An Appreciation of Universal Horror's "Invisible Man" Franchise

Scene from The Invisible Man

This Friday will mark the latest interpretation of the H.G. Wells classic "The Invisible Man." Starring Elisabeth Moss, the updated version already has proven to be an intense update that finds the story tying more to themes of toxic masculinity than the feeling of not being seen. In fact, there have been many interpretations throughout the years, though few will ever be as interesting as the franchise that started it all. Back in the 1930s, the Universal Horror label did their best to create the cinematic icons of every horror character imaginable. Audiences are undoubtedly more familiar with Frankenstein, Dracula, and to a lesser extent The Wolf Man and The Creature from the Black Lagoon. However, there's one that exists in the fray and has a more interesting legacy over six films. The Invisible Man in 1933 started a franchise that was never as acclaimed or consistent as its peers, but it does serve as an interesting alternate path that horror could've gone down, embracing romantic comedy, World War II espionage thrillers, and the more general sense of camp. While it may have one of the weakest franchises of Universal Horror, it's easily the most fascinating.

The Runner-Ups: James Whale in "The Invisible Man" (1933)

Every Oscar season, there are a handful of actors who get tagged with the "snubbed" moniker. While it is always unfortunate to see our favorites not honored with at very least a nomination, there's another trend that goes largely unnoticed: those who never even got that far. The Runner-Ups is a column meant to honor the greats in cinema who put in phenomenal work without getting the credit that they deserved from The Academy. Join me every other Saturday as I honor those who never received any love. This list will hopefully come to cover both the acting community, and the many crew members who put the production together.

Super Delegates: Jefferson Smith in "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington" (1939)

James Stewart

Welcome to Super Delegates, a bi-monthly column released on Tuesdays and are done in part to recognize politics on film, specifically in regards to Oscar-nominated works. With this being an election year in the United States, it feels like a good time to revisit film history's vast relationship with politicians of any era and determine what makes them interesting while potentially connecting them to the modern era. The series plans to run until the end of this 2016 election cycle, so stay tuned for every installment and feel free to share your thoughts on films worthy of discussion in the comments section.

Nothing But the Best: "Casablanca" (1942)

Scene from Casablanca

Welcome to the series Nothing But the Best in which I chronicle all of the Academy Award Best Picture winners as they celebrate their anniversaries. Instead of going in chronological order, this series will be presented on each film's anniversary and will feature personal opinions as well as facts regarding its legacy and behind the scenes information. The goal is to create an in depth essay for each film while looking not only how the medium progressed, but how the film is integral to pop culture. In some cases, it will be easy. Others not so much. Without further ado, let's start the show.