ACCUSATION: The Blah.
DEFENSE: Gory gobs of goodness.
Unlike the violent re-imaginings introducing today’s generation to horror movie “classics,” the 70s/80s approach to remakes was often focused on the effects. Remakes like The Thing (1982), Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978) and The Fly (1986) aren’t just cleaver little updates of B-Movie greatness from the 50s. They showcase some amazingly crafted practical effects rarely attempted in our current CGI filled releases. The Blob may have been a theatrical flop upon release, but it holds up extremely well as an example of the better executed horror remakes.
Before he was Johnny Drama, and before she was the of protégé of Jigsaw, Kevin Dillon and Shawnee Smith were defenders against a gelatinous glob from outer space. As that’s not enough of a reason to check it out, consider that The Blob keeps some of the best motifs from the 1958 version completely intact—rebellious anti-hero, crazy old man as victim numero uno, clueless cops and an array of small town trappings.
But the remake benefits big time from ‘R’ rated thrills and chills, and is most impressive when the gore goes wild. There are an abundance of nasty kills, and all of them memorably horrific. One in particular will make you thankful for the rarity of phone booths these days, and another will keep teens from going to second base.
Turner Classic Movies has been rerunning the original 1958 version, and if you have TCM on Demand, you can check it out all month. It is interesting how much it also holds up in certain scenes, albeit a tad dated.
You can watch the 1988 remake of THE BLOB for free right now here.
