Memoirs of an Invisible Man

Based on the novel by H.F. Saint, Memoirs of an Invisible Man is the story of a stock analyst who suddenly turns invisible due to an experiment gone wrong as he tries to evade a CIA operative with the help of a woman he had fallen in love with. Directed by John Carpenter and screenplay by Robert Collector, Dana Olsen, and William Goldman, the film is a mixture of comedy, sci-fi, and drama as it relates to a man’s plight in being invisible as Chevy Chase plays the role of the invisible man named Nick Holloway. Also starring Daryl Hannah, Michael McKean, Paul Perri, Pat Skipper, Stephen Tobolowsky, and Sam Neill. Memoirs of an Invisible Man is an intriguing but lackluster film from John Carpenter.

The film revolves around this shallow and bored stock analyst whose life goes upside when he becomes invisible during a botched experiment where he is pursued by a psychotic CIA operative. While it is a simple story, it’s a film that is largely told from the perspective of its protagonist Nick Halloway (Chevy Chase) who doesn’t just cope with what happened to him but also how much it changed him just as he is thinking about moving away from this world where he just thought about himself. While it’s a film and story that is interesting, it does unfortunately suffer from not just in what it wanted to be but also in how conventional it is. The film’s script which was originally written by William Goldman and largely re-written by Robert Collector and Dana Olsen wanted to be a lot of things. A suspense-comedy with some existential drama as well as a romantic-adventure film but it’s never consistent despite some interesting characters in Halloway, the love interest Alice Monroe (Daryl Hannah) and, the antagonist in CIA operative David Jenkins (Sam Neill).

John Carpenter’s direction is quite interesting not just for the visual effects as well as some visual homage to the 1933 James Whale film The Invisible Man. It also plays into the many things that are happening to Halloway where there are interesting bits of character study in the film. Shot largely on location in San Francisco and parts of Northern California, the film does play into something that has Carpenter pay tribute of sorts to other suspense-based films from the city while also wanting to create something that had an air of drama and light comedy. Despite some unique compositions he creates, he is unable to overcome many of the faults in the script as some of the scenes involving Jenkins feel like they come from another film. Even as Carpenter tries to blend so many elements as some of its humor where it feels forced despite its efforts to be very natural where the results never really mesh as a whole. Overall, Carpenter makes an interesting but very underwhelming and messy film about a man becoming invisible.

Cinematographer William A. Fraker does nice work with the film‘s cinematography for many of the scenes set at night in terms of its lighting as well as some naturalistic look for some scenes at the beach in the daytime. Editor Marion Rothman does excellent work with the editing as it‘s mostly straightforward for much of the dramatic and suspenseful moments in the film. Production designer Lawrence G. Paull, with set decorator Rick Simpson and art director Bruce Cone, do terrific work with the look of Halloway‘s apartment as well as the summer home of a friend where he would hide for a while. Costume designer Joe I. Tompkins does fine work with the costumes as it‘s mostly casual including the clothes Halloway would wear over himself when he‘s invisible.

Visual effects supervisor Bruce Nicholson does have some brilliant moments in the way things look in the way the Halloway would be seen to everyone when he‘s invisible though some of it is quite scratchy considering that it was new and probably needed a few things to make it more polished. Sound editors Gordon Ecker and John Leveque do superb work with the sound in the way some of the locations are presented as well as the sound of the tranquilizer guns that Jenkins’ men uses. The film’s music by Shirley Walker is wonderful for its orchestral-based score that features some string-based themes for some of its dramatic and suspenseful moments.

