I don’t know that I’m technically qualified to review my latest cheesy horror viewing. I did not fall asleep this time. I left the room to check my Facebook notifications. I can’t even pretend I was expecting something important; I was just bored. Steven told me I didn’t miss much, but still.
On the other hand, I write a silly blog. It’s not like I’m influencing voters for the Academy Awards. And if I was trying to influence them, well, that’s on them to remain unbiased. My conscience is clear.
It might perhaps be a good idea to insert a spoiler alert here. I will soon give away such plot points as I could discern from this timewaster. I normally hate to give things away and am often at great pains not to, so as not to spoil anybody’s viewing pleasure. But I’m telling you, don’t watch this movie. It’s dull. If you really think you might want to see this movie and you like to be surprised… well I doubt you will be surprised anyways. So read my review or don’t. Watch the movie or don’t (Don’t!). My conscience is clear.
The Invisible Ghost (1941) stars Bela Lugosi, which should be a selling point. I suppose I ought to know better (but I’ve mentioned before how I almost never do what I ought to do). The movie begins creepily enough, with Bela having a formal dinner with a wife who is not there (the cliche there being that a lot of guys would like that set up) (misogynist bastards). Next we hear something about some murders that are happening, although it seemed to me that nobody was getting too exercised about it.
Then we see the missing wife. Some servant is hiding her until she feels better after the accident. It should come as no surprise to anyone that I was quickly losing track of this movie. I think the wife tried to leave her husband but met with an accident that affected her mind. You know that childlike state that movie crazy people often have. She has it.
Finally we get to see a murder. Bela gets to do his scary eyes and, as is often the case in movies of this era, it isn’t clear exactly how he kills his victims. He lifts up a cloak to just underneath his scary eyes. I suppose the director told him to be Dracula-like. Ah, typecasting at its Hollywood finest. And for anyone who thought revealing Bela as the killer was too big of a spoiler, come on! We’re watching a Bela Lugosi movie! Did you think he wouldn’t kill anybody?
It was shortly after this that I left the room and missed all the plot developments, if any. Just to obviate any need for any of you to sit through this garbage, I’ll tell you that at the end, the wife dies and Bela is arrested for all the murders.
I never found out why the murders were committed in the first place. I suppose in movie fashion it was something about him going crazy because his wife left him. Don’t worry, Steven! I’ll never leave you and thus induce you to commit scary eye murders. So once again, my conscience is clear.
Mohawk Valley Girl 