Larry Cohen is B-movie royalty, and The Stuff (1985) epitomises why. It has everything a good B-movie should; a plot that doesn’t make sense and doesn’t need to, a multitude of stars well versed in the skill of over-acting and characters so exaggerated they literally explode.
The Stuff tells the story of David ‘Mo’ Rutherford (Michael Moriarty), an industrial spy hired to steal the secret formula to a new product rivalling ice cream called ‘The Stuff’; only to discover the product is an alien creature mined from the earth’s crust that takes control of those who consume too much with deadly effect. As he discovers the threat to the planet, Mo is helped along by the most unlikely of allies. Mo’s team includes not only the woman responsible for The Stuff’s marketing campaign, a child who saw ‘The Stuff’ come alive in his fridge, a staunch anti-communist, overtly patriotic and racist army colonel but a former executive called Chocolate Chip Charlie (Garrett Morris) whose hands are registered lethal weapons! His quest for the truth and to punish those responsible takes him on a path from investigator to hero, and for an exiled FBI agent who claims to be called ‘Mo’ because he always asks for…‘Mo’ money… it is a remarkable and outright ridiculous one.
The Stuff is unashamedly ridiculous and bares a remarkable resemblance to Invasion of the Body Snatchers. Heavily referencing the films underlying vision of a communist plot from within; Mo Rutherford convinces Colonel Spears (Paul Sorvino), a thoroughly racist, perverted and patriotic egotist, that the communists have developed a mind altering substance in a subversive plot to takeover America. The film is littered with social messages which are oddly enhanced by the comical scenes of violence, and some downright ludicrous scenes. The goofy horror it presents to the viewer is by no means scary but I don’t feel it was ever intended to be. Though advertised as a horror, The Stuff is best enjoyed as a comedy. Consider it a horror and you’ll be disappointed. Consider this an epic portion of 80’s comedy gold complete with a soundtrack Robocop would be proud of and you’ll be in for a treat.
Michael Moriarty gives a good performance as Mo Rutherford, but his character’s impact is side-lined when compared to Morris and Sorvino’s hugely entertaining supporting characters. So much so I began to feel that it is built around these characters and not its star. This is not to reduce the importance of Mo. In fact, these supporting characters are linked and developed through the story with presence of Michael Moriarty; their exaggerated characters enhanced by his more orthodox anti-hero.
Larry Cohen is a satirical genius, and although The Stuff is by no means the leader of the comedy-horror genre, it is a hugely entertaining rest-bite from an industry that often takes itself to serious and is a must see for fans of 80’s cheese!
Alex Cole
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