pretty Shawnee Smith and prettier Donovan Leitch) drive him to the hospital. There he's eaten alive while waiting for the doctor and the blob is loose--eating anything in its path. But, in no time flat, a bunch of scientists and military men arrive to help...or are they?

I HATED the original one...and I don't care if it was Steve McQueen's first film (he was always a lousy actor anyways). It was slow, stupid with terrible special effects and a VERY slow-moving blob. This one has a very funny script that never takes itself too seriously; it moves very quickly; this blob moves like lightning (I was actually getting scared when it chased Smith and Dillon in the diner--you see it following them on the ceiling--and GAINING!); has some great, scary special effects (and no crummy CGI); proudly gives us an R rated horror film (today it would have been cut to a PG-13) and has mostly great acting. Also the taboo about killing kids in a horror film is surprisingly ignored!

Smith (who I thought was hopeless in "The Desperate Hours") is surprisingly very good here; Leitch is good too (and prettier than her) but disappears early on; and there's a great supporting cast of good actors with especially nice turns by Candy Clark and Jeffrey DeMunn. Only Dillon disappoints--he's pretty wooden in his role. And I REALLY hated the "origin" given for the blob--it was totally unnecessary. And the very end was silly (and an obvious setup for the sequel that never was made). This was a big hit with horror fans--but didn't do much at the box office. Too bad. Maybe it will be rediscovered one of these days.

A quick, fast, funny, scary film with great special effects. Well worth catching. I'm giving it an 8.

23 out of 25 people found the following review useful:

Fun, if imperfect, monster horror

Author: BroadswordCallinDannyBoy from Boston, MA
27 June 2006

One night, just outside of a quiet and small town, a bizarre meteor crashes. A man who goes to investigate finds a weird glop that jumps on his arm and puts him into a state of frenzy. Some young people take him to the hospital and we soon see that the weird substance has eaten most of him and it is still hungry...

The result is a very entertaining monster flick with a very unusual monster - an amorphous blob. After films like Alien, Predator, The Thing, and others thinking of a good monster idea can be tough. Even John Carpenter's well crafted The Thing is a remake, but that didn't stop the film from becoming one of his best due to a good visceral interpretation of the story. The same goes for this film - a remake of an old movie with a very visceral and gory style. Featuring top-notch aesthetic and even some obviously aged, but nonetheless fun, old computer effects it is more of a thorough re-imagination like The Thing was.

However, the film falls a bit on its face when it comes to creating suspense. Many scenes with the title monster are tense and the action good and the gore first-rate, but the connective scenes between them surprisingly lack in tension. With material ripe for an eerie atmosphere it is a shame to see this horror element not fully developed in the film. The result is a fun movie, but it could have been much better. Also the mad scientist/cold war element is a bit stale by today's standards.

But, overall it is a fun little flick featuring a truly merciless monster that gobbles up just about anyone (even kids!). Horror/sci-fi fans will definitely want to check this flick out. 7/10

Rated R: violence, horror images, and profanity

22 out of 27 people found the following review useful:

Nifty, nasty remake of a true sci-fi orig. classic

Author: george.schmidt (gpschmidt67@gmail.com) from fairview, nj
27 February 2003

THE BLOB (1988) *** Kevin Dillon, Shawnee Smith, Donovan Leitch, Joe Seneca, Candy Clark. Excellent remake of the sci-fi camp classic with rebel Dillon and cheerleader Smith battling the excessively growing man-eating organism wreaking havoc on their small town community. Gooey grotesque special effects are the true star thanks to director Chuck Russell. Look sharply for Erika Eleniak as a victim as she's about to be felt up on a date (lucky blob!)

19 out of 23 people found the following review useful:

Revenge of the 80's meets Remake Mania: The Blob

Author: Miyagis_Sweaty_wifebeater (sirjosephu@aol.com) from Sacramento, CA
22 August 2005

The Blob (1988) was a bloody and nasty update to the fifties "classic" horror/science fiction film THE BLOB. I actually prefer the remake (one of the few times you'll hear me say that) because it covered ground that the original failed to cover and the Blob looked meaner and nastier than the original pile of goo. Kevin Dillion stars as the reluctant hero. The story to the remake is very much the same (except for the expected eighties additions and themes). No hokey pokey stuff here folks. If you like the original then you probably wont enjoy this update. More horror than science fiction and the gore level is real high.

I hope they don't try and remake this movie again. I felt that once is enough. Kevin Dillion was enjoyable as the rapscallion who does good and Shawnee Smith is in hot mode, Bill Mosley, Donavan Leitch, Art La Fleur and Candy Clark co-star as well.

Recommended.

14 out of 18 people found the following review useful:

Fifties Sci-Fi meet eighties trash with great results!

