The Blob Review - Off The Shelf Reviews

This week Gary and Iain review and discuss, The Blob (1988) by Director, Chuck Russell. Starring, Shawnee Smith and Kevin Dillon.
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[@christiancole4875]

The reason why the kid died is because his mom kept demanding to give him more scenes so the director decided to just kill him off to shut the mother up.

[@bswitzer1727]

karma

[@rustykuntz94]

The 2 surprise deaths here, actually 3 were Paul, The Sheriff (Jeffrey DeMunn) and Shawnee Smith's brothers friend (cause he was a pretty young kid).

[@christiancole4875]

@@rustykuntz94 Shawnee Smith's brother's friend was who I was referring to. His mother constantly hounded the director to give him more scenes until the director decided to kill him off lol

[@GODCONVOYPRIME]

​@@christiancole4875is that true?

[@BarryHart-xo1oy]

Wow,that’s creepy but it does make sense.

[@jwnj9716]

It's right up there with The Thing & The Fly. This is how you do a remake. When you see Frank Darabont's name, no one is safe, the guy is not afraid to take risks. Just like the Thing, the Blob doesn't mess around. Super underrated movie, so much fun, even a strawberry jam gets killed.

[@kellinwinslow1988]

Doesn't hold up as well as The Thing or Cronenburg's Fly but it's still a good remake.

[@acouelfoly]

Euuuuh.....no! It is not even close to be as good as those movies!

[@bswitzer1727]

all the blob movies are time capluse of the pop culture of its time 50's early 70's notice the clackers ,streaking communes illict brownies ect

[@kellinwinslow1988]

@@bswitzer1727 By "all" you mean the two? Lol. You are right about the culture observation,although that could be applied to almost all horror movies. Steven King wrote a whole chapter about that very topic in his book on horror, Danse Macabre. A better example might be the way in which all the Invasion of the Body Snatcher adaptions differ by decade.

[@22Tesla]

@@kellinwinslow1988 Agreed, but I think you can really get a better observation to cultural difference maybe just slightly more with the remakes, especially if it's a remake that follows the originals plot at it's major beats where it needs to. This film I'd say really is a good comparison of two cultures when you watch them side by side. Others you might need to squint a little bit more to see the comparison since some don't follow the full beats. Like The Thing From Another World has some elements shared with John Carpenter's The Thing but beat for beat, the plots are different to a point

[@jasonmorgan1543]

One of the best remakes ever made.

[@zombiejlt1]

Agreed, along with THE THING and the '79 INVASION OF THE BODY SNATCHERS.

[@Armageddon-yt3so]

oh absolutely

[@Emulous79]

And THE HILLS HAVE EYES.

[@zombiejlt1]

@@Emulous79 Forgot about that one. Thats a good.

[@jasonmorgan1543]

@@zombiejlt1 totally agree the thing and the invasion of the body snatchers remake are also included in the best. I love the ending of body snatchers the way it ends soooooo good

[@gnc623]

I like how this movie kinda played with typical expectations. At the start of the movie, you think the nice sweet boyfriend and his girlfriend will be the two main protagonists...but then the boyfriend gets killed off and the girlfriend ends up teaming up with the bad boy. And when one of the two boys dies. Gives you the feeling that no one is safe so you can't just automatically be like, "Okay, that person dies, this person won't die, that person will die," etc.

[@WrecklessEating]

I remember this scaring me as a kid. The deaths are awesome.

[@faz6877]

Love the practical effects in this movie. An under rated gem

[@rustykuntz94]

Great line in the beginning was when Paul & Shawnee Smith hit the guy in the road and Paul gets out of the car and sees Brian with him and sees the blob on the old mans hand he says "what the hell did you do to him?" & hysterically Brian shoots back "hey I wasn't the one who hit him with my car man". LOL

[@jorel4477]

Shawnee Smith and Erica Eleniak, two of my childhood crushes there. Great film, great review again lads. Well done

[@AubreyTheKing]

The Blob remake is freaking amazing! I definitely consider it one of the BEST top 3 horror remakes next to The Fly remake and of course, John Carpenter's The Thing! Great review as always guys! :)

[@Aristotle501]

Erika Eleniak was indeed in Under Siege (and boy do I ever remember her from that film?). You might also recognise her from her first film role: as the girl Elliott kisses in class in E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial.