The casting by Sharon Howard-Field does amazing work with the film’s cast as it includes notable appearances from Rosalind Chao as Halloway’s secretary, Patricia Heaton as George’s girlfriend Ellen, Gregory Paul Martin as a friend of George in Richard who tries to flirt with Alice to the annoyance of Halloway, Barry Kivel as a drunk businessman Halloway uses to get a cab, and the trio of Pat Skipper, Paul Perri, and Richard Epcar as Jenkin’s henchmen who try to help him capture Halloway. Jim Norton is terrific as Dr. Bernard Wachs as a scientist who might know what happened to Halloway and how to help him only to be captured by Jenkins. Stephen Tobolowsky is superb as Jenkins’ superior Warren Singleton who sees Jenkins as a loose cannon as he tries to clean up the mess while being someone that could help Halloway. Michael McKean is fantastic as Halloway’s friend George who would introduce him to Alice as he has no clue what is happening while admitting that Halloway has a lot of faults.

Sam Neill is brilliant as David Jenkins as this CIA operative who is quite obsessive in capturing Halloway while being this man that is so cunning and engaging where he offers Halloway a chance to be part of something historic and do things where it’s one of Neill’s finest and more underrated performances. Daryl Hannah is excellent as Alice as a love interest that manages to rise above the weak material she is given as someone that finds Halloway interesting while is someone that needs something different as she provides key reasons to make Halloway and settle for a new life. Finally, there’s Chevy Chase in a marvelous performance as Nick Halloway as a vain stock analyst whose life changes by this botched experiment he wasn’t supposed to be a part of while coming to terms with his condition as it’s Chase being very dramatic where he is funny though some aspects of the humor feels forced due to the faults of the script.

Memoirs of an Invisible Man is a very messy and half-realized film from John Carpenter. Despite some solid performances from Chevy Chase, Daryl Hannah, and Sam Neill as well as some unique but imperfect visual effects. It’s a film that falls very short in what it wanted to be as well as try to be a lot for a wide audience. In the end, Memoirs of an Invisible Man is a lackluster film from John Carpenter.

John Carpenter Films: Dark Star - Assault on Precinct 13 - Halloween - Someone’s Watching Me! - Elvis - The Fog - Escape from New York - The Thing - Christine - Starman - Big Trouble in Little China - Prince of Darkness - They Live - Body Bags - In the Mouth of Madness - Village of the Damned - Escape from L.A. - Vampires - Ghosts of Mars - The Ward

The Auteurs #60: John Carpenter Pt. 1 - Pt. 2

© thevoid99 2016

Whatever Works

Written and directed by Woody Allen, Whatever Works tells the story of a frustrated intellectual who leaves his upper-class New York life to enter its Bohemian section where he meets a young Southern girl and her family as he deals with the drawbacks of his new change in life. The film explores a man who befriends a young Southern girl and her family as he unknowingly changes their views on life. Starring Larry David, Evan Rachel Wood, Patricia Clarkson, Ed Begley Jr., Henry Cavill, and Michael McKean. Whatever Works is a pretty delightful comedy from Woody Allen.

The film is about this very brilliant but frustrated individual who chooses to live a much simpler life after a breakdown in his marriage where he later meets this young Southern runaway. Reluctantly taking her in, he becomes fascinated by naiveté as they later marry until her mother finds her as she eventually becomes part of the New York City art world. It’s a film where this man’s rants about the world and humanity suddenly seeps into the mind of a young woman as she eventually starts to become an individual of sorts and later has her mother becoming part of a world that is very different from the conservative world of the American South.

Woody Allen’s screenplay is about people coming into their own in a very new environment yet it is largely told by this man named Boris (Larry David) whose cynical view on the world itself has him baffled when he meets this very charming 21-year old girl named Melody (Evan Rachel Wood). Even as he imposes his own ideas about everything to her as she starts to form her own opinions on things though they aren’t strong as his as it would eventually influence her own mother Marietta (Patricia Clarkson) who unexpectedly arrives in an attempt to bring her own. Instead, she is introduced to a few of Boris’ friends and becomes a very different woman in the course of a year. Allen’s script is uneven at times as it often features a lot of rants from Boris who is always breaking the fourth wall down and talks to the audience to give his ideas on things and such where it gets a little old at times.

