'Well?'
Welcome back to my Dark Corner of this Sick World.
'Something down here makes me feel primitive'
With a title like The Bat People you know where you are. It's just a question of how long you have to wait
'The bats'
John Beck is an expert on bats.
'I keep forgetting they turn everybody else off'
...or caves.
'It's just my work.'
Before settling down into medicine once it becomes convenient to the plot.
'You're working on a grant of preventative medicine, and you won't take it yourself.'
He and his wife Cathy are on their honeymoon.
'Our honeymoon was getting a little dull anyway'
It's going very well.
'You're disgusting'
To liven things up they go to a cave full of bats and…
After this, John has a funny turn in a cable car.
So they visit the local doctor.
'I don't think a week will make any difference. I'm going skiing'
In whom, I have to say, I don't have a lot of faith.
'I don't know what you mean'
Following a nocturnal incident at the hospital...
he explains to John what might have happened.
'You rushed back to your room. Now you're in a state of near coma'
If you're rushing, then you are not anywhere near coma. And the local police are no better.
'There's been one or two things that have been bothering me'
My audition for Columbo didn't go so well.
'What's wrong with you?'
When John becomes a suspect in some mysterious deaths he goes on the run and Sergeant Ward is there to comfort Cathy.
'Come on, you can't walk the streets all night.'
#'Roxanne#
'No!'
I mentioned mysterious deaths, but we already know - if only from the title -
what the solution to the mystery is…
John now seems to be a were-bat,
and I say seems because, despite the involvement of future special effects supremo Stan Winston,
that's all we see. And when he attacks someone...
That's all we see. It's inferred that he's turning into a bat as he's drinking blood.
And being even more of a jerk to his wife.
'Just get the hell out of here and leave me alone'
bats being famously poor husbands,
'For once in your life just do what the hell I ask'
but we see nothing. And, I think, we're supposed to question his sanity.
'It's in your mind.'
as does Cathy and ever astute doctor.
'I'm not a psychiatrist. Far from it'
But if we're supposed to think that, why show us the hand, why use that title?
'I don't think you quite understand'
If the hand was the first step of a gradual reveal that would be different but it's hand…
an hour of nothing, and then.
'Keep your hand off the light Cathy'
Here it comes.
'I don't want you to see me'
The big reveal…
'You look fine Johnny'
Yes, he does, because there's still another ten minutes to wait.
And all we get while we're waiting is John on the run from the police…
assaulting a mannequin…
and killing a random hobo.
'Are you a doctor?'
I'm still not sure.
Meanwhile, everyone else is trying to find what's happening to him,
again building to a reveal, with one slight problem.
'I don't know what he is'
But we do.
If it's in the title, it's not a reveal.
This is like calling Psycho - spoilers - It's Him Dressed Up as His Mum.
'You haven't got the nerve'
All this said, I think the biggest mistake is that it's their honeymoon - it should have been a second honeymoon,
a desperate attempt to save this horrendous marriage.
'It's been very good, Johnny and I have been very happy'
When John comes back to say goodbye to Cathy, they end up in bed and…
This infects Cathy and, after dealing with the lecherous cop.
she goes off to join Johnny.
In its final moments this becomes a story about an estranged couple who find that lost common ground between them by both turning into bats.
'I don't care about bats'.
I sort of buy that but, you've got to sit through 90 minutes of nothing to get there.
'Hell of a ride'
and 3 people have to die to save their marriage.
'He believes it, therefore it must be true.'
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At its heart. The bat people is a love story
Are there any other b-movies or movies generally in which a romance hinges on something essentially preposterous and horrific?
your suggestions in the comments below
'Listen, I had a great time.'
'Whoopie.'