The Stuff (1985) Reviews

• You scream. I scream. We all scream… for 'The Stuff'?!

  lost-in-limbo2007-04-19

  A workman discovers some mushy white foam at an petroleum refinery in Alaska, and he gets the urge to try it and surprisingly it's tastes really good. Soon enough, it's a top-selling American dessert product known as "The Stuff" and everyone just can't seem to get enough of it. Industrial saboteur Moe Rutherford is hired by some rival companies to dig up information on "The Stuff" and he learns that it strangely got by FDA tests with those who passed it disappearing. Moe with the help of Nicole the advertising designer for 'The Stuff ' and a young boy Jason, whose family became obsessed with the deadly substance. Discover that the addictive dessert is actually alive and taking over the body of whoever eats it. Yummy! For those looking for some tasty schlock that's low in calories and is a complete throwback to 1950's Sci-Fi horror. Larry Cohen's "The Stuff" definitely leaves a sweet taste in your mouth. Despite it's familiarity with the likes of "The Blob" and "The Invasion of the Body Snatchers", the neat premise still manages to feel fresh, sharp and ambitious, because of the unpretentious fun that's generated. All of this shows up in Cohen's enthusiastically accomplished direction and ace timing, where his off-the-rocker style shines immensely. Like most of his films, the playfully witty script digs deep into a social commentary and the flavour of the month happened to be consumerism and it's grip on society. The irony suggested ending, paints it perfectly. Not all of it is light and goofball in tone, as there are some dark, moody and gooey inclusions to the fold. There's a heavy cartoon-like atmosphere cooked up within a few striking images of creepiness and the deliciously campy special effects are well staged for such a low-budget production. Pacing is judge accordingly to pull you in. Cinematographer Paul Gickleman fluidly shot the film and the lively music score by Dwight Dixon ticks along fittingly. Cohen also pens the colourful story, which is terribly fractured with vagueness and continuity problems, but it's quirky maniac humour, zany developments with a surprise or two and satire frame of mind goes a long way to covering that problem up. The fruity performances are acceptably apt to what's happening on screen. The always interesting performer Michael Moriarty is wickedly good as the smarting, downbeat industrial spy Moe Rutherford. Paul Sorvino provides some amusing comic relief as an high strung, off-the-boil right-wing Colonel. Andrea Marcovicci, Garrett Morris, Danny O'Neal, Patrick O'Neal, Scott Bloom and Cohen regular James Dixon give splendid support too. Even with some lapses within the story (due to probably the editing) and it being one of his lesser features, it's hard not to be infatuated by Cohen's outrageously delightful and creative treat for the taste buds.

• Great, entertaining movie

  farcoat2004-11-30

  In contrary to the previous comment, I have to say this was a great movie. Who would ever come up with an idea that ice cream would be the instrument for our doom? What person would ever come up with tricking his parents that he was eating it, but he was actually eating shaving cream? When I was a child, after watching this movie, I had the mad rush of curiosity and tried it myself..Yuck! Anyway finally, where else can we find great horror, suspense with humor without the hell of CGI?;) This is why I love 80's movies so much and I highly recommend it for a Friday night with pizza.

• 1980s time capsule

  lee_eisenberg2007-07-08

  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.

• There's more to this movie than satire

  HeadMonkey2005-03-05

  I LOVE this movie. I rented it in high school because the cover looked like it was going to be total horror schlock. This of course was not the case. On the surface, it definitely satirizes American consumerism.... but after several discussions with my friends, we noticed something else. This movie also seems to be Cold War era anti-communist propaganda. The Stuff, seemingly innocent at first, possesses and adapts you as part of the machine to further its spread around the globe (just as we were told in the ages of the Red Scare, communists are everywhere, and you can't tell them apart from you or I, and they will try to CONVERT YOU). Before long, all the people are willing slaves of the Stuff machine (the Stuffies), and they seek out the few that aren't under the Stuff's grip to force them into becoming part of the hive mind. It takes the actions of a few patriotic Americans (in the form of the Georgia Militia) to conquer and defeat the Stuffies (the Communists hidden among us). I highly suggest checking this movie out, as it really is a great film, regardless of whether you agree with my opinion of what the movie is about.

• From beneath the ground to the frozen food aisle...

  vertigo_142004-03-03

  It came from beneath the ground. The Stuff. It's the new dairy craze that turns it's addicted victims into mutating zombies. The movie is about three people attempting to get to The Stuff before it gets to them. The Stuff is a metaphor for drug smuggling/drug addictions, which is obviously evident from the ending. Although, it could be read as metaphorical of any kind of destructive addiction, really. It could also be held as a metaphor of products liability and the lengths companies will go to rack up profits, even in the face of defective products. The Stuff, starring Michael Miarity, Paul Sorvino, and those gorgeous Bloom Brothers, is actually not quite as ridiculous as a glance at the box might lead one to believe. In fact, it's actually a rather funny zombie-like tale with Michael Miarity as Moe "why do they call me Mo? Because when people give me money I always ask for Mo!" as he repeatedly jokes to his frustrated associates. Moe is the guy sent to find out what The Stuff is by competitor's wishing to jump on the market. But, Moe figures out much more than that. Hence, his mission to try to get rid of it. Paul Sorvino, always a terrific actor, is funny as the overzealous army commander trying too hard to maintain his position as leader of this coup against that lovable dairy treat. What's more is that the special effects, which in my book are about 80% of a horror film, were, much to my surprise, pretty damned good. In fact, I was actually surprised by the whole thing really, and actually came to enjoy it. If you enjoy The Stuff, perhaps you'll enjoy a 1994 Australian horror film of a similar nature entitled 'Body Melt.' Beware, however, that Body Melt is much weirder and tons more gross than the occurrences in The Stuff, if you'd call the Stuff gross at all.