Two movies that I really like share the same story, but are still able to stand out from each other and represent the specific decade they came out in. The original Blob from 1958 was made during a time where science fiction movies were coming out non stop. Most of these movies were made very cheap and have been considered B-movies, but there were a great number of exceptions to this such as the Day the Earth Stood Still, Forbidden Planet, the Incredible Shrinking Man and many others. The Blob is one that many people group into the cheap B-movie category, but I think that this movie has a lot more going for it. The movie has a cast of entertaining and charismatic characters, which makes the movie fun to watch even when the monster isn’t on screen. There are several scenes that are comedic and they all work well, and this all fits with the cheesy storyline and special effects. The effects for the blob… is literally just a blob that is used on miniatures. Sure, it does not look convincing, but for a movie like this, I wouldn’t want it any other way.
The remake from 1988 is a worthy update to the original story. The effects are some of the best practical effects I’ve ever seen, fitting right by other great special effect remakes of the same decade such as the Thing and the Fly. Several techniques are used to film the blob, including it interacting with the actors, miniatures, stop motion, and forced perspective. This might be better than the original movie and has much more appeal to general audiences, but I will admit that I don’t find the characters as entertaining as the 50’s version. There is even a twist added on to the story that makes it even better.