In 1958, the sci-fi horror film “The Blob,” about a murderous, insatiable and ever-ballooning hunk of alien matter, opened in theaters across the United States. At the time, critics’ appetites for the movie were not as piqued as the onscreen monster’s.
In a review for The New York Times, Howard Thompson wrote that “The Blob” was “woodenly presented,” and the “dialogue flattens as fast as the blob rounds.”
Not even Steve McQueen in his first leading role could save the plot in Thompson’s eyes.
But 66 years later, audiences are still hungry for more. The film became a cult classic, fitting snugly among other camp favorites like “Creature From the Black Lagoon” (1954) and “The Fly” (1958).
And in Phoenixville, Pa., where much of the “The Blob” was shot, thousands of fans gathered at the 25th annual Blobfest over the weekend to celebrate with ooze and ahhs.
The three-day festival, which began in 2000, takes place in and around the Colonial Theater, where a pivotal scene in the film features a throng of moviegoers spilling out of the theater and into the street to escape the dreaded blob.
The sequence strikes such a chord with fans that the “run out” is recreated by festival attendees twice over the weekend.
Blobfest was first “organized by a group of volunteers who just thought it would be a good idea to celebrate the theater’s role in the film,” said Jennifer Carlson, the executive director of the Colonial.
“There was a lot of local pride in the film because so many people who live in Phoenixville have family members who were extras,” Carlson said.
Philadelphia has “Rocky.” Phoenixville has “The Blob.”
Catherine Brodecki, 87, had moved to Phoenixville, which is about 27 miles northwest of Philadelphia, as a teenager with her family in the late 1950s.
When the “Blob” film crew rolled into town, she jumped at the chance to be an extra after seeing an ad for the role in the local newspaper. If you pay close attention to the movie, you can catch a glimpse of Brodecki fleeing the theater.
“Everybody was laughing and having fun,” she said.
Brodecki attended this year’s “run out,” using a walker and sporting a T-shirt that read “OG Extra The Blob, 1958.”
A “Blob Ball” dance kicked off the festivities on Friday night, and a street fair kept fans occupied on Saturday, beginning with a fire extinguisher parade. (Spoilers: After McQueen and company tried shooting, hacking and zapping the blob, carbon dioxide fire extinguishers proved to be the only way to defeat the creature.)
Duane Zehring, 65, has traveled with his wife from outside of Hershey, Pa., for the last 10 Blobfests. This year, he was one of a handful of people who set off the fire extinguishers on Saturday morning.
“We let it rip,” he said. “The vibe, all the energy that people have is phenomenal.”
The spirit of Blobfest seems to absorb people into the festival ranks.
Melissa LaMartina, 44, of Baltimore, began attending the event in 2015, and for the last three years has been hosting stage shows under the name Aurora Gorealis. On Saturday, she performed with her band, Beach Creeper, with surf-rock songs about monsters and creatures.
“It’s kind of a small town, but it has this badge of honor,” LaMartina said. “I love this. I call it my home away from home.”
Mark Hunter, 67, lives in Cape Coral, Fla., but grew up in Phoenixville and was glad to be back this year to immerse himself in his childhood. The movie was “always in the background,” he said. “As I got older, I really actually grasped the fun of the movie.”
Hunter said that he had a special attachment to the Colonial, too. He saw many movies there for the first time, including “Bambi.” This year, he and his wife could not snag tickets in time for the “run out,” but he said he was hopeful about the next Blobfest.
“We’re going to try to work harder next year to get tickets,” he said.
But what, at the end of the day, keeps people coming back to Phoenixville, and gives “The Blob” such an enduring appeal?
“It takes you back to your childhood,” Zehring said. “When they show the movie in the theater, the whole crowd goes nuts: 650 people, and they’re all clapping and cheering.”
“We already put in for a room next year,” he said.
Read More: Celebrating Film Nostalgia With Ooze and Ahhs at Blobfest
