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Kevin Dillon, Shawnee Smith, Donovan Leitch, Jeffrey DeMunn, Candy Clark ... see more see more... , Joe Seneca , Art La Fleur , Sharon Spelman , Del Close , Ricky Paull Goldin , Paul McCrane , Billy Beck , Michael Kenworthy , Robert Axelrod , Beau Billingslea , Frank Collison , Peter Crombie , Erika Eleniak , Douglas Emerson , Clayton Landey , Pons Maar , Julie McCullough , Bill Moseley , Jack Nance , Jamison Newlander , Jack Rader , Charlie Spradling , M. James Arnett , Rick Avery , Kristen Aldrich , Opelene Bartley , Don Brunner , Judith Flanagan , Charlene Fox , Portia Griffin , Jennifer Lincoln , Daryl Marsh , Jacquelyn Masche , Wade Mayer , Moss Porter , Teddy Vincent , David Weininger , Craig Noble , Richard Anthony Crenna , Margaret Smith

After the phenomenal box-office and critical success of David Cronenberg's 1986 remake of The Fly, a series of big-budget remakes of '50s horror favorites rode in on its coattails in the late 1980s --... read more read more... though none managed to rise above mere camp clones of their elders, albeit garnished with modern makeup effects in an attempt to draw modern teen horror-junkies. One remake that managed to live up to its cheesy inspiration was Chuck Russell's version of The Blob, in which the title goo crashes to earth and promptly begins digesting the residents of a small California town while growing to gargantuan proportions. The clean-cut teen hero originally portrayed by Steve McQueen (his first starring role) is replaced here with a rebellious outsider (Kevin Dillon) whose preppie rival (Donovan Leitch) for the affections of the cute heroine (Shawnee Smith) is quickly eliminated by the all-consuming space-gelatin. No sooner has the plasma menace set up house in the town sewers when a shadowy government Blob Squad shows up under the direction of the grandfatherly Dr. Meddows (Joe Seneca), to clean up the mess... or not. This high-spirited remake replaces the '50s "Daddy-O" conventions of the original with '80s cynicism -- not even likeable characters are spared from the slaughter -- and anti-government sentiment. It also pushes the gore envelope in ways unavailable to its low-budget parent -- e.g. the scene in which one victim is sucked through a sink drain was only hinted at in the 1958 film, but here viewers are treated to the entire bone-crunching ordeal. Though the quality of blob effects seems inversely proportional to the creature's size (some of the climactic "wall-of-blob" footage is painfully cheap-looking), the end result is more blob for the monster-movie fan's dollar. ~ Cavett Binion, Rovi

Flixster Users

49% liked it

21,282 ratings

Critics

59% liked it

17 critics

R, 1 hr. 35 min.

Directed by: Chuck Russell

Release Date: August 5, 1988

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DVD Release Date: September 11, 2001

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Stats: 1,041 reviews

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Flixster Reviews (1,041)

  • flixsterman
    May 24, 2011
    flixsterman
    80's camp with wonderfully stereotypical characters. Not nearly as good as the original but has it's own cheesy charm.
  • WrenchLT
    January 28, 2011
    WrenchLT
    This remake of the 50's cult classic was a very enjoyable thrill-ride of a movie - and a surprisingly gory one too! The gore effects are superb and the Blob creature has been brought to life as effectively as it could be for an 80's movie without being too cheesy. In my eyes it d... read moreeservedly earns a spot on a list of best horror movie remakes next to the likes of Carpenter's 'The Thing' and Cronenberg's 'The Fly'.
  • bottcorecords1
    October 20, 2010
    bottcorecords1
    Why it reminds me of "Planet Terror", I'm not really sure. Perhaps it's the evil scientists, perhaps it's over-the-top style. Whatever the case, the similarity in style is quite striking. Story-wise, it's pretty faithful to the 1958 version, although it wants to put a little ... read moremore of an edge on things. Maybe the tag line should be "It's not your father's blob" (then again, maybe not). Donovan Leitch plays the jock (a role played by Steve McQueen in the original), and Kevin Dillon plays the motorcycle-riding bad boy (a character not found in the original), and it's clear who the film-makers favor. While he may be a bad boy, he's a nice guy at heart, even when it comes to the town goody-two shoes cheerleader (Shawnee Smith). Much like the original, a meteorite crashes in the woods outside of town and when an old man finds it, a blob-like substance attaches itself to his arm. The two upstanding young highschool students rush the old man off to the hospital, but by the time they figure out what they're dealing with, it's too late. The blob grows bigger with each victim it consumes. And speaking of Grindhouse, Eli Roth must've been paying tribute to this film with his "Thanksgiving Day" short. There's a specific scene where two high school students are parked at make-out point that's hilariously reminiscent of said scene. Maybe this re-make isn't going to make anyone's "must see" list, but it's a fun little horror gem from the 80s never the less.
  • FilmFanatik
    December 20, 2009
    FilmFanatik
    I think they did a much better job with the story. Less campy and more horrific.
  • stormyweather980
    September 14, 2009
    stormyweather980
    Back when I was a kid and my parents were still together (in the gone but not forgotten decade of the 80s), me and my mom used to go to the video store all the time and rent tons of horror movies. There were a few that we both liked so much that we would rent them over and over a... read moregain, and "The Blob" was one of them.
    In "The Blob," a huge meteorite crashes on top of planet earth and releases a mysterious gooey substance that has a churning in its transparent stomach for human beings. This creature is very hot and it instantly devallows anybody that it can get its sticky hands (if it has any) on. Almost as mysterious as this galactic creature itself is a group of government workers who say they want to save the people, yet capture the alien in its live form.

