From economic disruptors to controlling techbro exes, the unseeable has been used as a metaphor in a variety of ways. In this episode, Andrea and Alex look back at H.G. Wells’ original text, James Whale’s Universal classic and how #MeToo created a new kind of monster.
REQUIRED READING
The Invisible Man. Dir. James Whale, 1933.
The Invisible Man. Dir. Leigh Whannell, 2020.
EXTRA CREDIT
The Invisible Man. H.G. Wells’ Victorian classic.
Simulacra and Simulation. Baudrillard continues to be worried about copies.
Evolution of Horror: Sleeping with the Enemy and Fear. Alex joins friend of the pod Mike Muncer to talk about home invasion and visibility.
The Dark Universe Cast Photo. Universal Studios’ lost cinematic universe (and the article that photoshopped out one of the key players).
“The Invisible Man” and the Invisible Hand: H. G. Wells’s Critique of Capitalism. Paul A. Cantor dissects the anti-capitalist sentiment of Wells’ story.
WomenWriteAboutComics.com – Kate Tanski dissects the male gaze in Sue Storm’s long overdue solo debut.
LISTEN
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I don’t think scientists were outcasts in the Victorian era. I think Griffin’s issues are more specific to him.
Chevy Chase’s character is not that good a guy at the beginning of Memoirs of an Invisible Man. He’s ducking responsibility and deceiving others at his work about that. It’s only after he becomes invisible that he’s forced to apply himself and realizes that the atomized life he’d been leading was not a good one. It’s still not a good movie, but it’s adapted from a book by a Wall Street trader rather than a Frenchman.
I haven’t actually read any Fantastic Four comics, but it’s my understanding that Sue Storm has the power to turn anything invisible, rather than just herself (which would logically include anything like clothing on her).
I think we can just assume Cecilia terminated her pregnancy once Adrian was no longer able to stop her.
Adrian isn’t “openly” committing all those crimes, he first frames Cecilia and then his brother for them.
“Black Lives Matter” had already gotten popularized after Ferguson in 2014, and there was debate about the “Ferguson effect” in multiple cities after that as helping Trump get elected. Within the context of this film, it’s relevant that Cecilia is living with a cop friend of hers once she escapes Adrian (a relationship Adrian sabotages by making it look like Cecilia hurt his daughter).