The Blob (1988) - re:View

11:30 Snow globe foreshadowing for me was that I watched "The Blob" and then watched "Krampus"

Eric Topp

The Blob looks like Whitney Cummings in the thumbnail.

Kevin Krull

Can our Patreon dollars not cover a couple space heaters for the set?

Mike Verta

I'm surprised that Jay doesn't care about the original "The Blob" - doesn't he know it's now in the Criterion Collection? That puts it directly in his artsy-fartsy wheelhouse.

DonMac

For some reason this always showed on tv along with the "Invaders from Mars" remake.

Harold

What's the issue?

Gar Kelleher

Update: I watched it! I really enjoyed it. More than I thought I would honestly. I didn't even notice the toy snow maker truck at the end I was so enthralled.

Jessica

Eating humans etal probably isn't the healthiest lifestyle. Perhaps a vegan blob? It would certainly reduce methane levels from explosive blob flatulence. I think that someone should pitch "The Blob-Meatless" That would go down better with today's audiences.

Paul Spence

Am I too late to get a hard copy of Space Cop?

John Webb

"... teenagers aren't just lying crime machines." :D Thank you for that.

Jessie Zimmer

"I'm happy for this review, and I'm even happier Frank Darabont survived having his scalp ripped off by a lion." This made my day...! :D

Manuel Johnen

I'm happy for this review, and I'm even happier Frank Darabont survived having his scalp ripped off by a lion. It's too bad you're immune to the charms of the original "The Blob", though. Its talkiness is in the service of a heartfelt plea for authority figures to understand that teenagers aren't just lying crime machines. If teens start acting weird or suddenly looking 40 years old, maybe it's because they saw raspberry jam eat the town physician. Isn't that a message the coming 1960s could get behind?

Kurt

Jay edited this one. Guarantee it ended up on the cutting room floor. No WAY Mike didn't mention it.

LB876

Oh be nice!

Gar Kelleher

Yeah, I like the remake a lot (and the original too) but I hate the secret government experiment (or whatever) subplot. It was completely unnecessary and the movie would've been better without it.

DonMac

What fun revisiting this movie! You’ve made me want to track down a Blu-Ray (I’m sure a million other people want to as well, haha). Thanks for the stuff about locations in particular - it’s stuff I’d never, ever get to see otherwise because I don’t live in the US. It’s really interesting to see that behind the scenes stuff!

Ben-K

I SAW THAT SHOW! Bloody amazing! And the documentary is absolutely fantastic, yes! The amount of detail and care that went into making the show is incredible. I think my favourite part was where they were explaining how a particular book was made, and they were like “well, this isn’t an earth book, so it wouldn’t open left to right. It sort of unfolds piece by piece to reveal more” and they demonstrate it, and there’s all this intricate information on each page that you’d never see BUT THEY DID IT ALL ANYWAY. Also Hup is such a great character. You can set your Netflix profile pic to Hup, and that is great.

Ben-K

Also, the theater featured in the movie was not a set in LA, but was actually the old Frank's Theater in Abbeville, LA - you can read more about it here: http://cinematreasures.org/theaters/27993.

Mogomra Zero

For puppet work in recent years ABSOLUTLY check out "The Crystal Calls" on Netflix. It's the making of of "the dark Cristal: age of resistance". Sadly nobody saw that show and probably it's not for everyone, but the puppetry is SO amazing. https://www.netflix.com/watch/80238013?trackId=13752289&tctx=0%2C1%2Cd3bc28124fac6f5df32d6099e06b8a3518d9d4c1%3Af2b7ae618edc8435d74b24e78c1af1a3e4c38164%2Cd3bc28124fac6f5df32d6099e06b8a3518d9d4c1%3Af2b7ae618edc8435d74b24e78c1af1a3e4c38164%2Cunknown%2C

Michael Matzat

He was one of David's friends, right? I recognized rapey guy from his later stints on Guiding Light and All My Children. Those formative years in front the tv sure have paid off. :)

Lisa

I had a summer job in Toronto in the summer of ‘88. I made plans to go see “The Blob”. But then my g/f showed and those plans were scuttled. I never did end up seeing it.

