The Blob (Criterion Collection) (1958)

While I hadn't seen this movie in years, I remember it fondly from my youth. This is one of those that I saw several times on Friday Night Fright TV. Unfortunately I've been stuck with a VHS copy until now with Criterion's Blu ray update. The best that can be said about the film is that it represents the "B" movie genre of the day in good fashion. Bad acting prevails. I don't recognize any of the actors either by name or by face with the obvious exception of Steve McQueen.

McQueen got a lot of recognition for his role as "Steve" and became a breakout star on TV and in the movies. The special effects are nothing special. Essentially an object falls from space and lands in a rural part of Pennsylvania. After some poking and prodding, an ooze is released and slithers its way into town. As it grows it becomes even more menacing. That's pretty much it other than Steve and the other teens lead the battle against The Blob. The film has a certain cult status and is fun to watch. The Blob was remade thirty years later as an R rated horror film starring Kevin Dillon and Shawnee Smith.

The Blu ray is a dramatic upgrade over the tape of course and from what I remember on TV. I've not seen the DVD version that I recall. Criterion transfers the film with a 1080p resolution and uses a 1.67:1 aspect ratio. The restoration looks great. Rich colors prevail and the close ups look natural. Clarity is excellent including the many scenes shot in low light. I could detect no effects of aging (scratches, floating debris, etc.) This is really well done.

The audio has only an uncompressed LPCM mono track available. It has been nicely cleaned up and is clear with good range. This film also features an early collaboration between Hal David and Burt Bacharach on the title song. Extras are generous including 2 commentaries. One features the producer and the other the director, Irvin S. Yeaworth Jr. There is also a trailer, an essay by film critic Kim Newman and a host of memorabilia called "Blobabilia." I really like this movie but can't rate it much more than 3 stars from a production perspective. Criterion deserves 5 stars for bringing the movie back to life in such a memorable way.

First off, the blu-ray is a definite double-dipping improvement over the DVD....the colors are much more vivid, with some great detail on the 1:66 print, with one reel of film not coming from the original negative (consequently, it does not look as good as the rest of the film)....however, everything else looks and sounds terrific in the 1.0 mono.... There is also just the right amount of grain, and the night time scenes (which are basically the whole movie) also look very good.... Two commentaries and a trailer are included, along with a small stills/poster gallery.... Definite must-own for 1950's shlock sci-fi fans.... The End?....

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I remember seeing this when it was first run film and enjoying it. Yeah, the special effects look a little hokey in this age of CGI, but is still a good movie. It has been around long enough that everyone knows the basic story but it is still fun to rewatch it and the transfer is crisp and clean. Grab a bag of popcorn, sit back and enjoy.

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I owned a copy of this original offering of The Blob on DVD in standard def and I have to admit the quality of that transfer was very poor. I really like this old classic but in standard def it was simply painful to watch. This new Blu-ray transfer of The Blob, while not up to the transfer standard of The Searchers for instance, it is still very good. The movie now looks bright and colorful while showing appropriate grain. Details in the movie now pop and both the color balance and sound have been greatly improved. If you are a fan of the The Blob like me I think you'll be very happy with this new Blu-ray transfer.

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This Blu Ray was worth every penny I spent. The clarity of the film and the sound is so far beyond the DVD. The movie itself is another great. This is a corny 50's movie, but it is one of my favorites.

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