Source-MeTV Svengoolie airing
Months back,I think it was in May I saw that Svengoolie was gonna air the original Blob. So I made sure to save that airing on the DVR. I DVR Sven every week. But usually end up just watching his host segments,mostly when it is films I don't care for. Or end up building up 10 or more episodes on the DVR and put them on when I clean the house from top to bottom.
As normal with when Sven airs a film he fills his segments with trivia about the movie.I knew that the lead male was Steve McQueen. But had no clue that the lead female was later Andy's love interest on the Andy Griffith show.
Now I have heard various people talk about how cheesy the original Blob is. And yea it is. But for it's time and being a indy film with a tiny budget it is way better than it should have been. The FX work is decent. But it wasn't until the remake from the late 80s/early 90s that we got to see a fully realized version of what the Blob could do.
Steve McQueen and his gal pal are up on a hilltop watching for shooting stars. They see one,and it turns out to be a meteorite. An old man pokes it with a stick and this glob what appears to be strawberry jelly comes out. And ends up eating the man.
The rest of the film is a 30 year old or older,suppose to be in his late teens,Steve McQueen trying to convince the cops and other adults that something is up. I do wonder why Steve got cast to play a much younger person. He looks like he is in his 30s. But then McQueen always looked about 30,even in his final years.The cops think this is all a prank the local teens are playing. So they do nothing until almost the end of the film.
There is 2 real setpieces in the film. The first is when the Blob attacks a packed theater. It is a bit after midnight and the theater is having a Spook Show!!!. So it is packed with teens and young adults. The Blob comes in thru the vents and attacks. This same theater still exists and will show the Blob once a year as a charity event.
The other big set piece is near the end,people are trapped in a building that the Blob has engulfed. And this is were we learn that the Blob hates the cold.
Honestly if you are under 30 and have already seen the remake skip this movie. It is one of those movies that is very of it's time. And I get the feeling that if McQueen wasn't in the movie it would be another forgotten 50s horror.
For being a lower budget indy film I was shocked at how good the colors looked. The red of the Blob stands out. The FX work is pretty good.With most of the mat lines and forced perspective shots not being super obvious. The acting isn't bad. McQueen of course is the best. But the one really goofy copy is pretty damn good too.
By it''s self the Blob is a average horror film. But add in the skits,songs and trivia that Svengoolie adds and it becomes much better.
The Blob gets a B.