8mm Forum


  
my profile | my password | search | faq | register | forum home
  next oldest topic   next newest topic
» 8mm Forum   » 8mm Print Reviews   » The Incredible Melting Man

 - UBBFriend: Email this page to someone!    
Author Topic: The Incredible Melting Man
James N. Savage 3
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1375
From: Washington, DC
Registered: Jul 2003


 - posted October 09, 2008 07:33 PM      Profile for James N. Savage 3     Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
Well, you axed for it, so here it is. The review for...

"The Incredible Melting Man"
Ken Films, 400 foot digest, 17 minutes.

After the American International Pictures logo, the credits appear over an outer-space backdrop. We then see several astronauts, fiddling with controls. As the main character, astronaut Steve West looks out of the window, he utters the famous line- "You've never...seen anything.........until you've seen the sun.........through the rings of Saturn". (Yes, he really says it, just like that! [Smile] ). We then see some stock footage of solar flares, followed by a bright flash of light. Steve goes unconcious, followed by a fade out.

In a hospital room at NASA, a doctor is looking in on Steve, the only survivor from the space ship. Steve is unconscious and wrapped from head to toe. Note: I love the background score on this scene.

Moments later, a somewhat large nurse walks in, as Steve wakes up and starts tearing his bandages off in horror. The nurse screams and runs out of the room. Then, the VERY FAMOUS scene where the nurse runs down a very long corridor, in slow motion, screaming, until she dramatically crashes through a tiny glass door, still in slow motion. NOTE: This scene is famous if you were old enough to watch TV in the mid/late 70's, because this scene was shown over and over on commercials.

Next scene, the nurse is dead on an autopsy table, we see that part of her head is missing. NASA doctors discuss that Steve is missing, and dangerous, and melting, and needs to eat human cells to live. Dr. Ted Nelson (Steve's old friend) is given the job to find him. Dr. Nelson heads out with a geiger counter, and finds a melty body part, and says- "OMG, it's his ear".

Next scene, a man is fishing in a small wooded area, when he is grabbed from behind by a slimey hand, as we get our first quick look at the melting man.

Next scene, a photographer is attempting to take topless photos of a reluctant model (played by the late Cheryl "Rainbeaux" Smith, actress in many films back then, mostly "B" movies). Her foot bumps the hand of a corpse (the fisherman), who now has no head.

The local sheriff begins questioning Dr. Nelson, suspecting that he knows more than he's telling. (For some reason, NASA wants the whole thing to be kept a secret).

We then see the fisherman's head float down a small stream, and cascade over a little water fall. NOTE: the editor of this digest chose to cut out the part where the head hits a large rock at the bottom and cracks open. I guess he felt it was just too gory for the average home movie viewer.

At night, a couple arrives home to find the front door open, and slime on the door knob. The man is killed off-screen and the woman locks herself in the kitchen. As she stands by a window, watching the kitchen door, MM's arm smashes through the window and grabs her from behind (good shock scene). She grabs a meat clever and chops it off. MM runs off.

Dr. Nelson has now leveled with the sheriff and they chase MM into a power plant, climbing many stairs. As the sheriff confronts MM at the top of the tower, he fires a shotgun, hitting MM several times, taking no effect except to anger him, at which time MM knocks the sheriff over the railing, and into power lines, turning him into a human fireworks display (NOTE: this was always the favorite scene of everyone who watched this digest).

MM then knocks his old friend Dr. Nelson over the rail, but then seems to remember him (as sweet violin music is played, no kidding). MM pulls his old friend to safety, and seems to be coming around (even though he's still melting).

But then, the irony of it all. Two over-zelous, armed security guards order the two to "freeze". As Dr. Nelson frantically tries to explain whats happening, they shoot the Doctor in the head, killing him instanly [Roll Eyes] . They open fire on MM, who attacks them (they are heard screaming as the picture blurs and fades to black).

The MM then sits next to a shed and begins melting at a rapid pace, until, nothing but a pile of glob. Fade out.

After a short pause, the picture fades in. Its morning, and we see the still bodies of Dr. Nelson, the sheriff, and the two guards. When then see whats left of the MM. Then, in an effective scene of comic relief, a NASA custodian (who slightly resembles the actor Red Foxx), reluctantly cleans up the gooey mess, shaking is head in discussed, apparently unaware that its what's left of the missing astronaut.

The End.

***************************************************************

I saw this at the movies about a year before I bought this digest. I really didn't like the full feature very much, as it was painfully slow, heavily padded with tons of boring flash-backs, and poorly lit scenes of MM walking around pasture-like areas in slow motion.

However.....

this digest is excellent, and actually turned this into a decent horror movie. The editing is near perfect, moving swiftly, capturing most of the really good scenes, and even including some of the famously campy bits that have made this somewhat of a cult-classic.

I strongly recommend this digest to the horror or 'camp' fan. Don't bother with the DVD feature, unless its the MS3K version, which is pretty funny.

Comes in a nice Ken clam-shell case (unfortunatley, no original artwork, just close-up picture of the MM).

Last Note: excellent FX by Rick Baker, which is basically what made the movie. No name actors, but you will recognize most of them from various T.V. shows and movies from the 70's.

