'The Stuff' looks like marshmallow syrup, tastes like heaven, sells like hotcakes, and eats your insides out. But wait...it's also a fairly clever satire on American consumerism, Republican ideology, and just about anything else that writer/director Larry Cohen can find to lampoon. Michael Moriarty is just right in the role of an ex-FBI agent who's been hired by a group of ice cream magnates to find out the secret formula for 'The Stuff.' When Moriarty discovers foul play, he assembles a team of stuffbusters and hits the (gooey) trail. Although the film has a few gross moments (the stuff occasionally leaves its victim's bodies [through the mouth]) it's not terribly violent. For libraries that are looking for sophisticated horror fare (that is, films which do not rely heavily on axes and knives to further the plot), this tasty satire may be just the right stuff. Recommended. (R. Pitman)[Blu-ray Review—Apr. 19, 2016—Arrow, 86 min., R, $39.95—Making its first appearance on Blu-ray, 1985's The Stuff features a nice transfer and an uncompressed PCM mono soundtrack. Extras include a “Can't Get Enough of The Stuff” retrospective featurette (52 min.), a trailer commentary by filmmaker fan Darren Bousman (2 min.), and a booklet featuring an essay by critic Joel Harley. Bottom line: a fun satirical horror flick makes a welcome debut on Blu-ray.]
The Stuff
(1985)/Horror/93 min./R/$79.95/New World/CC. Vol. 1, Issue 2
The Stuff
Star Ratings
As of March 2022, Video Librarian has changed from a four-star rating system to a five-star one. This change allows our reviewers to have a wider range of critical viewpoints, as well as to synchronize with Google’s rating structure. This change affects all reviews from March 2022 onwards. All reviews from before this period will still retain their original rating. Future film submissions will be considered our new 1-5 star criteria.