A Quick Look: THE INCREDIBLE MELTING MAN (1977 - color)

   Apparently seeing the coming trend in more graphic horror, American International promoted 1977's THE INCREDIBLE MELTING MAN as "the first new horror creature." As the title might suggest, this one drips with blood and goo and actually does a good job of foreshadowing the next decade's reliance on gross-out effects. Yet the plot is a throwback to the 50's style of monster movie, as an astronaut returns from a mission to Saturn's rings infected with a condition which is rapidly deteriorating his body. Despite this, and a complete loss of coherent thought, he becomes increasingly strong. Breaking loose from his hospital ward, the Melting Man goes on a rampage of random and violent murder. Meanwhile, the authorities try to catch up to him before dawn, when another flight to Saturn is committed to launch. Before it goes up, they must know what has caused the melting. Though a sort of gore film, THE INCREDIBLE MELTING MAN does have a fairly intriguing scenario and some genuinely spooky moments. It also has some bizarre sequences which sometimes feel as if they came from another movie entirely, such as when we spend considerable minutes following an elderly couple as they attempt to steal some lemons from a road-side grove. Although the end of the scene ties back to the main story, you spend a while there feeling as if an odd reel from another movie were somehow cut in. All in all, a serviceable B monster movie which manages to rise above the seemingly base reasons for it's existence. It's also a case where the film was saved from it's own director, who wanted things to be much more camp than the producers who desired a straight-forward horror piece. Fortunately, the producers won out, and the film was a success at the box office. Make-up man Rick Baker (no relation) got the script while doing KING KONG (1976), when the proposed title was "The Ghoul From Outer Space." Baker thought himself to've graduated above such cheapies and put in a huge bid for his services. To his shock, his bid was accepted and the film is basically a showcase for his work. Somehow, television standards has relaxed enough by the 1990's that the film became a subject for Mystery Science Theater 3000's seventh season. Meanwhile, I'm amused to note that Pop (his name is Rick, too) created a Melting Man mask which my young mother wore to a halloween party!