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This 1988 Remake of a 1950s Sci-Fi Classic Was a Box Office Bomb, But Became a Cult Horror Hit
The 1988 remake of The Blob is one of the best horror remakes ever made, and it's streaming right now on Peacock.
Welcome to Hidden Horrors of Peacock, a monthly column spotlighting off-the-beaten-path scary movies available to watch right now on NBCUniversal's streaming service. From cult classics to forgotten sequels to indie gems you've maybe never heard of, we've got you covered.
Think about a great sci-fi horror film released in the 1980s that remade a 1950s sci-fi horror film of the same name. You probably thought of The Fly or The Thing, right?
Of course you did, because David Cronenberg and John Carpenter made legitimate masterpieces of their 1986 and 1982 films, respectively, creating not just some of the best horror of the 1980s, but some of the best horror ever, and two films that have to be considered anytime anyone asks the question, "Is any remake really better than the original?"
But The Fly and The Thing are not the only key players in this conversation. Near the end of the 1980s, director and co-writer Chuck Russell and co-writer Frank Darabont (yes, the Frank Darabont) teamed up for a modern, '80s-ified revamp of '50s sci-fi horror film The Blob, and along the way delivered one of the best doses of pure popcorn cinema fun you can find in '80s horror. So, if you're looking for more stuff to stream this Halloween, head over to Peacock and add this one to your list.
Why 1988's The Blob is one of the best horror remakes ever
Like its 1958 source material, The Blob follows a group of teenagers in a small town as they must fight against the title creature: a massive, amorphous, oozing... well, blob, that devours everything in its path. If you've seen the original film, which starred a young Steve McQueen, then you'll immediately see some similarities in the way the blob comes to the town, the first victims, and how various scenes unfold, right up to key sequences set in a movie theater and the same solution to the problem of the creature in the end.
Russell and Darabont, who collaborated on the screenplay, clearly wanted to capture some element of the 1950s small-town thriller for their remake, and they nail it, with the added embellishment of depicting a small ski town in California on its last legs, particularly with ski season approaching and no snow in the forecast. The people of the town see themselves as part of an America in decline, and it's reflected in the local teenagers, who are either punks, disconnected from small town life, or just plain ready to get out of there.
This added ingredient, the sense that the town might be devoured even without a massive alien blob, hangs heavy over the films teenage leads, played by Kevin Dillon and Shawnee Smith. He's a motorcycle hoodlum, she's the golden girl cheerleader. They don't make sense together, but when the blob comes to town, they're all each other has.
Russell and Darabont also wisely add a certain amount of U.S. Government intervention into the story, as Federal agents show up in hazmat suits ready to contain whatever's going on. Right away, you get the sense that they're not telling our heroes everything, and that we might be in for a twist or two, and it adds to the thrills of the story. Like the story of a town in decline, it's a sort of post-Watergate, anti-Reagan reaction to government that fits right into the late 1980s, but it never takes over the entire narrative. It's just there for a little extra flavor.
What does take over the narrative, of course, is the blob itself, which smashes through the town with some wonderful, stomach-churning visual effects as locals are crushed, swallowed, desiccated, and otherwise mangled by the creature. The film is just 90 minutes, and with the constant thread of inescapable, gore-inducing goo on the horizon, it flies by. It's one of those movies that's perfect for a night in front of the TV with friends, or background noise at your Halloween party, or for when you just want to make a big bowl of popcorn and enjoy yourself with a horror film that doesn't force you to grapple with mortality or trauma.
So, if you're still filling out your Halloween marathon plans, don't forget to throw in The Blob. It's been overshadowed by other films, but it truly is one of the best horror remakes ever.
The Blob is now streaming on Peacock. alongside tons of other scary fare just perfect for Halloween.
