Blobfest

Fri., July 10, 7:30 p.m., $5, Colonial Theatre, 227 Bridge St., Phoenixville; 9:30 p.m., BlobBall, $12-$15, Molly Maguire's Irish Restaurant & Pub, 197 Bridge St., Phoenixville; 610-917-1228, thecolonialtheatre.com.

by Brion Shreffler

[ festival/movies ]

At the end of The Blob, the titular, gooey menace sends moviegoers screaming into the streets. It's a scene that's extremely recognizable — even to people who haven't seen the film — which is why Phoenixville residents are so proud. After all, it's their Colonial Theatre that the actors are dashing out of.

To celebrate its role in the film, the Colonial holds an annual weekend BlobFest, which will kick off with performances by musicians The Neanderthals and comedy troupe Ghoul-A-Go-Go. Also, Blobfest organizer Frank N. Stone will present the winners of The Blob-themed script and short film contests.

The fest's main event, of course, is the reenactment of the running-out scene, which anyone can partake in. Rather than parrot it shot-for-shot, though, Stone says it'll be inspired by classic horror films in general. "I was always a fan of William Castle," he says. "I wanted to try to bring back the electrifiers used during screenings of The Tingler." There'll also be screenings of The Blob, a 50s-themed BlobBall, and on Saturday, a street fair, costume contest and a march through the streets, in which people will wield fire extinguishers in honor of the weapon that killed the Blob. And let's hope he stays dead — in the film, Steve McQueen's character says that he'll do so only "as long as the Arctic stays cold." Which it won't be next month, right?

Fri., July 10, 7:30 p.m., stage show and reenactment, $5, Colonial Theatre, 227 Bridge St., Phoenixville; 9:30 p.m., BlobBall, $12-$15, Molly Maguire's Irish Restaurant & Pub, 197 Bridge St., Phoenixville; 610-917-1228, thecolonialtheatre.com.