Memoirs of an Invisible Man
Tags: comedy, cult, suspenseful, neo noir, murder

Plot synopsis:
The movie opens with the invisible Nick Halloway (Chevy Chase) dictating his memoirs into a video camera. To prove it is not a camera trick, he chews some bubble gum. Nick narrates the story of how he came to be invisible, beginning a few days earlier at his job as a stock analyst. His secretary refers to him as a "bullshit artist", and he spends most of his life avoiding responsibility and connections with other people. At his favorite bar, the Academy Club, his friend George Talbot (Michael McKean) invites him to join his table where Nick meets Alice Monroe (Darryl Hannah). Sharing an instant attraction, Nick and Alice make out in the ladies room. When Alice has to leave, Nick drinks heavily to console himself, although the pair set a lunch date for Friday.The following morning, Nick is unable to avoid going to a shareholder's meeting at Magnascopic Labaratories. Unable to endure the droning presentation by Dr. Bernard Wachs (Jim Norton), Nick leaves in search of a bathroom. When he asks a lab technician for directions, the technician spills his coffee onto a computer console. Nick eventually finds an empty sauna and lies down for a nap. Meanwhile, the coffee has caused a meltdown, and the entire building is evacuated. The building seems to explode, but there is no debris. Instead, much of the building is rendered invisible, including Nick.CIA operative David Jenkins (Sam Neill) arrives on the scene to contain the damage, and he discovers Nick's condition. While they are transferring him to an ambulance, the agents joke about how Nick will spend the rest of his life hooked up to machines and being studied by scientists. In a panic, Nick flees. Jenkins convinces his supervisor Warren Singleton (Stephen Tobolowsky) not to notify CIA headquarters; so, that they can capture and take credit for Nick, who could become the greatest secret agent in the world.Nick holes up in his apartment, but Jenkins tracks him down using the guest list for the meeting. Nick decides to hide at the Academy Club. He locates Dr. Wachs in the hope that he can restore Nick's visibility. Wachs has no idea how to help, however. After Nick runs, Jenkins arrives and interrogates Wachs and eventually kills him to keep Nick's invisibility a secret. After a confrontation at Jenkins' office, Nick decides to flee San Francisco to George's remote beach house. Unfortunately, George arrives with his wife, Alice and another friend to spend the weekend. Nick reveals his condition to Alice, who decides to help him.The pair board a train for Mexico, where Nick wants to set up a new life, trading stocks through Alice as a proxy. Jenkins and his men track them down on the train, and during the ensuing confrontation, Nick falls off the train and into a river. He makes his way to the video store, where he tapes his memoirs.At the end of the tape, he records an ultimatum for Jenkins: exchange Alice for the tape, or Nick will give it to the CIA. Jenkins agrees, putting Alice into a cab as his men surround Nick. However, Nick has disguised himself as the cab driver, and George is standing in for Nick in the exchange. Jenkins pursues the cab, eventually cornering Nick on top of a building. Nick tricks Jenkins into jumping off the building to his death.In the final scene set months later, Nick and Alice are hiding out in Switzerland, and the film closes with shots of a still invisible Nick skiing down to their chalet, where a pregnant Alice greets him with a kiss.

Review: Nick (played by Chevy Chase, whose great in a serious role,) gets turned invisible in a lab accident.
Memoirs of an Invisible Man tanked in 1992, and was seen by many as a dismal failure, and a sure sign of Chevy Chase's film career demise.
While the story is somewhat muddled, and the other performances, especially Darryl Hannah's, remain a bit stoic and wooden, the eye-popping special effects are truly top notch.Chevy Chase has never been respected in Hollywood, and his movies are always deemed as failures, but to me, and others, he is a comedic genius, either as the familiar buffoon, such as Clark Griswold of the superb Vacation series, or as the aloof wisecracker, such as Irwin Fletcher, in the Fletch films.Highly recommended..
The plot is moderately original, the settings are good, and on top of all, we see great acting from all three leads: Sam Neill, Daryl Hannah and - to my surprise - Chevy Chase.
The more astonishing that it just takes a darker setting, some good co-actors, and the fact that he is visible only about half the time of the movie, and there you go, some fantastic Chevy Chase acting over there.
Memoirs of an Invisible Man is an Under-Rated Comedy from classic genre director John Carpenter, it has Chevy Chase in the title role with fine support from Sam Neil who is Chase's Nemeisis Darryl Hannah is the love interest who look's great in the role ten years after blade runner.
"Memoirs of an Invisible Man" is a totally different film directed by John Carpenter, especially the music score that is not made by him.
