Beware! The Blob (1972)

_**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-