Are you ready for the strangest visitor the world has ever had?
That’s what the folks behind The Man From Planet X claimed their titular alien visitor was when they were ballyhooing the film back in 1951. And now is your chance to find out if that is true as the film will be the second film on BlobFest Sunday’s The Blob double feature.
Honestly, I don’t know much about it as I have not seen it yet, but I am looking forward to finally catching at BlobFest.
One of the great things about BlobFest is not only getting to see The Blob ooze its way across the big screen, but getting to see some other 1950s classic science-fiction films as well, as part of the Fest’s Saturday and Sunday double feature screenings.
The folks at BlobFest have just announced the first of those double feature pairings – producer George Pal’s 1953 classic War Of The Worlds!
Adapted from the HG Wells novel of the same name, The War Of The Worlds was one of producer Pal’s biggest hits. Starring Gene Barry as Dr. Clayton Forrester (Now where have we Mystery Science Theater 3000 fans heard that name before?) as a scientist who races to find a way to stop the seemingly unstoppable alien invaders from Mars! This film is one of the keystone science-fiction films of the decade and you really don’t want t miss seeing it on the big screen right after The Blob!
Well, if you’re planning on going to BlobFest at the Colonial Theatre in Phoenixville, PA this summer, you’ll of course need to know when to get your tickets for the event. And thankfully, the folks at the Colonial have just made that announcement.
Tickets will be going on sale for the event on May 26 for Colonial Theatre members and on May 27 for the rest of the general public.
While the Colonial has confirmed that the Fest will include the traditional Friday Night Runout Event and the Saturday Street Vendors, Fire Extinguisher Parade and Tin Foil Hat Competition, it has yet to confirm any of the second features that will be part of the traditional science-fiction double feature screenings alongside The Blob. But, if I were to guess by this year’s title “The Uninvited” and a glance at the poster that the Colonial released, I would expect a couple of films involving unwelcome visitors, and in particular, George Pal’s 1953 classic War Of The Worlds.
After two years of COVID-forced virtual celebrations, the Colonial Theatre in Phoenixville has announced that their 2022 BlobFest celebration will be an in person event this year. The even will be on the traditional second weekend in July, the 8th through the 10th.
For the 23rd consecutive year, Blobfest® will return LIVE and in person to the iconic Colonial Theatre! The annual signature event is a festival commemorating the Colonial’s place in cinematic history as a filming location for the 1958 classic film – and all things sci-fi horror. Blobfest 2022 continues the tradition and will be held July 8-10, 2022. After two years of virtual ‘At Home’ editions, the 2022 Blobfest will include in-person double features, street festival, and beloved re-enactment of the film’s ‘Run Out’ scene.
Tune your frequency to our social media feeds and website for the shocking reveal of film selections, special guests, street-fair details, and contests, as well as surprise NEW elements sure to delight.
Tickets for Blobfest® 2022: The Uninvited go on sale May 26, 2022 at 10:00 AM for Colonial Theatre Members and VIP ticketholders from the two prior years of Blobfest®. The public on-sale occurs May 27, 2022 at 10:00 AM.
I have to admit that while the Colonial staff has done Herculean work in translating the BlobFest experience to online as we all have stayed home, it will be great to get back to Bridge Street and an in person celebration of The Blob.
Want to parade up and down Bridge Street in front of the Colonial Theatre this Blob Fest but you don’t have a fire extinguisher? Well, if you have a pet, the BlobFest folks have a surprise for you. This year there will be a pet parade!
Sponsored by the folks at Maddies Castle Pet Boutique, the parade will have prizes for scariest, funniest and of course, most Blob-like.
Participants are being asked to report to the assembly area under the Gay Street Bridge at 1:45 pm the Saturday of BlobFest. The parade will begin at 2 with judging happening at 2:30 on the BlobFest Stage on Bridge Street.
Don’t forget that after the Friday Night runout at BlobFest, there is the Blob Ball – a great rockabilly dance where you can cut a rug late into the evening to the live sounds of the Ultra Kings. So if you’re a swing dancer or just like some good music, you may want to check it out. (I’ll be there, so don’t be afraid to ask me for a dance!)
Tickets for the dance have gone on sale and can be purchased here. You don’t have to dress up like the 1950s, but it doesn’t hurt.
Yesterday, the fine folks at BlobFest announced the companion features to this year’s screening of The Blob at the Colonial Theater and they are some real super doozies.
The first is the 1953 classic It Came From Outer Space. Based on a short story by grandmaster Ray Bradbury, the film focuses on an astronomer and his fiancee who witness a flying saucer crash, but when they try and report it, no one will believe them. Needless to say, once some mysterious things begin happening around town, people begin to rethink what they believe about what our heroes saw. The Colonial will also be screening the Vincent Price classic House Of Wax in its new second theater! And if that’s not enough Vincent Price for you, the second half of the Saturday evening double feature will be another spooky gem from the iconic horror actor – The House On Haunted Hill.
(Note – Although House Of Wax is arguably one of the most famous 3D films from the 1950s, its BlobFest presentation will be in 2D. It Came From Outer Space will be in 3D however.)
Rounding out the film schedule will be Sunday’s presentation of The Lost Skeleton Returns Again. If the title doesn’t sound familiar, The Lost Skeleton Returns Again is the 2009 sequel to 2001’s throwback The Lost Skeleton of Cadavra.
Mark your calendars! The fine folks at the Colonial Theatre have announced when tickets will go on sale for this year’s Blob Fest!!
If you are a theater member, you can purchase your tickets through the Colonial’s website on May 31, starting at 10am. If you are not a member, you’ll be able to get your tickets starting 24 hours later on June 1 at 10am.
As always, these tickets to go fast, so don’t forget to be ready to purchase them when the time comes!
And just a reminder that BlobFest this year is a little later, falling on July 14th through the 16th!
The local CBS affiliate had this short preview of the weekend, as did the Philly Voice.
The Phoenixville Phoenix Reporter/Pottstown Mercury is always on hand for the weekend. Here is their coverage and a photo gallery from Friday night as well as a nice overview of the weekend.
The Daily Local News had a short report on Friday night’s Runout, which featured two photos. (Modesty prohibits us from pointing out that one of them features a certain blog author running for his life.)
BlobFest has announced the addition of an appearance by Lost In Space‘s very own Marta Kristen to the weekend’s festivities. Kristen, of course played older daughter Judy Robinson on the classic 1960s science-fiction series!
And that’s not the only Lost In Space alum who will be at the show! Prop builder Craig Reinbrecht will be bringing his own B9 Robot to the show for fans to see and take pictures with.
Both Kristen and the Robot will be upstairs on the theater’s third floor all day Saturday with Kristen participating in a Q&A before Sunday’s afternoon double feature.
In addition to her memorable role on Lost In Space, Kristen has appeared in a number of film and television projects including Beach Blanket Bingo, The Man From U.N.C.L.E., Battle Beyond The Stars, Remington Steele and Murphy Brown.
