The Invisible Man
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Movie Reviews of The Invisible Man
Movie Review: Rains at his best
Summary: 5 Stars
The movie starts on a snowy night with a man, bandages around his head, a fake looking nose and dark glasses, looking for a place to stay. The film has the expressive voice of Claude Rains who is driven mad by the side effects of the invisibility drug. After killing a policeman, he becomes a hunted man. (I learned from one of the extras on the DVD that Boris Karloff was originally offered the role.) The effects are impressive (explained in the extras) where Rains removes his glasses to reveal nothing at all. The film offers plenty of humor e.g., shirt dancing around and a pair of pants chasing a woman down the road.Movie Review: DVD buyers beware!!!
Summary: 3 Stars
The DVD release of THE INVISIBLE MAN has one scene that is noticeably different from the VHS and LD releases. In that scene Kemp is listening to the radio. What's playing on the radio in the VHS and LD versions (and, presumably, in the original 1933 release prints) is a vintage jazz tune typical of the era. For the DVD release MCA or Universal apparently no longer had the rights to that tune (and, also apparently, did not try to re-acquire the rights, even though it probably wouldn't have been too much trouble). Thus in the DVD release "new" music was substituted, so now Kemp is listening to a digital piano recording of "Hearts and Flowers"!Movie Review: Best of the Universal creepshows
Summary: 5 Stars
I like this one more than any other classic frightfest -- more than the first two Frankensteins, Dracula, the Wolf Man, the Mummy, and anything with Shirley Temple, put together! The only thing more frightening, perhaps, is the phrase "See more about me" that accompanies some of the more pompous opinions in this site. Anyway, check out this movie. Not so much scary as creepy, and also very funny.Movie Review: The Lost Meaning of Horror.
Summary: 4 Stars
For those of you who have read my reviews, you may ask why a hard core English Major who sticks to Marlowe, Shakespeare, Milton, Hawthorne, and Dickens finds this old horror movie so important. I am glad to answer this. In this modern movie world of special effects and gore, I feel the true meaning of horror has been lost. This movie is an obvious example of the true meaning of horror. Rains' character was a good and decent man who could not stay behind the line of 'this far and no further.' (Resembles Marlowe's techniques.) He crossed the line and made himself invisible and was unable to reverse the formula. (This passes plausibility, but with all of this film's merits, it is easy to overlook.) For a while Rains actually has fun with his power, and the events are very comical. (Not unlike Marlowe's Dr. Faustus.) However, the invisibility is NOT what presents us with horror. What DOES fill us with horror is the degeneration of this good and decent man into a psychotic killer obsessed with power. His former friend Kemp turns into an enemy (and we can scarcely blame him). Even Rains' former employer (who wants to help him) is expressed by Rains as having 'the mind of a tapeworm.' Eventually, Rains' character goes on a mindless and random killing spree. So Rains has gone from being an intelligent decent man, to a prankster, to one who alienates his friends, to one who rebukes people who want to help him, to killing randomly and mindlessly. The effects are simple and do not overshadow the true horror of this. I tip my hat to Claude Rains for displaying one of the most frightening things so well. (The gradual degeneration of a human being.)Movie Review: A Classic Yes, but is it really the best print?
Summary: 5 Stars
It is without a doubt a classic. A great film, but the DVD has a lot of specks and white spots on the print. I know the film was made in 1933. I just wonder if this was really the best print or if it could have been cleaned up better. Anyway, I'd still buy it.