[@JAGtheTrekkieGEMINI1701]

I love this movie! Esp. The female hero is so WELL crafted! Like Ripley! Something movies nowadays lack totally

[@your.dark.lord.]

No mary sues here

[@miikasuominen3845]

Shawnee Smith.... God Damn, that woman was cute! I absolutely adored her back then 😜

[@zombiejlt1]

When I saw her in SUMMER SCHOOL, instantly thought she was cute and love her in the SAW series.

[@HigHrvatski]

She's still cute.

[@skaro85]

I remember she played Jessie in the episode Firewalker X Files season 2! 😁

[@SaRENRampaiger]

@@HigHrvatski I'm surprised she's the same woman who played Amanda from the SAW series as Jigsaw's pawn henchwoman!

[@munstrumridcully]

Am I misremembering, or wasn't Shawnee Smith also in the Stand miniseries? As the crazy chick that wants to hook up with Rob Lowe but ends up going to Flagg in Vegas?

[@Arechz]

It feels like christmas everytime OTSR uploads! Amazing review as always guys

[@Jay-mu4xl]

It does doesn't it! Awesome channel!

[@retrogamerdave]

Fantastic guys, ive just woke up, its my 31st birthday and ive been waiting a long time for you guys to talk about this film. you go so in depth with the films :)

[@PaulKyriazi]

I was lucky to see this in the theater with a packed group, so when they cut from the projector booth to the wide shot of the audience screaming, it looked like the director was turning a mirror onto us.

[@dtiz10]

This movie was made in my grandma's hometown. Glad y'all love the movie as much as I do. Your reviews are the best out there.

[@jron5113]

Been there many times. Perfect town to film this.

[@williamlowery6487]

12:47 Where's the Return of the Living Dead 2 review at though?

[@AarenJable]

Thanks guys, I loved this when I was a kid.

[@KaiserSoze-vx6vo]

This movie is one of the best horror remakes of all time. The special effects are practical and not CGI BS. I saw it when the movie came to the Army base theater I was stationed at in Ga. It is worth a watch.

[@suddenlyfrogs9504]

I was way to young when I first watched this, which I think it's why it still unnerves me to this day. One of the best horror movies and a /fine/ remake.

[@dmccampbell]

Great choice. Have this in blu ray collection. It's a must have.

[@DavyDredd14]

As scary as 'The Blob' is, the Absolute Horror of this Film is Kevin Dillon's hair..

[@williamhiers1280]

The 80s were a barbaric time...

[@manwiththeplan4130]

😂😂😂😂😂

[@michaelrussell3890]

One face you missed. One of the military guys (Jennings) was played by Robert Axelrod, AKA Lord Zedd

[@LunaSDominni]

Thank you for reviewing this! I couldn't believe how many of my friends had never seen this film. Definitely an underated classic!

[@danielcrick8871]

Been waiting for this review guys! Thank you, great discussion and analysis!

[@dermottcolee145]

Been watching since you guys had a small fan base, still as dedicated as ever and just as good as ever. Keep up the awesome work fellas 👍

[@giantjulez9632]

I saw this movie on HBO in a hotel when I was 12 and it viscerally scared me in a way no movie ever had or has since. I was absolutely terrified. I couldn't sleep the entire night after. Growing up after, I was always kind of ashamed that this was the movie that scared me so bad. When I would have convos with people about scary movies and bring up this one, people would laugh at me, so I was always thinking retrospectively that I was just a wimpy kid and it wasn't that scary of a film. After watching it again many years later, I am no longer ashamed to admit how badly this film scared me. The imagery is straight up nightmarish. The brutal and sudden violence is truly horrific, and thing that I realize now that scared me so badly was the indiscriminate and completely off guard nature of such violence . I have since grown to absolutely love this film that scared me SO bad as a kid. One of the great remakes of all time.

