Beware! The Blob

In the annals of horror sequel history, 1972's Beware! The Blob (or Son of Blob as it was originally titled) had a reputation as one of the goofiest afterthoughts ever. Directed by Larry Hagman (I Dream of Jeannie, Dallas) with an eclectic cast of Malibu neighbors and friends, the film is a largely improvised series of sketch comedy situations pitting the hippie generation up against aging authority figures while a surviving piece of the Blob feeds on them both indiscriminately. As a follow-up to the Steve McQueen original, it's an amateurish mess. As a piece of post-Easy Rider trash cinema, it's a treasure.

Thawed out by a worker who brings a sample home from the Alaskan pipeline, the Blob begins its all-you-can-eat buffet by snacking on houseflies and kittens before working its way up to human-size portions. Artists Lisa and Bobby (Gwynne Gilford and Robert Walker, Jr.) barely escape being gobbled up themselves and spend the rest of the movie trying to convince authorities - and their hippie friends - that the threat is real. Meanwhile, the Blob travels through sewers and drains until trapping nearly the whole town inside the local bowling alley / ice rink combo in a repeat performance of the original's movie theater finale.

With as many almost-famous actors as a '70s disaster movie (Godfrey Cambridge, Burgess Meredith, Cindy Williams, Gerrit Graham, Sid Haig, Carol Lynley, Dick Van Patten and Larry Hagman himself as a mentally impaired handyman), Beware! The Blob is notable just for how many cameos it can stuff into 90-minutes. And behind the camera, cinematographer Dean Cundey (Halloween, Back the Future, Jurassic Park) got his start as a second unit cameraman in charge special effects. But somehow all that talent doesn't translate into what you might expect.

From the opening credits, which play out endlessly over a kitten frolicking in a sun-dappled meadow, it's clear that Beware! The Blob was either filmed under the influence of controlled substances or only meant to be watched while enjoying them. Probably both. Hagman's camerawork almost defies description; out-of-focus, poorly lit and frequently invading the actor's personal space to the point of distraction. While the actors themselves (particularly Cambridge and Marlene Clark in the opening scene) are allowed to improvise apocalyptically unfunny situations that stretch even the most masochistic bad-movie fan's patience.

But as the Blob gains weight, the movie gains momentum; even managing to impress with some creative special effects photography. Lisa and Bobby's close shave inside a pick-up truck is shot with unexpected skill and the big bowling alley massacre uses a clever "Blob-cam" that rolls over unsuspecting victims. All of this uses technology the 1958 version used better (fans would have to wait for the 1988 remake to see some truly updated Blob effects), but creating a convincing menace didn't seem to be at the top of Hagman's agenda. Beware! The Blob is an underfunded lark made by an actor who never directed another feature film (it was re-issued in the 80's with the tagline "The film J.R. shot" to capitalize on the Dallas connection). With that frame of mind, some snacks and a prescription for medical marijuana, a good time will be had by all.

Kino Lorber's remastered Blu-ray looks unexpectedly terrific, bearing all the scars of an early '70s low-budget quickie, but largely blemish-free all the same. Extras include an alternate title sequence (with the Son of Blob font), trailer gallery and an essential audio commentary from Richard Harland Smith who covers every actor, anecdote and camera angle with equal enthusiasm but still acknowledges the overall ridiculousness of the film he's charged with discussing.