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109 comments in total

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37 out of 42 people found the following comment useful :-
The Code of horror protocol was broken in 1988, 17 October 2003
Author: ApolloBoy109 from United States

Thank God.

All bets were off when the five credited screenwriters decided, hey the monster can kill a ten year old kid, and it can be fun.

This wise remake (re-imaging) based on the old Steve McQueen solid drive-in hit delievers the horror/suspense goods in spades. And rather than make a retread, they dropped a little 'explaination' into the frey and not only does it work, it enhances the original.

Kevin and Shawnee prove they can hold their own in the leading man and woman roles. It's odd that this really marks Kevin's biggest contribution to the entertainment world. Perhaps he looks too much like his brother.

In any event, chills and spills in this wacked out story abound. I mean, who of us wouldn't be scared of a thing without a face -- a thing that just eats everything in sight.

Catch it.

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22 out of 27 people found the following comment useful :-
A 'Blob' of Cheese, 9 August 2001

Author: FunnyMann from Los Angeles

If you're reading the comments to decide whether you should see this movie, you've already overthought it. This is not the type of film you think about. It's the type you watch by accident. But the good news is, it's a happy accident.

"The Blob" is the very essence of a B movie, and that's meant as a compliment. Equal parts ham and cheese, this flick aspires only to deliver schlocky fun. And boy does it succeed.

Kevin Dillon overplays the snarky rebel with tongue-in-cheek glee. Shawnee Smith, who will never be mistaken for Meryl Streep, glides through the proceedings with an I-can't-act obliviousness that actually enhances the film. I can't decide if this is her best or worst performance ever. It may be both.

If you enjoy campy B-movies, camp here for 85 minutes. It might be a Blob, but it ain't a mess.

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31 out of 47 people found the following comment useful :-
Only a 5.4 rating? This film is FUN!, 7 May 2004

Author: Wayne Malin (wwaayynnee51@hotmail.com) from United States

A meteor falls near a small town in the USA. A homeless man goes to see what's in it and a jelly-like substance "attacks" him and starts eating away at him. He's discovered by local tough kid Kevin Dillon and (with pretty Shawnee Smith and prettier Donovan Leitch) drive him to the hospital. There he's eaten alive while waiting for the doctor and the blob is loose--eating anything in its path. But, in no time flat, a bunch of scientists and military men arrive to help...or are they?

I HATED the original one...and I don't care if it was Steve McQueen's first film (he was always a lousy actor anyways). It was slow, stupid with terrible special effects and a VERY slow-moving blob. This one has a very funny script that never takes itself too seriously; it moves very quickly; this blob moves like lightning (I was actually getting scared when it chased Smith and Dillon in the diner--you see it following them on the ceiling--and GAINING!); has some great, scary special effects (and no crummy CGI); proudly gives us an R rated horror film (today it would have been cut to a PG-13) and has mostly great acting. Also the taboo about killing kids in a horror film is surprisingly ignored!

Smith (who I thought was hopeless in "The Desperate Hours") is surprisingly very good here; Leitch is good too (and prettier than her) but disappears early on; and there's a great supporting cast of good actors with especially nice turns by Candy Clark and Jeffrey DeMunn. Only Dillon disappoints--he's pretty wooden in his role. And I REALLY hated the "origin" given for the blob--it was totally unnecessary. And the very end was silly (and an obvious setup for the sequel that never was made). This was a big hit with horror fans--but didn't do much at the box office. Too bad. Maybe it will be rediscovered one of these days.

A quick, fast, funny, scary film with great special effects. Well worth catching. I'm giving it an 8.

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14 out of 15 people found the following comment useful :-
Fun, if imperfect, monster horror, 27 June 2006

Author: BroadswordCallinDannyBoy from Boston, MA

One night, just outside of a quiet and small town, a bizarre meteor crashes. A man who goes to investigate finds a weird glop that jumps on his arm and puts him into a state of frenzy. Some young people take him to the hospital and we soon see that the weird substance has eaten most of him and it is still hungry...

The result is a very entertaining monster flick with a very unusual monster - an amorphous blob. After films like Alien, Predator, The Thing, and others thinking of a good monster idea can be tough. Even John Carpenter's well crafted The Thing is a remake, but that didn't stop the film from becoming one of his best due to a good visceral interpretation of the story. The same goes for this film - a remake of an old movie with a very visceral and gory style. Featuring top-notch aesthetic and even some obviously aged, but nonetheless fun, old computer effects it is more of a thorough re-imagination like The Thing was.

However, the film falls a bit on its face when it comes to creating suspense. Many scenes with the title monster are tense and the action good and the gore first-rate, but the connective scenes between them surprisingly lack in tension. With material ripe for an eerie atmosphere it is a shame to see this horror element not fully developed in the film. The result is a fun movie, but it could have been much better. Also the mad scientist/cold war element is a bit stale by today's standards.

But, overall it is a fun little flick featuring a truly merciless monster that gobbles up just about anyone (even kids!). Horror/sci-fi fans will definitely want to check this flick out. 7/10

Rated R: violence, horror images, and profanity

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15 out of 18 people found the following comment useful :-
Nifty, nasty remake of a true sci-fi orig. classic, 27 February 2003
Author: george.schmidt (george.schmidt@hbo.com) from fairview, nj

THE BLOB (1988) *** Kevin Dillon, Shawnee Smith, Donovan Leitch, Joe Seneca, Candy Clark. Excellent remake of the sci-fi camp classic with rebel Dillon and cheerleader Smith battling the excessively growing man-eating organism wreaking havoc on their small town community. Gooey grotesque special effects are the true star thanks to director Chuck Russell. Look sharply for Erika Eleniak as a victim as she's about to be felt up on a date (lucky blob!)