James.

[ October 10, 2008, 03:47 PM: Message edited by: James N. Savage 3 ]

 |  IP: Logged

Osi Osgood
Film God

Posts: 10204
From: Mountian Home, ID.
Registered: Jul 2005


 - posted October 09, 2008 08:33 PM      Profile for Osi Osgood   Author's Homepage     Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
Thanx Cine-dude!

I have heard of this digest and it might be one of the few that I would want to get on Super 8, as I doubt there was a feature version of this.

--------------------
"All these moments will be lost in time, just like ... tears, in the rain. "

 |  IP: Logged

James N. Savage 3
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1375
From: Washington, DC
Registered: Jul 2003


 - posted October 09, 2008 09:22 PM      Profile for James N. Savage 3     Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
Right Osi,

This was never printed on super 8 as full length, unless it was boot-legged or Italian print. And believe me, thats a good thing.

I really can't stress enough how much better this works as a digest. The audience at the cinema did not react well to this movie at all back in 77. But, all the people I show this to love it. I would almost bet that the editor for this is the same one who edited "The Omen" 400 foot digest. Both digests were released at the same time, and are equally excellent digests.

Get this one Osi. You won't regret it (that is, if you like these types of movies).

James.

 |  IP: Logged

Osi Osgood
Film God

Posts: 10204
From: Mountian Home, ID.
Registered: Jul 2005


 - posted October 09, 2008 09:43 PM      Profile for Osi Osgood   Author's Homepage     Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
It sounds good. I've run into some terrible digests as well.

Damnation Alley, a half decent apocolyptic thriller, was a terrible digest, and had one of the most marginal sharpness I have ever seen! Terribly edited!

--------------------
"All these moments will be lost in time, just like ... tears, in the rain. "

 |  IP: Logged

Douglas Meltzer
Moderator

Posts: 4554
From: New York, NY, USA
Registered: Jun 2003


 - posted October 09, 2008 09:46 PM      Profile for Douglas Meltzer   Email Douglas Meltzer   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
 -

James,

Nicely detailed review. I remember the original ad campaign claiming that MM was the first new horror creature in years! Jonathan Demme has a bit part in the feature.

Doug

--------------------
I think there's room for just one more film.....

 |  IP: Logged

Osi Osgood
Film God

Posts: 10204
From: Mountian Home, ID.
Registered: Jul 2005


 - posted October 10, 2008 09:13 AM      Profile for Osi Osgood   Author's Homepage     Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
well, you have to admit, there weren't many melting men in films before that, and certainly none so convincing as this one.

James, was there a 200ft release of this as well AND, if so, did it have any additional footage?

--------------------
"All these moments will be lost in time, just like ... tears, in the rain. "

 |  IP: Logged

Mike Tynus
Expert Film Handler

Posts: 135
From: Addison, IL, USA
Registered: Apr 2008


 - posted October 10, 2008 11:46 PM      Profile for Mike Tynus     Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
I used to have a 200 footer of this years ago, and reading from James review it did not have any extra footage. This short version ended terribly, with a quick cut to the MM sitting by the shed and then a sudden cut to black. No melting!

 |  IP: Logged

James N. Savage 3
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1375
From: Washington, DC
Registered: Jul 2003


 - posted October 11, 2008 01:37 PM      Profile for James N. Savage 3     Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
Wow Mike!

That really IS a terrible way to end the reel. That was a definate error on the part of the editor.

Osi-

I have to disagree with you on Damnation Alley. Although, not the best edit job. I do remember the end being a bit abrupt. They should have added one minute to the end, which would have been more satisfying. At least it had the "killer cockroach" scene (my favorite).

Doug-

Thanks for the great scan! You are now the official "scan-man" [Cool] .

James.

 |  IP: Logged

Osi Osgood
Film God

Posts: 10204
From: Mountian Home, ID.
Registered: Jul 2005


 - posted October 11, 2008 02:13 PM      Profile for Osi Osgood   Author's Homepage     Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
James,

I bet you'd agree on the very marginal focus. They must have used a 16MM for the master that must have not been all that hot to begin with. I do remember being very disappointed with it, as I was fond of this B movie.

I also thought that they dwelled far too long on that scene with the cannibalistic hillbillys. More evil bugs ... MORE EVIL BUGS!!

--------------------
"All these moments will be lost in time, just like ... tears, in the rain. "

 |  IP: Logged

Marshall Crist
Master Film Handler

Posts: 300
From: San Pedro, CA USA
Registered: Oct 2008


 - posted October 12, 2008 12:56 PM      Profile for Marshall Crist   Email Marshall Crist   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
Not a big Super 8 collector at present, but MELTING MAN was one of my favorite digests as a kid, and one of the few I still have, despite the color beginning to fade. I always wondered about the 200' version; thanks for the info.

 |  IP: Logged



All times are Central  
   Close Topic    Move Topic    Delete Topic    next oldest topic   next newest topic
 - Printer-friendly view of this topic
Hop To:

Visit www.film-tech.com for free equipment manual downloads. Copyright 2003-2019 Film-Tech Cinema Systems LLC

Powered by Infopop Corporation
UBB.classicTM 6.3.1.2