What movie? You didn’t tell me about any movie! The meta is strong in the remake of The Blob. Too bad this remake often gets ignored by snobs because this version gets a lot of things about remakes damn right. There is a lot to love about this flick and, believe it or not, we owe it all to Freddy Krueger.
It is a hot night in a small town. The football team has just won their game and the local diner is buzzing with teenage activity. In a forest just outside of Arborville, a couple is necking in the woods. You know, doing what young lovers do. But when the young man goes to the trunk of his car for some more booze, a troublesome souvenir from space slides its way into the driver’s side of the car. The boy’s date has passed out and, when he gets back in the car, something is waiting for him . . . inside of his girlfriend’s body.
What happens next is one of the consequences of trying to take advantage of your date. It’s hysterically awful and definitely ends this kid’s lust to see what’s under his girl’s shirt. It is, in fact, one of several GREAT death scenes in 1988’s The Blob. Unfortunately, this film – which did not perform well at the box office when it was originally released – gets all too often overlooked when it comes to seriously solid horror comedies. That’s about to be corrected thanks to this stellar release from Scream Factory.
Directed by Chuck Russell and co-written by Russell and Frank Darabont, The Blob owes its rebirth to what the writers were able to do with 1987’s successful A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors, when they made New Line a whole bunch of dough with the resuscitation of everyone’s favorite slice and dicer, the deceased serial killer Freddy Krueger. Here, with the permission of Jack H. Harris, they bring the pile of pink alien goo to life with superb special effects, a sharp wit, and an attitude that sees them killing off damn near everybody in this tiny California town – even an elite team of scientists working for the government.
It turns out everyone wants their hands in this slime.
Starring Shawnee Smith, Kevin Dillon, Donovan Leitch, Jeffrey DeMunn, Candy Clark and Joe Seneca, The Blob seeps back to life with genuine purpose. The film is exactly what a remake should be: all done with love and respect to the source material. I mean the original flick can’t be topped, but it can be made a bit differently and that is what Darabont and Russell, giving us some great references to horror circa the 1980s, do with their script. Everything works to make this film still a lot of fun and, thanks to some great make-up effects, pretty damn gory.
It is unfortunate that the film, for all its visual effects strength, never found an audience. That giant tongue-shaped blob springing forth from the sewers is pretty damn awesome. The good news is that it has grown its fan base significantly and is now considered a cult classic. It is absolutely worth it, too. I mean if the idea of Kevin Dillon jumping over the pink goo on his motorbike doesn’t get your heart pumping then little else in this freaky flick will.
Slipping under doors is pretty easy for The Blob. Can it slip as effortlessly into your blu-ray collection, though? I certainly hope so. Own it today . . . just keep your house perfectly chilled.
4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray Edition | Steelbook Edition
Home Video Distributor: Shout Factory
Available on Blu-ray - October 17, 2023
Screen Formats: 1.85:1
Subtitles: English SDH
Audio: English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1; English: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0
Discs: 4K Ultra HD; Blu-ray Disc; Two-disc set
Region Encoding: 4K region-free; blu-ray locked to Region A
The Blob is back in this horrific tale about a vile, malignant life-form that crashes to Earth in a cozy, rural American town called Arborville. Untroubled by conscience or intellect, the Blob does only one thing – and it does it well. It eats anything and everything that moves: men, women, and children. And tonight it wants to swallow the town of Arborville. The original version of The Blob thrilled and terrified audiences back in the 1950s. Now the oozing, gooey killer is back with a whole new high-tech look. What was once only suggested now comes to life with state-of-the-art special effects in the tradition of such thrilling remakes as The Thing and The Fly.
VIDEO
This 4K restoration from Sony is mined from the original camera negative and the results are glorious. The greens in the woods are crisp and the rocks are sharp. The details are scrumptious both in and surrounding the camping areas. Black levels are strong throughout, too. Colors are bolder and brighter than ever before and the gore is deeper in hues, too. The pink blob is somehow made more threatening here thanks to the transfer.
AUDIO
A Dolby Digital 5.1 track is presented here for your sliming enjoyment. Guns are loud, explosions reign heavily, and dialogue is clear throughout.
Supplements:
Commentary:
- Audio Commentary With Director Chuck Russell, Cinematographer Mark Irwin, And Special Effects Artist Tony Gardner, Moderated By Filmmaker Joe Lynch
- Audio Commentary With Actress Shawnee Smith
Special Features:
There are a lot and, trust me, this film and its cast and crew are definitely worth the additional time. Shout Factory has done fans of this flick a righteous favor with this release.
DISC ONE (4K UHD):
- 4K Master Of The Film By Sony Pictures
- HDR-10 Compatible
- Audio: English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1, 2.0
- Audio Commentary With Director Chuck Russell, Cinematographer Mark Irwin, And Special Effects Artist Tony Gardner, Moderated By Filmmaker Joe Lynch
- Audio Commentary With Actress Shawnee Smith
DISC TWO (BLU-RAY):
- 4K Master Of The Film By Sony Pictures
- Audio: English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1, 2.0
- Audio Commentary With Director Chuck Russell, Cinematographer Mark Irwin, And Special Effects Artist Tony Gardner, Moderated By Filmmaker Joe Lynch
- Audio Commentary With Actress Shawnee Smith
- Audio Commentary With Chuck Russell and film Producer/Film Historian Ryan Turek
- "It Fell From The Sky!" – Interview With Director Chuck Russell Pt. 1
- “I Killed The Strawberry” – Interview With Director Chuck Russel Pt. 2
- “Try to Scream!” – Interview With Actor Bill Moseley
- “Shoot Him!” – Interview With Cinematographer Mark Irwin
- “I Want That Organism Alive!” – Interview With Blob Mechanic Peter Abrahamson
- "We Have Work To Do" – Interview With Actor Jeffrey DeMunn
- "Minding The Diner" – Interview With Actress Candy Clark
- "They Call Me Mellow Purple" – Interview With Actor Donovan Leitch Jr.
- "The Incredible Melting Man" – Interview With Special Effects Artist Tony Gardner
- “Monster Math” - Interview With Special Effects Supervisor Christopher Gilman
- “Haddonfield To Arborville” – Interview With Production Designer Craig Stearns
- “The Secret Of The Ooze” – Interview With Mechanical Designer Mark Setrakian
- “Gardner’s Grue Crew” – Behind The Scenes On The Blob
- Theatrical Trailer
- TV Spot
- Still Gallery
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Composite Blu-ray Grade
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MPAA Rating: R.
Runtime: 95 mins
Director: Chuck Russell
Writer: Theodore Simonson; Kay Linaker; Irvine H. Millgate
Cast: Shawnee Smith; Kevin Dillon; Donovan Leitch Jr.
Genre: Horror | Monster
Tagline: Scream now, while there's still room to breathe.
Memorable Movie Quote: "I feel like the one-legged man in an ass kicking contest."
Theatrical Distributor: TriStar Pictures
Official Site: https://shoutfactory.com/products/the-blob-limited-edition-steelbook-exclusive-poster
Release Date: August 5, 1988
DVD/Blu-ray Release Date: October 17, 2023.
Synopsis: A deadly entity from space crash-lands near a small town and begins consuming everyone in its path. Panic ensues as shady government scientists try to contain the horrific creature.
