Albie's Note: My 10 year old son Gideon and I recently DVR'd and then watched the 1958 Horror classic THE BLOB, starring a 27 year old Steve McQueen. First of all, I should say it was a blast! It was actually a much better movie than I remembered and even Gid thought it was loads of fun! [Movies precisely like this are great for father/son bonding, by the way... especially in double features and with plenty o' popcorn!]
As for the movie itself... Is it really an allegory about creeping Communism needing to be 'frozen' ala the real-life "Cold war?" Gosh, I'd really love to think so-- sounds like a good idea to me-- but actually I reckon it was mainly just a good ol' comic book horror story come to life... and I should note, VERY effectively filmed in all night scenes to generate a pretty undeniably high level of suspence... all of it on-- at best-- a medium budget [although this one was filmed in both widescreen and gloriously lurid '50s color!] I can easily see why this was such a huge hit at the time.
[According to Wikipedia, "McQueen received only $3,000 for this film; he had turned down an offer for a smaller up-front sum with 10 percent of the profits because he did not think the movie would make any money and he needed the money immediately to pay for food and rent; it ended up grossing $4 million!"]
The directing was solid, the acting was superior [although every "teenager" in it had no doubt passed the 20 year mark quite prior to filming!], and really I enjoyed the themes of
1) not judging young folks;
2) doing the right thing even if the authorities may misguided advise you not to, and
3) always having a loaded CO2 fire extinguisher handy!
But you know what really stuck with me? The amazingly [and perhaps annoyingly] catchy theme song and its brief and marvelously inane lyrics! I simply can't get it outta my head... [and so of course I must share it!]
Believe it or not, this song was composed by Burt Bacharach and Mack David, and was a top forty pop hit in '58. To be fair, it's really a great piece of music-- the tenor sax wailing, the chord progressions, the male chorus-- surely the most finely crafted pop song to ever ever introduce a horror movie!
And so now... here it is from Youtube, complete with lyrics printed below the window.
Enjoy... but I do feel I MUST warn you. This one will NOT leave your head anytime soon!
Beware of The Blob, it creeps
And leaps and glides and slides
Across the floor
Right through the door
And all around the wall
A splotch, a blotch
Be careful of The Blob
And leaps and glides and slides
Across the floor
Right through the door
And all around the wall
A splotch, a blotch
Be careful of The Blob
PEACE
2 comments:
You're so right. What a great movie! I saw it again last year with my kids and they loved it. The still sing the song now and then.
Alberto
ALBERTO: Yeah like I say... that song sticks with ya! Thanks for commenting, my namesake brother... ;)
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