4.8
A technician brings a frozen specimen of the original Blob back from the North Pole. When his wife accidentally defrosts the thing, it terrorizes the populace-- the local hippies, cops, drunks and bowlers must all face the Blob!
Robert Walker Jr.
Bobby Hartford
Gwynne Gilford
Lisa Clark
Richard Stahl
Edward Fazio
Richard Webb
Sheriff Jones
Shelley Berman
Mr. Carmel, Hair Stylist
Larry Hagman
Young Hobo
Carol Lynley
Leslie
Godfrey Cambridge
Chester Hargis
Randy Stonehill
Randy Guitar
Cindy Williams
Randy's Girlfriend
Marlene Clark
Mariane Hargis
Burgess Meredith
Old Hobo
Dick Van Patten
Scoutmaster Adleman
Rockne Tarkington
Deputy Williams
Gerrit Graham
Ape Suited Party Guest
J.J. Johnston
Deputy Kelly Davis
Danny Goldman
Bearded Teenager
Del Close
Hobo Wearing eyepatch
Patrick McAllister
Al - Repairman's Assistant
Byron Keith
Bowling Customer
Director
Larry Hagman
Screenplay
Jack Woods
Screenplay
Anthony Harris
Story
Jack H. Harris
Story
Richard Clair
October 23, 2021
6
_**The return of the hungry red glob from outer space!**_
In the Greater Los Angeles area, a technician unwittingly brings home a specimen of the Blob in a frozen canister, which his wife unwisely allows to unthaw. Suddenly hippies, cops, rednecks and bowlers are under horrific attack. Robert Walker Jr. & Gwynne Gilford play the main protagonists while Richard Webb is on hand as the stalwart Sheriff. There are several glorified cameos by the likes of Randy Stonehill, Carol Lynley, Dick Van Patten, Burgess Meredith and the like.
“Beware! The Blob” (1972), aka “Son of Blob” (or “The Blob II”) came out fourteen years after the original film with Steve McQueen and was made by Larry Hagman in his downtime between the TV hits I Dream of Jeannie and Dallas. It has a loose and breezy improvisational feel, throwing in quirky comedic bits amidst the serious horror. While the amusing parts don’t always work (e.g. the curious barber shop sequence), they keep the proceedings peculiar.
It is interesting to compare the two movies because of the social changes brought about by the radical events of the 60s. As the original flick provided a good look into small town America of 1957 (when it was shot) this sequel is an entertaining window into the counterculture of 1971 (when it was shot) and how the hippies or semi-hippies gelled with the older folk of traditional culture. To me, this isn’t as big a deal as it’s made out to be as there is always a “generation gap” between young and old in every decade, which can be observed even in the original film.
A quality remake of the original came out in 1988 and, like “Beware! The Blob,” walked the balance beam between utter horror and amusing non-horror. It had a bigger budget compared to this one (and no doubt the original too), but the addition of a subplot that reveals the creature's origins as decidedly earth-centric takes away from the Blob's otherworldly and creepy ambiance. Still, it’s a worthwhile reimagining.
Most people consider this a bad film, but it IS entertaining in a totally eccentric way; and entertainment is the name of the game. The movie runs 1 hour, 27 minutes, and was shot in the Los Angeles area (Culver City, Glendale, Diamond Bar, Pomona and Venice).
GRADE: B-
Status:
Released
Original Language:
English
Budget:
$150,000.00
Revenue:
$90,833.00