Author: The_Void from Beverley Hills, England
10 November 2005

Remakes are often frowned upon by film fans, and for good reason, but Chuck Russell's take on the silly fifties Sci-Fi flick of the same name certainly doesn't disappoint! The film has the fifties plot structure and ideas, but it's been updated to the eighties - which means gratuitous amounts of special effects, a trashy atmosphere and lots and lots of gore! This remake has sentimental value for me personally, as it's the only film in history to make me physically sick. I would have been about seven at the time, and watching this film over breakfast isn't recommended for seven-year-old kids! However, I did, of course, get the day off school. I've grown up a bit since then, but upon watching The Blob again; I've got to say that it's lost none of it's charm, only I managed to hold back on being sick this time. The plot follows an asteroid that comes down from space. Upon inspecting it, a lowly bum finds himself with a strange organism stuck to his hand! The Blob also takes advantage of the eighties teen comedy craze, and after a couple of kids find the tramp on the road, they take him to the hospital, and that's where the fun really starts…

The special effects are often silly, but nevertheless; very effective! The sequences are very imaginative, and take advantage of the eighties style humour that make eighties horror films what they are. The way that the blob consumes people is always disgusting, and seeing the half-melted outlines of people inside the creature is lots of fun and makes for some really good horror. Because it was made in the eighties; many of the scenes focus on raunchy kids, and this gives The Blob lots of room to manoeuvre the central monster into all kinds of hilarious situations. The acting, as you would expect, is nothing to write home about; but the cast approach their roles with gusto, and the fun performances help to make the film what it is. Chuck Russell does a great job of creating the right sort of atmosphere for the film and the screenplay is better than you would expect for a trashy eighties horror flick. Some will notice that the script was co-written by one Frank Darabont, who would, of course, go on to write and direct one of the 'best films of the nineties'. Personally, I'd rather this watch this film!

9 out of 10 people found the following review useful:

Gory remake.

Author: Aaron1375
14 March 2003

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

This is one of those remakes that is better than the original. This is due mainly to the fact that the people making this movie realized they didn't have to make this movie the same way as the first. It is all right to change the story around like Carpenter did with the Thing. What we get here is a purple blob that dissolves you in the most unpleasant way possible. It even almost has tentacles that can grab people. We also get to see this blob a lot more than in the original movie. The story is somewhat the same in the first part as a meteor falls to the earth and an old man finds it and pokes it with a stick. Like in the original this is when the blob attaches itself to his hand. Now it starts differing from the original as a host of people gets killed off, and the blob gets bigger. There is a movie theater scene in this one too, but it is a lot more gruesome. Then the military shows up to handle this creature, but they seem to have some darker purpose. All in all a great movie, though I can't stand the end.

8 out of 9 people found the following review useful:

an acceptable remake

Author: Lee Eisenberg (eisenberg.lee@gmail.com) from Portland, Oregon, USA
14 October 2005

Usually, when they attempt a remake of a classic sci-fi/horror flick, they bungle it beyond redemption. "The Blob" is actually a pretty good remake, elaborating the original's story. In this case, the protagonist - aside from the title character - is punk Brian Flagg (Kevin Dillon). The movie's strength comes from the intrigue that it portrays.

Needless to say, now that the censorship laws had eased, they were able to add in some more things. I'll never forget the sink scene (as I call it). And, as I understand it, Donovan starred in this movie (or was it someone else with the name Donovan Leitch?). Oh well, the point is that they eked out a good movie with this remake.

6 out of 6 people found the following review useful:

Mean And Nasty Remake

Author: Theo Robertson from Isle Of Bute, Scotland
16 August 2010

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

THE BLOB follows in the footsteps of THE THING and THE FLY as being 1950s science fiction films remade in the 1980s all of which had mixed fortunes . John Carpenters remake of THE THING totally bombed at the box office , though it's now considered a classic . Cronenbergs remake of THE FLY was a big hit and is still fondly remembered perhaps because there were strong human elements amongst the gore and effective make up . THE BLOB remake from 1988 directed by Chuck Russell opened to very lukewarm reviews and disappeared after spending a total of one week in the American top ten box office . It's not a particularly good horror film but one would have expected it to do better since gory horror were very fashionable in that decade

The screenplay co written by Rusell and Frank Darabont ( The director of THE SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION ) takes the basic structure of the original and embellish it . Unfortunately whilst the original is remembered as a rather camp affair the remake tries to shock and disturb the audience This is summed up by the scene in the cinema . The heroine Meg sees a patron lying on the ground , she turns her over only to find a face that has been totally eaten away by the blob . Some commentators have mentioned that this film has a mean streak and they're right, it's actually quite sadistic . People die graphic deaths . Men , women and children all become victims of the blob regardless if they deserved to die horribly or not , which seems to clash with the light hearted tone in the early part of the movie

The is an interesting plot twist that the screenwriters have brought to this version . I say interesting but I don't necessarily think it's a good one and that is the eponymous blob was created by military scientists . It's interesting in that it goes against the grain of what was coming out of Hollywood at the time where John Rambo and his action clones were traveling across the world killing commies . and in many ways this version of THE BLOB mirrors George A Romero's THE CRAZIES with white suited soldiers holding a middle American town hostage . Sadly the villain Dr Meadows is written and acted with no moral ambiguity and is such an obvious baddie that he's impossible to believe in as a real character when the potential for a multi-layered character was there

Looking on the bright side this is a movie made before the advent of CGI so that means we have a big man eating jelly that wasn't created on a computer . It doesn't always convince however and isn't helped by a lack of internal continuity where some people are dissolved out of existence but some others are still recognisable when they're absorbed like the sheriff during the phone booth scene . Being a 1980s film also means the fashions have badly dated and if you think Kevin Dillion has a bad hairstyle they you'll be shocked to know a mullet was the height of fashion in those days . Now that really is frightening

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