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The Invisible Man Appears / The Invisible Man vs. The Human Fly

Blu ray

Arrow Films

1949, 1957 / 1.33:1 / 87, 96 min.

Starring Chizuru Kitagawa, Takiko Mizunoe

Cinematography by Hideo Ishimoto, Hiroshi Murai

Directed by Nobuo Adachi, Mitsuo Murayama

Founded in 1942, Daiei Films appealed to the hearts and minds of movie-goers with a remarkably diverse catalog. Movies like Akira Kurosawa’s enigmatic Rashomon and Koji Shima’s apocalyptic Warning from Space were emblematic of the studio’s output—high art or low, Daiei took the same discerning approach to their productions, no matter the subject matter. At times the company may have been too thoughtful—for a movie that featured giant starfish aliens as a selling point, Warning from Space takes a dark turn toward real-world catastrophe that might have put some audiences off their popcorn. And the Saturday Matinee thrills of the Daimajin films—an early sixties trilogy featuring a sky-scraping samurai—go sour...

This week’s batch of home media releases are an eclectic bunch of titles, where there’s definitely a little bit of something for everyone headed to Blu-ray and DVD tomorrow. As far as new films go, the award-winning Promising Young Woman is being released on both formats, and Rlje Films is keeping busy this Tuesday with their releases for both PG: Psycho Goreman and last year’s Castle Freak reimagining. Mill Creek Entertainment is putting out a killer Steelbook edition of Rad, and for those who are looking to check out some classic genre fare, Arrow has put together a special edition double feature release of The Invisible Man Appears and The Invisible Man vs. The Human Fly, which has never been available outside of Japan until now.

Other releases for March 16th include Tower of Evil, I Am Lisa, Konga TNT, The Stay, The Parish, Sacrilege, and Todd.

Finally released outside Japan for the very first time, these unique riffs on H.G. Wells’ classic character (though undoubtedly also indebted to Universal’s iconic film series) are two of the earliest examples of tokusatsu (special effects) cinema from the legendary Daiei Studios.

In The Invisible Man Appears, written and directed by Nobuo Adachi in 1949, a scientist successfully creates an invisibility serum, only to be kidnapped by a gang of thugs who wish to use the formula to rob a priceless jewel. In addition to being the earliest surviving Japanese science fiction film ever made, the film’s entertaining special effects were an early credit for the legendary Eiji Tsuburaya, five years before he first brought Godzilla to life.

Eight years later, Mitsuo Murayama’s exciting The Invisible Man Vs. The Human Fly tells the story of a series of mysterious murders where the only clue is strange buzzing...

Arrow Video will continue to bring an eclectic range of films to Blu-ray in 2021, with their March releases including a double feature Blu-ray of The Invisible Man Appears / The Invisible Man vs. The Human Fly, Patrick Picard's The Bloodhound (a new take on Edgar Allan Poe’s "The Fall of the House of Usher"), and a limited edition steelbook of An American Werewolf in London.

The Invisible Man Appears / The Invisible Man vs. The Human Fly Blu-ray: "Finally released outside Japan for the very first time, these unique riffs on H.G. Wells’ classic character (though undoubtedly also indebted to Universal’s iconic film series) are two of the earliest examples of tokusatsu (special effects) cinema from Daiei Studios, later the home of Gamera.

In The Invisible Man Appears, written and directed by Nobuo Adachi in 1949, a scientist successfully creates an invisibility serum, only to be kidnapped by a...