Emma Morley: Film Review - The Blob (1958)

Fig 1. The Blob (Film Poster, 1958)

Released in 1958, The Blob tells the story of an alien being which lands on Earth and consumes everything in its path. The film was directed by Irvin S Yeaworth Jnr and Russell S Doughten Jnr and the main star of the show is Steve McQueen. The opening credits are accompanied by a very catchy tune which will stay with you for days and notably introduces 'The teen-agers' among the actors at a time when the term 'teenager' was relatively new.

Fig 2. The Old Man discovers The Blob (Film Still, 1958)

Steve (McQueen) and his girlfriend Jane (played by Aneta Corsaut) are out on an evening drive when they discover an old man who has been attacked by a gelatinous, alien matter. They take him to the local doctor who is subsequently consumed by the blob after it has already made a meal of his patient. The blob continues to eat its way around the house and Steve has a hard time convincing the police of what is happening until the blob eventually heads into town, growing bigger and bigger as it goes.

Fig 3. Steve and Jane (Film Still, 1958)

The Blob is very entertaining and just about the right length at 86 minutes. Although in comparison to today's films, the special effects are amusing and the film is far from scary, one can imagine that back in 1958 the movie could have been quite frightening and had a 15 certificate on release. The acting and cheap effects point towards a typical B movie, though the story is still valid and a remake of The Blob was released in 1988 with much more in the way of gore and believability (and interestingly the same 6.4 out of 10 stars on imdb.com).