The Blob (1988)

 

Arborville has seen better days.  The past two winters have been mild, which is not good news for a town that relies on trade from skiing-based tourism to survive.  But when a strange meteorite crashes in the nearby woodlands, economic doldrums will be the least of the townsfolk's troubles.

The meteorite, you see, contains a strange, ooze-like lifeform that is attracted to - and rapidly consumes - living tissue.  And each time it feeds, it grows.  This 'Blob' takes little time to start making use of the abundant 'food source' that the town represents, and nothing the locals can throw at it seems to slow it down.  But the swift arrival of the authorities will surely help them find a way to survive ... right?

This remake of the 1958 film of the same name adds a vein of black humour to the squishy menace of the Blob itself.  It smartly doesn't let that humour get in the way of the menace itself, though.  This monster may look like a massive pile of goopy, translucent silly putty, but it is deadly dangerous, and the film makes sure we know it.  This is not one of those 'horror' films where only jerks actually come to a sticky end. 

This version of The Blob is also transcendentally 80s in its style.  Don't take my word for it, though.  Just bask in the glory of the film's first shot of Shawnee Smith's character, Meg:

80s to the MAX!

This is a really fun monster rampage movie with a solid cast and a satisfying narrative that features some surprising moments.  If this is at all your sort of thing, you should check it out.