If you are looking for a movie that combines horror, comedy, and social commentary, look no further than The Stuff (1985), a cult classic written and directed by Larry Cohen. The movie follows a private detective named Mo Rutherford (Michael Moriarty) who is hired by a rival food company to investigate a new product that is sweeping the nation: a white, gooey substance that comes out of the ground and tastes so good that people can’t get enough of it. But as Mo soon discovers, The Stuff is not only addictive, but also alive and parasitic, turning its consumers into mindless zombies who crave more of it.
The Stuff is a clever and funny satire of consumerism, advertising, and corporate greed, as well as a homage to sci-fi and horror films like Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956) and The Blob (1958). Cohen uses The Stuff as a metaphor for the harmful effects of junk food, artificial ingredients, and addictive substances on our health and society. He also mocks the way that marketing and media manipulate us into buying things that we don’t need or want, and how we blindly follow trends and fads without questioning their origins or consequences.
The movie is full of witty dialogue, absurd situations, and hilarious characters, such as Chocolate Chip Charlie (Garrett Morris), a former cookie mogul who joins Mo in his quest to expose The Stuff, and Colonel Malcolm Grommett Spears (Paul Sorvino), a right-wing militia leader who helps Mo fight against The Stuff and its army of followers. The movie also features some memorable scenes, such as the one where Mo infiltrates a factory where The Stuff is produced and finds out its horrifying secret, or the one where a kid named Jason (Scott Bloom) tries to escape from his family who have been taken over by The Stuff and attack him with shaving cream.
The Stuff is not a perfect movie, and it has its flaws, such as the low-budget special effects, the uneven tone, and the chaotic ending. But it is also a movie that is ahead of its time, and that has a lot to say about our culture and society, especially in the era of fast food, social media, and online shopping. The Stuff is a movie that makes you laugh, scream, and think, and that is why it is a deliciously satirical horror comedy that deserves more recognition and appreciation.
