Two teens discover a shapeless blob from outer space is consuming the residents of a small town.

This was the first of three movies produced by Jack Harris and directed by Irwin S. Yeaworth, Jr. It also remains their best collaboration. Taking an opposite strategy than AIP was taking at that time, they took enough money to make two low-budget movies for a single picture that they could shoot in color and make as good as they could, and the results are actually pretty impressive. The monster is as basic as you can get, but the end result is pretty impressive. What I like best, though, is the way the characters are fleshed out, especially the teens and the policemen; you get a strong impression that these characters have known each other a long time. There’s a number of really nice touches, including the chess game the police play over the radio. This is one of my favorites, and I always enjoy watching it again.