Happy 50th Birthday to... The Blob!

That's right. As I earlier pointed out here, today is the 50th anniversary of the release of The Blob.

Released on September 12th, 1958, this movie should hold a dear spot in your heart if you're a fan of fungi and slime molds. There's a nice little overview (and pictures) of slime molds here at Dave and Jocie's Natural History Blog.

The movie itself has become a cult classic and recieved a mediocre remake in 1988. The remake doesn't have quite the same panache of the original, nor a young Steve McQueen.

So to help celebrate this slime-omentous day, here's a terrific youtube video of all the highlights from the movie edited down to a quick 2 minutes and 20 seconds. Pay special attention at the 1:30 mark to see a young extra take an impressive wipeout while trying to escape the clutches of the incredibly slow moving, yet pulsating, cherry goo blob, at the movie theater. No stuntperson needed!