The Stuff (1985): You Are What It Eats

While taking a long look into the career of Larry Cohen on this past week’s Sinful Cinema, I was excited to talk about all the great films of his that I’d seen, but also more than a little sad that there were so many I’d missed. Out of 21 directorial credits, I had seen barely more than half, and I knew I needed to start correcting that. So expect to see a lot more Larry Cohen around The Lair. With all this great stuff to start watching, how could I not start with 1985’s The Stuff? I was drawn to this film because it was about killer junk food, and there are few people who like junk food more than I do. Many people have told me that the kind of food that I eat will kill me, but at least it’s not eating me from the inside out and making me into a mindless zombie who craves more. On second thought, maybe it is. Excuse me while I grab some Cheetos and a couple marshmallow filled Easter eggs, and I’ll be right back to tell you a little more about The Stuff.

When a group of mine workers discovers a white substance bubbling up from the ground, they taste the goo and find it to be delicious and addictive. It doesn’t take long before the corporation gets wind of the discovery, and The Stuff becomes the number one selling food product in America. The rival snack food companies hire David ‘Mo’ Rutherford (Michael Moriarty), and ex-FBI agent turned industrial saboteur, to discover the secret of The Stuff, and it doesn’t take long before he finds that the snack food treat has a sinister side to it. ‘Mo’ gets some help on his mission from Nichole (Andrea Marcovicci), the ad executive who feels guilty about marketing The Stuff, Jason (Scott Bloom), a kid who refused to eat the snack after his family became obsessed with it, and ‘Chocolate Chip’ Charlie (Garrett Morris), the cookie tycoon who got run out of business by The Stuff. They must find a way to break The Stuff’s zombie like hold on the minds of people across the country.

As with many Larry Cohen films, the surface of this film seems like a trashy low budget horror/comedy, and there’s no reason that it can’t be appreciated in that way. Digging just below the surface, it becomes apparent that Mr. Cohen had something to say about the proliferation of fast food chains, junk foods, and the power of advertising. It seems easy to believe that corporation would market a product that makes its users hopelessly addicted. How many of us can’t get through the day without caffeine laden soda, overpriced coffee, or, perhaps the best example, cigarettes that are not food but certainly ingested? In the 25 years since The Stuff made its debut, America has become the most obese nation on Earth, and our hunger for cheap, fast, nutritionally questionable food has grown unabated. Now, I don’t want folks to think I’m preaching from the pulpit. I’m as guilty, if not guiltier, of junk food lust. I just want to point out that when the film asks, “are you eating it or is it eating you”, it’s more than a funny line. It’s a question we could viably ask ourselves every day.

This was the second of three films that actor Michael Moriarty would make with director Larry Cohen (the first being Q: The Winged Serpent and the last Island of the Alive). I have always been kind of hit and miss with Mr. Moriarty, but I found his portrayal of the nonplussed saboteur for hire quite entertaining. His character, ‘Mo’, keeps up his laid back southern style no matter if he is uncovering a vast conspiracy or being attacked by moving mounds of The Stuff, and I liked that though as a Southerner I have to say that his accent could have used a lot of work. I was very impressed with Scott Bloom as the young anti-Stuffer David. For a kid actor, he handled the material quite well, and he’s still at work today though his most recent credit is as FBI agent #3 in 2006’s Smoking Aces. For sheer entertainment, there’s no one better in this film then Garrett Morris. I was sold on the film by the time Morris as the Famous Amos inspired ‘Chocolate Chip’ Charlie, showed up, but his performance really put it over the top. Of all the SNL alums, it’s really too bad that Morris didn’t become a bigger star, and I thoroughly enjoyed every moment he has in this film. If there’s a weak link, then it has to be Andrea Marcovicci. There were quite a few of her scenes cut out of the film according to Cohen’s commentary track, but I don’t think a further exploration of a love story between Marcovicci and Moriarty’s characters would have really added much to the picture. There are also quite a few cameos to check out as well. So keep a look out for Danny Aiello, Paul Sorvino, Eric Bogosian, and Patrick Dempsey.

Typically, the film is well directed, and Cohen adds great visual flair and special effects to really sell the movie. One scene, where The Stuff attacks Marcovicci and Moriarty in their hotel room features a stunning sequence that combines stop motion with a rotating room set that allowed The Stuff to pin one character to the ceiling. While listening to the commentary track, I found it very interesting to hear that the effect was achieved with the use of the same rotating room used in Nightmare on Elm Street for the memorable blood spurting bed scene. All the stop motion effects were very smooth and well done and make the white goop actually seem sinister. The Stuff itself was made of many different materials for different scenes. At one time or another it was represented by liquid plastic, fire retardant foam, whipped cream, and partially unfrozen Haagen-Daaz.

Larry Cohen has many great films in his oeuvre, and The Stuff surely ranks near the top of that list. Not only does it have a fabulous subtext that might actually play better now than 25 years ago, but works as a creature feature horror film equally as well. Will it make me reconsider my next meal? Probably not, but I doubt that I’ll get a craving for Marshmallow fluff anytime in the near future. If you’re a Larry Cohen fan and, like me, this film has flown under your radar, then definitely check it out. It’s also a great film to introduce people to Larry’s work. The Stuff gets my highest recommendation, but I think it’s time I bring this review to a close. I’m feeling a bit peckish, and I think there are some snacks that are calling my name.

Bugg Rating