Part-Hitchcockian manhunt thriller, part-James Whale and part-screwball special effects comedy, John Carpenter's 1992 misunderstood MEMOIRS OF AN INVISIBLE MAN is a delightful although not entirely great comedy.
Chase is pretty good too, although due to his comedic screen presence, it's quite hard to take him seriously during his scenes that are meant to be serious.Although flawed, MEMOIRS OF AN INVISIBLE MAN is a skillfully-paced and hilarious film.
But I'm glad that there still are a few positive surprises lurking in the video rental shelves.Most movies involving invisible people have been pure special effects extravaganzas with few thrills, so seeing this film was a pleasant fresh meat to the grinder.
"Memoirs of an Invisible Man" was actually the first Chevy Chase movie that I ever saw (and I even saw it in the theaters).
His only hope is documentary maker Alice Monroe (Daryl Hannah), but CIA agent David Jenkins (Sam Neill) has his eye on Nick (not literally, of course).Much of the movie has Nick running away from people.
I wouldn't call this John Carpenter's best movie ever, but I did find it interesting, if only to see Chevy Chase in a non-goofy role..
It's the thoughtful Carpenter direction, packaged in a Tony Scott style wrapper.What Carpenter doesn't get quite right is keeping Chevy Chase from smirking a few times too many (an arguably tough chore I'm sure, since that's what you'd usually want him to do more of in any other film).
I love the way the CIA guys do every mistake possible (acting as treaters and villains) or the way Nick Halloway tries hard to have a quiet and normal life - no invisible man had wished that before, I think.
The original and original decision of a problem of Herbert Wells of which I since the childhood have become engrossed in reading, finds the happy decision in John Carpenter's film.Chevy Chase, to tell the truth, anywhere especially it is not pleasant to me.
It is good, that, observing of special effects and turns of a fascinating plot, game Chevy Chase often simply you do not notice.And here for the sake of whom it is really possible to look this film, so it for the sake of Daryl Hannah.
Chevy Chase is perfect in the role of invisible man, Nick Halloway.
Full of breakthrough special effects, this film works as an interesting modern day variation of the invisible man theme, with plenty of gags, but also with some cool moments.
This creates a distance between the viewers and the characters themselves, resulting in alienation.Before Paul Verhoeven attempted to portray a realistic and edgy invisible man in his "Hollow" (pun intended) sci-fi mess, John Carpenter took a swing, too - and similarly missed.This isn't as hard-edged as "Hollow Man" (it's PG-13) but Chevy Chase's character does become involved in some rather uncomfortable and awkward situations.
Beginning with sexual lust as a visible man (such as the brief fantasy sequence involving Daryl Hannah wearing very little) and transferring to sexual lust as an invisible man, a few things are suggested at - a speedy sex scene with a swift cut-off, for example - but I can't help but imagine a more gritty and realistic invisible man picture is still waiting to be made..."Hollow Man" had its moments but it was just too silly as a whole to find enjoyable."Memoirs of an Invisible Man" is an espionage thriller in which Chase's accidental invisibility is caused by a government test.
Government sleaze ball Neill wants to apprehend Chase and use him to "serve" his country as a spy.This movie isn't called John Carpenter's Memoirs of an Invisible Man, and with good reason.
If you like Chase you'll enjoy this film somewhat, just don't mistake it for an authentic John Carpenter movie.
Special Effects too thrown in were top notch as well, not only cause we were dealing with an invisible man, but we got the viewpoint from two sides, that from the main actor's standpoint (played by Chevy Chase) but from that of how others saw him, or rather how they didn't see him.
John Carpenter's daft but highly enjoyable 90's update of the Invisible Man yarn, this time spun on bespectacled stock broker Chevy Chase whose somewhat alarming physical start makes him the target of an FBI Mobster (Sam Neil) and his bunch of goons.
He's forced to go on the run, once his presence is known of course, and with no one to turn to, except Alice Monroe (Daryl Hannah), the woman he fell in love with before his accident.It goes without saying that many of the effects in this movie are pretty dated, especially by today's standards, but are still pretty convincing.
Daryl Hannah is perfect as the love interest and Sam Neill is terrifying as the corrupt CIA agent on Halloway's tail.The story of the Invisible Man has been through many incarnations and adaptations, but I believe that only a few have really been able to effectively capture the psychological aspects of not being able to be seen by people.
Chevy Chase I don't like much, still his performance is pretty good, and Daryl Hannah looks nice and acts fine.
