“How do you get people to protect themselves from something they don't
believe in?”
While there have been some remakes and a sequel to the classic 1958 film The Blob, the original is the only one that matters.
Not only does it star Steve McQueen (in his debut role!) but there's something about the amorphous mass that eats people – and even engulfs an entire building – that is both scary and just a bit silly at the same time. There is also an undercurrent of the quintessential ‘50s theme of teens vs. cops, and you’re rooting for McQueen to break through a general sheen of teen prejudice in the town so that he can save the day.
Parts of the movie were filmed in Phoenixville, PA, and that town’s recently restored Colonial Theater is featured in a famous scene where moviegoers run in terror out into the streets, as the Blob suddenly appears during a screening of Daughter of Horror (a very strange film with an interesting history all its own!). Phoenixville celebrates the town’s 15 minutes of fame with an annual “Blobfest,” and one of the events is a re-enactment of the scene, where townspeople and tourists have the chance to run from the theater, screaming in their amateur-acting best.
Parents can feel good about the storyline offering up positive spins on concepts such as community, responsibility, honesty, prejudice, and the feel-good meme of doing the right thing. And in the meantime, you can have a good, ol’ fashioned, scary movie night with the kids.
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Whaaaaat?!? The Blob was Steve McQ's first? THAT must've been embarrassing in the later years ...
ReplyDeleteThe Blob is my first scarry film that i can recall from childhood - but even then I knew it was cheesy. I agree this is a good one. Hey - have you cosnsidered The Mummy? The orginal version with Boris Karlof? It's prety slow paced - but it's good fun for Mummy to watch The Mummy.
ReplyDeleteI was all set to write about Invaders of Mars, but then I refreshed my memory on it, and I think it's not really appropriate for kids! The Blob WAS just cheesy enough... but IOM has that scary theme of everyone you know and love being replaced and i talked to a few people who seem to remember being a bit traumatized by it! Ha.
ReplyDeleteYour idea re: the Mummy is great, along with all those old horror films ... I'd love to write up the original Frankenstein, etc. In order to really recommend them for certain ages, I'll need to re-watch... Oh, where does the time go... (But I intend to, and will roll out a whole slew of Halloween movies soon.)