The Blob (1958)

It was the genius mind of producer Jack Harris who saw potential in combining two popular 50s genres — the horror sci-fi films and the teen delinquency films — when he got Irvin Yeaworth to direct 1958s "The Blob." There were plenty of low budget midnight movies being churned out then, but somehow this one ended up hitting the winning streak by getting picked up by Paramount and distributed across the country, making a name for its star, Steve McQueen, in the process. Join us — Pete Wright and Andy Nelson — as we talk about this 50s sci-fi/horror/teen drive-in classic this week. We talk about the nature of looking at films like this and how they work — or don't work — through modern eyes. We chat about how McQueen broke onto the scene with this film and ended up having a love/hate relationship with it the rest of his life. We discuss the nature of the teen films coming out in the 50s and how this film tapped into that zeitgeist. And we chat about the production and success of this film, coming from filmmakers just trying to make a movie. It's not one of our favorites but we still have a great time talking about it. Check it out! * * * Hey! You know what would be awesome? If you would drop us a positive rating on iTunes! If you like what we’re doing here on TNR, it really is the best way to make sure that this show appears when others search for it, plus, it’s just a nice thing to do. Thanks!! - [The Next Reel on iTunes](https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-next-reel/id478159328?mt=2) - [The Next Reel on Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/TheNextReel) - [The Next Reel on Twitter](http://twitter.com/thenextreel) - [The Next Reel on Flickchart](http://www.flickchart.com/thenextreel) - [The Next Reel on Letterboxd](http://letterboxd.com/thenextreel/) - [Guess the Movie with The Next Reel on Instagram](http://instagram.com/thenextreel) - [Check out the Posters with The Next Reel on Pinterest](http://pinterest.com/thenextreel) And for anyone interested in our fine bouquet of show hosts: - [Follow Andy Nelson on Twitter](http://twitter.com/sodacreekfilm) - [Follow Pete Wright on Twitter](http://twitter.com/petewright) - [Follow Steve Sarmento on Twitter](https://twitter.com/mr_steve23) - [Check out Tom Metz on IMDB](http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1224453/?ref_=fn_al_nm_1) - [Follow Mike Evans on Twitter](https://twitter.com/ubersky) - [Follow Chadd Stoops on Twitter](https://twitter.com/ChaddStoops)