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12 out of 16 people found the following comment useful :-
Revenge of the 80's meets Remake Mania: The Blob, 22 August 2005

Author: Captain_Couth (sirjosephu@aol.com) from Sacramento, CA

The Blob (1988) was a bloody and nasty update to the fifties "classic" horror/science fiction film THE BLOB. I actually prefer the remake (one of the few times you'll hear me say that) because it covered ground that the original failed to cover and the Blob looked meaner and nastier than the original pile of goo. Kevin Dillion stars as the reluctant hero. The story to the remake is very much the same (except for the expected eighties additions and themes). No hokey pokey stuff here folks. If you like the original then you probably wont enjoy this update. More horror than science fiction and the gore level is real high.

I hope they don't try and remake this movie again. I felt that once is enough. Kevin Dillion was enjoyable as the rapscallion who does good and Shawnee Smith is in hot mode, Bill Mosley, Donavan Leitch, Art La Fleur and Candy Clark co-star as well.

Recommended.

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8 out of 9 people found the following comment useful :-
Gory remake., 14 March 2003

Author: Aaron1375 from Alabama

*** This comment may contain spoilers ***

This is one of those remakes that is better than the original. This is due mainly to the fact that the people making this movie realized they didn't have to make this movie the same way as the first. It is all right to change the story around like Carpenter did with the Thing. What we get here is a purple blob that dissolves you in the most unpleasant way possible. It even almost has tentacles that can grab people. We also get to see this blob a lot more than in the original movie. The story is somewhat the same in the first part as a meteor falls to the earth and an old man finds it and pokes it with a stick. Like in the original this is when the blob attaches itself to his hand. Now it starts differing from the original as a host of people gets killed off, and the blob gets bigger. There is a movie theater scene in this one too, but it is a lot more gruesome. Then the military shows up to handle this creature, but they seem to have some darker purpose. All in all a great movie, though I can't stand the end.

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5 out of 5 people found the following comment useful :-
Fifties Sci-Fi meet eighties trash with great results!, 10 November 2005

Author: The_Void from Beverley Hills, England

Remakes are often frowned upon by film fans, and for good reason, but Chuck Russell's take on the silly fifties Sci-Fi flick of the same name certainly doesn't disappoint! The film has the fifties plot structure and ideas, but it's been updated to the eighties - which means gratuitous amounts of special effects, a trashy atmosphere and lots and lots of gore! This remake has sentimental value for me personally, as it's the only film in history to make me physically sick. I would have been about seven at the time, and watching this film over breakfast isn't recommended for seven-year-old kids! However, I did, of course, get the day off school. I've grown up a bit since then, but upon watching The Blob again; I've got to say that it's lost none of it's charm, only I managed to hold back on being sick this time. The plot follows an asteroid that comes down from space. Upon inspecting it, a lowly bum finds himself with a strange organism stuck to his hand! The Blob also takes advantage of the eighties teen comedy craze, and after a couple of kids find the tramp on the road, they take him to the hospital, and that's where the fun really starts…

The special effects are often silly, but nevertheless; very effective! The sequences are very imaginative, and take advantage of the eighties style humour that make eighties horror films what they are. The way that the blob consumes people is always disgusting, and seeing the half-melted outlines of people inside the creature is lots of fun and makes for some really good horror. Because it was made in the eighties; many of the scenes focus on raunchy kids, and this gives The Blob lots of room to manoeuvre the central monster into all kinds of hilarious situations. The acting, as you would expect, is nothing to write home about; but the cast approach their roles with gusto, and the fun performances help to make the film what it is. Chuck Russell does a great job of creating the right sort of atmosphere for the film and the screenplay is better than you would expect for a trashy eighties horror flick. Some will notice that the script was co-written by one Frank Darabont, who would, of course, go on to write and direct one of the 'best films of the nineties'. Personally, I'd rather this watch this film!

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5 out of 6 people found the following comment useful :-
an acceptable remake, 14 October 2005

Author: Lee Eisenberg (eisenberg.lee@gmail.com) from Portland, Oregon, USA

Usually, when they attempt a remake of a classic sci-fi/horror flick, they bungle it beyond redemption. "The Blob" is actually a pretty good remake, elaborating the original's story. In this case, the protagonist - aside from the title character - is punk Brian Flagg (Kevin Dillon). The movie's strength comes from the intrigue that it portrays.

Needless to say, now that the censorship laws had eased, they were able to add in some more things. I'll never forget the sink scene (as I call it). And, as I understand it, Donovan starred in this movie (or was it someone else with the name Donovan Leitch?). Oh well, the point is that they eked out a good movie with this remake.

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5 out of 6 people found the following comment useful :-
"Better than the original?" not really relevant, its just "different!", 1 June 2002
Author: Noel Bailey (uds3@hotmail.com) from Longmont: Colorado US

Given the 30 years gap between the two films....it certainly isn't "thirty years better"..... just 30 years different!

Certainly a good attempt at a remake but not within a bull's roar of John Carpenter's THE THING which blew the original out of the water! (Why, so many climed on its back I could never fathom!)

Dillon does an exemplarary job in an "I'm angry with everyone" McQueen reprise. Part LOST BOYS part EASY RIDER, Dillon handles the Blob pretty well. Lots of people die, some you might not expect but hey, like ET its the Government's fault again isn't it? Anyway, all the bad guys get their come-uppance, so no problem! Neat little ending too. Shame no movie producer has capitalised on it!

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