I Monster

Rating:
Summary: Long overdue DVD, but for collectors ONLY!
Review: At long last, a DVD release of this 1970 Amicus release. Perhaps too late, considering the brisk sales of the bootleg over the internet, etc. However, I would have to recommend this release only for the most avid collectors/completists of Amicus/Hammer/Christopher Lee/Peter Cushing/British horror. This both on the merits of the DVD, and of the film itself. The film is essentially a fairly faithful adaptation of The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, with the names inexplicably changed to Dr. Marlowe and Mr. Blake. The story of its filming has been told well elsewhere and often (the abortive 3D process etc.), and the loss of time and money unfortunately show in the film. There is a definite air of poverty about the production. This sometimes works in its favor (in the seedy lower London scenes, for example), but some of the material could have probably been reworked with more time/money. There are some deft touches, with some psychological pointedness, such as the exchange between Marlowe (Christopher Lee) and his friend Utterson (Peter Cushing) regarding the mysterious Mr. Blake.
"How well did you know my father?" Marlowe says. "He carried a gold-headed walking stick. He used it for things other than walking."
"Your friend Blake carries such a walking stick," Utterson points out.
And there is a brilliant scene involving an encounter with a child in Hyde Park (!) where Marlowe realises that his life of freedom and excess is just as much a prison for the soul as was stuffy convention.
There are also the pleasures of the various performances, and it is always a joy to watch Cushing and Lee on screen, both individually and together. But the entertainment value of this film will be lost on the average viewer. This is not meant to be in any way a slight. The film has its appeal, but only for those of us deeply ensconsed, perhaps lost in the Britsh horror oeuvre of the 1970s.
The DVD presentation is culled from several source elements, and so varies in quality. The extras are a still gallery, a grainy black and white theatrical trailer, and a reproduction of the original pressbook included in the case.
I am very glad to have this film in my DVD library, but I thoroughly understand anyone who disdains it. If you are curious, rent it first. Purchase only if you are familiar with the film.

Rating:
Summary: THE STRANGE CASE OF DR. MARLOWE (???) AND MR. BLAKE (???) .
Review: This is an interesting version of the Robert Louis Stevenson classic "The Strange Case Of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde", starring horror legends Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing. If only the screenplay had been a little better this film could have been a horror masterpiece. Because Lee is wonderful in the title role, which for some arcane reason known only to writer/ producer Mr. Milton Subotsky, has been renamed Dr. Marlowe and Mr. Blake while all the supporting characters have the names from the book. The only reason I can imagine this was done was to hide (Hyde) the fact that it was an adaptation of Dr. J & Mr. H, probably one of the books most often filmed. But anyone who saw this film and didn't realize its origin, well...they must be really dim bulbs let me tell you.

Regardless, Lee is wonderful in the part. His Blake/Hyde is a truly evil, vile, ugly creature. The scene of his pusuit through the London streets of a prostitute near the end is really frightening. When he catches up to her there is a close-up of his face that is bone chilling. Lee is equally good as as the kindly Dr. Marlowe. He first tests his drug out on his pet cat. The cat runs off wildly, knocking over stuff in his lab and finally attacking Marlowe. Marlowe throws the cat to the floor, picks up a poker from the fireplace and hits the cat once. The look on his face as he realizes what he has done is great. Its a mixture of sorrow and revulsion, with a glint of tears in his eyes. Its a priceless moment and shows that Mr. Lee is a truly great actor.

Peter Cushing is wasted in a rather small, bland part as Marlowe's lawyer. However, their fight at the conclusion is another great Lee/Cushing confrontation to add to their impressive oeuvre.

If only the screenplay had been a bit more exciting, this would have been a great film. Many will find the script slow and talkative. But if you're patient you will find much to enjoy. In some ways the script is more faithful to the Stevenson original, there is no love interest for Dr. Marlowe/ Jekyll as is the case in most filmed versions, but being more faithful to the source material is not always a good thing.

The film is letterboxed but not with 16X9 enhancement. The DVD was made from 2 prints in an attempt to get a good picture. The producers of the DVD apologize for the quality of the picture, which has color problems occasionally. But I can overlook this minor annoyance and I think most fans of Lee and/or Cushing will be able to as well. For this is an interesting film with one of Lee's best performances and diserves to be more widely seen.

The extras on the disc include the trailer and a small photo gallery which includes some nice stills, one of note, is of the child actress Chloe Franks, best known to horror fans for her roles in "THE HOUSE THAT DRIPPED BLOOD" (as the angelic and bewitching daughter of Chris Lee in the "Sweets to the Sweet" episode), "WHO SLEW AUNTIE ROO?", "TROG", etc. She has a tiny role as the girl Blake/Hyde runs over in the street. We only see this episode in a blurry dream sequence and she is not seen for long, but that is her.

The other extra is a reproduction of the British press book for the film. This 4 page insert is a great addition. It includes several photos from the film, cast list, brief bio of Lee and Cushing, and examples of poster art for the film. If only more DVDs had an extra like this. It really adds to the appreciation of the film.

All in all, this isn't the great film it could have been, but Lee is great and the film really isn't too bad, so discrimanating horror fans should like it. -George Bauch.

Rating:
Summary: OK British thriller Marred by Lousy Print
Review: This is not a bad british horror film, but the quality of this DVD transfer is appallingly bad...sound full of hisses and pops, picture unsharp and murky, obviously taken from a 16mm master print. With this quality, it belongs in the under $5.00 bin at Walmart. A very low quality release indeed.