Thursday, July 2, 2009

Indescribable...Indestructible! Nothing Can Stop it! The BLOB!



Beware of the Blob! It creeps and leaps and glides across the floor. It crawls... It creeps... It eats you alive!
Don't you just love it? It doesn't get any better than this! In 1958, this independently made science fiction/horror film depicted a giant amoeba alien that terrorizes the small town of Downington, Pennsylvania. Today this film is a cult classic.
The film was Steve McQueen's third feature film, but his first starring role. Because of him, this film became a hit in the drive-in theaters. Aneta Corsaut played his girlfriend and Olin Howland was the elderly old man.
In the film, the Blob comes from outer space and lands on earth inside a meteor. The two teenagers, McQueen and Corsaut drive the car to find out where it landed. Meanwhile, the elderly man heard the crash too, finds it and pokes it with a stick.
The rock breaks open and voila! There's the blob which crawls up the stick and attaches itself to his hand. It's all over from there.
By the time the teenagers get the old guy to the doctor's office, it engulfs him and eats the doctor and nurse too.
The film ends with the words, "The End", which then morphs into a question mark. Will the Blob return? Only time will tell.
The blob was filmed in Valley Forge, Pennsylvania and several scenes were filmed in Downington. If you are around that area on July 10Th, don't miss the Blob Fest and Ball in Phoenixville, Pennsylvania.
During this movie, Steve McQueen was offered $2,500 or 10% of the profits. He took the $2,500 for food and rent,not thinking this film would be a hit. Little did he know, this film ended up grossing $4 million.
What was the Blob made of, you ask? It was originally created with a modified weather balloon for the sky shots and later made from silicone gel.
Wes Hark, a horror movie fan and collector, actually owns the Blob. It was love at first fright!



The Blob - Movie Poster - 27 x 40
The Blob - Criterion Collection

3 comments:

ethelmaepotter! said...

I cannot believe the timing of this post. Just last night, a friend at work told me she had seen "Miss Crump," from Andy Griffith, on "some old movie," and neither she nor I could think of the name of it! I said, "I know it's not 'Creature from the Black Lagoon', but that's all I can think of." 'The Blob'! Of course! Thank you so much!

Les Barr said...

I remember seeing this Movie. Back in the 60's this was a good Movie. I seem to remember paying just $.25. A box of popcorn was $.20 . . . if you wanted butter on it $.25 If you had $1.00 in your pocket, back then, you and your Date could have a good time. Sadly, those day's are gone, never to return.

Timoteo said...

This was the kind of movie you wanted to take your date to at the drive in...when she got scared, she'd just about jump in your lap!