This makes things difficult as he attempts to romance a documentarian (a radiant Daryl Hannah) whom he's just met, and tries to avoid a sneaky Federal agent (an appropriately smarmy Sam Neill) who wants to exploit Nicks' situation.At the least, "Memoirs of an Invisible Man" offers an interesting look at a person who has to accept invisibility as a fact of life.
Based on the novel by H.F. Saint, "Memoirs" is the story of Nick Halloway (Chevy Chase), a San Francisco stock broker who suddenly finds himself completely invisible after a lab accident.
As he's being hounded by a rogue government agent (Sam Neill), Nick endeavors to find a cure for his condition, all the while developing an attraction to the shapely blond Daryl Hannah (who's here to look good and play a romantic lead ...
He spends his time brooding over his plight, and indeed, the movie's most interesting aspect is exploring what life would be like if people can't see you.Sam Neill nearly steals the show as the corrupt agent who wants to sell Halloway's "ability" on the black market.
Not to mention a good performance from Sam Neill as the villain of the film.The movie is basically about Nick Halloway (Chevy Chase) that turns invisible after a freak accident at a lab, and he is chased by the authorities (the leader, Sam Neill) that want to use him as a weapon.
Okay, maybe not as funny as "Big Trouble in Little China".But any movie where Chevy Chase plays an invisible man is bound to have a few laughs.
Memois of an invisible man was very underrated and deserved a lot more credit then it got cause this was an excellent film, very well written and very good special effects.
However, th ending was good cause Jenkins got what he deserved and Nick ends up finally going on with his life with Alice.This movie goes to show that Cheve Chase can play a serious role and John Carpenter can make a good film.
Daryl Hannah also does a good job as the love interest and as usual she looks great.Because Carpenter didn't write the movie or the music, the film doesn't quite have the genuine Carpenter feel to it.
Memoirs of An Invisible Man is one of Carpenter's better films and worth seeing..
But all that Nick wants back is his molecules."Memoirs of an Invisible Man" would have to rate somewhere in the middle of John Carpenter's filmography and it's definitely one of his least known, if not.
The only person that could help him is a lovely documentary producer (Daryl Hannah) in a way, she's never seen him before but NicK is running out of time.This rarely seen Comedy/Adventure/Thriller is directed by John Carpenter (In The Mouth of Madness, Starman, Village of the Damned-1995).
Sam Neill has an scene stealing performance as the Ruthless Spy. Daryl Hannah is cute as always in the film.This picture was a Box Office Disappointment back in 1992.
Memoirs Of An Invisible Man is a change of pace for both director John Carpenter and star Chevy Chase.
This is a pretty lighthearted film, though much more serious for Chevy Chase and while this may not have been what audiences wanted to see in 1992, I think he did a good job.
However, for me the best aspect of the film is Sam Neil's performance as CIA agent and killer who wants Nick Halloway(Chase) for nefarious purposes of spying and assassination abroad.
Overall, Memoirs Of An Invisible Man is a good film that was overlooked at the time of its release and is a pretty easy watching experience..
A sci-fi comedy without stakes, Memoirs of an Invisible Man finds John Carpenter stepping out of his forte to direct a lighthearted, family-friendly entertainer and though no match to his finest works, the film does what it set out to do and also features some impressive special effects.The story follows a nobody who becomes invisible after a freak accident and finds himself being chased by a shady CIA agent who wants to recruit him in the world of espionage.
The protagonist isn't even remotely interesting but the situations that arise due to his invisibility factor does make the ride slightly engaging.As for the acting, everyone from Chevy Chase to Daryl Hannah to Sam Neill chip in with excellent inputs.
But the real highlight is the special effects that its VFX team manages to pull off quite convincingly.On an overall scale, John Carpenter is well aware of the strengths & limitations of Memoirs of an Invisible Man and he works within those confinements to put up a story that's serviceable & sufficiently satisfying despite its conventional narrative.
He's got the whole silver fox thing going that I hear women seem to love and his looks mixed with his charisma and sense of style (initially in the film at least) make you think that the guy he's playing could actually land a woman like Daryl Hannah.
It's certainly one of his most serious in tone films and while it tanked with the masses who prefer Fletch, I've always loved the darker Chevy Chase movies like this flick, Deal of the Century (Gregory Hines torching that car is one of my favorite scenes of all time...
And I hope that future film fans will do just that and that people who weren't even born yet when Chase and Carpenter were still making movies will one day look back at Memoirs of an Invisible Man and see it, all preconceived notions and expectations removed, as truly his best movie..
This is not a bad movie starring Chevy Chase as Nick Halloway who turns invisible after a freak accident.
Nick tries to cope with his new life while wooing new girl Alice Monroe (Daryl Hannah) running from the treacherous Jenkins.There's a good mixture of drama, thrills and comedy in this film, and is quite entertaining and amusing.
