Even if The Incredible Melting Man were deliberately retro, re-creating the look and feel of a stultifying drive-in undercard isn't exactly a laudable achievement.

This Z-grade effort, lacking any low-budget energy, takes its cue from the central character: it's tacky and bumbling and sinks into its own morass long before its subject finally dribbles apart, slurp, glub.

Each spring brings similar releases to fill the need of drive-in operators for something cheap to put on the screen for the kids in the cars to ignore or laugh at.

As with many early slasher flicks, it’s not a great sign when audiences are more likely to root for the antagonist than the protagonists.