(dir. Larry Cohen)
New World Pictures |
*First time viewing
Railroad workers discover a tasty alien substance bubbling
out of the ground, and the goo is marketed as healthy ice cream replacement,
The Stuff. But when an industrial saboteur is hired to find out the secret of
The Stuff’s addictive power, he finds himself caught in a deadly game of cat
and mouse that stretches across America.
Credit where credit’s due- for a B horror movie made for
less than two million dollars, The Stuff
has an expansive scope that goes above and beyond what a lot of horror movies
were doing at the time. Initially focusing on the separate stories of saboteur David
“Mo” Rutherford’s (Michael Moriarty) industrial espionage, and a young boy
named Jason coming to terms with his family’s addiction to The Stuff, Cohen
looks at the power of consumerism on multiple levels. Labeled as satirical horror,
The Stuff is actually right on target
in its analysis of consumer fads, aggressively inescapable advertisements
(those jingles!) and the kind of cult mentality that arises from new products. While
Cohen is known as a B-movie filmmaker extraordinaire, his films also tackle
issues and agendas that elevate them to highest heights of the B-movie
catalogue. Yes, The Stuff is a
revealing reflection of humanity, but it’s also batshit crazy.
Michael Moriarty operates a whole other level in this film,
his tics and deliveries a highlight in every scene. Nearly every line uttered
is quotable (“They call me “Mo” because I always want mo,” “Are you eating it…or
is it eating you?”) Once Mo discovers that The Stuff is turning people into
mindless masses with a need only to consume more of The Stuff, and destroy those
who would prevent them, his path crosses with Jason’s. From there, they and The
Stuff’s advertising lead Nicole (Andrea Marcovicci), plot to destroy the
factory mining The Stuff. This ultimately sees them teaming up with an
independent militia led by Paul Sorvino and battling Stuff-addled hordes. While
the film’s blending of horror and humor doesn’t always gel, and the film’s
scares never quite tops the scene where Jason’s family tries to force him to
eat the stuff, there’s a glut of oddness and gross out moments. The Stuff is
ultimately a rather charming blend of social message and creature feature that
feels like an 80s take on the monster movies of the 50s.
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