Greetings and salutations, my fellow felines! It’s time for this meeting to come to order. For those curious kittens, this is a club for those who like tricks, treats and spooks galore. Without all that blood and gore! Nothing that would give them a real fright, just something that gives one “ghoulish delight!”
These three cinematic choices are not only delightful, but they are oozing with spooky fun! So be sure to grab your favorite flavor Jell-O, or toast and jam and settle in for some frightfully fun flicks!
Beware of the Blob: it creeps and leaps and glides and slides across the floor. Right through the door and around the wall. A splotch, a blotch. Be careful of The Blob! Lyrics from The Blob theme written by Bert Bacharach
This classic 1958 campy sci-fi horror had two directors, Irvin S. Yeaworth Jr. and Russell S. Doughten Jr.(uncredited). It was written by Theodore Simonson, Kay Linaker and Irvine H. Millgate. It stars Steve McQueen in his first leading role, with Aneta Corsaut and Earl Rowe.
After teenagers Steve Andrews and his girlfriend Jane Martin see a meteorite crash nearby, they set off to investigate. They come across an old man who seems to have some type of gelatinous matter stuck to his hand. They take him to Dr. Hallen, who isn’t sure what the substance is, but Steve becomes convinced it’s a monster of some sort after both the old man and the doctor vanish. As the creature consumes more people, it grows larger and larger. Steve’s biggest problem is that he can’t get anyone to believe him, and he continually faces skeptical policemen and angry parents. The creature finally reaches a size that cannot be missed, and everyone wonders how they can stop it.
This movie is full of camp, fun, and teenage angst. With parents who just don’t understand and a large blob of jelly that wants to consume every living thing on the face of the Earth! The most memorable scene from this film is when the blob finds its way into the movie theater. This film was nominated for an award for best drive-in movie by TV Land. Because of its popularity, it spawned a sequel in 1972 and a remake in 1988. Be sure to check this out and add it to your spooky film list.
ALL H- BREAKS LOOSE!
This Japanese film was also released in 1958. The H-Man was directed by Ishirô Honda (who also directed Godzilla in 1954). The film was written by Takeshi Kimura and Hideo Unagami. It stars Yumi Shirakawa, Kenji Sahara, and Akihiko Hirata.
In Tokyo, the police are investigating a growing number of disappearances. Their primary interest is in a drug dealer, but their interests quickly shift to the strange occurrence where they find people’s clothing as if people just vanished while wearing them. The story starts to make sense when a fisherman tells them he and others from his village found an abandoned merchant ship. On board, they too found clothing but no people. They also found a gelatinous green-glowing substance that attacked them and consumed some of them. The police soon realize that they are dealing with a creature created as a result of H-bomb testing.
The plot of this film has more interest and intrigue compared to its American counterpart. There’s a real mystery in this one, with a drug deal gone wrong, Japanese mob connections, and people disappearing right out of their clothes!
My favorite scene is where Dr. Masada brings the investigators to the hospital to interview the fisherman who found an abandoned “ghost ship.” Real spooky fun, that one! A definite must for any spooky watchlist!
“Enough is never enough when it comes to The Stuff!” quote from the commercial scene in The Stuff 1985
The Stuff, released in 1985, was written and directed by Larry Cohen. It stars Michael Moriarty, Andrea Marcovicci, Garrett Morris, and Paul Sorvino. If you are a fan of the Law & Order series, I’m sure you recognize Michael and Paul.
A delicious, mysterious goo that oozes from the earth is marketed as the newest dessert sensation. But, the tasty treat rots more than teeth when zombie-like snackers who only want to consume more of the strange substance at any cost begin infesting the world.
In researching this film, I found some interesting facts on IMDb
Director Larry Cohen was quoted as saying, “My main inspiration was the consumerism and corporate greed found in our country and the damaging products that were being sold. I was constantly reading in the newspapers about various goods and materials being recalled because they were harming people.”
I also caught onto the irony in this film that the one person who refused to eat this sweet treat was Jason, a 12 to 13-year-old boy who saw this yogurt/ice cream type substance moving in the refrigerator, and when he told his parents, they didn’t believe him. He even went to his local grocery store and destroyed every carton and display of “The Stuff” and was arrested.
This film is a great example of how to take an important message and wrap it in humor. The practical effects are over the top and comical. Just a fun flick for the spooky season.
Oh, by the way, in case you’re wondering, IMDb did have one other interesting fact about this movie…
According to the audio commentary on the 2000 Anchor Bay DVD, some of the substance props or stand-ins for the real Stuff used in the movie included lots of Häagen Däzs ice cream, yogurt, and, for one scene involving an enormous avalanche-like effect of Stuff crashing through a wall, fire-extinguishing foam. Other shots, such as the ones of the giant lake of Stuff, required superimposed images and animation.
I guess you should probably double and triple-check those sweet treats you get during the spooky season just to make sure they don’t consume you as well!
Which of these movies oozing with spooky fun did you enjoy, or do you have another choice?
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