Review of The Blob (1958) by Cameron J — 03 Oct 2013

What can I say about a movie like The Blob? On most given "bad" b-movies, it is fairly easy to discern whether the film is simply awful or so bad it's good. Rarely can these movies actually be considered "good"; it is simply a matter of whether the film knows what it is dealing with or whether it is in too deep for its own good. I feel that The Blob falls under the latter category, but in an unorthodox esteem. The problem is not that it is in over its head (in fact the film is quite good for b-movie standards), but rather that it does not know what to do with itself once it has taken off. Is this film meant to be a midnight spook show cheese-fest, as the premise suggests, or a full-fledged horror film? Honestly, I am not able to discern which is the correct answer. It seems to aim for a cheesy outlook, but none of those elements are necessarily present. Instead what we get is eighty minutes of characters being absorbed by schlocky jello-monsters, but not always in a comedic or even light fashion; in fact, blood-curdling screams seem to be the norm for these poor doomed folks.

To be fair, the film is, by definition, better than most b-movies of the time. The characters are actually developed and believable, and for the most part the performances are solid, especially that of Steve McQueen in his first starring role. Even in this low-budget cheese flick, he proves his acting chops that would later showcase him as one of the greatest stars of the 1960s and 1970s. What is exceptional about the part is that McQueen does not necessarily take himself too seriously, yet still maintains a level of professionalism that makes his character likeable and realistic.

The plot is thin, but at least there is a plot. This is exceptional in itself, as most b-movies of the time (or any time) were rather lacking in the story department. The story begins when a young couple (Steve McQueen and Aneta Corsaut) is out in Lover's Lane when they witness a meteorite crash into Earth, so they decide to investigate. As it turns out, they have just witnessed an alien substance fall to Earth that latches onto its victims and absorbs them until completely digested. Each time that this occurs, the Blob grows larger and larger until it becomes a viable threat to the whole town. This is not award-winning material, but at least it has substance, twists, and a quick-paced storyline. I especially admire the teenagers' pleas to the police only to be completely ignored by the force. Again, this is not groundbreaking stuff, but it is better than nothing, and certainly one of the highlights of the plot.

Unfortunately, despite these well-done aspects, the film suffers from an irritating sense of mediocrity. I did not hate it (as stated before, for the standards, it is in fact a decent piece of film), but I was not so engrossed as to call it a cult favorite, as many, many people already have. It has all of the elements of a decent horror film and all the elements of a fun cheesy flick but cannot seem to decide which one to approach, instead melding the two in a format that just does not pay off well in the end.