A new dessert is taking the nation by storm known as “the Stuff”. It’s up to ex-FBI agent David Rutherford to find the key ingredients in the recipe for the Stuff. The investigation leads to...
When you have a horror film about killer ice cream you know you have a good time ahead. While this is undoubtedly a B-movie cult phenomenon which will have you grinning from start to finish, Larry Cohen manages to add a dash of satire into the creamy mix, making for a Reaganite satire that elevates the film slightly above pure shlock.
Of course, when it comes to a horror film about ice cream, we are expecting some goopy, gory deaths; and oh boy are we (soft) served. From exploding heads to tentacled Mr. Whippy, the deaths are wonderfully camp and gory. Cohen is smart enough not to take the film too seriously, thank goodness. The film is rife with ridiculousness from eating shaving foam to an ultra-right-wing Paul Sorvino. While not all of these things fit in, they are humorous and add to the camp charm of the film.
When it comes to the characters in this creamy affair, we have a strange bunch. I've already mentioned Sorvino's militia nut but what about the overly aggressive 'Chocolate Chip' Carl, the sometimes painfully stupid young Jason (Scott Bloom) or the smooth, yet slimy, David 'Mo' Rutherford. ('They call me Mo because I always want mo're') Watching a short documentary piece on The Stuff, which came with my beautiful remastered copy, revealed a real passion for actor Michael Moriarty from Cohen and many of the people involved, including critics. I, however, thought his performance was much like Johnny Depp's in the Pirates franchise. That being, kind of funny but undeniably slurred and poor. I laughed but I couldn't be sure whether it was with Moriarty or without.
All I know is, if you are going into The Stuff looking for a genuinely scary horror film, then you aren't reading into this right. It's a film about killer ice-cream. You should know what to expect. Now, order a double cone of crimson cherry cream and enjoy this brilliant B-movie.
