Customer Reviews

"THE BLOB"- The 1950s Cult Classic With Steve McQueen!!!

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This DVD has a great price, but the quality doesn't compare with the brilliant Criterion release. The picture is soft and the color murky in this print. After having watched this edition numerous times, I was amazed when I watched the Criterion release and saw all sorts of details that simply aren't visible here. This version also is missing a few bits of the film, though not enough to really alter the story.

For those just interested in checking out The Blob, this low priced DVD may be fine. If you love the film, by all means spend the extra money and pick up the beautiful Criterion Collection print.

Here it is, the main event -- "THE BLOB" starring Steve McQueen!
I saw this film when it first came out in 1958 and I have lost track of how many times I have seen it since, but it has been at least 200 times.

WHAT IS IT ALL ABOUT?:

A gelatinous mass of growing, flesh-eating goo is released on the Earth by a meteorite that has crashed near a small town in Pennsylvania. Steve Andrews [Steve McQueen] and his girlfriend, Helen [Aneta Corsaut] witness the event from their convertible and then come across an old man in the road who has something resembling a glove of jello on his hand. Steve takes him to Dr. Hallen and from there the blob begins ingesting humans and growing as the night progresses.

Steve and Helen go to the police to report the incident and the apparent murder of Dr. Hallen, but the police don't believe the wild story. At this point, it was nice to see some diversity on the police force. The hard-nosed Sergeant was ready to throw the kids in jail, whereas the Chief was much more of a listener.

Not getting any satisfaction from the police, Steve and Helen go out and try to warn the whole town about the danger they are in with the help of other teens but no one is listening ... UNTIL!

Yes, until ... and that's when things really start cooking. We have "The Blob" finally revealing itself at its public debut in its famous "movie theater patrons get eaten" scene. From this point on, everybody believes the kids' story, but it's a little late to do anything about it, or at least it seems so. The climax is right around the corner and I am always sorry it doesn't go on when it's all finally over. This, I'm sure, is why they have made two sequels/remakes of "The Blob".

THE LOW DOWN ON THIS DVD:

I have heard a lot about the Criterion edition of this film. I have seen that edition and it is a great transfer, but this edition is not bad. Until recently, it was often available for $1-4, versus $30-35 for the Criterion edition. This particular edition runs 82 minutes which means it does include several extended scenes compared to the TV and VHS editions. These extended scenes are as follows:

1]- When the old man [played by Olin Howland] is with Dr. Hallen [Stephen Chase] in the examining room, the scene where he is giving him an injection is extended to reveal an enlarged blob that is up to the old man's elbow. This is about an extra 12 seconds, but it is an addition that shows "The Blob" in an intermediary stage not usually seen.

2]- There are a couple of add-ons at the police station, like when Helen's father [School Principal Martin] arrives and declares, "This is the last time you're going out with my daughter," and Steve's dad replies, "Let's just all stay calm Mr. Martin." It all adds up to about 24 seconds more than the video.

3]- During the scene when Dave the Police Chief [Earl Rowe] is lamenting with Deputy Richie [George Karas], he goes on beyond the point of discussing Sergeant Jim Bert's animosity toward 17-year-old kids because of his wife being killed by a drunk teen in a car wreck and expands the subject by about 20 seconds.

4]- When the blob has encompassed the diner, there are several additional sequences. There is one when Dave sends the sergeant to get more fire extinguishers and there are a couple of add-ons in the last three minutes, altogether totalling 14 seconds.

In all, almost a minute and a half is added to the standard video releases. The Criterion edition DVD does have these additions as well.

"THE BLOB" IS ABOUT PEOPLE BEING KIND TO THEIR NEIGHBORS:

This is a 50's creature-feature classic, and it does credit to its genre. Steve McQueen is a delight and the cast is believable. But that is not what sets this film above the rest. Throughout the film, there is a sense that people care about each other in this town. Steve and Helen start the movie by stopping to help the old man and take him to the doctor. The doctor who is already out the door and on his way to a medical convention stops and returns to his office to treat the injured old man. The police chief doesn't see any point in giving the kids a hard time and releases them to their parents. The kids want to warn their neighbors so that others do not meet the same fate as Dr. Hallen and the old man. Hard-nosed Sergeant Birtie puts his hand on Chief Dave's shoulder to comfort him despite their clashing over how to handle the incident when it looks as though Steve and Helen may perish in the diner at the end. A pervasive sense of community spirit and a common bond was apparent between all the members of this community at one time or another during what had to be the town's most stressful night which is quite rare in this or any other genre.

