"They must have weapons we've never dreamed of!"

"Figures.  They were smart enough to get here."

Well, yeah, Captain Obvious.

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Hey, I am totally all about being terrified of a monster made of leftover heating ductwork.  Did the costumer go to the the hardware store on their lunch hour and pick out a cartfull of shiny stuff then come back to the studio and screw it all together?  "Don't forget the flashlight for its face, Fred!"

No, these robots don't look like they have weapons we've never dreamed of.

I love the sci fi movies from the 50's.  I don't know why people mock Plan 9 From Outer Space, were the others so Oscar-worthy?  Hence the easy success of Mystery Science Theater 3000.

If I have favorites it's more because of an actor I particularly liked rather than the logical plot and great costumes.  We can't compare Forbidden Planet to the B movies.  Forbidden Planet is a wonderful movie compared to any movie in the 50s (or any decade).

I love The Blob, not because it's a good movie, oh it's a very good movie compared to the dreck being churned out at the time, but because of Steve McQueen.  It appears that while this movie was not his first acting credit, it was his first movie (with lines, I'm sure someone will call me out saying I'm making a mistake, I'm relying on IMDB at the moment). 

This is a lesson in the kind of concentration an actor can bring to a role.  He had to know this was stupid.  He knew the only other person on the movie who could act at all was Aneta Corsaut and that was barely.  Yet he obviously showed up each day doing his best work.  This isn't phoned in.  You don't have the feeling he was bored or dismissive.  This was real for him.  Everytime he's on camera, the screen crackles to life.  It's amazing to watch.  The contrast to everyone else in the movie makes his work a bas relief.

I think it's human nature to sink or rise to the level of those individuals in proximity.  Steve McQueen could have done that, but he didn't.  He treated this role as if it was a showcase on Broadway.

This is an awfully good section of the film.  The interaction between Steve and the cop at the 7 min mark deserves special attention.

I can name a couple actors off the top of my head who came onto soaps as a one day character and because they did exactly what Steve McQueen did in The Blob, have enjoyed long careers and financial security.  (That is nothing to sniff at in this business.)

What do I say to you constantly.  Do your best work.  You'll get noticed.  You'll be found.

My Nook with the customized skin