The Stuff (1985)

User Rating:

5.6/10   

Director:

Larry Cohen

Writer:

Larry Cohen (writer)

Release Date:

14 June 1985 (USA)

Genre:

Horror | Comedy | Sci-Fi | Mystery

Tagline:

Are you eating it ...or is it eating you?

Plot:

Weird yummy goo erupts from the earth and is discovered by a couple of miners. They taste it and decide to market it because it tastes so good...

Plot Keywords:

Stuff | Ice Cream | Advertising | Blob | Fake Commercial

Cast

Michael Moriarty	...	David 'Mo' Rutherford
Andrea Marcovicci	...	Nicole
Garrett Morris	...	'Chocolate Chip' Charlie W. Hobbs
Paul Sorvino	...	Colonel Malcolm Grommett Spears
Scott Bloom	...	Jason
Danny Aiello	...	Vickers
Patrick O'Neal	...	Fletcher
James Dixon	...	Postman
Alexander Scourby	...	Evans
Russell Nype	...	Richards
Gene O'Neill	...	Scientist
Catherine Schultz	...	Waitress
James Dukas	...	Gas Attendant
Peter Hock	...	Miner
Colette Blonigan	...	Jason's Mother

Runtime:

93 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

France:-12 | Australia:M | UK:15 | USA:R

Filming Locations:

Accord, New York, USA

Company:

Larco Productions

Trivia:

According to the audio commentary on the 2000 Anchor Bay DVD, some of the substance props or stand-ins for the real Stuff used in the movie included lots of Häagen Däzs ice-cream, yogurt, and, for one scene involving an enormous avalanche-like effect of Stuff crashing though a wall, fire-extinguishing foam. Other shots, such as the ones of the giant lake of Stuff required superimposed images and animation.

Goofs:

Errors made by characters (possibly deliberate errors by the filmmakers): In the scene at The Stuff factory, the stumble across a room full of Stuffies dressed in yellow, lying on the floor. In the shot directly after Jason says "Whatever was inside of them must have just taken off", the camera pans around all the Stuffies, who all have their mouths open and tongues sticking out. The actor at the top of the screen (the farthest from camera) is wiggling his mouth and tongue rapidly, indicating that not only he is very much alive, but quite likely didn't even hear the call of "Action"!

Quotes:

Col. Malcolm Grommett Spears: Pay the drivers, issue a ten-percent tip, get a cash receipt.
Militants: Yes, sir!
Col. Malcolm Grommett Spears: Proceed to the main lobby; we will reassemble! HUP!

Movie Connections:

Featured in "Svengoolie: The Stuff (#1.3)" (1995)

1980s time capsule

In this ultra-gross-and-proud-of-it B-movie, some people discover a strange substance bubbling out of the ground. They taste it (yes, they find something on the ground and just eat it!), like it, and decide to start marketing it as The Stuff; it quickly becomes the most popular food of all. But, sure enough, a detective (Michael Moriarty) hired by the candy companies discovers that The Stuff turns people into obedient zombies before completely dissolving their innards. So, only he, an advertising executive (Andrea Marcovicci), and a boy (Scott Bloom) can stop The Stuff from taking over the world.

A completely ridiculous idea? Absolutely. But one might interpret "The Stuff" as a parable about excessive consumerism brainwashing people into brand loyalty. There's also a scene in which Paul Sorvino's right-wing yahoo of a colonel claims that in the case of the Vietnam War, we lost the war at home (so it was perfectly OK to invade their country). But I mostly saw the movie as a 1980s time capsule. There's the over-synthesized music for the TV commercials, the impossibly polite suburban family, and more. Of course, most people into these kinds of movies will probably agree that the coolest scenes are when people spit The Stuff out after it dissolves them. Director Larry Cohen (who also directed the killer baby vehicle "It's Alive") pulls no punches.

All in all, this is quite a treat. Sort of an updated "Invasion of the Body Snatchers". Also starring Danny Aiello and former "Saturday Night Live" cast member Garrett Morris.