Allen’s direction has him returning to New York City after a brief period spending time in Europe. While he doesn’t do anything new in terms of compositions, he does manage to create a sense of looseness in the way he directs his actors. Notably as he creates moments where Boris would rant to his friends about everything as he tells the story about his first suicide attempt and then go into his story about how he met Melody. Allen does manage to take his time and do a bit of satire where he sort of makes fun of the New York art world as Marietta becomes this art photography who specializes in nude photography that would baffle her husband John (Ed Begley Jr.) who had left Marietta for her best friend. Though it loses some steam in the third act and the plotting isn’t as strong as it wanted it to be. Allen still manages to create a very engaging yet fun film about a man whose intellect inspires a Southern family to find their way in the world.

Cinematographer Harris Savides does fantastic work with the film‘s cinematography from the vibrant yet sunny look of its daytime exteriors to some more colorful lighting schemes for the scenes at night including some of its interior scenes. Editor Alisa Lepselter does excellent work with the editing as it features a few montages to play up Melody and Marietta‘s respective growths as well some rhythmic cuts to play out the film‘s humor. Production designer Santo Loquasto, with set decorator Ellen Christiansen and art director Tom Warren, does terrific work with the set pieces from the look of Boris‘ apartment to the art gallery that Marietta would eventually present.

Costume designer Suzy Benzinger does wonderful work with the costumes from the youthful clothes that Melody wears to the more fashionable New York Bohemian clothes that Marietta would wear after her transformation. Sound editor Robert Hein does superb work with the sound as it is often low-key while it would play to some moments that would move the story forward. The film’s music largely consists of classical and jazz music from artists like Ludwig Van Beethoven, Jackie Gleason, Groucho Marx, Heinz Kiessling, Stan Getz and Charlie Byrd, and Red Garland.

The casting by Juliet Taylor, Laura Rosenthal, and Ali Farrell is brilliant for the ensemble that is created as it features some memorable appearances from Michael McKean, Adam Brooks, and Lyle Kanouse as friends of Boris whom he frequently talks to, Christopher Evan Welch as a man John meets late in the film, Carolyn McCormick as Boris’ ex-wife in a scene where Boris has a night terror and tries to kill himself, Jessica Hecht as a woman Boris meets late in the film, Conleth Hill as a philosophy professor Marietta meets, and Olek Krupa as an art gallery agent who also meets and falls for Marietta. Ed Begley Jr. is terrific as Marietta’s husband John who unexpectedly arrives to New York City to find out what his daughter and wife are up to as he’s baffled by their changes. Henry Cavill is very good as a young man that Marietta meets as she tries to set him up with Melody in the hopes that Melody can meet someone who isn’t Boris.

Patricia Clarkson is amazing as Melody’s mother Marietta where Clarkson brings a lot of energy as a woman who starts off as this God-fearing woman from the South that is eager to return her daughter back home only for one of Boris’ friend to discover her gifts as a photography that would change her completely. Evan Rachel Wood is remarkable as Melody as this young Southern girl who runs away to New York City from Mississippi as she becomes Boris’ new wife where she learns to be a woman with some intelligence as Wood has this charm and exuberance to her character that is fun to watch. Larry David is excellent as Boris as a man troubled by the world and is convinced is full of idiots until he’s amazed by this young naïve woman and starts to guide her about the ways of the world as it’s a pretty funny performance from David.

Whatever Works is a pretty good film from Woody Allen thanks to the performances of Larry David, Evan Rachel Wood, and Patricia Clarkson. While it is flawed as some of David’s rants get a little old while the story is also uneven. It is still a very lively film that explores an intellect meeting those who are beneath him intellectually yet would make an impact on his life and his views on the world. In the end, Whatever Works is a terrific film from Woody Allen.

