Sean’s Halloween Picks Part 1: Memoirs of an Invisible Man
Happy Halloween readers! As a change of pace from the horror movies Pandar3x has been doing, I present some of my favorite movies that I like to watch around Halloween. These are not scary, but are either great comedies, or dramas. Each of them explores the idea of something extraordinary entering the lives of normal people, and how they react. None of them reference Halloween directly, but they are all supernatural in their own ways, and I feel that half of the fun of Halloween is pretending to be something more than what you are. Without further ado, here’s the first of my favorite movies to watch on Halloween.
1. Memoirs of an Invisible Man
He was used to women seeing right through him, but now it’s different.
Chevy Chase is the man. Anyone who grew up in the 80s knows his great movies, The Three Amigos, Caddyshack, Fletch, and Vacation, but by the time the 90s rolled around his career started to wind down. I think that must be why this 1992 gem has gone unnoticed by so many. It is a hilarious and serious film about a man who is the victim in a terrible accident and finds himself invisible. It deals with him adjusting to being invisible, avoiding the CIA spooks who are hunting him, and trying to see if it is even possible to be with the woman he loves.
Somehow classic effects always have more charm than modern CGI.
The comedy of the movie comes from very organic situations, rather than contrived slapstick, such as a great moment when he scares the crap out of a delivery boy that was snooping through drawers thinking that no one was home. The writing and characters are very believable, in an 80s way. Chase is perfect as the invisible man, and even has a chance to get into Fletch-esque disguises (seeing as make-up is one of the few ways to have a face again. Daryl Hannah is beautiful as ever, and is given opportunity to be more than a fixture, and is delightful. The highlight of the casting has to be Sam Neill, who most people have only seen as a villain in Event Horizon. He comes off as smart, ruthless, and the scene with him and Chase are amazing.
One extra note I want to touch on is the effects. For 1992 they are amazing, and while we could totally do better today, I feel that they hold up well. You see the classic floating objects, but also his face from both sides with the make-up on it. Some of the subtle things like his clothes, which are invisible as well, which his has to remember where he put them as he can’t see them either. Imagine putting on a jacket in a hurry when you can’t even see it. There is also a few scenes which pay homage to the classic invisible man, with the goggles and the bandages.
An entertaining, and often overlooked movie which deserves a watch if you can find it on Netflix. Check out the trailer below and stay tuned for part 2 and 3!
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