The Stuff is literally about people who find mysterious goo in the ground and without knowing what it is, decide to eat it, package it, and sell it. It is without a doubt one of my favorite under-looked bits of commentary on the over-commercialization and capitalism of the ‘80s.

• Directed by: Larry Cohen
• Written by: Larry Cohen
• Starring: Michael Moriarty. Andrea Marcovicci. Garrett Morris

The Stuff has all the hallmarks of a perfect ‘80s sci-fi horror movie. Like its clear inspiration, The Blob, The Stuff has a strong, kid-focused POV.  After Jason sees The Stuff moving in the fridge late at night, he goes on a one-kid crusade against its dangers.  Of course, no one believes him. 

Great Characters Make For Strong Satire

The story also follows a corporate spy, Mo Rutherford (Michael Moriarty), as he tries to uncover the secret recipe. It’s through his investigation that the intensity ramps up. It’s a subtle escalation. Until it isn’t.  The audience knows The Stuff is wrong. It’s in watching Mo and eventually his partner in crime, ousted ice cream tycoon “Chocolate Chip Charlie” Hobbs, solve the mystery of this deadly new dessert.

There are a lot of movies about how commercialization turns us into zombies. There are a lot of parallels here to what cigarette companies did in the ‘80s, companies whose only concern was profit. The casual corporate disregard for human life is not unusual for companies in the ‘80s, or now. 

Unlike The Blob, this is not a small story set in one town. It’s a tale of world domination through marketing and addiction. Once The Stuff is released into the world, it’s too late.  The ending seems idealistic and happy. The truth gets out, and the government and industry work together to fix the problem.  Only that’s not how the world works, and The Stuff knows that. 

Kind of Happy Ending

Like in the real world, the corporation immediately goes back to trying to profit from the zombifying goo. And like in the real world, when any addictive substance has been banned, a black market immediately springs up. Our heroes might get somewhat of a happy ending—they did avoid death or zombification—but some of them have lost everything. Now they’re stuck in a world where The Stuff is still lurking, wondering who they meet that could secretly be addicted. 

The Stuff was not a box office smash at the time of its release. It was marketed more as a horror film than the creepy comedy satire that it is. Now 41 years later, we can look back and better appreciate the many messages it was conveying. Mostly because they are sadly still relevant, just in a different context.

One of the focus points of the movie is the role that marketing and advertising plays in spreading The Stuff.  It’s a direct warning to pay attention to what you are being sold. And yet now, we have turned advertising into entertainment.  

Modern Stuff

It’s easy to imagine how The Stuff could be remade today. In the age of influencers, the Stuff would be a viral trend. We would be assaulted by dozens if not hundreds of peppy housewives making seasonal shorts of how they prepare The Stuff: “Hot Cocoa Stuff”, or “Grinch”-themed Stuff for Christmas, or color-matching containers in heart-themed mugs for Valentine’s Day, all with links to merch you can buy to support the influencer, and of course, the company. 

Let’s not forget the diet aspect either. Are you prepared for the amount of fat-shaming videos that would be released, despite the fact that it’s calorie-free? See, it has no protein either, so good luck hitting your macros on an all-goo diet. The gym bro accounts would rage. Cutting the action with the online reactions and discourse would be a fun way to show how the new media reacts and responds to real-world issues. Which is to say, not very well.

Can you tell that I’m dying for a remake here? It’s an underappreciated, still-relevant gem that would do amazingly well in today’s comedy horror landscape. The dialogue is dry and full of character moments well-acted by Michael Moriarty.

If any part of the movie fails to hold up, perhaps it’s the ideal that maybe people might be smart enough not to randomly eat crap out of the ground. But then again, I look at current events and I’m not sure. 

Final Thoughts

The Stuff is a delightful blend of ‘80s special effects, careful theming, and fun-to-watch characters. It’s light on scares but heavy on tense moments and some really gross stuff. I wouldn’t watch it while chowing down on yogurt. If you’re into some older but still relevant genre blends, give it a try.

The Stuff is available on streaming.