The Invisible Man Appears

A kitschy but oh-so catchy double-feature of early Japanese sci-fi, Arrow Video's debut of The Invisible Man Appears (1949) and The Invisible Man vs The Human Fly (1957) is an unexpected treat for fans of the obscure, featuring a noirish black-and-white visual palette and special effects work by the future father of Godzilla, Eiji Tsuburaya, to create the film's transparent visual gags and gimmicks.  Although both films feature more heists than horror, they're a piece of H.G. Wells inspired history that have never been seen outside of Japan.

 

When Professor Nakazato's invisibility potion goes missing - along with the Professor himself - the police have no choice but to name him the lead suspect in a mysterious case of assaults and robberies revolving around a priceless diamond necklace.  Appearing in his signature bandages and trench coat, the Invisible Man makes fools of the police and uses his stolen super-science to wreak havoc in Kobe!

 

Opening and closing with a warning about the evils of abusing scientific advances (a familiar refrain that would become even more prevalent with the sci-fi monster flicks of the '50s), The Invisible Man Appears is a bit stodgy when the effects work aren't on display, revolving around the usual lab coated researchers fighting over the Professor's daughter.  But some of the simpler gags, like an invisible cat that knocks over antiques and leaves prints around the house, work as well as anything from the Universal original.

 

It's the sequel (which starts from scratch with no relation to the first film) that uses the concept more effectively, even adding in a pint-size nemesis, The Human Fly, who can reduce and enlarge himself Ant Man-style thanks to a vial of government-produced gas.  The victims are all related to a secret project shut down after the war, with a list of shrinking suspects that grown smaller every day.  This time around, the invisibility ray is used for good as an ambitious researcher volunteers to use his transparency to hunt down the pesky killer.

 

Goofy in all the right ways, The Invisible Man vs The Human Fly has a surprisingly high body count and a disturbing sexual angle that gives off an anything-goes vibe.  The effects are somewhat weaker and the scientific details downright ridiculous (why does our villain make a buzzing sound if he has no wings?!), but the plot moves along at such a brisk pace that there's barely any time to complain.  This is a seriously wild movie that doesn't take itself seriously.

 

Arrow's Blu-ray makes apologies up-front for the visual presentation, explaining that the sources for both films are 16mm release prints, but no other surviving elements were available.  There's definitely some wear and shudder on the first feature, but things eventually settle down...and the sequel is acceptable from start to finish.  If you're even slightly interested, this shouldn't be a deal breaker.  Extras include image galleries, trailers, a collector's booklet and interview with historian Kim Newman.

 

 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Tormented

Image
The west coast always struggled to create a creepy atmosphere on screen.  All that southern California sunshine just doesn’t lend itself to ghostly apparitions or gothic castles.  But  Tormented  (1960) gives it a good try, staging its opening scene in an abandoned lighthouse where blackmail turns into murder - and one cover up leads to another.  Director Bert I. Gordon, better known for his giant-sized - but low-budget - monster movies, works well at this level, turning in a film that delivers small scares but perhaps his most  professional finished product. Tom Stewart (played by genre regular Richard Carlson) is a fairly successful jazz pianist whose impending marriage to Meg Hubbard (Susan Gordon) will put him in an entirely new tax bracket.  Trouble is his old flame, Vi (Juli Reding), isn’t taking this lying down.  After  allowing  her to fall to her death in the opening scene, Tom is haunted by disembo...
Read more

All Ladies Do It / Frivolous Lola

Image
Every semi-professional review of erotica probably starts off with the same question:  what’s the difference between porn and art?  The internet age has essentially done away with foreplay; sex is merely the act of completion itself, minus the threat of any malware or suspicious browser activity.  But the work of Italian director Tinto Brass, for all its leering upskirt shots of derrieres and pubic hair, still communicates something that websites like Pornhub never will:  the art of seduction.  All Ladies Do It  (1992), a breezy sexual adventure, follows Diana (Claudia Koll) whose marriage is threatened by her fantasies of dalliances with other men, stories her husband believes are nothing more than exciting role play.  But her loose definition of adultery inspires plenty of promiscuous hook-ups, taking advantage of any (ahem)  loophole  that provides a quick thrill.   Flirting with some hardcore sequences (there...
Read more

The Cat and the Canary

Image
My favorite directors have always been showoffs:  Hitchcock, DePalma, Spielberg (when he’s feeling frisky) and gonzo auteurs like Sam Raimi.  There’s just something about their cinematic ambition, constantly reminding the audience that, yes, there actually  is  someone behind the camera calling the shots.  And that directorial discontent shines through even in the early days of the medium, such as Paul Leni’s 1927 adaptation of  The Cat and the Canary .  While the rest of the industry was still learning the basics of visual language, Leni fills his frame with tracking shots, POVs and dramatic lighting that set the standard for every spook show to come!  Gathered for the reading of the last will and testament of eccentric recluse Cyrus West,  the potential heirs meet up in his decrepit mansion to discover who will inherit the estate and family jewels.  Predictably there is some petty jealousy when young Annab...
Read more