[[quoteright:300:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/TheBlob.jpg]]

->'''''[[EarWorm Beware of the Blob!]]'''''\\
\\
''It creeps\\
And leaps and glides\\
And slides across the floor\\
Right through the door\\
And all around the wall\\
A splotch, a blotch\\
Be careful of the Blob!''

'''''The Blob''''' is a horror/monster film from 1958, about a killer amoeba from outer space. The film is notable not only for its memorable villain, but also for being Steve [=McQueen's=] [[StarMakingRole film debut]]. It spawned a sequel in 1972 and a [[TheRemake remake]] in 1988.

As the film begins, a small meteorite drops to earth near a small town. It contains a tiny, jelly-like substance which quickly attaches itself to a nearby hermit, who is subsequently brought to town for medical attention. Unfortunately, The Blob grows and consumes the hermit and the medical staff, observed only by a pair of teenagers. Of course, when they try to raise the alarm, [[CassandraTruth no one believes them]] -- until The Blob attacks a crowded movie theater. Eventually deducing that the creature can be defeated only by extreme cold, the town collects all available fire extinguishers and blanket it in CO[[subscript:2]], freezing it solid. In the end, The Frozen Blob is deposited [[KillItWithIce deep in the Arctic]], where it is presumed it will remain frozen.

In the sequel '''''Beware! The Blob''''' (also known as ''[[RevengeOfTheSequel Son of]] Blob''), a construction crew working on a new Alaskan oil pipeline has uncovered the frozen Blob. Not knowing what it is, the construction foreman brings a small chunk of it home to southern California with him, upon which it promply escapes, grows and terrorizes the community, slinking through the sewers. Eventually entering the brand new bowling alley (and attached, still-under-construction ice-skating rink), The Blob is ultimately defeated by freezing the ice rink floor. A decidedly campy film, ''Beware!'' nonetheless plays many monster movie tropes dead straight, particularly the CassandraTruth-spewing heroes and the ObstructiveBureaucrat who runs the bowling alley.

''The Blob'' was remade in 1988, using the original story with a few minor changes:
* The Blob was no longer an alien creature, but instead a secret government project gone wrong; and
* Being made in TheEighties, the deaths were [[BloodierAndGorier much more visceral]].
* And instead of the Blob being beaten permanently, [[spoiler:a crazy preacher finds and [[SequelHook keeps a piece of it]], planning on using it to fulfill his own predictions about the apocalypse.]]

''Another'' remake of the original film was announced in 2006, to be penned by the writers of the ''Film/HouseOfWax2005'' remake.

For generic monsters (and CuteMonsterGirl) made of slime and other types of goo, see BlobMonster.

Not to be confused with a certain ComicBook/{{X-Men}} villain, or any [[VideoGame/DeBlob Wii games]].
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!!''The Blob'' films in general provide examples of:

* AntagonistTitle: The eponymous Blob is of course the monster that tries to devour everyone.
* AttackOfTheKillerWhatever
* BlobMonster: TropeMaker.
* CameFromTheSky: How The Blob got to earth.
* CassandraTruth
* ImmuneToBullets: The Blob is immune to this and pretty much any other physical weaponry.
* [[spoiler:KillItWithIce]]
* TheRemake: One in the '80s; purportedly another in preproduction.

!!The 1958 version provides examples of:

* ItCameFromOuterSpace: At least, in the original.
* PoliceAreUseless: Subverted. The police are actually helpful once they are presented with proof of the teenaged heroes' (admittedly wild) story.
* ReasonableAuthorityFigure: Dave the cop.
* SoundtrackDissonance: For what is supposed to be a horror movie, the opening theme to the 1958 film is rather [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AK5jyVCdXwc upbeat and goofy.]]
* ThematicThemeTune: Written by Burt Bacharach and Hal David, of all people.
* WhatHappenedToTheMouse: What happened to the puppy?
** A brief conversation reveals that the puppy managed to escape and was seen running down the street away from danger.
** The girls who accompany the guys to try to warn the citizens about the blob. After everybody's been gathered and the blob emerges from the movie theater, the guys stick around to help, but the girls are never seen again.

!!''Beware! The Blob'' provides examples of:

* BillingDisplacement: ''Beware! The Blob'' was directed by [[{{Dallas}} Larry "J.R." Hagman]], resulting in the recent {{Tagline}} "The Film That J.R. Shot!"
* BodyHorror: In the sequel, when the blog kills someone and we see them being killed.
* {{Camp}}: The '70s sequel.
* InfantImmortality: A [[ScoutOut junior campers troop]] is attacked (offscreen) by The Blob. The scout leader is killed, the kids escape.
* RecursiveCanon: ''Beware! The Blob'' has the Blob devouring a man while he's watching the original film on TV.
* SealedEvilInACan: A foreman for an oil pipeline construction crew brings home a chunk of The Blob from Alaska (where it had been deposited in the original film) in a sealed thermos.
* YouHaveToBelieveMe: Particularly notable in this one, in which the leading lady is not believed... mainly because she just keeps mewling "It came ''after'' us!" ''ad infinitum.''

