{"id":9304,"date":"2025-07-05T09:00:00","date_gmt":"2025-07-05T09:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mailnewsgroup.com\/ohmr\/?p=9304"},"modified":"2025-07-03T19:01:55","modified_gmt":"2025-07-03T19:01:55","slug":"consumerism-turns-carnivorous-in-this-cult-classic","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mailnewsgroup.com\/ohmr\/consumerism-turns-carnivorous-in-this-cult-classic\/","title":{"rendered":"Consumerism Turns Carnivorous in This Cult Classic"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n
\n \t<\/i> Read Time:<\/span>6 Minute, 34 Second <\/div>\n\n <\/div>

MOVIE REVIEW
\nThe Stuff [Limited Edition]<\/strong>
\n –   <\/strong> <\/strong> <\/strong> <\/strong><\/p>\n

Genre: <\/strong>Horror, Comedy, Sci-Fi
\nYear Released:<\/strong> 1985, Arrow Video 4K 2025
\nRuntime: <\/strong>1h 27m
\nDirector: <\/strong>Larry Cohen
\nWriter: <\/strong>Larry Cohen
\nCast: <\/strong>Michael Moriarty, Andrea Marcovicci, Garrett Morris, Paul Sorvino, Scott Bloom, Danny Aiello, Patrick O'Neal, James Dixon, Alexander Scourby, Russell Nype, Gene O'Neill
\nWhere to Watch: <\/strong>available July 22, 2025, pre-order your copy here: www.arrowvideo.com<\/a>, www.mvdshop.com<\/a>, or www.amazon.com<\/a><\/p>\n

\n

RAVING REVIEW: <\/strong><\/strong><\/strong>Just when you thought dessert couldn’t be deadly, THE STUFF oozed into your nightmares—and your fridge. Larry Cohen’s bonkers consumerism satire disguised as a mutant dessert thriller is exactly the cult insanity that thrives under 4K restoration. Equal parts horror, comedy, conspiracy thriller, and low-calorie fever dream, this 1985 oddity serves up more goopy weirdness than anyone asked for, and that’s kind of the point.<\/p>\n

\n

The plot starts with the kind of wild premise that practically demands a raised eyebrow: a new dessert called “The Stuff” bubbles out of the ground, is instantly packaged for mass consumption, and becomes a national obsession overnight. But when a kid named Jason (Scott Bloom) sees it moving in the fridge, things escalate from “mildly weird” to “is that yogurt eating people?” at warp speed. Thankfully, Michael Moriarty shows up as David ‘Mo’ Rutherford—a Southern-drawled ex-FBI agent turned industrial saboteur—ready to take on Big Dessert with a grin and a trench coat.<\/p>\n

Let’s be real: this isn’t a film you watch for narrative cohesion or subtlety. THE STUFF operates on the logic of a Saturday morning cartoon filtered through a tabloid fever dream, and that’s precisely what makes it memorable. Cohen’s direction doesn’t smooth over the story’s inconsistencies or goofy moments—it embraces them. The film knows it’s ridiculous and weaponizes that ridiculousness into satire.<\/p>\n

As horror, THE STUFF leans more into the uncanny than the gruesome. The practical effects range from charmingly dated to wonderfully grotesque, especially when victims begin convulsing, stretching, and bursting under the influence of their favorite new snack. The titular “Stuff” itself looks like a cursed mix of shaving cream and marshmallow fluff—innocent enough until it starts slithering up walls or erupting from people's faces. It’s never quite terrifying, but it is deeply unsettling in a ‘what-the-hell-am-I-watching’ way.<\/p>\n

Moriarty is the MVP of the madness. His performance is impossible to pin down, drifting between deadpan and deranged with the casual energy of a man who knows he’s in a B-movie and is going to make damn sure you enjoy every minute of it. Supporting turns from Andrea Marcovicci as Nicole and Garrett Morris’ role as 'Chocolate' Charlie keep things moving. However, Paul Sorvino steals his scenes with his portrayal of Col. Spears, a right-wing military nut, and his own ideas about defense. Cohen uses these characters to lob grenades at everything from government corruption to blind consumer worship, and while the satire isn’t subtle, it is surprisingly sharp in places.<\/p>\n

Arrow’s new 4K UHD release goes above and beyond, digging deep into the whipped chaos with a stunning restoration and a mountain of extras. Including a pre-release cut with over 30 minutes of additional footage is a real gift for fans, offering a glimpse into what Cohen originally envisioned before the film was trimmed down. Add to that commentaries, new and archival documentaries, and some previously unseen interviews, and this release practically demands a spot on your shelf, just not in your refrigerator.<\/p>\n

Of course, THE STUFF isn’t perfect. The tone is wildly inconsistent, the pacing is uneven, and some characters exist only to scream and melt. The horror elements sometimes clash with the comedic ones, and the film never quite settles into a rhythm. But complaining about that feels like critiquing a fireworks display for being too loud. This is B-movie mayhem with a brain, and the flaws are baked into its charm.<\/p>\n

You're in the wrong aisle if you're looking for polished horror with exquisite tension and airtight logic. But if you’re craving something that feels like John Carpenter, Roger Corman, David Cronenberg, and a deranged food scientist got locked in a room together, THE STUFF will be exactly what you’re looking for. It’s gonzo, gooey, and entirely unashamed of itself—and that alone makes it worth a taste.<\/p>\n

