Plot: What’s it about?
When you’re a teenager, it seems like the older folks will never listen to, no matter how important the information is. In this case, some teens have witnessed some unusual sights, as a strange blob of goo is on the loose and it is causing a lot of problems. Whether this blob is destroying property or attacking people, something must be done to stop it before things get too far out of hand. But when the teens warned the residents of the next town in the blob’s path, do you think they’d listen? Of course not and you know what that means, a bunch of dead older people who can’t believe their eyes. This blob seems to keep pushing ahead no matter lies in the path and if someone gets it in the way, the blob attaches to them and melts them into ooze. No attacks seem to even phase this being and the more stuff it takes in, the larger it grows and before long, it could be too big to stop no matter what. Can the teens and random survivors figure out what this monster is and also a way to stop it before it consumes all of them?
In the horror realm, we see a lot of remakes surface and more often than not, these projects turn out to be on the negative end of the spectrum. Such is the case with the 1988 edition of The Blob, which is poorly slapped together in all respects, from the cast to the special effects. Although the screenplay was written by Frank Darabont (The Shawshank Redemption) and director Chuck Russell (The Mask), it lacks the subtle touches needed, I think. I do like the cheap scares and squishy special effects at times, but I think some cooler characters would have enhanced the whole scheme here. But if you look at The Blob as a low rent flick and enter in with the right mindset, it can be a fun movie to watch and laugh at, especially with some friends. No, this one will never reach the cult heights of the original picture, but it has some moments and if you’re a fan of bad horror movies, 1988’s rendition of The Blob is well worth a look. I think a rental should suffice in most cases however, as this disc is bare bones and the transfer is below par, to be sure.
You don’t see too much of her these days, but Shawnee Smith has made a few flicks in her time, including this little gem. I find that most everyone I know thinks she is annoying to no mortal end, but I think she’s fun to watch, plus she’s pretty cute. Perhaps not as beautiful as some and certainly not as gifted as most, but Smith still have a good presence and more than holds her own here, although that wouldn’t take much in this case. Her whole white trash, loud mouth persona works quite well here and in truth, she probably gives one of the finest efforts to be seen in this flick. You can also see Smith in such films as The Stand, Who’s Harry Crumb?, Iron Eagle, Leaving Las Vegas, Breakfast of Champions, and Summer School. The cast also includes Kevin Dillon (Misbegotten, The Doors), Donovan Leitch (I Shot Andy Warhol, Cutting Class), and Jeffrey DeMunn (Christmas Evil, The Shawshank Redemption).
Video: How does it look?
The Blob is presented in a 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer. I had some doubts about this transfer and those doubts were realistic, as this visual effort is not up to the usual Columbia standards. The source print looks very worn down, with marks, grain, damage, and debris present throughout and of course, this will not please viewers. I am unsure why Columbia couldn’t have cleaned this up a little, but I can understand why a full restoration wasn’t done, as this is a rather low demand release. The colors and contrast are lessened thanks to the print flaws, but the image is still decent, just not as good as it should have been.
Audio: How does it sound?
The included 2.0 surround option is by no means stellar, but it seems to cover the bases, which is more than adequate. But this means minimal surround presence and a less than immersive experience, which some folks will dislike, of course. The fronts perform very well however, with a clean, crisp overall effort, so I doubt anyone will be too let down. Would I like some scenes to be more active? Yes, but given the material and the range of the included track, I was satisfied here, even if I wasn’t thrilled. This disc also includes audio options in Spanish, French, and Portuguese, as well as subtitles in English, Spanish, French, Portuguese, Korean, Thai, and Chinese.
Supplements: What are the extras?
This disc includes the film’s theatrical trailer.
