Review(s): DVD Invisible Man - The Legacy Collection (The Invisible Man/Invisible Man Returns/Invisible Agent/Invisible Woman/Invisible Man's Revenge)
Surprisingly excellent
For being a film from 1933, The Invisible Man is a very good film. This DVD collection contains four other movies and a documentary.
The Invisible Man itself is not quite as good as its successors, however, it is well written and at times surprisingly original. The drawbacks are the Innkeeper's wife, who was (according to the documentary) hired for the entire reason I did not like her: she overreacts to everything. She's superstitious, overly suspicious of anyone, and screams an annoying scream that drives even the other prople in the inn batty. There is some mild humor and a bit of drama in The Invisible Man and Claude Rains does a passable job, with that voice that just creeps under your skin...
The Invisible Man Returns is a much better film and a true SEQUEL to The Invisible Man. Made in 1940, it stars VINCENT PRICE as a man accused of murdering his brother, and set to be hanged. The little brother of the original Invisible Man visits him (Vincent Price's character) in jail and gives him the injection to make him invisible, thus setting him free. The police chief is wise to this, recognizing the original Invisible Man's brother and is constantly blowing cigar smoke all around him, in hopes of finding the escaped convict. The acting is very good and the developments in the plot are strong and original. The biggest drawback is that Vincent Price spoke so softly in a few scenes, I could barely make out what he was saying even with my speakers at full blast. Good film, great ending. For a semi-sequel to this, Vincent Price reprised his "voice" role in Abbot & Costello Meet Frankenstein...
The Invisible Woman is not a sequel at all to any of the previous films. It is a bout a model who wants to give her boss a piece of her mind without her boss knowing who she is. When she sees an ad in the paper for "someone to become invisible" she cannot resist. I was annoyed at the speed the mail was delivered (put it in your mail box and it arrives within an hour at the destination), but that is just one plot hole. It is a comedy that has SHEMP HOWARD (from the Three Stooges) as a bumbling henchman with two fellow henchmen trying to find the invisibility machine for their exiled mob boss. There are a few scenes where I could imagine this being edited a bit and turned into a three stooges movie, as there happen to be three henchmen who are hired by a whiny, un-threatening GERMAN mob boss who is in Mexico... With the actress best known as the Wicked Witch of the West (from Wizard of Oz) as the scientists assistant, this is a very unusually well-acted and delightful comedy. Great story and excellent acting.
I will update this after watching the other two movies on the disc: The Invisible Agent and The Invisible Man's Revenge...
Frankenstein, part II???
Frankenstein, directed by James Whale, was a big hit in 1931 & then in 1933 the same director brings us The Invisible Man; like the former, sharing "the situation of a passionate young scientist who has disappeared in order to experiment alone, leaving behind a worried fiance, a fatherly associate...and a friend who is fond of the fiance" (quoted off the audio commentary on this DVD). Of course, the whole fiance angle was embellished as it appears not in the book by H.G. Wells, so let's not call these similarities coincidental; as the screenwriter & James Whale engineer "a more precise conflict than exists in the novel." Film historian Paul Jensen, (quoted by the audio commentator) continues: "Such a conflict is dramatically necessary in The Invisible Man because there is no overt struggle between a scientist and a monster as there is in Frankestein. Here the scientist himself BECOMES the monster" (emphasis added). "We'll begin," declares the Invisible Man to an unenthusiastic friend, "with a reign of terror. A few murders here and there; murders of great men; murders of little men, just to show we make no distinction. We might even wreck a train or two. Just these fingers round a signalman's throat; that's all." My point herein is that this film itself has none. By that I do not mean to imply that it isn't entertaining; just that it's no classic on par with Frankenstein. In the latter, Dr. Frankenstein's goal is to play GOD; and having played with such presumptive fire, gets burned. The film, in short, has an angle; while the Invisible Man does not. To wit: Claude Rains is presented as a scientist who, having achieved his goal of invisibility, instead of doing anthing with it initially, becomes frantic to develope an antidote; as if he apparently had no interest in it in the first place. Only later as he begins