A movie so bad it’s good, 1977’s The Incredible Melting Man tells the story of NASA astronaut Steve West (Alex Rebar) who returns from a mission to Saturn, the only surviving member of his crew. Upon his return to Earth, Steve suffers a strange form of radiation poisoning that causes his flesh to liquefy and drip from his body. Driven mad from the pain, he escapes from the secret medical facility where he’s been kept, roaming the California foothills, randomly attacking innocent people and eating their flesh.  Meanwhile, Steve’s doctor and best friend, Dr. Ted Nelson (Burr DeBenning) is desperate to find him and limit the carnage.

Armed with a Geiger counter and some help from General Mike Perry (Myron Healy),—a heavyset guy whose best skill seems to be napping—Nelson heads out to find his friend. As Steve’s humanity continues to disintegrate along with his skin, he even attacks Ted’s in-laws. Can Steve really be stopped? :

The Incredible Melting ManThe Incredible Melting Man is so bad it was lampooned on the popular show Mystery Science Theater 3000. Originally conceived as a horror parody, this film was tailor made for the folks at MST3K. Unintentionally hilarious badly acted, and a genuine mess, somehow, The Incredible Melting Man still manages to be quite entertaining, as long as you take it for what it is. For my money, the main reason to buy this Blu-ray is because the film features early effects work by the great Rick Baker. It seems as though he might have had access to a warehouse full of condensed milk and food coloring to create the melting effects. Surprisingly, they’re quite effective and really stand out as the best part of the film.

So, The Incredible Melting Man is nothing to write home about, but the naive humor, over-the-top gore and bad acting make the whole thing unintentionally hilarious. Thus, what we have here is one of those movies that are so bad, there good!

Presented in the 1.85:1 aspect ratio, Scream Factory’s 1080p presentation is very solid. Sharpness is quite good, no signs of DNR are evident and print issues are minimal. Some of the archival footage has some wear—largely during the space shots—but on the whole, this is a clean presentation.

The DTS-HD MA monaural soundtrack is nothing amazing, but perfectly acceptable. Effects sound a bit harsh on occasion, but it matches well with the film. Arlon Ober composed the score, which contributes well to the overall mood of the ‘excessive’ story.

English SDH subtitles are available.

The following special features are included:

  • Audio Commentary with Writer/Director William Sachs: Sachs is amazingly honest, disavowing much of the film. He knew the script was satirical in nature, but apparently producers were intent on making a more serious movie. Sachs is an interesting listen, and fans of the film will want to check this commentary out.
  • Interview with makeup effects artist Greg Cannom (HD, 2:55) Cannom shares some quick thoughts on how he came to be involved in the film and his work on it.
  • Interview with Writer/Director William Sachs and makeup effects artist Rick Baker (HD, 19:38) Recorded separately, the two men discuss the film’s development, how Baker came to the project, his effects work, Sachs disagreements with producers, the cast and more.
  • Theatrical Trailer (HD, 1:48)
  • Radio Spot (:31)
  • Photo Gallery (HD, 4:22)