The Blob
Blu-ray (Collector’s Edition)
Director: Chuck Russell
Screenwriter: Chuck Russell, Frank Darabont
Cast: Shawnee Smith, Kevin Dillon, Donovan Leitch, Jeffrey DeMunn, Candy Clark, Joe Seneca
Distributor: Scream Factory
Rated R | 95 Minutes
Release Date: October 29, 2019

Co-written and directed by Chuck Russell (A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors), 1988’s The Blob is a remake of Irvin Yeaworth’s 1958’s drive-in classic. And, like Philip Kaufman’s Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978), John Carpenter’s The Thing (1982), and David Cronenberg’s The Fly (1986), it’s the rare remake that stands on its own while improving upon its source material in the process.

In this version of the classic story, a meteorite crashes near the small town of Arborville, California. After exploring the crash site, an elderly transient (Billy Beck, Near Dark) comes into contact with a jelly-like substance that attaches itself to his hand. Three high school students, Brian Flagg (Kevin Dillon, Entourage), Meg Penny (Shawnee Smith of the Saw series), and Paul Taylor (Donovan Leitch, Cutting Class), stumble upon the man and take him to a nearby hospital.

There, the vagabond begins to liquefy from prolonged exposure to the mysterious space slime. Shortly thereafter, “the blob” oozes out of the hospital and begins to consume everything in its path, growing to gargantuan proportions. Now it’s up to Brian, Sheriff Herb Geller (Jeffrey DeMunn of The Mist and AMC’s The Walking Dead), and government scientist Dr. Meddows (Joe Seneca of Malcolm X and A Time to Kill) to stop the blob before it consumes the entire planet.

If you’ve never seen Russell’s 1988 film, it’s an impressive blend of ’50s atomic age science fiction and ’80s body horror, with incredible special effects by Tony Gardner (Army of Darkness, The Addams Family). As a creature, the blob is right up there with the titular monster from Carpenter’s The Thing for me, thanks to the robust design work of Lyle Conway (Little Shop of Horrors, The Dark Crystal), visual effects supervised by Hoyt Yeatman (The Abyss, The Fly), and the cinematography of Mark Irwin (Wes Craven’s Scream, The Fly).

Scream Factory’s Collector’s Edition release improves upon the previous Twilight Time Blu-ray release with two new audio commentaries and 11 newly produced featurettes, including an interview with director Chuck Russell that covers his early career, his big break directing Dream Warriors, and his work on The Blob with collaborator Frank Darabont. Also included is a third, previously released audio commentary from the Twilight Time release. So, if you’re worried about double-dipping, don’t be. You’re getting a definitive high-definition release here, with more special features than most Criterion Collection Blu-rays.

If you’re a die-hard fan of Russell’s remake, then picking up this Collector’s Edition is a no-brainer. If you haven’t experienced this super-fun, mega-gnarly ’80s gross-out, there’s no better way to see it than Scream Factory’s Blu-ray release. This is the best this film has ever looked, and, after digesting all the new bonus material, you’ll have an even greater appreciation for the amount of care and passion that went into crafting this love letter to ’50s science fiction horror.

The Blob Collector’s Edition is now available at Amazon.

Bonus Features

NEW commentary with Chuck Russell, Tony Gardner, and Mark Irwin
NEW commentary with Shawnee Smith
NEW It Fell From The Sky! with Chuck Russell
NEW We Have Work To Do with Jeffrey DeMunn
NEW Minding The Diner with Candy Clark
NEW They Call Me Mellow Purple with Donovan Leitch Jr.
NEW Try To Scream! with Bill Moseley
NEW Shot Him! with Mark Irwin
NEW The Incredible Melting Man with Tony Gardner
NEW Monster Math with Christopher Gilman
NEW Haddonfield To Arborville with Craig Stearns
NEW The Secret Of The Ooze with Mark Setrakian
NEW I Want That Organism Alive! with Peter Abrahamson
NEW Gardner’s Grue Crew – Behind-the-scenes footage
Audio Commentary with Chuck Russell
Theatrical Trailers
TV Spot
Still Gallery

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Official Trailer

Clip: Sink Blob

Cover Art

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