6.4 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 4.5 | |
Overall | 4.5 |
Ever since he was a child, Kevin Dornwinkle wanted nothing more than the ability to spy on naked women. Traumatized for life when his prudish mother discovers his bedroom telescope pointed at the window of a nude and nubile neighbor, Kevin puts all his focus onto his other interest: science. Decades later, and now a respected physicist, Dr. Dornwinkle has made his greatest discovery yet: "molecular reorganization serum," which has the power to turn a person invisible. But after a demonstration to his peers fails horribly, the mild mannered doctor suffers a breakdown. Focusing all his efforts on perfecting his serum, and succeeding, the now fully unhinged Dornwinkle gets a job as a high school teacher and embarks on a rampage of molestation and murder...
Starring: Noel Peters, Melissa Moore (I), Stephanie Blake, Debra Lamb, Rod SweitzerHorror | 100% |
Comedy | Insignificant |
Video codec: HEVC / H.265
Video resolution: 4K (2160p)
Aspect ratio: 1.83:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.85:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0
English SDH
Blu-ray Disc
Two-disc set (2 BDs)
4K Ultra HD
Slipcover in original pressing
Region A, B (C untested)
Movie | 2.5 | |
Video | 4.5 | |
Audio | 4.0 | |
Extras | 5.0 | |
Overall | 4.5 |
Writer/director Adam Rifkin had a dream, working to bring “The Dark Backward” to screens. However, he also needed work as a young filmmaker, and part of his learning process involved the creation of 1990’s “The Invisible Maniac,” which was written and produced in a matter of weeks. It’s a low- budget quickie from Rifkin (billed here as “Rif Coogan”), and his creative mission here is to play with the mad scientist genre and photograph as many nude actresses as possible. Even with limited creative goals, “The Invisible Maniac” isn’t quite the romp it should be, as Rifkin has a real problem with filler, noticeably sweating to get the movie up to a sellable run time, which results in some serious drag in a feature that wants to be a rip-roaring ride of violence and sexploitation.
Screencaps are taken from the Blu-ray.
For those who've only seen "The Invisible Maniac" on VHS or cable, Vinegar Syndrome delivers a likely mind-blowing upgrade for the feature, offering a
4K presentation for the video store staple. Clarity is excellent throughout the viewing experience, as the movie prefers to show a lot of skin, with the
particulars of facial surfaces and full body shots distinct. Textures extend to costuming, capturing the softness of sweaters and the sheerness of
undergarments. Interiors around the school offer defined decoration, and limited exteriors retain dimension. Color is vibrant, dealing well with bright
primaries on clothing and school tours, securing deep reds on makeup as well. Skin tones tend to dominate most scenes, and they look natural, with
some mild ruddiness. Blacks are deep. Highlights are tasteful. Grain is heavy and film-like. Source is in excellent condition.
The 2.0 DTS-HD MA mix for "The Invisible Maniac" secures decent dialogue exchanges, preserving the bizarre mix of intensity and amateur acting from the cast. More powerful are scoring cues, which sound a little distorted at time, possibly reflecting the low-budget nature of the production. Sound effects are pronounced, and mild atmospherics are appreciable.
"The Invisible Maniac" eventually gets around to more slasher film-style activity in the final act, where the physics teacher finally cracks and takes care of bad kids, with one brat force-fed a sandwich while another is strangled by a fire hose. Special effects can't sell the menace of a see-through killer, with Rifkin battling a severely limited shooting schedule, keeping a few mistakes in the final cut. A shift toward campy horror isn't unappealing (Peters commits to the part in full, making him interesting to watch), but it's clear "The Invisible Maniac" struggles to make it to 86 minutes, in need of a tighter edit and more mischief for the characters to manage. However, with lowered expectations, there's certainly enough saucy activities presented here to maintain passable interest in the picture, which offers a strong reminder of the days of video store titles and their limited desire to offer anything more than the bare minimum of exploitation elements.
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