Carpenter had a lot of grace and love for this film obviously and Chase's portrait of a stock broker turned invisible fugitive was just right.This is the movie that established Chevy Chase as a serious actor.
Chevy Chase plays Nick Halloway, a solitary man made invisible by a freak accident.
And having watched it again, I must admit that the movie is just as good as I remembered it to be.The story is about Nick Halloway (played by Chevy Chase) who is rendered invisible as a result of a freak accident.
And with government agents hot on his trail, Nick is running for his very life.Story-wise then "Memoirs of an Invisible Man" is entertaining and has a good mix of thrills, action and the classic Chevy Chase comedy though.
And there is a good and constant flow and continuity to the movie, which makes it all seem like a well-oiled machine, and that makes the movie a joy to watch.The effects were amazing back in 1992 when the movie initially came out, and actually still does manage to stand tall even today."Memoirs of an Invisible Man" has a great list of talents on the cast list; including Chevy Chase, Daryl Hannah and Sam Neill.This is a good and entertaining movie that is well-worth watching..
Although John Carpenter shows what he thinks without saying it by not having the film billed as 'John Carpenter's Memoirs of an Invisible Man', this was a far better film than critics, and it's commercial disappointment, would have you believe.Chevy Chase makes for a more sardonic hero than usual, and he pulls it off perfectly, but there are still plenty of humorous moments, most of which relate to his ailment.Sam Neill is slightly hammy, but just right as the menacing, amoral CIA man who wants to use our protagonist for his own ends.The majority of the film is being narrated to us in flashback by the invisible protagonist, giving it a noir-ish feel.
Memoirs of an Invisible Man (1992) ** 1/2 (out of 4)Nick Halloway (Chevy Chase) accidentally gets turned invisible and soon an agent (Sam Neill) will stop at nothing to capture him.
MEMOIRS OF AN INVISIBLE MAN isn't a masterpiece and it doesn't quite reach a "good" level but I still think it offers enough for fans of the director and Chase..
"Memoirs of an Invisible Man" is probably the most ambitious project ever undertaken by director John Carpenter, but ultimately the movie has no idea what it wants to do.
In 1992 though, John Carpenter directed Chevy Chase in arguably the most unique aspect of this story ever.In "Memoirs of an Invisible Man", Chase plays yuppie Nick Halloway.
Now chased by Government agent David Jenkins (Sam Neill), Nick finds himself an invisible fugitive.This film is a great laugh for late night entertainment.
With great performances, a decent script and a few good jokes, "Memoirs of an Invisible Man" is a clever little film well worthy of praise.
A well done linear Chevy Chase/John Carpenter film..
Memoirs of an Invisible Man. Not your typical Carpenter film this and certainly not your typical Chevy Chase film either.
Chase does charm well, adding a gentle feeling but the addition of Hannah as his love interest really doesn't help, she is so so wet and lame, turns the whole thing into real mush.Effects wise the film is quite good and at the time they did make an impact.
Chevy Chase, Daryl Hannah, Sam Neill and Michael McKean star in John Carpenter's 1992 sci-fi film based on the book.
For those that loved Starman I highly recommend Memoirs of an Invisible Man.This movie had a terrific cast with great performances: Chevy Chase as the protagonist Nick Halloway, Daryl Hannah as the love interest Alice Monroe, Sam Neil as the antagonist David Jenkins, and Michael Mckean as Nick and Alice's friend George Talbot.
The musical score in this movie is fantastic as well, and I admit it's up there with some of the best scores in film history; quite unbelievable for a film so overlooked.The only negative criticism I have about this film is some of the story is a little flat or outlandish (I can't quite accept that Chevy would have survived drowning in that river or Sam Neil just jumping off the building in the end) and some of the comedy is pretty bad as well, but overall these are minor details that can be overlooked.To sum it up Memoirs of an Invisible Man is a fun and under-appreciated movie with great character acting, creative special effects, and a heart-warming romance.
It is, as the title suggests, a modern take on the Invisible man, where Chase is the patsy who gets turned invisible, Daryl Hannah is the girl who takes pity on him, and Sam Neill is the ruthless operative who is after him.One of the more obscure entries on director John Carpenter's filmography this was, at the time, pretty entertaining.
The advance of special effects technology at Industrial Light & Magic meant that the powers-that-be felt it was time for yet another invisible man movie, but far from offering a genuinely suspenseful modern-day classic for the genre, Carpenter made this: a so-called comedy with Chevy Chase playing a guy who's turned invisible by a secret government experiment.What happens after that?