30 Day Horror Movie Challenge

Day 10: Favorite Universal horror film

Another difficult one! I adore Universal monster movies, though my absolute favorite has always been The Invisible Man. Dr. Jack Griffin is an eccentric genius with a brilliant scientific mind. This means, of course, that he’s dangerous, cocky and he soon loses touch with his sanity. 

The troubled genius is always an archetype that’s appealed to me. The playfulness Griffin displays in the film, especially for his “unmasking” and the subsequent chase scenes have always struck me as horribly charming. And, of course, at the end, when our star Claude Rains’ face is finally revealed, it’s clear that Dr. Griffin was quite a looker as well.

The film itself is a beautifully constructed narrative in which the film’s protagonist is viewed as both villain and hero in the same instant. The settings and locations are all a part of that particular Universal brand, strangely other-worldly while still completely believable.

He’s tragic, he’s a genius, he’s eccentric, he’s brooding, he’s my favorite.