The Blob (1988)

 

Usually remakes are a diluted version of whatever made the original memorable or good. Oftentimes they are horrendous as the makers want to tread new paths that take away from the first attempt. And in some rare cases, they are superior to the original in every way. This goes for John Carpenter's version of 'The Thing' and it also goes for this version of 'The Blob'.

The original is a quirky and at times pretty intense monsterflick, but due to the time it was made and technological constraints, it is fairly tame. This one however...

We're still stuck in some town in the middle of nowhere. Ski season is approaching, but thanks to an Indian Summer, it's still pretty hot in October. Things go their quiet way, until something falls down from the sky. A homeless man goes to investigate and gets a gelatinous mass stuck to his hand. He is hit by a couple of teenagers in their car and taken to the local hospital, where the mass grows and devours the old man (and several others). Thus the Blob keeps on consuming people and growing, until near the end it is an enormous mass of swirling tentacles and slime, poised to take over the world, until one kid remembers that the thing can't stand cold. 

So you see, the story has the same beats as the original, because that was never the problem with the first one. Now it is set in the 80s and we still have a focus on a couple of teenagers, who quickly catch on what is happening, contrary to the adults. But what is massively different this time around, is that now you actually care for the people in the story. We spend a little more time with the teenagers and it is focused on three of them. 

Well, rapidly two for reasons I won't get into.

But that is a great idea, because thanks to their character development, you are hoping they get out of it all alive. It gives us that much needed emotional hook. Sure, they are a little stock. Shawnee Smith is a cheerleader who is more clever than people give her credit for and Kevin Dillon is a juvenile delinquent who also has a lot more qualities that people don't want to see, but still. They are likable. Also, the woman who runs the diner is a nice person and I hated to see her die. (sorry, minor spoiler)

But you know what really, truly and massively sets this one apart from the original? It's not just the dark humour, no. It's the fact that this time around, you see people getting dissolved and devoured in graphic detail, turning into a melting, gooey pink/purple ooze. It's fantastic how they pulled it off. Sure, there is one effect with a young Erika Eleniak that does look a tad iffy, and some of the compositing with miniatures doesn't really hold up anymore, but most of it is great stuff. The cook getting sucked through the waste disposal? The jumpscare of the police officer? And especially: the death of the first teenager in the story: they all look and feel decidedly gnarly, which is great for a film like this. This was clearly done with love and affection for the craft and if for nothing else, the makers should be applauded for this.

But let's not forget: this is one hell of a fun horrorfilm. It ups the ante in so many ways compared the the first version, that it is almost poetry. Okay, it doesn't have that laidback 50s cool, but it sure does everything else right.