Review of The Blob (1958) by Glen O — 17 Aug 2011

Steve McQueen made his feature debut in this 1958 classic monster movie that touches every cliché. McQueen stars as a teen named Steve who nearly hits a farmer with his car late one night. The farmer turns out to be infected with a bizarre ooze that came off of a meteorite.

Try as he may, McQueen cannot convince any of the adults of the impending alien menace. This film stutters out of the gate with some poor writing and some powerfully bad performances from the supporting cast.

McQueen is quite good in his role, but his girlfriend and various cronies are not. It doesn't help that the script is a tad overwritten and many of the characters simply talk too damn much. That being said, The Blob is enjoyable in that 50's monster movie kind of way.

Once it kicks into gear, it's quite suspenseful and engaging,, and even quite funny at times. The interaction between the police and the kids is hilariously typical for the era - appealing to the misunderstood teens who were no doubt the majority in the audience.

All in all, it's a decent classic horror flick from the drive-in era, though the remake may be a bit better when all things are considered.