[@readhistory2023]

The priest's face got messed up when the blob plugged the end of the flame thrower causing it to explode. You can see the tiny bit of arching flame that heads towards his face.

[@Grandmastergav86]

Never seen the remake. The Mask is brilliant WTF? Lol

[@brothercartman]

came here to say the same thing lol I love The Mask

[@mistermatix8241]

I heard that too! The Mask is a classic!

[@controlZchannel]

Grandmastergav86 I find The Mask obnoxious. Loved it as a kid.

[@josh72456]

The mask doesn't have a great story.

[@markpugh6808]

This Blob is more graphic and gory than the original starring Steve McQueen

[@kirk1701]

I remember the priest as one of Capone's men in the 1987 film "The Untouchables."

[@Madbandit77]

Del Close!

[@ghostrickalucard488]

That's what always kinda broke the movie for me is the rules of the monster. The Thing was ambiguous on purpose and we were never really supposed to know how it works. The Blob seems to have plot powers and does whatever it needs to advance the plot.

[@zombiejlt1]

That's awesome, I saw so many of my favorites late at night when the adults went to bed, this one included. When I got to see it unedited on cable I loved it even more. I always saw the VHS box but no one would ever rent it for me. To this day I always feel bad for the homeless man at the beginning and oh my that kid in the sewer. These effects are soo good even to this day. And I love how it goes against the grain and does what we don't expect it to do. Way before the child facehugger scene in AVPR. Awesome review guys! I definitely want to get the Bluray of this and if I find the VHS copy.

[@kellinwinslow1988]

It's funny that you guys did this film. The Critical Drinker was just talking about how some films should be remade and some should remain untouched. Masterpieces like the 59' Ben Hur or The Exorcist should be left alone. Films that have potential but aren't quite there like The Black Hole or the original Blob are the ones that should be remade. Frank Darabont also wrote for Young Indiana Jones as well. Pretty interesting. Also nice to see you guys coming up on 20k subscribers.

[@libertatemadvocatus1797]

I agree. Remakes do best when they had a lot of potential, but due to budget or censorship or poor script/direction the movie failed to live up to it. Like I think Event Horizon could be remade. I like the original, but it clearly didn't live up to what it could have been.

[@kellinwinslow1988]

@@libertatemadvocatus1797 Funny that you mentioned that since the Critical Drinker just did a video about that as did Val Verde. I agree it's interesting,great start to the movie,but it kind of falls apart in the 3rd act. I believe they are doing a show about Even Horizon so we'll see how that goes.

[@carlosarmandovegavazquez7038]

Kevin Dillon's uber mullet is the scariest thing I've ever seen.

[@Sawlon]

23:53 Willie Brown ( Joe Seneca ) from Crossroads.

[@0verd0semedia]

The guy that gets sucked into the sink was the skeavy orderly in Dream Warriors.

[@edwardwilliams2438]

1988...God love the 80's! Questionable hairstyles..tight sweaters..cowboy boots.This movie for me was big fun and a certain creep factor. The special effects are stellar for the time period. The director gives us visuals and shock value. You sort of expect this to be a cheap ripoff..but...Damn..the jump scares are great. Also...killing kids...Wow!! a Hollywood no no. This movie did not disappoint. When the deputy gets pulled through the bookcase was just mind blowing for me, as a young viewer. Also the Blob strutts his/her stuff...melting and heat slapping victims off the street. Nice! Great remake...nice review guys. You really give some food for thought on your critique.....thanks for the viewpoints.

[@DanielleSouthcott]

"Fuck that for a laugh." - Thanks for my new catchphrase.

[@unknownspeciman]

this is such an underrated remake. I only discovered it last year 2bh it didn't do well at the time and it's so overlooked I couldn't find DVD in any shops had to buy a German copy of the DVD off Amazon. love it!!

[@davyheijlands1956]

Can't believe you guys finally reviewed this movie. I added to my platlist so I can watch it tonight.