Woody Allen Films: What's Up Tiger Lily? - Take the Money and Run - Bananas - Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Sex* (*But Were Afraid to Ask) - Sleeper - Love and Death - Annie Hall - Interiors - Manhattan - Stardust Memories - A Midsummer's Night Sex Comedy - Zelig - Broadway Danny Rose - The Purple Rose of Cairo - Hannah & Her Sisters - Radio Days - September - Another Woman - New York Stories: Oedipus Wrecks - Crimes & Misdemeanors - Alice - Shadows and Fog - Husbands and Wives - Manhattan Murder Mystery - Bullets Over Broadway - Don't Drink the Water - Mighty Aphrodite - Everyone Says I Love You - Deconstructing Harry - Celebrity - Sweet and Lowdown - Small Time Crooks - The Curse of the Jade Scorpion - Hollywood Ending - Anything Else - Melinda & Melinda - Match Point - Scoop - Cassandra's Dream - Vicky Cristina Barcelona - You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger - Midnight in Paris - To Rome with Love - Blue Jasmine - Magic in the Moonlight - Irrational Man - (Cafe Society)

The Auteurs #24: Woody Allen Pt. 1 - Pt. 2 - Pt. 3 - Pt. 4

© thevoid99 2013

This is Spinal Tap

In Honor of National Metal Day

Directed by Rob Reiner and written and starring Reiner, Michael McKean, Christopher Guest, and Harry Shearer, This is Spinal Tap is about a filmmaker making a documentary about a heavy metal band going on a U.S. tour as they deal with low record sales due to the lack of interest from the public. Meanwhile, tension starts to emerge as a former flame starts to interfere with the band’s interest causing lots of trouble. The film is a satire of the world of heavy metal as it is considered to be one of the greatest comedies ever made. Also starring June Chadwick and Tony Hendra plus appearances from Fran Drescher, Anjelica Huston, Billy Crystal, Dana Carvey, Bruno Kirby, and Fred Willard. This is Spinal Tap is a witty yet sensational comedy that goes up to 11!

Marty DiBergi (Rob Reiner) is making a documentary one of his favorite bands in the British heavy metal group Spinal Tap led by guitarists/vocalist David St. Hubbins (Michael McKean) and Nigel Tufnel (Christopher Guest) and bassist Derek Smalls (Harry Shearer). The band, that also includes keyboardist Viv Savage (David Kaff) and drummer Mick Shrimpton (R.J. Parnell), is set to go on an American tour to promote their new album Smell the Glove as they’ve been through many incarnations and different musical genres before settling into the world of heavy metal. Hoping to regain some stature, DiBergi joins them on tour as he also interviews their manager Ian Faith (Tony Hendra) for this tour. Things start to go bad when record executive Bobbi Flekman (Fran Drescher) reveals that retailers won’t sell the new album due to its sexist cover.

Meanwhile, David’s girlfriend Jeanine (June Chadwick) arrives on the tour starts to get involved with band meetings as she starts to manipulate David while DiBergi realizes how problematic the band is Nigel is dim-witted while Derek is trying to get his input into the music. Still, low sales and concert audiences going down bring problems as the band tries to get attention for the tour. Even when the band tries to put a new, all-black cover to the new album, sales don’t help as Nigel suggest staging a performance of their song Stonehenge that becomes a disaster as Jeanine suggests that she should co-manage the band much to the chagrin of Ian who leaves. The new change in management doesn’t help following a bad gig as the band is unsure what to do until they receive some big news that might help their flagging career.

The film is a mockumentary about a band trying to revive their career as a filmmaker follows them on tour trying to see if they can revive their career. Throughout the film, lots of silly mayhem ensues as the band tries to do everything the can to win their audience such as coming out of pods while one of them is stuck inside. In reality, the film doesn’t just poke fun at the world of heavy metal and hard rock but also the rock star in how silly they are such as a scene where Nigel complains about the catering.

The script that Rob Reiner, Michael McKean, Christopher Guest, and Harry Shearer creates is a very loose one as it’s all about a band just trying to make it. Yet, a lot of the dialogue and humor is improvised to give the story a documentary-like feel as if they’re all making it up as they go along with it. Still, the script manages to go into deep about the excessive world of heavy metal from its stage presentation, the showmanship of performance, high-tech equipment, costumes, controversial album covers, pants-stuffing cucumbers, bad reviews, ever-changing drummers, and the music.

