I don't consider The Invisible Man a horror movie. Suspense? Yes. Science Fiction? Perhaps. Slapstick Comedy? Occasionally. But horror? No. Not even 1930's horror. However, Universal has seen fit to include these films in its classic horror collection, so why quibble? Start melting the butter.
The Invisible Man tells the story of a brilliant scientist who discovers the secret of invisibility but fails to notice the fine print on one of the ingredients in his formula warning of the minor side effect of insanity. And as mad scientists do, he has tested his formula on himself without working out an antidote. So now he must seclude himself away from prying eyes while he works out a way to make himself visible again. And where better to do this than a rented room above a noisy pub?
It is here that the film veers wildly between suspense and physical comedy. Bumbling policemen. Buffoonish villagers. Hysterical landladies. Our invisible man spends the remainder of the film attempting to find his antidote while always remembering to take some time off to enjoy himself, laughing maniacally as he does so. Needless to say, it doesn't end well.
It was several years before Universal created a sequel in The Invisible Man Returns. And this is rather deceptive. The invisible man does not return. This is an entirely different invisible man. We learn that the original invisible man had a brother who is now conveniently in possession of the invisibility formula. But the brother does not use the formula himself. Very sensible. Since there is still no antidote and that pesky insanity side effect remains an issue. But when he learns that a friend is about to be executed for a murder he didn't commit . . . well, given the choice between death and insanity, they come down firmly on the side of insanity. The formula has clearly been refined since it is now accessible through drinking a potion rather than injecting it under the skin. And who knows? Someone may develop that antidote any moment.
In a celebration of invisibility, The Invisible Man Returns was followed in the same year by The Invisible Woman. With its original tag line "The Year's Funniest Fun", it becomes immediately obvious that this movie has absolutely nothing in common with the first two, apart from the word "Invisible" in the title. No secret potion. No murderous insanity. No antidote to worry about. But that's okay. A little light-hearted romantic comedy makes a nice mid-marathon break.
Two years later, the U.S. had joined the war and it's difficult to imagine a better contribution to the war effort than an Invisible Agent.
This time around, it's the grandson of the original invisible man who has somehow gained possession of the invisibility formula. He's living quietly under an assumed name, presumably because everyone was pestering him to make them invisible. Despite his best efforts, however, the Axis powers have tracked him down and are demanding the formula. Instead of giving in, our hero decides volunteer as an invisible spy behind enemy lines. What follows can perhaps best be described as The Invisible Man meets Hogan's Heroes. And it's as far from H.G. Wells as you can get.
Finally, when all hope was nearly extinguished, Universal returned to its invisible roots with the atmospheric The Invisible Man's Revenge.
We're back to the English village with it's bumbling characters, although the police appear slightly more competent than in the first film. We follow Robert Griffin (no relation to the invisible Griffins of previous films) as he escapes from a mental hospital and makes his way to England to seek revenge on those believed to have left him for dead and stolen his fortune in diamonds. At first, he simply approaches his former partners, demanding their money and property. Oh, and he'd also like their 20-something daughter thrown in to complete the deal. Predictably, they refuse. Our hero then wanders into the countryside where he encounters a slightly-mad scientist with a house full of invisible pets and a desire to test his formula on a human. So why not?
In this case the "antidote" is a transfusion with the blood of another human. And we don't have to worry about the formula causing insanity. This guy is already insane.
The Invisible Man's Revenge is as close as any of these movies comes to horror. But if I had to pick a favourite, it would have to be the second film, The Invisible Man Returns. I want to choose the original. But I just can't get past that annoyingly hysterical landlady. No matter how much the film's director reportedly loved her performance. And Claude Rains maniacal laughter. Grating. And cheesy. But there are worse ways to spend an icy grey day. And when it was over, the rain was no longer freezing. Just wet. And . . . I think those just might be patches of grass in the yard.
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