[@rustykuntz94]

Funny how Jeffrey DeMunn (Dale from Walking Dead) pops up in so many of your reviews. This, The Mist, X Files movie, Green Mile.

[@cdevil9488]

At 35:18, disappointed they didn't mention Brian's line... "I think you just pissed it off."

[@fuzzydunlop1753]

Isn't that "I always leave room for Jell-O" line from like Ghostbusters or something? Anyone? Cause I'm not sure and it's driving me slightly nuts lol.

[@williamhiers1280]

Ghostbusters II. Winston says he hates Jell-O and Venkman says "There's always room for Jell-O!"

[@fuzzydunlop1753]

Yeah it's all coming back to me now, it's when they're riding the statue of liberty right? Cool, thanks friendo.

[@martinszczepanski3698]

I watched this movie when I was 7 years old. I am still trying to pick up pieces of my shattered mind ;) One of The best and most underrated horror movies of all time.

[@bswitzer1727]

the original was based on a real life incident in pittsberg in the early 50's google star jelly also known as salamander eggs

[@SenorSlim1]

Thanks for the vid. U guys always make me feel like I actually have friends.with something in common. and I appreciate it

[@neonsmoviereviews7969]

This and The Mist is an equally good Frank Darabont pairing as Shawshank and Green Mile

[@Shaathurray]

I saw this film when i was 13 late at night. The scene where paul is diasolved by the blob is what made me turn it off. Terrified me that something like that might exist. Took me a few years to watch it again.

[@bertfechner417]

You just got me thinking? The Thing vs The Blob? Who would win? Would the thing be able to assimilate and imitate the blob or would the the blob just dissolve and consume the thing?

[@libertatemadvocatus1797]

I think the blob would win. Just surround the Thing, melt it, and consume it.

[@TheMikeskillz]

Bert Fechner irresistible force vs immovable object. I guess it comes down to which organism is able to absorb the other faster.

[@rockyl9120]

I think the blob would try to consume the thing, but the thing would slowly assimilate the blob along with all the humans and animal cells that the blob has consumed.

[@bswitzer1727]

@@rockyl9120 yep the thing would assimulate the blob with it gentic libaray and become a cold reieitant blob

[@libertatemadvocatus1797]

I have been waiting for you guys to do this review for a while.

[@retroworld8090]

Awesome review. I watched this when I was maybe 5 and it scared the hell out of me. Excellent movie, has the 80s look, feel and vibe but isn't cheesy. It takes itself seriously and excels. 9.5/10.

[@jackcraven2266]

Love this movie! IMO, this and The Thing are best horror remakes of all times! I hope that they will never do another one, but i have to say, the artwork of Rob Zombie's version which was supposed to have Planet Terror-like Blob zombies (wtf?) did looked interesting, but not enough to make me want to see it.

[@rustykuntz94]

Was there a more stereotypical 80's bad boy than Brian (Kevin Dillon) in The Blob?! The misfit attitude, the mullet, leather jacket, loner

[@paulhirst7602]

Great review lads to a criminally underrated creature feature. All done with cracking practical effects before the saturation of CGI. Gets more respect nowadays than when it was originally released.

[@waynesWyrdWorld]

Kevin Dillon does the best "complete dickhead" acting ever! Is there a decent uk blu ray release of this yet?

[@guyjperson]

I was a big supporter of this film from the time I saw it until the 90s end. Somehow I sort of forgot about it. Great movie. Good one to cover. I'd totally forgotten the Boyfriend Melts scene. Gonna have to find it again. Thanks for the review, gents. Good job, as always.

[@Thememester6500]

This my favorite remake ever to be brutal honest . I can't think of a remake that i love as much as this gem . It needs more love .

