There is Always Room for Jello!
That is right my Scaredy Nerds, I am back! After a busy summer I have returned to guide you on our journey through the history of horror! This week we dive into that Jello mold of terror, the Blob from 1958. Another horror film that has felt the touch of being remade, we will find out what makes this Jello mold tick. Before that though we need to take a quick look at our film from the last lesson, do you remember what that was? The Invasion of the Body Snatchers, and with as long as there was in between this lesson and that one you have no excuse for not having seen it.
Invasion of the Body Snatchers
Our film from last lesson was another big one. It has been remade or re-imagined countless times and is a perfect example of horror evoking the current societal fears. Did you catch that while watching the movie? Was it obvious that this film was drawing on the "Red Scare" of the 1950's? The political propaganda being spewed at the time of "Don't let your guard down, don't trust anyone, they could already be a communist spy" becomes perfectly reflected in this film. The mere act of falling asleep is all it takes for the aliens to replace you completely echoes what was being said. If you let down your guard, even for a second then it was already over. The film was actually shot with two different endings, one that gave the audience hope and one that showed it was already too late. The ending that ran in the theaters was the ending that showed it was already too late. What did you think of the movie? Pretty powerful storytelling if I do say so myself. The film is actually based on a book and does a remarkably good job of staying true to the source. It is an amazing film and if you haven't seen it, please do yourself a favor and go back and watch it!This Weeks Homework
There is always room for Jello, but this Jello is from outer space and will consume you whole! This week we are watching the original 1958 Blob. This film was remade by Chuck Russell in 1988, a version most people are probably familiar with. In 1958 the US was just getting into the Space Race with Russia, and there was a lot of uncertainty with that. This movie reflected that uncertainty and fear about what was really out there. For film buffs out there it should be noted that this movie stars a very young Steve McQueen in his first leading role. So sit back grab some Jello and enjoy the Blob!
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