to lose his mind does he interest himself on utilizing his power; and that on a campaign of murderous mayhem. As an amusing lark, the film does best many others (as there are a heck of a lot of unamusing films out there), but to favorably compare it to Frankenstein---with which is does share much, as indicated above---is a stretch. If anything, it's Frankenstein-lite; a sequel of sorts that just doesn't work as well as it's reputation seems to suggest. In other words, see (or consider buying) Frankenstein if you haven't already---it's a true classic, while you instead just consider renting The Invisible Man. Even the 'original documentary' included herein is but a version, in essence, of the audio commentary---they're even done by the same film historian. Incidentially, the other included films are not much of a bonus either, though the Invisible Man Returns isn't half bad; rather slow going, but at least its story is coherent: man on death row for murder he didn't commit gets disappearing drug slipped to him in jail so as to escape. On the outside he seeks to finds the real culprit & thereby saves his neck. Unfortunately for Vincent Price fans, however, that actor's distinctly captivating voice is hardly apparent in this film, as the Invisible Man. Apparently, the voice by which we have come to identify Mr. Price wasn't that developed when he made this film in his relative youth. So, just that was a bit of a let down, as well. But let's end on a positive note. You can't go wrong with the books these films are adapted from, so why not consider reading the book by H.G. Wells and/or Mary Shelley's classic while you're at it as well. Cheers!
Now you see him, Now you don't
Universal Studios LEGACY COLLECTION has given us another great offering with THE INVISIBLE MAN franchise. The set includes all the films including THE INVISIBLE MAN, THE INVISIBLE MAN RETURNS, THE INVISIBLE WOMAN, THE INVISIBLE AGENT and THE INVISBLE MAN'S REVENGE. There is also a nice making of documentary and a running commentary. Unfortunately, the set does not come with the gorgeous character busts available with the FRANKENSTEIN, DRACULA and WOLFMAN releases.
The INVISIBLE MAN franchise is a unique series for Universal Studios. Each film had its own flavor: the first is a horrific character study; the second, the story of a man looking to prove his innocence; third, a young woman seeks revenge on a chauvinistic boss and fourth, our hero does all he can to help the war effort! Did I mention that they were all invisible? The final film (not including appearances in two Abbot & Costello films) is closest to the original flavor of the series.
THE INVISIBLE MAN (1933) Bbased loosely on H.G.Welles classic novel of the same name, the film takes a turn for the sinister, the film's invisible man is a downright megalomaniac bent on destruction, mayhem and murder. Under the direction of FRANKENSTEIN'S James Whale, he still has time to laugh at his own new power, whether teasing a group of people who can't apprehend what they can't see or when he skips down the road singing a childhood nursery rhyme wearing only pants.
THE INVISIBLE MAN RETURNS (1940) Seven years after THE INVISIBLE MAN, Universal gave the transparency trait to someone else. This time, a man falsely accused of murder. Vincent Price fills the role, this time without the megalomania. The result, this invisible man is far less dangerous, far more misunderstood thus, more endearing. You want him to succeed. So the film is less a horror piece, more a psychological thriller, even FUGITIVE-like.
THE INVISIBLE WOMAN (1940) A light-hearted film, a young woman uses Invisibility to get minor revenges, specifically against people that have been mean to her. The humor is harmless and not always effective. It is purely enjoyable from an historical perspective.
THE INVISIBLE AGENT (1942) This film follows the keeper of the Invisibility Serum as he decides to allow the United States to use his dangerous potion... and his person... to help bring down the evil Nazis! This time, there is a beautiful German girl that threatens to tear the Invisible man from his duty. Oh yeah, there's also a boorish Nazi sub commander who must find a heart of his own for his own survival... And finally, Peter Lorre is on hand as a Japanese soldier, but to be honest, I didn't know he was supposed to be Japanese until well near the en
THE INVISIBLE MAN'S REVENGE (1944) This final effort, the transparent character uses invisibility for personal gain, destroying a couple that had done him wrong and taking ownership of an already engaged heroine. Like the first film, the invisibility serum effects the brain, leading to insanity... Although the plot is predictable this is one of the better entries in the series. Well worth a check.