It was 37 years ago that I saw this film on television when I was in fifth grade. The next day for my creative writing class I decided to write about the Blob that ate my elementary school and Webster City,Iowa. The classmates and even the teacher laughed out loud at my story. Anyway let's fast forward to 2007. I ordered this movie and the memories are still in tact! You have a group of teenagers trying to save their town from menacing goo threatening the population. Steve McQueen delivers a good performance in one of his earlier works.As for the theme song, it was written by two of the legendary songwriters of the 1960's and into the 70's Burt Bacharach and Hal David. Hard to believe they composed it but you know the rest of the story about these two song writing legends. The music in The Blob was composed by Ralph Carmichael who today is one of the leading Christian contemporary music producers. The Blob...good sticky fun for 80 minutes! It creeps,it leaps, it slides across the floor..well you know the rest!!!

First off, be aware that this is a cut-rate DVD version of "The Blob," the greatest 1950's camp science fiction film. There is a Criterion Collection edition of "The Blob," and that is all that needs to be said to indicate to you which one you want to pick up. The Criterion Collection edition of "The Blob" is loaded with enough DVD extras to make watching the film itself only half the fun. So if you are a big fan of this classic horror flick, then this is not the DVD edition that you want to pick up (unless, of course, you just want to watch the movie; but why would you want to do just that?). Not only is the Criterion version superior, this DVD could be judged inferior all by itself without another point of reference, so be warned. The film is a five, but this DVD is a three, so split the difference and make the right choice instead of flipping a coin to decide which version to get.

As the hyperbolic title of this DVD version indicates, this is a cult classic film, with Steve McQueen (!!!) in his first starring role taking on a Jell-O like creature from outer space out to eat everybody in its path. Or, as the tagline put it in 1958: "Indescribable... indestructible... insatiable!" You cannot do much better than that. McQueen is young Steve Andrews, who leads his friends against the Blob when the local sheriff and the other adults refuse to listen to the truth (just think of him as rebel with a real important cause). The movie ends with a climactic confrontation at the local movie theater. No wonder everybody wanted to see this one at the drive-in; you were safer there. Then again, this would have been a great date movie either place as it would be sure to send your creeped out girl friend into your arms for safety.

"The Blob" has always had a special place in my heart because they actually showed us this movie in high school (along with "Carousel" and "Thoroughly Modern Millie"--please do not try to find a common denominator between those films, you might hurt yourself). I have no idea why they would do show us this film from an educational standpoint (Bad things happen to bad kids? Do not go to the movies to make out?), but it remains a cherished memory of those halcyon days. Larry Hagman directed a lousy sequel/spoof in 1972 and then there was a less than distinguished remake in 1988. Taken together they are not as much fun as the original Blob. But then what in this world would be?

Is there anything better than watching the teenagers of the 50's out to save the world from a giant blob??? Corny - but extremely entertaining and of course - a classic that can't be topped. Some movies were just made to be fun and not taken too seriously.

Yes it's old. Yes it's pretty cheesy. And the special effects wouldn't fly with today's technology. But after watching it on an old movie channel, I knew I had to own it. And now I do.

this is one of the best in classic sci-fi.it gets 5 stars from me.
oh and the whole family can watch it!

Yeah, it's corny, but then nobody watches this kind of thing for the literature, right? It's fun.

If you are only watching, "The Blob" occasionally and you just want one for your collection this version will work. However for real Blob'rs I suggest the Criterion version.

Steve McQueen as Steve Andrews and Anete Corsaut as Jane Martin (also Helen Crump in The Andy Griffith Show) are negotiation in a quiet place in a convertable. When a shooting star lands quite close. Naturally this is more interesting and they go to investigate. An old man beats them to the sight and poking around gets blobulated. Things really get sticky from that point with none to believe them as kids don't know nothing.

If you like this movie then the next one to see is a variation called "Killer Klowns from Outer Space"

just as much fun the second time around, I just loved how polite the "Hoodlems" were in this movie. The Monster was good too