email-should-be-private
Joined Apr 2017
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email-should-be-private's rating
If you're looking for classics of 50s and 60s era SF/Horror, this is one box to check.
For the most part, production values - and budgets - weren't set particularly high for either genre, and special effects were still in their infancy. Nevertheless, some films rose above their inherent limitations to provide respectable entertainment - and this is one of them.
Unfortunately, there are a few unforced errors. Steve McQueen's performance is strangely uneven, self-conscious and amateurish in places, and is overshadowed by that of Earl Rowe, who plays an almost shockingly sensible sheriff. But both do a far better job than Aneta Corsaut, McQueen's girlfriend, whose chief contribution to the proceedings is an odd deer-in-the-headlights presence throughout. And, after beginning well, the film meanders off into a talky, teenage hot-rodder sequence that doesn't contribute anything in particular to the rest of the movie.
However, once the plot gets underway again, there are few missteps, and "the blob" is suitably menacing, despite resembling nothing quite so much as an under-inflated beach-ball slathered in barbecue sauce.
Side note: it's particularly striking that Hollywood wasn't as yet requiring that every part be played by someone with Good Hair and a perfect complexion.
For the most part, production values - and budgets - weren't set particularly high for either genre, and special effects were still in their infancy. Nevertheless, some films rose above their inherent limitations to provide respectable entertainment - and this is one of them.
Unfortunately, there are a few unforced errors. Steve McQueen's performance is strangely uneven, self-conscious and amateurish in places, and is overshadowed by that of Earl Rowe, who plays an almost shockingly sensible sheriff. But both do a far better job than Aneta Corsaut, McQueen's girlfriend, whose chief contribution to the proceedings is an odd deer-in-the-headlights presence throughout. And, after beginning well, the film meanders off into a talky, teenage hot-rodder sequence that doesn't contribute anything in particular to the rest of the movie.
However, once the plot gets underway again, there are few missteps, and "the blob" is suitably menacing, despite resembling nothing quite so much as an under-inflated beach-ball slathered in barbecue sauce.
Side note: it's particularly striking that Hollywood wasn't as yet requiring that every part be played by someone with Good Hair and a perfect complexion.
The most I can say in favor of this film is: it could have been worse.
Gary Merrill turns in a good performance, and Wende Wagner is both photogenic and obviously comfortable in scuba gear; but it's all downhill from there.
The plot is thin, the special effects are awful, the dialog is consistently stiff and corny (especially for the women), and the other performances vary from bad to awful (except for the parrot perched on the shoulder of the Chinese cook, which does manage to squawk convincingly).
Worst of all: the "music", which tries desperately to evoke mystery, but is instead almost laughably bad by the standards of any era. Had it instead been even half competently composed, this film might conceivably have rated a C- instead of a sometimes excruciating D-.
The science in Hollywood SF films generally tends to be - well, inaccurate, to be as kind as possible - and here will offend the sensibilities of anyone scientifically literate.
Having said this, I suspect anyone who saw this movie as a kid might well enjoy a walk down memory lane (which seems to account for the higher ratings here), and it is indeed interesting to see Mike Road. Mr. Road did a great job with the "Race Bannon" voice characterization for "Jonny Quest", but here is painfully wooden and two-dimensional.
Gary Merrill turns in a good performance, and Wende Wagner is both photogenic and obviously comfortable in scuba gear; but it's all downhill from there.
The plot is thin, the special effects are awful, the dialog is consistently stiff and corny (especially for the women), and the other performances vary from bad to awful (except for the parrot perched on the shoulder of the Chinese cook, which does manage to squawk convincingly).
Worst of all: the "music", which tries desperately to evoke mystery, but is instead almost laughably bad by the standards of any era. Had it instead been even half competently composed, this film might conceivably have rated a C- instead of a sometimes excruciating D-.
The science in Hollywood SF films generally tends to be - well, inaccurate, to be as kind as possible - and here will offend the sensibilities of anyone scientifically literate.
Having said this, I suspect anyone who saw this movie as a kid might well enjoy a walk down memory lane (which seems to account for the higher ratings here), and it is indeed interesting to see Mike Road. Mr. Road did a great job with the "Race Bannon" voice characterization for "Jonny Quest", but here is painfully wooden and two-dimensional.