BBBB
(out of 5)
Teenager Steve McQueen (then still “Steven”) takes his girlfriend up to a secluded point to gaze at the stars (yeah, right) but is interrupted by a nearby meteorite that falls from the sky. When it lands, the meteorite produces an alien in the shape of a giant gelatinous blob that takes over an old man’s body. After the young couple help the old man to the local doctor, the blob escapes, kills people and absorbs them into its increasing mass. Conscientious McQueen tries to warn the townspeople of the great danger to their lives but is met only with skepticism and ignorance as the blob kills one person after another. This hilariously wry B-movie is at the heart of cult cinema, a completely scare-free horror classic that is remarkable for how dedicated its performers are and some pretty impressive production values (especially the beautifully strong cinematography). Its villain, a faceless, nameless culprit who moves so slowly but can kill an adult human, is so very humorous in nature that one must assume the filmmakers intended it so. This one is wonderfully fun.
Tonylyn Productions Inc., Valley Forge Films, Fairview Productions
USA, 1958
Directed by Irvin S. Yeaworth Jr.
Screenplay by Theodore Simonson, Kay Linaker, based on an idea by Irvine H. Millgate
Cinematography by Thomas E. Spalding
Produced by Jack H. Harris
Music by Ralph Carmichael
Production Design by William Jersey, Karl Karlson
Film Editing by Alfred Hillmann
Cast Tags: Aneta Corsaut, Anthony Franke, Audrey Metcalf, Charlie Overdorff, Criterion Collection, David Metcalf, Diane Tabben, Earl Rowe, Elbert Smith, Elinor Hammer, Eugene Sabel, George Gerbereck, George Karas, Hugh Graham, James Bonnet, Jasper Deeter, John Benson, Josh Randolph, Julie Cousins, Keith Almoney, Lee Payton, Molly Ann Bourne, Olin Howland, Pamela Curran, Ralph Roseman, Robert Fields, Stephen Chase, Steve McQueen (I), Tom Ogden, Vincent Barbi
