Beware! The Blob

The third and final, and by far the best movie of the night is Beware! The Blob, directed by Larry Hagman of Dallas and I Dream of Jeannie fame. It is once again a much maligned film due to the fact that it has almost nothing to do with the original The Blob, and is a vast departure in both tone and content. Which is what makes it so fun. Beware! The Blob is actually a Hippie romp with an all star cast and a surprise soundtrack by Mort Garson. This was my first encounter with the Moog synthesizer work of Garson, and I am already on Ebay bidding on this gem...

Black Mass Lucifer by Mort Garson

As for the movie itself, I'm fifty minutes through, and it's just a romp. Makes no damn sense, and doesn't care to. There is a red blob in the movie that has escaped and is showing up randomly devouring people, but that doesn't seem to putting a damper on the party.

I have just gotten to the part of the movie where I suspect the Blob is about to consume Burgess Meredith and Larry Hagman, who are portraying bums. Then I believe it will head on to terrorize the party guests at this rager that broke out. 

No real graphic violence in this movie so far, but there was a very depressing scene where they ran over a bunch of cases of Miller High Life. I thought that was gratuitous and uncalled for. 

Or don't it's really not going to matter.

Oh, I forgot, and I know since I read ahead that the Blob makes a detour and eats a pack of Boy Scouts led by Dick Van Patten. Also, that actor named Gerrit Graham, who you might remember as Bud the CHUD and a bout a million other appearances plays a douche dressed in a gorilla costume. I'll let you know if he gets eaten. Wait a minute, wait a minute, now the Blob is going to a bowling alley. 

Fun stuff.

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The Sentinel: A Star-Studded Freakfest

What do Jose Ferrer, Ava Gardner, John Carradine, Martin Balsam, Chris Sarandon, Burgess Meredith, Christopher Walkin, Eli Wallach, Jerry Orbach, Beverly D'Angelo, Tom Berenger, Jeff Goldblum, and Richard Dreyfuss have in common? 

The 1977 horror film The Sentinel is the answer. 

Ironically, one of the few people who appeared in this movie who wasn't a star or didn't become a star, WAS the star, Christina Raines, who is fine as a young model looking to rent a New York City apartment. This movie has legitimate scares. And a far above average story. 

The Sentinel. Magnificent. Soon after Raines moves in the weird stuff starts going down. And I mean weird stuff.

Beverly D'Angelo gets to it for no good reason at all other than it being Tuesday. These neighbors are weird. Did I say that?

One of the more chilling scenes I can recall in cinema history culminates with this little bit of nicety. Here's the deal: it's the gateway to hell. Says that on the box. This movie in entertaining in multiple ways, but the last ten minutes BRINGS IT...

Gateway to Hell opens, these freaks come spilling out. And yes, these are real human oddities. You will crap yourself. 

Lesson of The Sentinel. If someone offers to rent you an apartment in New York with antique furniture and shelves full of ancient books for $400/month.... run.

February 21, 2013 update: Google tells me this is one of my most popular blog entries, and it's almost entirely due to people thinking they are going to see dirty pictures of Beverly D'Angelo. You is some creepers out there in cyberland, but keep it up.

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