BLOOD WORK: HALLOWEEN HORROR DAYS ~ DAY 26: THE BLOB (1988)

I think it's safe to assume that the horror genre easily has the most remakes of any. There are some good ones as well as some best left forgotten. There are some films that should never be remade like JAWS or THE EXORCIST. Then there are films that deserve remakes, classic films limited by the technology of the era in which they were made. Examples of these are THE THING FROM ANOTHER WORLD (1951) and THE FLY (1958). The remakes of these films elevated the content to undreamt of levels. After watching the originals and then the remakes it's astounding what Carpenter and Cronenberg accomplished.

The 1958 horror film THE BLOB is a true classic of the genre, imaginative, clever, and inventive beyond its peers. Thirty years later director Chuck Russell showed the world a new terrifying vision of this horror essential. When one talks about Carpenter's The Thing and Cronenberg's The Fly few others compare. Chuck Russell's THE BLOB (1988) is a re-imagining on an epic scope. The remake takes the concept of the original and updates the effects beyond anything the filmmakers of 1958 could've imagined. Chuck Russell did for The Blob what Carpenter and Cronenberg did for The Thing and The Fly. Often overlooked, Russell's The Blob stands among the best horror remakes of all time.

Okay, maybe that's a bit of an exaggeration. But it's a really fun movie.

THE PLOT

A meteorite makes planetfall in the forest outside of Arborville, Colorado. A hermit living nearby is the only resident to witness the event and goes to investigate. He scoops a gelatinous substance out of the space-rock. It drips onto his hand and begins dissolving his flesh. He runs into the road screaming straight into oncoming traffic. Two high school students on a date drive him to the hospital. The blob grows larger the more flesh it eats. And the bigger it gets the faster it consumes its victims. It slithers its way into town on an unsuspecting populace. The only ones who know are a couple teenagers. It's up to them to save the town and with it the world.

THE GOOD

Disgusting in a good way. Tonally this film is far from The Thing or The Fly. This movie is fun in its approach without making fun of itself. It feels like an 80's movie. Little regard for human life. High body count. Lots of gore and amazing effects. The team of Chuck Russell and Frank Darabont (the same duo responsible for A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET PART 3) deliver a wild and imaginative monster movie complete with grotesque and detailed death scenes not seen anywhere else. The Blob is almost like a living pile of crap with tentacles, melting and devouring everyone in its path. And you see it all. The effects are top notch and put today's CGI to shame.

The Fake Out. Just when you think you know what you're getting in for this movie throws you a curve ball. It's not just a straight forward remake of The Blob. It's one part The Thing, one part E.T. and one part The Crazies. Darabont and Russell manage to bring in all these wonderful elements into the story in interesting and natural ways. The film takes everything you think you know about the Blob and conventional storytelling and turns it on its head. Just when you think the story is headed this way it suddenly turns in a different direction. As a result of this the film continually defies audience expectations and keeps the viewer engaged the whole time.

THE BAD

80's Fun. When watching this film it has the distinct flavor of the era in which it was made. This is an 80's without a doubt. The musical score. The carefree vibe. The clothing, hair styles, and mediocre teen actors. None of this is necessarily a bad thing. It merely reflects the common style of Hollywood from the time. I for one like 80's movies very much and that decade is one of the best periods ever for the horror genre. However, when I started comparing The Blob with Carpenter's The Thing and Cronenberg's The Fly, those films felt timeless, the directing approach very different. At first I was slightly disappointed. The Fly and The Thing are some of the best examples of that particular style of storytelling. And so too is The Blob. It's just a different style than the other two.

THE VERDICT

Fun. Exciting. Thrilling. Chuck Russell's remake of The Blob is one of the most entertaining modern horror films. And in a genre full of remakes it stands as one of the most remarkable. It takes the elements of the original horror classic and delves deeper and wider. The special effects are top notch for the era and still hold up today. The creature design and realization is one of the best ever realized through practical effects and the gore and death sequences are unlike any you've ever seen. The original Blob is an essential horror film. Chuck Russell's remake is too.

Overall Ranking: 8 out of 10

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Nude-O-Meter: 0 out of 10