For many horror and science fiction fans, remaking a classic film is pure taboo. While there are some great exceptions that even the most die hard purists will make exceptions for (John Carpenter’s 1982 film The Thing being among the most notable), the thoughts of others like the 1998 Gus Van Sant Psycho remake are enough to make many of us run for the exits. For The Walking Dead showrunner Frank Darabont, his 1988 remake of The Blob is one that has fans strictly divided.
The Blob From 1988
The Blob opens with a meteorite shooting across the California night sky and crashing near a spot where a transient is camping for the evening. After his curiosity gets the better of him, he gets a little too close to the slimy ball that landed and has it leap from the meteorite and secure itself to his hand. He is found wandering by three teenagers, who take the old man to the emergency room.
Grows Into A Horror
The blob that has stuck itself to the old man is slowly devouring him. After he’s left at the hospital, one of the teens, Paul (Donovan Leitch) sticks around long enough to see the gelatinous formation growing in size as it has consumed the bottom part of the old man’s body. Before he can signal for help, he is attacked by the creature and consumed entirely.
The Blob In A Small Town
The other two teens, Brian (Kevin Dillon) and Meg (Shawnee Smith), arrive just in time to see their friend being devoured by the growing blob.
As they make their exit, the blob enters the sewers and begins to move about the small town. After the military is called in to investigate the site of the meteorite crash, the community is quarantined, forcing a showdown that will put the wits of the town against the blob.
Different Than The 1950s Version
The Blob takes a different approach from the 1950s classic it’s based on. The modern version’s updated special effects certainly elevate the film above the original, and the storyline, which is largely seen through the eyes of teens, should have made it more of a hit.
But The Blob was a commercial flop, barely making $8 million across a $10 production budget.
The Blob wasn’t well received by the critics of the time, either, as most publications panned the film. In recent years, the remake has earned a strong and loyal cult following, however. For a movie that was an initial flop, it commands a decent 66% rating across the critics on Rotten Tomatoes.
Frank Darabont Wrote The Script
The Walking Dead’s Frank Darabont served as the co-screenwriter for The Blob, sharing that credit with Chuck Russell.
Darabont went on to either write or direct other horror films in the time between this remake and the beginning of everyone’s favorite zombie series, including The Mist, The Fly 2, and Buried Alive.
His co-writer for The Blob, Russell, also served as director and had already gained notoriety among fans from his previous horror film A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors.
Streaming The Blob
The Blob remake is a great spin on a classic science fiction film and serves as one of the better entries in the realm of modern retellings of beloved older movies. It truly is a gem from the 1980s, when fans were far more into horror films at the theaters than they were science fiction. The Blob oozes with 3.5/5.0-stars.
You can watch The Blob On Demand and judge for yourself. The movie is available through Vudu, Google Play, AppleTV, and Prime.
