Jekyll And Hide (1971)
Dir: L. Ray Monde
Cast: Jennifer Brooks, Rene Bond, Jane Tsentas,
Jack Buddliner
Not Rated, Approx: 91 Minutes
Something Weird DVD
rated X!"
that reimagines the classic horror
story in a special way...
this movie profound in any way, but this along with many other notable entries in the genre do a wonderful job of
mapping out the ever evolving laws of the time. The commentaries on discs like this are just as valuable to me as
the movies themselves. Don't get me wrong though, I have a good old raunchy time with the movie's generous
helpings of sex and violence. It's just that I am equally fascinated by the era and the people that were responsible
for them. Mike Vraney and Something Weird Video have enriched this part of my life more than I could imagine.
They've released so many staples of exploitation (The Defilers, HG Lewis's Blood Trilogy, and Kiss Me Quick!
just to name a few) but they've also taken the time to put out so many obscurities that I would have never heard of
otherwise (The Curious Dr. Humpp, Johnny Firecloud etc.). They've made the hobby of being an exploitation
fan so much easier and affordable that I can't praise them enough.
though, I have to say that this tight little window between 1970 or so and 1973 and 74 is far and away my favorite.
Not only because of the sheer explicitness of it (if that was all I was interested in I would simply rent porn all the
time!) but because of the sheer chaos that shows through in the finished products, and the stories that
accompany them. Some of the earlier movies were great, entertaining and important. Kiss Me Quick! will always
be a landmark, and The Notorious Daughter of Fanny Hill is one of my favorite tease films ever, you would
swear you see more than you actually do! It was always interesting to see how the people involved tested the
waters up until this point, but around this time the doors were blown open. The exploitation visionaries had so
many less government enforced restrictions to deal with. Now regional distributors and local censor boards are
calling the shots. While it makes everything more exciting in retrospect, it must make Vraney and Co.'s job a lot
more difficult trying to discern which version is the most complete! In the end though, that's their job and not mine
(the stars aren't aligned apparently...). So unfortunately, I just remain a lowly consumer who is enamored with the
mavericks who did their thing before I was born. People like David Friedman will always fascinate me, his kind of
war stories...This must be how people viewed old cowboys that they idolized in the westerns. Friedman has all
these amazing stories of producing this type of entertainment that few people would admit to liking in the day,
although so many must have because they always made a ton of money! So there, in a nutshell, is the lure of this
era of exploitation for me.
one goes away unsatisifed!
climate surrounding the film is just as important as the film itself. That being said, I'll finally move on to the movie.
'Jekyll and Hide' was shot on a relatively high exploitation budget of $50,000. The film looks remarkably good.
The camera work, lighting, and effects are all quite competently done. Not to say that it gets too caught up in
technical proficiencies though, this one delivers the goods all around. The sex is sure to delight fans of Rene
Bond, and it has a bunch of other attractive women to boot! The violence isn't as explicit as earlier gore movies,
but it is kinky and pretty brutal at times (a hot poker being rammed into genitals, while not shown in gruesome
detail gets the point across nicely. That's actually the main idea that makes this one a little more notable than a
lot of it's peers (well, that and it's more enjoyable than most)), the sex and violence often run closer together. Sex
movies usually weren't violent, and violent movies weren't usually sexy. Of course things changed, but at the time
it gave the movie a strange feel to it. It certainly gave the sex crowd something different to see such an obscene
use of a fireplace poker and a pecker lopped off!
fortune so he can run off with his sexy nurse (Rene Bond). He goes with her to get a present and comes across a
strange book containing the manuscripts of old Dr. Jekyll. Well, that night he comes back for the book throws a fit
when the shop keeper decides that he can't have it. In a fit of rage he strangles the shop keeper and the wheels
of the movie are set in motion. He reads the book and we see some of Jekyll's classic hi jinx unfold. We see him
embark on some kinky murders with some hilarious lines, and strut around with his extremely tiny pecker for the
world to see! While we keep getting flashbacks to spice up the variety of the movie, the main course of action
finds our good doctor trying to reproduce the formula. Unfortunately, he gets something wrong in the process
and instead of Mr. Hyde, he turns into Miss Hyde. Fortunately though, Miss Hyde is played by the ever sexy Jane
Tsentas (The Big Snatch and an adult feature that was never released called The Jekyll and Hyde Portfolio,
also with Rene Bond). Tsentas shakes her money maker quite a bit and even has a show stopping lesbian scene
with Bond!
is minimal print damage with only a few noticeable scratches. This is really one of the premier releases from the
company, and one I would consider a must have. It came out before they were big on double features and
loading the discs up with trailers and quirky extras, but most importantly it was an excellent commentary. Mike
Vraney moderates the chat with producer David Friedman. Like I said, Friedman is somewhat of a legend in my
eyes, and it is nothing but a joy to listen to him discuss his career. Vraney is possibly one of the best moderators
out there. He accomplishes so much with his commentaries that they should be the for similar retrospectives.
He's always having a good time and his love for the genre is unquestionable. That kind of passion for obscure
films has always been an inspiration for me. What I strive to do with every review is to somehow, through a few
paragraphs, communicate this burning passion I have for certain films to you. Vraney does that with apparent
ease, and still keeps the commentaries from being a self indulgent mess. Together they discuss everyone
involved in the movie as well as giving the viewer a good sense of the social climate they were coming from.
Highlights include Friedman discussing his personal ethics and his stance on hardcore pornography. While I
don't wholeheartedly agree with him (I think Deep Throat is an utterly charming romp!) his respect for artistic
integrity and personal tastes is nothing short of inspiring. Another interesting topic discussed was his business
savvy, he talks about Harry Novak passing on Attack of the Killer Tomatoes, his close brush with distributing
The Blood Spattered Bride, and the debacle surrounding the lost film The Jekyll and Hyde Portfolio. All in
all, this is an excellent DVD for an excellent film. I would consider this a must have for any exploitation fan and
good place to start for those interested. This has all the necessary elements, and they're all done quite well.
review by Dr. Spector 7/24/02
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