[@jack_meoff69]

One of my favorites. Great review, guys

[@danieldoesdumbstuff]

I just realized that the blob is trying to pull Paul out of the window

[@williamhiers1280]

The bit about part of the blob getting on you apart from the main mass and melting you that you guys discuss is actually used in a few other blob monster stories. In particular the novels The Clone by Theodore L. Thomas and Kate Wilhelm (which also features a scene of someone sucked down a sink) and Slime by William Essex. In The Clone, part of it gets onto a doctor's arm separated from the main mass. They cut his arm off to save him. An intern isn't as lucky; it goes under the skin and absorbs him from the inside out even after they amputate his arm. In Slime, a farmer runs over the main mass with his tractor and the combine causes some of it to spray in his face. These little droplets are enough to eat into him and kill him. A later scene has a truck driver run the blob over and the wheels cut it in two. Half continues across the road, while the other half gets the trucker when he of course stops to get out and see what it is he hit. And Anthony did tell a soldier about Meg, Kevin and Eddie. You even showed the scene of him doing it.

[@MrEnergee1987]

Have u guys ever heard of three o’clock high??that movie came out a year prior to the blob

[@pho3nixinflight]

MrEnergee1987 I love that movie!

[@MrSleepyweezul]

I remember watching this with my mom as a child. This was one of my first horror movies, and the first movie I ever saw where a kid dies. That was scary as hell back then. But my family was real big on horror stuff, so I was never afraid for very long.

[@rawbones4117]

You guys should watch the 50s Blob too. That one is great!

[@davidskime1613]

I know its nostalgia but I actually liked the scorpion king back in the day

[@Armageddon-yt3so]

same here

[@rockyl9120]

Haven’t seen this for years, was a big fan of it when it first came out. Great review 👍

[@johnashley327]

Remember renting this from West coast video.

[@paulpouliot9355]

I love The Blob remake. Sure there are scenes that could have used a bit more work, but man, I enjoyed it. I think it's a great companion to The Thing and even its prequel. A nice trilogy even if it wasn't intended to be.

[@gran-roan]

Was always aware about it, but assumed it was just trashy b-movie horror-wanna be movie. I just watched it yesterday (per other channel's suggestion), and was surprised on how good it actually is. The tone and pacing are on point, with enough moments to soak on the atmosphere, enjoy the character's interactions, and getting marinated for the next Blob appearance. Not only several actors are recognizable, but several of them end up having memorable bits. The films deserves a better soundtrack, because the effects, some dialogue, the script and the constants swerves really make it stand out way more than it should. Having a kid being killed in such a graphic way, really cemented it. I always recognize Shawnee Smith for a short lived comedy series "Becker", and of course later on the Saw movie. And she really gives her character the credibility of being vulnerable, but strong when the time calls. As a side note, the intro is great and I really crave for a movie that has kind of atmosphere (other than the Day of the Dead. Think I already saw the Tommyknockers, but don't remember it fondly) .

[@metalnerd1979]

i first saw it on tv when i was 13 or 14 and i directly loved this movie.

[@Stereostupid]

The blob reminds me of a long episode of creepshow like the Stephen King episode with the comit mixed with the tar blob episode from creepshow 2 combined!definitely a fantastic movie the effects are great

[@bentramer682]

Could you please make a review of The Hills Have Eyes (1977)? it seems just like something you would love.

[@majdo007]

The story of a black forest pudding. Also 10:55 face is like this Scream painting.

[@xxrocketshark216xx4]

Yass!!!!! Ngl, ive wanted to see you guys review this since i discovered your channel

[@barricade1391]

Great film. About time you reviewed it!

[@jaymanuel3396]

Big fan of the original and the remake. Awesome review!

[@aleaanderson6600]

I've been looking forward to a review of this awesome remake!

[@catspaw3092]

I forgot to add Ian & Gary should do a review of The Count of Monte Cristo it's got a very young Henry Cavil in it.

[@hudsonthejojo2825]

Anyone else think it would be really cool if we got a remake/reboot/sequel of Killer Klowns from Outer Space that was like The Blob remake but instead there's a much greater emphasis on dark comedy?

[@winstonmontgomery8211]

Awesome review guys 👍

[@handsomestik]

very underrated remake, almost as good as Body Snatchers 1978.

