If ever there were a list of best films to see at the drive-in, The Blob just might top the list. Sure, it is the epitome of low budget. Sure, the monster amounts to little more than a gelatinous mound of goo, devoid of so much as a scary eye or blood dripping fangs. But the 50s, this was frightening stuff, the type of film that could make a girl cuddle in fear, and that was well worth the price of admission – even if she might be checking out Steve McQueen a little more than she let on.

Released in 1958, The Blob starred McQueen as Steve Andrews, your typical teenage boy with a fondness for females and fast car. Nothing much ever happens in his small town, until a meteor falls to earth, landing in a nearby forest. And unbeknownst to Steve and the rest of the locals, things are going to start getting mighty freaky.

For what awaits in the woods is no mere rock, but rather, a reddish-brown globule, and it’s hungry. And when an old man wanders into the woods to investigate the meteor, he becomes an appetizer. Soon after, Steve and his pals stumble across the beast, which, little do they know, happens to be growing larger with each meal.  The boys do the responsible thing and warn the local authorities, who brush off the fanciful story as just a little too far-fetched. That’s a pretty bad decision because in the meantime, Mr. Blob is acting like he’s at an all-you-can-eat buffet. And by the time the police are ready to believe the boys, the creature has grown to a size that just may be unstoppable.

This was classic horror stuff – stereotypical misunderstood teens cross paths with a seemingly unstoppable creature with an appetite. Not only did that make it a perfect date film, but people flocked to see The Blob at the drive-in because, unlike most films of its genre, The Blob was in color!  Not only did the movie do quite well at the box-office, it also helped to launch McQueen’s career.

While most sequels come out within a few years, fans had to wait 14 years for Beware! The Blob. Unfortunately, even with plenty of cameos from the likes of Burgess Meredith, Cindy Williams and Dick Van Patton, most die-hard fans were greatly disappointed by its campy humorous approach. Then, in 1988, a remake of the classic film was released, this time staying true to its horror roots and spicing things up with some modern special effects, which earned it an “R” rating. Unfortunately, teens weren’t too enthralled about a monster made of goo, and adults already had an original recipe blob that that they called their own. They certainly didn’t need a new one. Then again, if the drive-in still existed, maybe things would have been different.