    "The Blob" is great in every way. It has good acting, it's sort of scary, it's suspenseful, and the storyline is intriguing without ever getting even slightly boring. Probably the most captivating is the film's special effects. Even though this version of "The Blob" was made in 1988, its special effects are so great that they are not dated one bit. Even by today's standard, "The Blob" has some of the best special effects ever, in my opinion.

    During most of the running time, the movie follows a few teens around while the plot develops and the blob makes its deadly run. Whether it's swallowing somebody by aid of a drain, residing in the swamps, or taking over the city, this interstellar monster is fun to watch over and over for years and decades to come.

    "The Blob" isn't one of my favorite movies of all time just because I have some fond memories of watching it when I was growing up, I still watch it every chance I get these days because it is a GREAT movie. I don't have a DVD player yet, but I know that when I do get one, this 1988 version of "The Blob" will be one of the first movies that I'll purchase.

    I haven't seen the original version of "The Blob" yet, but I know one thing, even if the original is better, this 1988 classic will still be one of my favorite movies of all time....it's THAT good. If you like classic horror movies that are unforgettable and that don't know the meaning of getting old, purchase "The Blob" today! NOTE: That was my Amazon review from the year 2001.
  • superclerk25
    April 3, 2009
    superclerk25
    Not good... but fun to watch in a MST3K kind of way. The acting is bad. The story is simple and bad. But the fx are pretty good for the time. There are some shots that seem a little cheesy and blue screen-ish but for the most part I was pretty impressed.
    Not a must see.
  • kiriyamakazou
    March 21, 2009
    kiriyamakazou
    The original is one of my all time favourite films. I love it so much. From the bizarre opening theme tune to Steven McQueen a) being called Steven and b) trying to play a teenager. It was pure genius. This remake is a surprisingly fantastic and brutal film. Sure it leaves behind... read more the theme tune :'( but this is the 80's and that means Body-Shock horror. I'm surprised this isn't mentioned along with The Thing or The Fly, both excellent and twisted remakes. Here we see The Blob melting people away and it isn't nice. They scream, they beg and they melt and they bleed. The film doesn't care whom it kills or in what order. Having seen so many films, I was surprised, it clearly presents The Blob as a creature that will kill anyone. I loved the effects and the slight twists on the original, giving The Blob a slightly different origin. They'll make a fine double feature that I'll be happy to sit through. It creeps and leaps...
  • adammahler1
    February 9, 2009
    adammahler1
    75% of the movie is perfectly shot around great special effects; government conspiracy twist is a throwaway; Shawnee Smith is great, Kevin Dillon and Donavan Leitch are good and the legendary Del Close fades in from the wallpaper until he's the monster in the room
  • LitelBluHli
    November 2, 2008
    LitelBluHli
    I remember this came on tv when I was about 9 or 10...it was a Sunday afternoon...nothing to do. My sister and I actually watched the whole thing! lol...
  • SilentWarProductions2009
    August 24, 2008
    SilentWarProductions2009
    Directed by: Chuck Russell.
    Starring: Shawnee Smith, Kevin Dillon, Donovan Leitch, Jeffrey DeMunn.

