The Incredible Melting Man (1977)
Directed by William Sachs
Written by William Sachs
1977/US
IMDb page
First viewing/YouTube
Mama always told me not to look into the sights of the sun
Woah, but mama that’s where the fun is. Bruce Springsteen “Blinded by the Light”
The only incredible thing about this movie is FX genius Rick Baker’s make-up job on the melting man.
Three astronauts orbit Saturn in preparation for a mission that will land on the ringed planet. They get a chance to look at the Sun through Saturn’s rings. Immediately two are struck dead. The third, Steve West, survives and returns to earth. He quickly escapes his hospital bed and starts wreaking havoc on a small town.
The space mission’s physician is sent on a quest to locate his friend. But all he can find is molten body parts that have fallen off. The death toll mounts. I did not expect the ironic ending,
The story is not so different from hundreds of B-grade creature features throughout the history of cinema. It might even be cornier than most. But, wow, what a disgusting and disturbing creature. And as he melts, his look changes so this meant several make-up jobs for the same character. Rick Baker pulled it off brilliantly.
