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.
Writer and director Larry Cohen does what he does best... we are brought a story of real-life American values, twisted into horror to tell us what we may already know but simply do not realize. Consumers will buy anything that is popular, regardless of how awful it is. And big business will sell anything for a profit even if it is harmful... and pretty much no one will stop it. Even without the horror aspects (which borrow very heavily from "The Blob") or the social commentary, the story itself is pretty good and Michael Moriarty (multiple award winner) is the same guy we have come to love from "It's Alive III" and "Q".
Actually, Moriarty's presence in Cohen's films is always something of a mystery for me. Moriarty, as many know, is also a very conservative commentator, sometimes even bordering on racism with his critique of the Muslim and Arab world. He seems to be on the opposite pole as Cohen, if I am interpreting his films correctly. Kim Newman apparently sees this, too, as he describes their relationship as "thorny". But maybe this is the proof of just how great Moriarty's acting really is. Cohen says they work well together because they both look through the world as if they're playing jazz, improvising off of each other. Indeed, few actors could be as professional and simultaneously eccentric as Moriarty.
The special effects are pretty decent. A few scenes are cheesy, and you can tell shots are layered... but the hotel room scene (where they use the spinning room from "Nightmare on Elm Street") is awesome, and even in general you have to hand it to them for making a very lifelike creature from what looks to be nothing more than spoiled egg nog (but probably not as tasty).
Any Larry Cohen fan is going to like this, and even by mainstream horror standards it is pretty good. It is a b-movie, but not nearly as "b" as some of the films he pumps out. As I have said, underneath it all is just a retelling of "The Blob" (noticeably released before the remake with Shawnee Smith came out).
Cheap DVD copies are floating around, but now fans have an even better option, thanks to the Arrow Video blu-ray. Beyond the improved sound and picture (a 2K scan of the negative), we have a 52-minute "Can't Get Enough of The Stuff: Making Larry Cohen's Classic Creature Feature" with Cohen, a producer, actors and effects people. Oh ,and historian Kim Newman. And one other treat: An introduction and trailer commentary by director Darren Bousman!
Writer and director Larry Cohen does what he does best... we are brought a story of real-life American values, twisted into horror to tell us what we may already know but simply do not realize. Consumers will buy anything that is popular, regardless of how awful it is. And big business will sell anything for a profit even if it is harmful... and pretty much no one will stop it. Even without the horror aspects (which borrow very heavily from "The Blob") or the social commentary, the story itself is pretty good and Michael Moriarty (multiple award winner) is the same guy we have come to love from "It's Alive III" and "Q".
Actually, Moriarty's presence in Cohen's films is always something of a mystery for me. Moriarty, as many know, is also a very conservative commentator, sometimes even bordering on racism with his critique of the Muslim and Arab world. He seems to be on the opposite pole as Cohen, if I am interpreting his films correctly. Kim Newman apparently sees this, too, as he describes their relationship as "thorny". But maybe this is the proof of just how great Moriarty's acting really is. Cohen says they work well together because they both look through the world as if they're playing jazz, improvising off of each other. Indeed, few actors could be as professional and simultaneously eccentric as Moriarty.
The special effects are pretty decent. A few scenes are cheesy, and you can tell shots are layered... but the hotel room scene (where they use the spinning room from "Nightmare on Elm Street") is awesome, and even in general you have to hand it to them for making a very lifelike creature from what looks to be nothing more than spoiled egg nog (but probably not as tasty).
Any Larry Cohen fan is going to like this, and even by mainstream horror standards it is pretty good. It is a b-movie, but not nearly as "b" as some of the films he pumps out. As I have said, underneath it all is just a retelling of "The Blob" (noticeably released before the remake with Shawnee Smith came out).
Cheap DVD copies are floating around, but now fans have an even better option, thanks to the Arrow Video blu-ray. Beyond the improved sound and picture (a 2K scan of the negative), we have a 52-minute "Can't Get Enough of The Stuff: Making Larry Cohen's Classic Creature Feature" with Cohen, a producer, actors and effects people. Oh ,and historian Kim Newman. And one other treat: An introduction and trailer commentary by director Darren Bousman!