The songs that Spinal Tap bring out from the skiffle-based Gimme Some Money and the flower-power anthem Listen to the Flower People show the wide range of humor while metal-driven songs like Sex Farm, Hell Hole, and the very subtle yet bass-driven Big Bottom add a lot to the ridiculousness of hard rock/heavy metal. The songs that are written by the screenwriters are very creative as they all have something to offer as it’s very catchy while not being afraid to be funny for its hilarious lyrics.

Rob Reiner’s direction is wonderful for the fact that it plays like a documentary while always having the camera be engaged by what is going on. There is a verite style to what Reiner goes for as the film feels very loose but also vibrant through the grainy yet lively camera work of cinematographer Peter Smokler. While Reiner has the film focus mainly on Spinal Tap in their quest for a big comeback, he also allows the camera to focus on other people such as a limo driver (Bruno Kirby) who thinks that they’re nothing but a flash in the pan. Reiner always keeps the film going while always making sure that a gag is happening as a lot of the comedy is presented in a straightforward manner. Overall, this is truly a wonderful and downright funny feature-film debut from Rob Reiner.

Editors Kent Beyda and Kim Secrist do a great job with the editing in bringing some wonderful, rhythmic cuts to keep up with the film‘s loose presentation while maintaining a leisured pace for the film. Production designer Bryan Jones does an excellent job with the set pieces created such as the stage show and the record promotion scene where no one shows up for the signing. Sound editor John Brasher does a superb job with the sound to capture the energy of the concerts as well as the intimate moments during the band meetings and interviews.

The casting by Eve Brandstein is definitely the highlight of the film as it features a wonderful array of cameos that truly makes the film extremely memorable. Appearances from Fran Drescher as record executive Bobbi Flekman, Billy Crystal and Dana Carvey as mime waiters, Bruno Kirby as an old-school limo driver, Paul Shaffer as an incompetent promoter, Runaways bassist Vicki Tischler-Blue and as a group, Ed Begley Jr. as the original Spinal Tap drummer, Rough Cutt/Quiet Riot vocalist Paul Shortino as rival rock star Duke Fame, Howard Hesseman as Fame’s manager, Anjelica Huston as the woman who creates the Stonehenge monument for the band, Fred Willard as an Air Force Lt. Col who invites the band to play at the base, and Patrick McNee as a top record executive. Other small roles include David Kaff as band keyboardist Viv Savage and R.J. Parnell as the worrisome drummer Mick Shrimpton. June Chadwick is funny as the astrological-obsessed Jeanine who tries to put her ideas into the band while Tony Hendra is very funny as the take charge manager Ian Faith.

Rob Reiner is wonderful as Marty DiBergi who is the straight man of the entire film as he just plays a filmmaker trying to figure out everything that is going on. Harry Shearer is great as bassist Derek Smalls who is trying to get his input into the band while feeling underappreciated as he tries to pull out his piece Jazz Odyssey. Christopher Guest is funny as the dim-witted but ultra-talented Nigel Tufnel who likes to be a guitar wiz while showing his talents in classical piano with his piece Lick My Love Pump. Michael McKean is superb as David St. Hubbins who tries to maintain control while being distracted by his girlfriend.

This is Spinal Tap is truly one of the funniest films ever made courtesy of Rob Reiner along with cast members Michael McKean, Christopher Guest, and Harry Shearer. It’s a film that definitely keeps on bringing in the laughs while having a good time making fun of the world of heavy metal. Of the films Rob Reiner made in his early filmmaking career, this is definitely one of his best as well as one of the great debut films by any filmmaker. In the end, This is Spinal Tap is an outstanding comedy that definitely goes to 11.

Rob Reiner Films: (The Sure Thing) - (Stand by Me) - The Princess Bride - (When Harry Met Sally…) - (Misery) - (A Few Good Men) - North - (The American President) - (Ghosts of Mississippi) - (The Story of Us) - (Alex & Emma) - (Rumor Has It…) - (The Bucket List) - (Flipped) - (The Magic of Belle Isle)

© thevoid99 2011