Blu-ray Review: THE STUFF (1985)

THE STUFF
Written & Directed by  Larry Cohen
Distributed by Arrow Films / MVD Entertainment Group

  There are quite a few horror films I remember fondly from my childhood, and THE STUFF is one of those for sure!  The film came out when I was 9 years old, but I probably didn't see it until a few years after that.  I remember seeing it at a sleepover at a kid's house who had HBO!  That was a big deal back then, as not as many homes had HBO as they do today.   THE STUFF was coming on and we all quietly gathered around to watch it, knowing we would get in trouble if his parents came out of their room for any reason and saw us.  Luckily they didn't, so I got to see the entire film, and luckily Arrow Video has released this classic on a beautiful Blu-ray edition so I can enjoy it for years to come, and even introduce my kids to it someday!  Here is the basic plot if you're not familiar with the film courtesy of the MVD website:

  Are you eating it ...or is it eating you? The Stuff is the new dessert taking supermarket shelves by storm. It's delicious, low in calories and - better still - doesn't stain the family carpet... What's not to like?! Well, for a start it has a life of its own, and we're not talking friendly live bacteria... Young Jason seems to be the only one who doesn't love The Stuff - in fact he won't go anywhere near it, after having seen the pudding crawling around the fridge one night. What's more, everyone who eats The Stuff has started acting really weird... Now, teaming up with wise-cracking industrial saboteur "Mo", Jason must put a stop to The Stuff and the organization behind it or face a gooey, gloopy demise. Coming courtesy of horror auteur Larry Cohen (director of the It's Alive series and scribe behind the Maniac Cop trilogy), The Stuff is a titillating treat for the taste-buds which blends elements of films such as Street Trash with the straight-up B-movie flavor of The Blob. So grab a spoon and dig on into The Stuff - the taste that delivers... much more than you bargained for!

  This is one of my favorite horror films for sure.  It might be considered toward the cheesy side by todays standards, but it still holds up pretty good overall.  The concept is very cool, and pretty original I believe.    While the acting is pretty bad overall, the movie more than makes up for that with the awesome story line (albeit with a few plot holes) and some great effects.   

  One scene in particular reminded me a lot of 1982's THE THING.  A man's head (played by the great Garrett Morris) has his head stretched and ripped open by The Stuff.  Being from the 80's, the film is all practical effects which is always a plus.   80's horror films have such a unique quality to them, it's hard to put my finger on, but you know them when you see them.  This is as perfect example of a great 80's horror film and one every horror fan needs to have in their collection!

  As always, Arrow Video has done a remarkable job with both the restoration and extras of the film, as well as the amazing packaging of the film.  This Blu-ray is available now and contains the following Special Features:

*  New High Definition restoration of the film from a brand new 2K scan of the original camera negative
*  Original stereo 1.0 uncompressed PCM Mono audio
*  Optional English SDH subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
*  "Can't Get Enough of The Stuff: Making Larry Cohen's Classic Creature Feature" - Documentary featuring Larry Cohen, producer Paul Kurta, actress Andrea Marcovicci, Steve Neill (mechanical makeup effects) and Kim Newman
*  Introduction and trailer commentary by director and The Stuff fan Darren Bousman (Saw II, Saw III)
*  Original Trailer
*  Reversible sleeve with original and newly commissioned artwork by Gary Pullin
*  Collector's booklet featuring new writing on the film by Joel Harley, illustrated with original stills and promotional materials


CLICK HERE to watch the trailer
CLICK HERE to purchase the Blu-ray