BLOB,THE

 Director Chuck Russell has talent! Anyone who's seen what he did with Schwarzaneggar in "ERASER" or the Nightmare on Elm Street franchise, with "Part 3:Dream Warriors" knows that! While its "glob" from outer space plot has inherent limitations, Russell manages to push the envelope in creating some eerie scenes. Kevin Dillon(Matt's brother) doesn't have the same charisma McQueen did in the original, ut the supporting cast is decent, and the film's design doesn't appear to have been limited by the budget. It typically looks like there's a lot going on here! In a type of homage to the sci-fi films of the '50s and '60s, the military is called in to save the day, but, as with the cynicism of the period, and more recent decades, the military has its own problems! The special effects are impressive, and there are more than a few scenes that prove unsettling as various characters meet their demise through the blob's external digestion of them! COLUMBIA TRISTAR has provided the film's correct 1.85:1 aspect ratio and 16:9 enhancement. Unfortunately, there is excessive grain throughout most of the film. The detail is adequate, but colors values are restrained for the most part, appearing somewhat dull at times. Contrast isn't nearly as impressive as it is on most COLUMBIA TRISTAR releases. The film's original 2.0 sound mix is intact. While there are minimal "surround" effects, there are quite a number of separational effects for the front soundstage , and they're utilized throughout the film. Dialogue is free of distortion