The special effects for this series improved throughout and they are still great today. This and all the other creature features in the LEGACY COLLECTION are gorgeous. Each set well worth the praise it receives.
Related DVD's Invisible Man - The Legacy Collection (The Invisible Man/Invisible Man Returns/Invisible Agent/Invisible Woman/Invisible Man's Revenge)
Eagarly with anticipation I waited for Halloween night to watch "The Mummy"! To my horror, I must have purchased the one defective copy of the Legacy Collection The Mummy, for it was not on disc one or disc two. It's just non-existant!
After spending $23 for this DVD, I'm sorely disappointed with the set. More Info about this DVD Director(s): Christy Cabanne DVD Release Date: Released the 19 October 2004 Usually ships in 24 hours
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As one of the six "Legacy" collections featuring the popular Universal monsters, the Creature set has some distinctly unique features. In one way, it's the sparsest collection, with only three movies, but it also is the only one with commentaries on all the films. Perhaps more importantly is the nature of the Creature himself. While the other monsters are either purely supernatural (Dracula, the Wolf Man), purely man-made (Frankenstein's monster, the Invisible Man) or a combination of the two (the Mummy), only the Creature is a natural creature.
What also stands out in the Creature movies is that humanity in general comes off as the bad guys and the Creature is the most sympathetic figure. Acting in a generally defensive manner, the Creature is subjected to greater and... More Info about this DVD Actor(s): Richard Carlson - Julie Adams Director(s): Jack Arnold DVD Release Date: Released the 19 October 2004 Usually ships in 24 hours
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What famous horror classic, panned by reviewers upon its initial release in December of 1941, looks better and better every year? THE WOLF MAN, starring Claude Rains, Ralph Bellamy, Evelyn Ankers, and Lon Chaney Jr. as the hapless Larry Talbot.
The story is a familiar one: Larry, the son of esteemed Sir John (Rains) returns home to Wales after many years in America, is bitten by a werewolf (well played by Bela Lugosi), and becomes a werewolf himself. What's extraordinary is the fact that the film can be so effective today.
The biggest reason for this is the acting. Some classic films, pre-Actor's Studio, look pretty pathetic when it comes to realistic characterization. Not so THE WOLF MAN. Curt Siodmak's excellent screenplay (likened to a Greek Tragedy) provides... More Info about this DVD Actor(s): Claude Rains - Warren William Director(s): George Waggner DVD Release Date: Released the 27 April 2004 Usually ships in 24 hours
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Why would Universal previously distribute a superior DVD and then repackage the same film but decrease the quality???
The Legacy Collection of the original Dracula movie from 1930 is a lesser quality DVD than it's predecessor from the Classic Monsters Collection set. The image quality is blurry and fuzzy - I'll take film grain and hairs over blurred out images anyday. The audio is also muted and soft as compared to the earlier released DVD.
I've compared both DVDs side by side, and the previous "Classic Monsters Collection" DVD won out in DVD quality.
My suggestion to all customers is to avoid these lesser quality (but newer) releases of Dracula and buy the earlier release instead. More Info about this DVD Actor(s): Bela Lugosi - Helen Chandler - David Manners Director(s): Tod Browning DVD Release Date: Released the 27 April 2004 Usually ships in 24 hours
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"It's alive! Alive!" shouts Colin Clive's triumphant Dr. Frankenstein as electricity buzzes over the hulking body of a revived corpse. "In the name of God now I know what it's like to be God!" For years unheard, this line has been restored, along with the legendary scene of the childlike monster tossing a little girl into a lake, in James Whale's Frankenstein, one of the most famous and influential horror movies ever made. Coming off the tremendous success of Dracula, Universal assigned sophomore director Whale to helm an adaptation of Mary Shelley's famous novel with Bela Lugosi as the monster. When Lugosi declined the role, Whale cast the largely unknown character actor Boris Karloff and together with makeup designer Jack Pierce they created the most memorable monster in... More Info about this DVD Actor(s): Colin Clive - Mae Clarke - Boris Karloff Director(s): James Whale DVD Release Date: Released the 27 April 2004 Usually ships in 24 hours
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