(1942)
Dir - Manuel Romero
Overall: MEH
Likely the first proper genre film from Argentina at least not of the independent variety, Una luz en la ventana, (A Light in the Window), is essentially a Spanish language, old dark house/mad scientist hybrid with all of its accommodating cliches in tow. There is a pretty leading lady, a useless, dashing hero, an obnoxious comic relief character, and they all end up at a creepy old house in the middle of a rain storm after their car breaks down. Once the set up is established, the plot gets underway of a deformed guy who needs pituitary gland hormones from living "victims" to cure his monstrous physical appearance. It all sounds formulaic enough to appease the retro horror fan, but it is remarkably low on action and creepy set pieces while being problematically high on talking. One or two eerie visuals appear early on that are taken right out of James Whale's The Old Dark House, but this is still predominantly a slog to sit through. Further historical significance comes in the fact that it marks the film debut of Narciso Ibáñez Menta, a Spanish actor who would go on to have a lengthy career in various sinister roles, mostly on television.
(1943)
Dir - Maurice Tourner
Overall: GOOD
One of the last movies to be directed by prolific French filmmaker Maurice Tourneur, La Main du diable, (The Devil's Hand, Carnival of Sinners), is an adaptation of Gérard de Nerval's 1927 novel of the same name which concerns a down on his luck, starving artist who comes across a macabre, supernatural talisman. Somewhat in line with the monkey's paw fable in the sense of being careful what you wish for, it has a "deal with the Devil" angle that offers up a few variations to the well-utilized concept to make it stand out. The mysterious "little man" Lord of Darkness stand-in is played by the quite unassuming Pierre Palua who manages to exhibit a sinister sense of will power despite his meager frame and continual politeness. Several of the rules concerning the aforementioned good luck charm and the means to be rid of it are specific to this story, culminating in a startling, creepy scene in the final act where all of the previous owners are adorned with masks while sitting at a long banquet table. Lastly, it is expertly shot by cinematographer Armand Thirard and certainly in line with many of the movies that were directly inspired by German Expressionism.
(1949)
Dir - Nobuo Adachi
Overall: MEH
Released exclusively in Japan for nearly eighty years, Daiei Film's The Invisible Man Appears, (Tōmei Ningen Arawaru), has a historical importance as the country's first adaptation - be it an extremely loose one - of H.G. Wells source material which had already spawned a five deep franchise for Universal back in Hollywood. An early installment in the special effects laden, tokusatsu genre of film as it predates Godzilla by five years, said visuals are primitive even for the time period and have not aged as well as would be preferable with things like characters literally holding up their own shirt colors when the invisible guy is supposed to be doing it. Writer/director Nobuo Adachi's script maintains the idea of an invisibly serum granting gradual, violent insanity to those who consume it, but otherwise this is a completely exclusive beast from Wells' novel. The story basically hinges on a loose love triangle and a guy that really wants a diamond necklace, plus the plotting is more convoluted than is probably necessary. A halfway decent affair that is clearly influenced by American crime movies, it at least serves its purpose as a curiosity.
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