Mike St Louis

Another "that guy" moment in The Blob is the kid that is killed in the sewers, played by Douglas Emerson. He was in the original series Beverly Hills, 90210 and played Scott Scanton, the kid that shoots himself while playing with a gun (I think only a female who went to school in the 90s and who watched this show would actually notice). I guess studios like to see him die.

rachel

Another good body-horror film I don't hear mentioned a lot but is worth watching is Dead Ringers, also by David Cronenberg.

rachel

I haven't seen The Blob, but now I'm interested in seeing The Blob. I'll spare you any comparisons of The Blob to contemporary developments in the world, but instead reaffirm that it's really good to see you guys discuss movies like you always did. The flow of the editing feels nicely smooth, I especially like the cut after the shot with Mike sipping from his mug. @11:28

Marvin Falz

I really loved this movie, when I was 14 and I've watched it dozens of times... that was not a smart move, repeated viewings really make its flaws come out that take "The Blob" down several notches below the level of "The Thing" or "The Fly", which are much superior movies. The one plot point I REALLY hate about "The Blob" which almost ruins it for me is that the army wants to conceal the organism and use it as some kind of bio weapon or a means of biological defense against the Russians, right? How the fuck is THAT supposed to work? How do you plan to use the blob, which is an uncontrollable organism that consumes everything in its path and potentially threatens all life on the planet in a war like scenario against an enemy army? I can't wrap my head around it and it makes a good portion of this movie nonsensical for me... :(

Manuel Johnen

The movie that ruined my life... <3

Manuel Johnen

I’ve always intentionally avoided body-horror films but then I saw The Thing a couple years back and it was so good that I was like alright, fine. So I’m slowly making my way through some of them until I’m brave enough to watch The Fly. This one was a lot of fun. That opening scene really is such a perfect way to establish the setting and tone, and the little subversion is great. All the deaths are horrific and awful and the blob’s disgusting flesh colored prolapse near the end made me want to die. Oh and yeah the lighting in the forest really stood out to me, very alien and ethereal.

Rhea

"We're more reliable than James Cameron" should be on a T-shirt.

Jessie Zimmer

Oh great. Now I'll be thinking about this all week.

Silentphil9

What if The Blob ate The Thing?

Amy Hitchner

Sometimes I like to slow down the Re:view videos during the title sequence to read the video case spines and get a sense of what the RLM crew members' non B movie collection must looks like.

Michael Parker

Prince of Darkness, dammit!!

Silentphil9

It's pronounced "Abbey Ville", Mike. I live about 30 miles north of it - its still a small town that hasn't changed much, most of the locations from the film of the town are still there. Also, graveyards next to football fields are fairly common here in south Louisiana.

Sarzac

Awesome Re:View. Though you need to do your promised commentary track for AVP Requim now, since you haven't yet.

Twisted Wishes

This conversation reminded me of a special effect that DIDN'T hold up. Of course I'm talking about the blood in The Exorcist 1! What a silly color and consistency! Straight from a comedy! LOL!

Masa

Mike didn't even bring up the black tar monster that killed tasha yar! Is something wrong with him?

Charlie Castle

The Blob remake is from an era when remakes of old sci-fi movies were actually good (such as the remakes of The Thing, Invasion of the Body Snatchers, The Fly, Invaders From Mars, and Night of the Living Dead)

DonMac

I remember watching this as a kid and loving it. Wow. Blast from the past.

Also "Attack of the Killer Tomatoes" has one of the funniest jokes I've ever seen in a movie...

Manuel Johnen

You guys were talking about bad 50s movie and I immediately thought of Attack of the Killer Tomatoes (even though its from the 70s.) You guys should review that movie. It is a lot of talking, but its a spoof movie and I think you'd appreciate it.

Amanda Hockman

The way Patreon is set up all the messages say that. Other people I follow does the same thing. Probably a default?

Kendi Lawton

I honestly dont understand how this is patreon only? little help? As claimed by this email subject line: "Red Letter Media's new patron-only video: "The Blob (1988) - re:View"

John R

I can remember this movie on one of the old non network stations back in the 90s... remember those? It's one of those movies that really captures your attention due to the pacing and distinct look of the blob. Hell of a job, Jay and Mike.

AllGoodNamesRGone

THIS gets 45 fucking minutes...?!? Are you fucking kidding me??? :/

Manuel Johnen

Love this version of The Blob. Pleased you did a re:View of it and can't wait to see what you guys have to say about it.

rachel

This is serving as my annual reminder to finally watch the Blob. Thank you 🙏🏻

Jessica

I saw this movie when I was way too young. I was like fucking 6.

Daniel E. Passaro

So this is a movie about Rich Evans?

SphericalKitten

Hoping I die watching Red Letter Media 📺😵

Helena

Oh my God, I'm both excited and terrified by this review. I never saw the movie, and when Jay mentioned it in the previous Re:View, I was intrigued to learn about it. At the same time, that scene they showed was so effective and horrifying in visuals and sound design that it stuck in my brain for days and anytime I thought of it, my stomach would turn and I'd feel miserable. (ETA: I'm in my mid thirties. I thought I was past this.) Red Letter Media - ruining my life again! Can't wait!

The Constable

Excellent timing, was just about to open YouTube to find something to listen to at work. Hope you guys have been well!

Joshua Mannix

👍👍👍😎😎😎

Joseph Mazza