Post by phantomparticle on Oct 2, 2020 1:01:55 GMT
The Invisible Man (1933) confuses first time viewers because so much of it stems from James Whale's sardonic wit. It mystified me when I first saw it on Shock Theatre in the late 1950's. I don't think anyone sitting down to see this film expects to be confronted by an empty pair of pants dancing down the road singing, "Here we go gathering nuts in may."
On subsequent viewings, when I was more familiar with the director's black humor (which peaked with Bride of Frankenstein), I realized the brilliance of his approach. As Isapop mentioned in his post, it introduced us to Claude Rains. The actor's famous mad speech ("even the moon is frightened of me") in that deep, gravel voice is unforgettable and I'm sure audiences of the 1930's were impatient to see the face behind it. It rates a solid 10/10 as one of the genuine fantasy classics of Hollywood's Golden Age.
The sequels of the 1940's aren't bad, just disappointing, even though the technical effects are an improvement over the earlier film.
I've only seen Hollow Man among the modern invisible man movies. Despite the quantum leap in fx, it lacks the humor and ethereal ambiance found in Whale's classic.
On subsequent viewings, when I was more familiar with the director's black humor (which peaked with Bride of Frankenstein), I realized the brilliance of his approach. As Isapop mentioned in his post, it introduced us to Claude Rains. The actor's famous mad speech ("even the moon is frightened of me") in that deep, gravel voice is unforgettable and I'm sure audiences of the 1930's were impatient to see the face behind it. It rates a solid 10/10 as one of the genuine fantasy classics of Hollywood's Golden Age.
The sequels of the 1940's aren't bad, just disappointing, even though the technical effects are an improvement over the earlier film.
I've only seen Hollow Man among the modern invisible man movies. Despite the quantum leap in fx, it lacks the humor and ethereal ambiance found in Whale's classic.