Dr. Jekyll and Sister Hyde
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Movie Reviews of Dr. Jekyll and Sister Hyde
Movie Review: Better Than FROM HELL
Summary: 5 Stars
Give this one a chance, for very few movies (horror genre or otherwise) have been built upon an uncanny resemblance between two stars, one male, one female, and DR JEKYLL AND SISTER HYDE has a sort of gritty vitality that lifts it out of the ordinary Hammer league. Partly this is to the credit of Roy Ward Baker, but mostly it is due to the inspired playing of Ralph Bates and his female counterpart Martine Beswicke, each of them looking glorious and evil in what has become the signature role in both careers. Bates must have been an awfully small man; Martine B towers over him like King Kong over Fay Wray--not that you see them both in the same shot, but you can measure them visually because both use the same sets and in a lot of cases, Ralph Bates barely comes up to the doorknob of the Edinburgh laboratory where Jekyll does his foul work.
Beswicke's dark eyes and pouting, petulant lips will remind 21st century fanboys of Angelina Jolie, maybe a little slighter, but even scarier in the part of Sister Hyde. It's a little kinky I suppose that she's "really" a man, but Ralph Bates never really gets himself in any sex situations he can't extricate himself from. I guess that would have been too much even for the decadent 70s phase of Hammer films in which nudity and Lesbianism became de rigueur (Bates had just come off LUST FOR A VAMPIRE when assigned this film).
Listening to Ward Baker, Brian Clemens and Martine on the commentary track makes you realize how much was lost first by Ralph Bates' curtailed career, then by his death. He really was a marvellous actor, even if he was short (he was able to project on screen so that audiences read him as tall and commanding).
Movie Review: stunning chiller from Hammer
Summary: 5 Stars
One of Hammer's finer productions of the 1970s, DR JEKYLL AND SISTER HYDE offers a refreshing slant on the oft-told Robert Louis Stevenson tale. With direction from Roy Ward Baker (THE VAMPIRE LOVERS) and a sweeping lush musical score by David Whitaker, this is an enjoyable ride.
Ambitious and naive Doctor Jekyll (Ralph Bates) sets out to create vaccines for dangerous diseases but instead stumbles across a serum taken from the glands of young females. Using himself as a human guinea pig, he takes the potion and is transformed into a female version of himself. Using the alias of Mrs Hyde (Martine Beswick), his widowed sister, he sets out to harvest the glands of young female victims. With the body-count rising and Jekyll/Hyde's life spiralling out of control, madness is only around the corner... Adding complications is Jekyll's young female neighbour Susan (Susan Broderick) who develops a crush on him, while her brother Howard (Lewis Fiander) becomes infatuated with the elusive Mrs Hyde.
Ralph Bates and Martine Beswick handle the complicated title roles well, and really do look like each other. The transformation sequences are handled with great skill and the final scene (where the two continually morph) is amazing. Susan Broderick and Lewis Fiander make the most out of thankless, one-dimensional roles. Art director Robert Jones recreates the gaslight setting of the story with great success. With Julia Wright, Ivor Dean, Tony Calvin, Dorothy Alison, Paul Whitsun-Jones, Gerald Sim and Philip Madoc.
Movie Review: Underrated Hammer Glamour
Summary: 5 Stars
Truly one of the greatest Hammer Films of the 1970s. Screenwriter/Producer Brian Clemens brings a breath of fresh air to the Hammer establishment that had been missing for some time. Bizarre and inventive, without being exploitive, Dr. Jekyll and Sister Hyde is a gloomy amd atmospheric Victorian horror. Everything is played seriously, which makes the film more believable and enjoyable. The two leads are perfectly cast. Martine Beswick is menacing as Sister Hyde without being camp, and Ralph Bates puts in a sensitive and understated performance as Dr. Jekyll. Roy Ward Baker's snappy direction compliments everything nicely. The score by David Whitaker adds much to the proceedings. As usual Anchor Bay has put together a great package for an underappreciated film. Presented uncut, the picture appears slightly grainy, no doubt due to the dense fog in much of the story. Otherwise it is a fine transfer. Also included is a fun and informative commentary, talent bios, and radio spots. The real treat is the photo gallery, not because of the photos themselves, but because the rich score accompanies it. A fine treat.Movie Review: Underated flick from Hammer Films
Summary: 5 Stars
DR. JEKYLL AND SISTER HYDE is a very good movie. This is the bizaar tale of how one man-and one woman try to exist in the same body. RALPH BATES plays Dr. Jekyll, a man working on a potion that will change him forever. MARTINE BESWICK plays evil SISTER HYDE and goes on a killing rampage. The plot twists when she falls in love with another man, complicating Mr. Hyde's character. At times, this movie tries to be romantic, but in the end, it all ends up tragic! A very different horror movie from most Hammer films. I guess that's why I recommend it, because it is different. This version contains an additional 3 minutes of footage not seen in previous versions of the film! Order today!Movie Review: Exceptionally strange and entertaining mash up from the pen of Brian Clemens
Summary: 5 Stars
Burke and Hare . Jack The Ripper and the titular character(s) are all present when CAPTAIN KRONOS , VAMPIRE HUNTER writer/director Clemens teams with the great director Roy Ward Baker and a fun and excellent cast to spin a yarn well ahead of its time . There's no telling how you'll feel about this one , but i found it to be another rip roaring entry from the Hammer vaults . Streaming puts what is often seen (and certainly owned) only by the affluent within a few bones a month and only several clicks away . With a couple deep flaws that make me love it even more .