The Stuff
Review by Peter Syslo

Ah… yes, The Stuff (1985). This is another one of those movies that I saw when I was little but took me 20 years to see it again on DVD, yada, yada, yada. I’ll spare everyone that story I love to tell over and over and I’ll get down to business.

The Stuff is written and directed by Larry Cohen, who has had a pretty prolific career writing, directing, etc. Most recently, he directed the Masters of Horror episode Pick Me Up (2006) and also wrote Captivity (2007). The Stuff has a very interesting cast, including bigger names such as: Michael Moriarty (Law & Order), Garrett Morris (SNL), a pre-Goodfellas/post-D.C. Cab Paul Sorvino, and Danny Aiello. The movie is basically about “the stuff”, which is a snack food that looks a lot like marshmallow fluff. However, people quickly be come addicted to it, they die shortly, and “the stuff” turns them into mindless “zombies” who try to force other humans to eat “the stuff”. An FBI agent (Moriarty) investigates this phenomenon of “the stuff” and is assisted, along the way, by a woman (Andrea Marcovicci) and a boy (Scott Bloom). They see the people around them being destroyed by “the stuff” and the movie quickly turns into a complete, massive conspiracy involving the company that is selling “the stuff”. They discover that this company is harvesting “the stuff” from a “crater” within the earth and no one is really sure what it is. The FBI agent, et al., are assisted by the hilarious Chocolate Chip Charlie (Morris) and an also hilarious military commander (Sorvino) who help them “take down” the evil company, in order to save the human race.

Yeah, it is a really wacky plot but it all comes together very nicely and the result is a little 1980s gem of a horror movie. Keep in mind that this was created in the Reagan era, where government and corporate mistrust was becoming more popular every day. You could definitely see that whole theme of “the dangers of being a mindless consumer” throughout this film and it really is a great commentary on society. It is kind of like the underlying subtext of Night of the Living Dead - it doesn’t force the issue on you, but it does present it to you in an entertaining way. The Stuff is also reminiscent of the great horror/conspiracy movies such as: The Blob (both versions), Halloween III, and even The Thing (both versions); all of these films were present around the time period of this release and contain some of the same underlying ideas. This was also the time period of Day of the Dead, Re-animator, The Fly, etc. and the whole idea of “messing with mother nature” was popular, as well – the Cold War with Russia was still going on and the threat of nuclear holocaust and nuclear waste was a very powerful thing (I remember being afraid of things like that).

Aside from the serious aspects, The Stuff is really a fun movie to watch. It’s definitely got that 80s “quirkiness” to it and the characters are all entertaining and have some truly funny dialogue. The effects are pretty good and are mostly like the effects in The Blob, to give you an idea – there is not a whole lot of bloody gore, but you do have a few “rotting” zombies where “the stuff” pours out of them. The music and the atmosphere are all in the 1980s fashion and I must say that the movie does capture a sort of “grittiness” that gives you a feeling that you safety has been “violated” – it’s an effective horror film.

In short, if you want to plan a nostalgic film festival or if you are looking for something semi-obscure, try The Stuff. It’s a great time and it’s an interesting snapshot of the way that people felt in the 1980s. Enjoy!