HAIR METAL MOVIE MADNESS SATURDAY! #3 listen to a groovy song and watch THE BLOB (1986) for free! by DARK SIDE

Posted on July 4th, 2009

Many of us grew up in the 80’s watching the movies and listening to music. One song from that era can bring back so many great memories. Sometimes… songs remind us of movies (or vice-versa). HAIR METAL MOVIE MADNESS brings back those memories by connecting the songs we loved from the 80’s to the movie(s) they were attached to. Visit The Small Town Critic every Saturday to rock out with us to the songs and movies that shaped a generation…

One of the greatest horror gems of 1988 wasn’t a Freddy or Jason movie. It was a remake. One of the best sci-fi/horror remakes of all time actually, and it rarely gets any love. That’s right, I’m talking about “The Blob.” Pshaw, you say? Who’s afraid of Jell-O? Steve McQueen certainly wasn’t in the original 1958 “Blob.” That’s cuz that kiddie movie didn’t have the amazingly inventive/disgusting kills and the rockin’ 80’s feel of its far superior remake.

Starring Kevin Dillon (Entourage) and the luscious Shawnee Smith (the “Saw” films), the remake starts off much like the original. A bunch of high schoolers run afoul of a protoplasmic eating machine that’s invulnerable to damage and gets bigger the more it consumes. Said teenagers fight the goo before it eats the whole town. What sets this remake apart is the shocking death of a main character within the first twenty minutes, the gruesome and gory death scenes and the neat-o twist (involving the U.S. military) that happens halfway through. Add some 80’s goodness and a rockin’ song for the final credits and you’ve got a long-lost classic. It’s also worth of note that “A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors” director, Chuck Russell returned to horror to direct this script written with Frank Darabont (director of “The Shawshank Redemption” and “The Mist”).

NOSTALGIA: The 80’s atmosphere is spot-on. The small town football game scene felt so much like my high school experience that it almost makes me kinda weepy. The movie even includes that great “kid buying a condom from his date’s dad” urban legend that we’ve all heard and uses it to the maximum comedic effect.

THE SONG: “Brave New Love” by Alien got no radio play or MTV video time that I can remember. Hell, I don’t even remember the band at all from back then. The song’s not on iTunes (I checked) and it’s hard to find any online references to the group or the song. What gives? It rocks! Watch the video below. It deftly edits the entire movie and fits it into an 80’s-style movie promo music video. After the song, look for the link that lets you watch the movie in its entirety!