[@allencampbell3350]

After a viewing with the family on HBO back in 89 or 90, my brother decided it would be funny to drop a handful of The Real Ghostbusters ectoplasm on my shoulder. I jumped up and threw my little sister out of the way to get the hell away from it.

[@Lynncee94]

I will always think this thing is related to the creepshow ep where they kids go to the lake on the pontoon and the acid lake scum eat them. That and the one where Steven king gets taken over by the green grass meteor thingo... nightmare city so blob and Steven king ruined my dreams hahaha strangly enough still a horror fan decades later

[@Chrisfeb68]

Could you please consider reviewing some of the older sci-fi and horror movies from the 40s 50s and 60s please.

[@RebornRockerVids]

I've gotta go to work right now but I can't wait to get in later and watch this review 👍 I love this movie

[@jaymanuel3396]

Love your videos guys!!! Correction, the waitress played by the awesome Candy Clark, is named Fran. Penny is Meg’s last name.

[@Mario_N64]

I knew some of the guys who worked on the FX. Amazingly, they didn't go on to major careers in Hollywood.

[@acountryboysopinion6001]

The movie projectionist on the ceiling is a "ROUGH SCENE " also.

[@readhistory2023]

Pretty much any shot of it on the ceiling didn't work at all except where the "good kid" at the hospital has it drop down on him from the ceiling. That one worked.

[@CDubya.82]

Wow. I so wanna see this again. I think I seen it many years ago.

[@commanderkruge]

Hm - you say the Blob can dissolve anything but "chooses" not to eat through walls and stuff - but to me it's quite obvious, that it only can eat through ORGANIC material. Which would make sense. And it doesn't "eat" the phonecell - it crushes it. We've just seen how strong that thing is in the kitchen. Hence the priest can keep a bit of it in a jar.

[@bswitzer1727]

nor dose it eat grass ect it feed on blood and anything in its way to the blood and that evidence would ruin it boy who cried wolf theme of the original and son of blob the blob doesn't leave evidence the first 2 films it is a more stealth monster you don't know its there ti'll it ears you

[@Chris-ci8vs]

I've always had a thing for Shawnee Smith.

[@MM-cu9kd]

Weirdo 😂 another great review gentlemen am watching all the reviews I’ve missed as always great content 👍

[@rosefarrell2440]

I swear i watched that same saturday night showing of the film on itv. Were about the same age too so im sure. The film is Awesome.

[@volksfestchecker838]

Great film, great review!

[@DrRockso79]

Funny thing about Son of Blob, it was directed by Larry Hagman (JR from Dallas) heh.

[@bswitzer1727]

and del close was reverned meeker he was in the son of blob sending larry hagmen and burgis meradof to there bloby end the hobo with the eye patch working at bobbys farm

[@bswitzer1727]

the current bluray of son of blob has an excellent commentary from kino lober the problem of the film its a celebraty fan film with partial understanding of the of its lore unless the unappetizing fly aclod bloodied animal was a mosquito the reason the blob is red because it stores blood as fat s it in the original it was transient silicon gel

[@solutionless123]

The only thing that can stop this is cold, this is clearly the perfect weapon to use against Russia

[@angewomon143]

I assume when it melts thing that aren’t humans, animals, living flesh etc, that it’s the blob drooling out the acid/it’s stomach lining because it seems to have a protective layer to keep the acid for digestion inside itself u less it chooses not too

[@harukamier1604]

ive been waiting for thisssss!

[@Tony-1971]

The effects are incredible in this fantastic movie. They couldn't improve on this film with a modern cgi version. Not in my opinion anyway.

[@jamesesparza6893]

now i know that phone booths are a thing of the past but you didnt need to put money in to call 911, not that, that takes away anything from the movie.

[@blaze556922]

Great review guys. I always thought the melted woman in the theater got that way because a large blob tentacle was going past her for someone else and grazed her.

[@DeltaAssaultGaming]

Keep up the good work guys. You’ve really filled in the gaping hole left by Oliver Harper when he started making his documentaries and put out less videos.