Reviewed by Melissa Antoinette Garza
“Are you eating it or is it eating you?” – Mo (Michael Moriarty)
A new product is on the market. It’s called, The Stuff, and it’s a frozen treat that lies somewhere in between yogurt and ice cream. The Stuff came from the ground, and was soon packaged and placed in grocery stores by evil corporate moguls.
Soon it becomes apparent that whatever this substance is, there’s something very wrong with it. It moves on its own accord. People become horrifically addicted to it and then turn into zombies. When Jason (Scott Bloom) a young boy witnesses the dessert change position on its own, he does whatever he can to avoid it. He even tries to help others by destroying containers of it at a grocery store. Even as the rest of his family becomes addicted he refuses to eat. When they try to force him, he pretends to chow down, but instead engulfs shaving cream. His parents and brother catch on fairly quickly, and he escapes.
Meanwhile, former FBI investigator and industrial spy, David “Mo” Rutherford (Michael Moriarty) is hired by an ice cream company to figure out the main ingredients in The Stuff. They want to copy it and market something similar. At first, he tries to have it analyzed but nothing concrete comes back. He then meets with Vickers (Danny Aiello), a member of the Food and Drug Administration who approved the product, and finds out that since it wasn’t a prescribed medication it was rushed on the market. The remaining members of the panel that were involved in approval either moved out of the country or died.
Mo, figures out quickly that things are very awry and his motivations change. He no longer is working for the ice cream company, but instead invests himself in the situation. He becomes determined to get to the bottom of it and with the help of former company owner, Chocolate Chip Charlie (Garrett Morris), Nicole (Andrea Marcovicci) the advertising representative for THE STUFF, and the newly orphaned Jason, they slowly put the pieces together.
Mo is awesome. He’s hilarious and has excellent lines. Moriarty is perfect in the role and sells the character expertly. He’s sarcastic, arrogant and self-assured which are all great qualities for the lead. He’s a conscience controlled crook who isn’t reformed but refuses to sell his soul.
Garrett Morris was another great asset to the production. He, too, provides entertaining moments that dramatically help the pace of the movie. Morris is such a fantastic actor with great comedic timing. I would have loved to see him star in more movies.
THE STUFF is an underrated cult classic that under the right director and with the correct cast could be remade successfully. It would be nice to have a horror film today examine the ramifications of a blind- eyed FDA and a corporate controlled society. It’s a timeless issue and one that is often forgotten in the midst of the idiocy that is forced down the throats of the audience. Not to mention, the mainstream would be able to put their excellent CGI that they love to use in a worthy production. If there was anything that failed in the film, it was the poor special effects but given that it was made in 1985, it’s forgivable. If the movie was redone, that could be rectified.
The atmosphere too was terrific. Though it is far from horrifying, there were several creepy moments. One of the best is when Jason’s family becomes addicted to the dessert. His parents are still coherent enough to make arguments in favor of THE STUFF, but not rational enough to realize they don’t make any sense.
Now, THE STUFF, isn’t the deepest or most thought-provoking production of all time, but it does make a valid point and does so in an intelligent and amusing way. It’s a great way to spend an afternoon and has a genuine charm that one can enjoy.
On a personal note, when supermarkets pulled cantaloupes off the shelves in fear of the listeria outbreak. I, as a joke, posted quotes from the movie…..you can read the exchange below:
Big Y World Class Market Melissa could you please tell us more about this. This seems concerning and we wouldn’t want any false information being spread to our customers. Any information or links you could provide us would be a big help. If this is concerning the microbe listeria we have confirmed that all of our cantaloupes are NOT from the region in Colorado where the microbe was found…Our Cantaloupe is safe.
ME: It’s merely a quote from the movie The Stuff! You need to brush up on your horror films. I’m a firm believer that the canatloupes that are contaminated will transform those who eat it into flesh eating zombies – otherwise known as stuffies… Are you eating it or is it eating you?
Scared Stiff Rating: 8/10 Enough is NEVER Enough!