    <<" It will come consuming sinner and saint alike...and who will be sparred? None but the righteous brothers and sisters...None but the righteous" >>... read more

    The story follows a small town hit by a meteorite that is discovered to contain a jello-like substance that grip itself onto someone and from there continues to grow and feed.

    I'm shocked at how averagely rated this film is, completely understandable that the film doesn't reach high quality levels in the way of character and plot, but you do know that that is never the point...right?

    What really had me going within the first 10 minutes of the film was the fact that the film had going for it what exactly I was wanting. We all need a moment where we can sit back with a pile of food and enjoy and equally silly and funny B-grade comedy/horror and The Blob achieves that balance brilliantly.

    Written and Directed by the man behind the 2nd Nightmare on Elm Street sequel (the only good sequel) and co-written by legend Frank Darabont, they both masterfully work the right tone into this remake, making it vividly comical, quite tense and exciting in its moments and of course just one hell of a fun time thanks to some impressive effects work (if you ignore the obvious blue screen work) and brilliantly creative death ideas...at the end of the day, the acceptable plot and mediocre characters are not the point, as you never care for any of them, you just want them to die in the greatest ways, and Russell and Darabont know this and keep that in mind all the same, even when the film trails off a little in the final act.

    I can't exactly review the remainder of the film such as performances, because the films purpose is never for that and being a 80's B-Grade film, I never expected it. Instead I expected The Blob to be a brilliantly comical B-Grade Comedy/Horror and I got that for one hell of a 90 minute running time.

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Critic Reviews

David Cornelius
October 30, 2010
David Cornelius, Popcornworld

An old story retold with a fresh voice, eager to make improvements where they're needed and unwilling to tamper with scenes that don't. Full Review

James O'Ehley
November 18, 2009
James O'Ehley, Sci-Fi Movie Page

As far as remakes go it ain't too shoddy . . . Full Review

Stefan Birgir Stefansson
May 8, 2008
Stefan Birgir Stefansson, sbs.is

just a great sweet movie

Widgett Walls
July 2, 2004
Widgett Walls, Needcoffee.com

Surprisingly worthy remake.

Blake Davis
September 12, 2003
Blake Davis, KFOR Channel 4 News

A fun, cheesy remake from writer Frank Darabont, who gets the tone just right.

Scott Weinberg
November 29, 2002
Scott Weinberg, eFilmCritic.com

While not nearly on par with the original, the remake's a fast-paced and happily gore-soaked little treat.

David Nusair
September 26, 2002
David Nusair, Reel Film Reviews

...a horror movie that manages to be scary, funny, suspenseful and even a parody of other horror movies. Full Review

Rob Vaux
August 13, 2002
Rob Vaux, Flipside Movie Emporium

Modest, disposable remake of a less-than-classic original... but dammit, evil Jell-O is still so cool!

November 21, 2008
Variety

Click to read the article Full Review

Janet Maslin
May 20, 2003
Janet Maslin, New York Times

Click to read the article Full Review

Critic ratings and reviews powered by RottenTomatoes.com

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Facts

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    • Dr. Meddows: I want that organism alive!
    • Meg Penny: You don't believe either, do you?
    • Scott Jeskey: (talking to Vikki as she's in the car sleeping?) Hot as a dog out there tonight. That's a, That's a nice blouse. Nice material. It must be hot, though. I'll just undo one of these for you. That's better, huh? Oh, no? Oh, well. I'll just, undo another one then. Okay. (The Blob pours out of Vikki's body) OH GOD, VICKI!!
    • Vicki De Soto: What are all those lights down there? Isn't that the hospital?
    • Scott Jeskey: It's probably a promotional gimmick. They're giving away free tonsillectomies.
    • Meg Penny: (she screams, as the Blob is eating her boyfriend Paul) PAAAAAAUUUUL!
    • Moss Woolsey: (as snowflakes fall to the ground from the blob's demise) Hey man I told you we'd have snow. Gotta have a little faith. I hope I'm covered for this sort of thing. (Indicating to the blob's shattered frozen remains)
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The Blob Trivia

  • What 1988 horror film has Kevin Dillon and Shawnee Smith running from an alien invader?  Answer »
  • What movie was playing at the drive-in in the movie 'Grease'?  Answer »
  • "I think you should send us the biggest transport plane you have, and take this thing to the Arctic or somewhere and drop it where it will never thaw." What debut film for a future Hollywood megastar was this line from.   Answer »
  • What was the original title of The Blob?   Answer »
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