Bonus Materials:
\n2-DISC 4K ULTRA HD BLU-RAY LIMITED EDITION CONTENTS<\/strong>
\nReversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Chris Barnes
\nIllustrated collector’s booklet featuring writing on the film by Joel Harley and a new essay by Daniel Burnett<\/p>\n

DISC 1 – FEATURE & EXTRAS (4K ULTRA HD BLU-RAY)<\/strong>
\nBrand new 4K restoration by Arrow Films from the original camera negative
\n4K (2160p) UHD Blu-ray presentation in Dolby Vision (HDR10 compatible)
\nOriginal lossless English 1.0 mono audio
\nOptional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
\nBrand new audio commentary by writers and critics David Flint and Adrian Smith
\nArchival audio commentary by writer\/director Larry Cohen
\n42nd Street Memories: The Rise and Fall of America’s Most Notorious Street – a feature-length documentary exploring the history of New York City’s infamous 42nd Street, with first-hand accounts from an array of filmmakers, including Larry Cohen
\nCan’t Get Enough of The Stuff: Making Larry Cohen’s Classic Creature Feature – documentary featuring Larry Cohen, producer Paul Kurta, actress Andrea Marcovicci, mechanical makeup effects artist Steve Neill, and critic Kim Newman
\nEnough is Never Enough – newly edited featurette featuring previously unseen interviews with director Larry Cohen and producer Paul Kurta, originally shot for the 2017 documentary King Cohen
\n42nd Street Memories: The Rise and Fall of America’s Most Notorious Street, a feature-length documentary exploring the history of New York City’s infamous 42nd Street, with first-hand accounts from an array of filmmakers, including Larry Cohen
\nTrailers and TV spots
\nKing Cohen trailer
\nImage gallery<\/p>\n

DISC 2 – PRE-RELEASE VERSION (BLU-RAY) [LIMITED EDITION EXCLUSIVE]<\/strong>
\nAn early, pre-release cut of the film featuring over 30 minutes of additional footage and a different music score, exclusively remastered by Arrow Films
\nHigh Definition Blu-ray™ (1080p) presentation
\nOriginal lossless English 1.0 mono audio
\nOptional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing<\/p>\n

Please visit https:\/\/linktr.ee\/overlyhonestr for more reviews.<\/p>\n

You can follow me on Letterboxd, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube. My social media accounts can also be found on most platforms by searching for 'Overly Honest Reviews'.<\/p>\n

I’m always happy to hear from my readers; please don't hesitate to say hello or send me any questions about movies.<\/p>\n

[photo courtesy of ARROW VIDEO, MVD ENTERTAINMENT]<\/em><\/p>\n

DISCLAIMER:<\/strong>
\nAt Overly Honest Movie Reviews, we value honesty and transparency. Occasionally, we receive complimentary items for review, including DVDs, Blu-rays, CDs, Vinyl Records, Books, and more. We assure you that these arrangements do not influence our reviews, as we are committed to providing unbiased and sincere evaluations. We aim to help you make informed entertainment choices regardless of our relationship with distributors or producers.<\/p>\n

Amazon Affiliate Links:<\/strong>
\nAdditionally, this site contains Amazon affiliate links. If you purchase through these links, we may receive a commission. This affiliate arrangement does not affect our commitment to honest reviews and helps support our site. We appreciate your trust and support in navigating these links.<\/p>\n

\n
\n \n
\n \n \"Happy\"\n <\/a>\n
\n Happy <\/div>\n
\n 0<\/span>\n \n 0<\/span> %<\/span>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n\n
\n \n \"Sad\"\n <\/a>\n
\n Sad <\/div>\n
\n 0<\/span>\n 0<\/span> %<\/span>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n\n
\n \n \"Excited\"\n <\/a>\n
\n Excited <\/div>\n
\n 1<\/span>\n 100<\/span> %<\/span>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n\n
\n \n \"Sleepy\"\n <\/a>\n
\n Sleepy <\/div>\n
\n 0<\/span>\n \n 0<\/span> %<\/span>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n\n
\n \n \"Angry\"\n <\/a>\n
Angry<\/div>\n
\n 0<\/span>\n 0<\/span> %<\/span>\n \n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n\n
\n \n \"Surprise\"\n <\/a>\n
Surprise<\/div>\n
\n 0<\/span>\n 0<\/span> %<\/span>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n\n ","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

MOVIE REVIEW The Stuff [Limited Edition]  –      Genre: Horror, Comedy, Sci-Fi Year Released: 1985, Arrow Video 4K 2025 Runtime: 1h 27m Director: Larry Cohen Writer: Larry Cohen Cast: Michael Moriarty, Andrea Marcovicci, Garrett Morris, Paul Sorvino, Scott Bloom, Danny Aiello, Patrick O'Neal, James Dixon, Alexander Scourby, Russell Nype, Gene O'Neill Where to Watch: available July […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":9305,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-9304","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/mailnewsgroup.com\/ohmr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9304","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/mailnewsgroup.com\/ohmr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/mailnewsgroup.com\/ohmr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mailnewsgroup.com\/ohmr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mailnewsgroup.com\/ohmr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=9304"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/mailnewsgroup.com\/ohmr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9304\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mailnewsgroup.com\/ohmr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/9305"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/mailnewsgroup.com\/ohmr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=9304"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mailnewsgroup.com\/ohmr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=9304"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mailnewsgroup.com\/ohmr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=9304"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}