Blu-ray Review: Scream Factory Unveils Beloved ‘The Fog,’ Awful ‘The Incredible Melting Man’

CHICAGO – Scream Factory, the horror branch of the great Shout Factory, continues to impress with an ambitious slate of catalog films making their HD debut in the coming months, many of which were announced at Comic-Con last month (“Nightbreed”!). They also seem to be upping their release rate, unleashing two horror flicks last week, John Carpenter’s beloved “The Fog” and the truly horrendous “The Incredible Melting Man,” a cultural curiosity but a crap film.

One of the many things so remarkable about the Shout Factory releases is the honesty drawn from the interview subjects on them. What other studio would not only land Jamie Lee Curtis for an extended interview to talk about not only “The Fog” but her filmography of that scream queen era in general and include the fact that she doesn’t particularly like John Carpenter’s follow-up to “Halloween.” “I am surprised that it has such popularity because I just don’t think it’s that good a film.” It’s that kind of honesty that we need more of in Blu-ray special features. Of course, Curtis is still a fascinating interview, especially when she gets into her role in the horror movement in general, even if she doesn’t love “The Fog” (for understandable reasons).

A movie very few people love is “The Incredible Melting Man,” a testament to the legendary Rick Baker’s skill with makeup but an awful film all around. It was apparently conceived and even partially shot as a comedy film, a spoof of B-movies, that was then turned serious during production. One can easily see how disastrous that was in this tonal nightmare that’s not scary or funny.

Both films are beautifully transferred and include great special features but “The Fog” is the gift to genre nuts, complete with previous special features and new interviews with Curtis and a new commentary track that includes stars Adrienne Barbeau & Tom Atkins.

The Fog was released on Blu-ray on July 30, 2013
Photo credit: Shout Factory

“The Fog”

Synopsis:
What you can’t see won’t hurt you… it’ll kill you!

When the fog rolls in… the terror begins! This moody horror classic from master of terror John Carpenter (The Thing) and producer Debra Hill (Escape from L.A.) stars Adrienne Barbeau (Swamp Thing), Jamie Lee Curtis (Halloween), Tom Atkins (Halloween III: Season Of The Witch), Hal Holbrook (Creepshow) and Janet Leigh (Psycho). Don’t get lost in the fog…

The sleepy seaside village of Antonio Bay is about to learn the true meaning of the word “vengeance.” This seemingly perfect town masks a guilty secret… a past steeped in greed and murder. Exactly 100 years ago, a ship was horribly wrecked under mysterious circumstances in a thick, eerie fog. Now, shrouded in darkness, the long-dead mariners have returned from their watery grave to exact a bloody revenge.

Special Features:
o Audio Commentary With Writer/Director John Carpenter And Writer/Producer Debra Hill
o New Audio Commentary With Actors Adrienne Barbeau, Tom Atkins and Production Designer Tommy Lee Wallace
o New Interview With Jamie Lee Curtis
o Tales From The Mist: Inside The Fog Featurette
o Fear On Film: Inside The Fog Featurette
o The Fog: Storyboard To Film Featurette
o Horror’s Hallowed Grounds - A New Look At The Film’s Locations
o Outtakes
o Theatrical Trailers
o TV Spots
o Photo Gallery

The Incredible Melting Man was released on Blu-ray on July 30, 2013
Photo credit: Shout Factory

“The Incredible Melting Man”

Synopsis:
Colonel Steve West has just returned from an incredible history-making flight to Saturn when he is hospitalized with an ailment that baffles the entire medical community. His flesh is melting and to stay alive he must consume human flesh and blood. The infected Colonel West escapes from the doctors’ supervision and hides in the surrounding community where he begins to hunt for human flesh. Who can stop the Incredible Melting Man?

Featuring “Excellent makeup effects” (Leonard Maltin) from six-time Oscar winner Rick Baker (An American Werewolf in London, Ed Wood, Men In Black) and written and directed by William Sachs (Galaxina, Exterminator 2), The Incredible Melting Man delivers the gelatinous goods while humanizing a character rapidly losing his humanity. In short: it’s bloody good!

Special Features:
o Audio Commentary By Writer/Director William Sachs
o Interviews With Academy Award Winning Special Makeup Effects Wizards Rick Baker and Greg Cannom and Writer/Director William Sachs
o Theatrical Trailer

[14]	By BRIAN TALLERICO [15] Content Director HollywoodChicago.com brian@hollywoodchicago.com [14]