The Blob (1988)

Terror has no shape is the tagline for “The Blob” - the same could be said for this re-make of the 1950s B-grade horror classic. After the successful re-make of “The Fly” by horror maestro David Cronenberg, many sought to ape this accomplishment with a slew of films drawing on the 50s horror genre. Director Chuck Russell utilises the familiar milieu of small-town America as his setting - when a huge meteorite hurtles toward earth and crash lands, a large amorphous mass starts to reproduce itself, becoming a menacing and murderous force. Initially the local townsfolk are disbelieving, but soon many are grusomely mutilated in an endless night of terror. A young, staunchly anti-authoritarian outsider (Kevin Dillon) leads the charge, joined by cheerleader Meg (Shawnee Smith). When local authorities struggle in vain to contain the threat, mysterious government agents arrive to take the situation in hand, trying to cover up the evidence under suspicious circumstances. The overfamiliar machinations of the narrative are compensated for by state-of-the-art special effects (revelling in true gore here, the visuals leave little to the imagination) and the numerous scary moments that ensue. Cast includes Donovan Leitch, Jeffrey DeMunn, Candy Clark and Joe Seneca.