!!The 1988 version provides examples of:

* AbsurdlySpaciousSewer: It's wide enough for a bike to go through.
** Which brings one of the most confusing [[PlotHole plot holes]] in the film. When Flagg and Meg are trying to escape from the sewers they apparently get lost or, at least, don't know how to get out. Taking in account Flagg drove trough the sewers to get to Penny trough another entrance just minutes before. Why didn't he just went back the way he came trough?
* AntiHero: Flagg
* AnyoneCanDie: In this version, this cannot be more true.
* AssholeVictim: A few, especially [[spoiler: Dr. Meddows]].
* {{Badass}}: Brian, Meg. Also Col. Hargis who elects to remove the grenade pins before getting munched so that [[TakingYouWithMe he can kill the blob.]] Unfortunately, it doesnt work.
* BetterToDieThanBeKilled: [[spoiler:Subverted. After a failed attempt to blow up the Blob by dropping some bombs down the sewer, the scientists' second-in-command is about to be crushed and consumed by the Blob. He pulls the pins from his grenades, but the Blob eats him anyway. We briefly see two flashes inside of the Blob, making it clear that it did nothing to the monster.]]
* BloodierAndGorier: Thanks to the improved special effect by the time. The deaths were considerably more gruesome, because we see some of the victims dissolve on-screen.
* DateRapeAverted: The girl in question doesn't have a choice, because the boy got her drunk first. But there's beautiful poetic justice because when the slimy boy goes to get his hands in her bra, he finds only the Blob, which had gotten into and consumed most of her insides already, leaving it gelatinously filling her empty flesh sack. Eww. However, though the would-be-rapist gets a nice comeuppance, the girl is still just as dead.
* DeathBySex: A guy gets his date drunk on alcohol so she'll pass out. The Blob gets to her, sucking her innards out, while he's mixing another batch. When he sees she's passed out, he goes in for the DateRape, only to discover there's nothing there but The Blob.
* DecoyProtagonist: [[spoiler:Paul Taylor is the likeable jock dating the heroine Meg while Brian Flagg is a James Dean-like anti-authority dude with more than a few run-ins with the authority. Then Paul gets munched on by the blob and Flagg takes over the Hero role.]]
* DroolHello: Just before The Blob kills the quarterback.
* FauxAffablyEvil: [[spoiler: Dr. Meddows comes across as friendly and helpful at first glance, but we see soon later who he truly is.]]
* GovernmentConspiracy: In this film this is the source of The Blob.
* HeelFaceTurn: [[spoiler:After Dr. Meddows' death, the other soldiers, several of whom were already on the fence of sacrificing the entire town to capture The Blob, quickly change their plan to try and destroy it and save the town instead.]]
* HockeyMaskAndChainsaw: In a movie shown in a theater in the remake.
* InfantImmortality: Averted. [[spoiler:The heroine rescues her child brother and his friend. Right before they climb out of the sewer, the friend is pulled underwater screaming. Moments later, he pops out of the water again. Half melted. ''Still screaming.'']]
* KnightTemplar: [[spoiler: The scientist Dr.Meddows who wants to control the Blob so that he can create a weapon that can put US Military ahead of Russian Military. All patriotic and stuff but then he deems the town expendable.]]
* MythologyGag: There's a scene which hearkens back to the '70s sequel, in which The Blob slinks up through the sewer lines into a sink and pulls a hapless victim literally down the drain.
* PoliceAreUseless: Subverted. The town sheriff comes across as quite reasonable... [[spoiler: but unfortunately is one of the Blob's early victims, leaving his churlish deputy in charge. Who ''also'' comes around in the end and dies trying to help.]]
* SealedEvilInACan: [[spoiler:A (somewhat unhinged) preacher has kept a small sample of the Blob at the end.]]
* TerrorAtMakeOutPoint: This trope is [[PlayingWithATrope played with]]. The JerkJock has driven to a secluded spot and [[DateRape gotten his date drunk so he can have his way with her]]. He looks away for a minute, then begins to unbutton her blouse. When he reaches in, the Blob, who has eaten the girl from the far side, out of his immediate view, grabs him and consumes him.

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