On B List of Movie Reviews

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The Blob (1958)

Rate: 3
Viewed: 5/08

5/08: By the looks of the creature that's supposed to be "indestructible," I think the appropriate title of the movie should be The Boob.

What's lost in the muddle is that it's the first role ever for Steve McQueen (Yes, the same Steve McQueen of The Great Escape fame). Understandably, he didn't want to be associated with it in fear of embarrassment. Hence, he turned down a small sum of money plus ten percent of the profits, opting for a $2,500 payday. Little did he know that the film went on to be a smash hit, grossing four million dollars and then eventually $40 million.

It's obvious that Steve McQueen was the only one of the cast with acting chops, but he needed more time to develop. How he went from a nobody to an international movie star in the span of five years is remarkable. Anyway, the problem with The Boob is the monster isn't shown enough. The whole thing feels like it was done on a miniature set. As a matter of fact, that's how they did it.

The setting looks it takes place somewhere in Southern New Jersey, but really, they shot the movie in Phoenixville, Pennsylvania, which is approximately thirty miles northwest of Philadelphia. On the other hand, the ending is among the worst of all time.

All in all, if not for Steve McQueen, The Boob would've landed on my Worst Films list.

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