
CAPFILM: THE BLOB (1958)
CAPFILM: THE BLOB (1958)
CAPFILM: THE BLOB (1958)
A cult classic of gooey greatness, The Blob follows the havoc wreaked on a small town by an outer-space monster with neither soul nor vertebrae, with Steve McQueen playing the rebel teen who tries to warn the residents about the jellylike invader.
Strong performances and ingenious special effects help The Blob transcend the schlock sci-fi and youth delinquency genres from which it originates. Made outside of Hollywood by a maverick film distributor and a crew whose credits mostly comprised religious and educational shorts, The Blob helped launch the careers of McQueen and composer Burt Bacharach, whose bouncy title song is just one of this film’s many unexpected pleasures.
Come early and enjoy a pre-screening performance on our Mighty Wurlitzer Organ by the Susquehanna Valley Theatre Organ Society.
This screening is a part of the film series Made in Our Backyard – Films Based and Made in PA. The series is developed, curated and hosted by York College of Pennsylvania students who participated in a special Film Programming class run in collaboration with Appell Center for the Performing Arts.
A Note from the Students:
Our film series focuses on movies that are heavily connected and linked to our beautiful state of Pennsylvania, with the core of the series revolving around two concepts: location and heritage. When a viewer watches one of the chosen films in the Capitol Theatre, we want them to feel the presence of both of those core concepts. We want them to not only feel connected to the film through the shared setting of Pennsylvania’s gorgeous towns and cities, but to also feel a deep connection with our state’s history. Not only will our series shine a spotlight on Pennsylvania’s timeless ability to foster and create films of all calibers and genres, but it will connect the local audience with the state itself, inspiring a deep sense of appreciation and community for everyone involved.
The reason we think The Blob makes a good fit for our series is, first and foremost, that it takes place in two small towns in Pennsylvania: Phoenixville and Downingtown. These same small towns are where this film also happened to be shot, making use of significant landmarks throughout the film such as Downingtown Diner, and The Colonial Theatre. The Blob has become a staple of Pennsylvania filmmaking and even inspiring a yearly film festival known as Blobfest held at the Colonial Theatre in Phoenixville.