The Invisible Man Appears Blu-ray Screenshots (Patreon)

Amazon link: https://amzn.to/3avG6IG

Video

When a disc opens with a "best available materials" message, it's usually trouble. So it is with Invisible Man Appears. Sourced from a 16mm release print, this jumpy presentation doesn't settle down. Gate weave constantly makes the print shudder. Years took their toll too, leaving dust and debris behind. Scratches inevitably intrude too.

Arrow tried to some degree, using some filtering as indicated by the murky, watery appearance. This reduces grain at a cost, and while not obliterating detail, certainly saps some of the life. All things considered, it's a reasonably sharp presentation, suggesting a recent scan at least, preserving Invisible Man Appears with stable resolution

Muddy gray scale affords the disc limited dimensionality. On occasion, contrast clips whites, or hovers near enough toward the issue as to blot out most detail anyway. Flickering (sometimes severe) further causes the black & white cinematography to wane.

While most of those issues persist, the final reels show notable improvement. Jumpy and scratchy, still lacking in gray scale, but grain structure improves its form. Detail rises too. For this disc, it's a savior, and a splendid (if flawed) finish.

Audio

Equally withering like the video, music collapses in clarity, so harsh at peak treble as to make the PCM track hard to tolerate at typical volumes. It's nails-on-a-chalkboard in pitch.

No surprise then the dialog sounds parched too. Audible, but coarse. Between the two, sound effects succeed more so than the music, but the match-up is nearly a tie.