Curapedi
I cannot think of one single thing that I would change about this film. The acting is incomparable, the directing deft, and the writing poignantly brilliant.
Livestonth
I am only giving this movie a 1 for the great cast, though I can't imagine what any of them were thinking. This movie was horrible
Micah Lloyd
Excellent characters with emotional depth. My wife, daughter and granddaughter all enjoyed it...and me, too! Very good movie! You won't be disappointed.
Mr_Ectoplasma
"Dr. Jekyll and Sister Hyde" subverts the traditional story based on the Robert Louis Stevenson novel, placing it in a Jack the Ripper-era London and with a gender-bending twist in which Dr. Jekyll, experimenting with an elixir of everlasting life, brings out a female alter ego whom he identifies as his sister, Mrs. Hyde; the two alternating personalities go on a vicious killing spree through London's foggy streets, while the neighbors as well as a blind street peddler become enmeshed in the carnage.Going into this film, I had the expectation of a pulpy, psychedelic, freewheeling seventies take on the Dr. Jekyll story (the title and posters of the film do lend to this), and was pleasantly surprised when I got a well-written and somewhat classy re-imagining. What's perhaps most intriguing about the film is that it draws on a confluence of history and fiction, incorporating the Jack the Ripper and Burke & Hare murders as a sort of inspiration for the subplot that underpins the Jekyll story; thrown into the mix is the fact that Mr. Hyde in this case is actually a Mrs. Hyde. While this conglomeration might sound silly, it actually works rather well, without ever becoming too much of a novelty for novelty's sake.For a PG film, it is also surprisingly brutal, featuring several fairly graphic knife slashings and impalements. Thematically, there is the psychological battle between Dr. and Sister, vying for their body, and the unique gender dynamic between the two gives both Ralph Bates and Martine Beswick plenty to play off of, and they do it remarkably well. Beswick in particular is a scene stealer as the seductive and dangerous Sister Hyde. There is fantastic cinematography capturing foggy Victorian era London, as well as some inventive imagery utilizing mirrors and stained glass to illustrate the shifting personae. It very much feels like a Hammer film in terms of the aesthetic, and that lends it additional charm.Overall, I was very surprised by this film; I expected something zany and perhaps even LSD-esque, and it was anything but. "Dr. Jekyll and Sister Hyde" takes historical events, fiction, and gender dynamics, and blends them into an English Victorian world which sets the stage for an ensuing battle between siblings as well as a Gothic exhibition of streetwalker slashings. Great, fun performances from Bates and Beswick up the ante even more. 9/10.
Spikeopath
Dr. Jekyll and Sister Hyde is directed by Roy Ward Baker and written by Brian Clemens. It stars Ralph Bates, Martine Beswick, Gerald Sim, Lewis Fiander, Susan Brodrick and Dorothy Alison. Music is by David Whitaker and cinematography by Norman Warwick.Dr. Henry Shekel (Bates) is working on an elixir that he hopes will be the answer to longevity of life. The answer he believes is to be found in female hormones taken from cadavers sent his way by Burke and Hare. Unfortunately, when the doctor resorts to trying the potion himself, he is transformed into a ravishing but dangerous woman. With London in the grip of Jack the Ripper's reign of terror, could it be that Jekyll and Sister Hyde are linked to the Jolly jack killings?Burke by name, Berk by nature!It's an awful title, it really is, I know for a fact people have avoided the film purely because they thought it sounded like some lame British horror parody piece. Which is a shame because it's a devilishly fun picture that breathes new life into a formula that has never been short of on screen treatments. Not only does Clemens' intelligent screenplay have the transformed "creature" be a smouldering sex bomb in the shapely form of Martine Beswick, he also reshapes horrible history by having Jack the Ripper and Burke and Hare tied into the plotting. Hell there's even a nifty aside to Sweeney Todd in there as well.Murder, horrible grizzly murder!Baker directs with some style, never letting the picture drift aimlessly, while he along with Norman Warwick and the set designers create a classic Gaslight Gothic look, the perfect backdrop to such devious doings and berserker gender bending. The transformation sequences are deftly handled, the duality of beings and mirrors a narrative strength, while the film isn't afraid to add humour over the top of the gruesome Technicolor murders. In fact sometimes the in jokes are so subtle it's not hard to see why many film observers of the time didn't get the joke when it was released, the crafty wink-winkery to the audience wasted on the unaware.With Bates and Beswick leading from the front with strong and assured performances, and looking credible as brother and sister into the bargain, the film is never less than enjoyable. It overcomes the gimmick idea to play out a story that stands unique in its freshness. Oh for sure there's some weaknesses in the production, but really this is a Hammer film that deserves its cult fan base because it repays the good will consistently on repeat viewings. 8/10
tankjonah
The title strongly implies that this will be a campy, foolish adaptation of Stevenson's classic tale. This could not be further from the truth.In the 1880s Dr Jekyll (Ralph Bates), working on an elixir, discovers that the female hormones required for it to work turn him into his female alter ego, an attractive, dangerous woman (Martine Beswick) whom he calls his sister to keep his interested neighbours at bay. One (Susan Brodrick) is attracted to him, the other,(Lewis Fiander), Brodrick's brother, is attracted to Hyde.This surprisingly good take on the Jekyll and Hyde story also works in the Jack the Ripper murders with Jekyll and Hyde responsible for them as they kill to obtain the necessary female hormones for the experiments. The film is quietly amusing throughout. Highlights include: Bates caressing his well proportioned breasts when he first 'changes'; the truly bizarre triangle between the neighbours as Bates begins to realise that Susan will be a target of Hyde who wants to take over completely; Jekyll caressing the face of the brother unaware that he's changed from Hyde back to Jekyll. Well made and well acted with Bates and Beswick's facial similarities a major plus.
manchester_england2004
Many of Hammer's horror movies from the 1970s era have been unfairly maligned. Whilst some movies suggested the company was in decline, there were others that showed that there was plenty of life left in this amazing company. This movie definitely fits into the latter category.The most creative idea behind DR. JEKYLL AND SISTER HYDE is the way it blends together a number of themes associated with traditional horror movies and famous novels. This movie blends together the Jack the Ripper murders in Whitechapel, with the Jekyll and Hyde story, and even includes Burke and Hare!The plot revolves around Dr. Jekyll's research into finding cures for diseases. He has ambitions about developing cures for so many plagues. But after being reminded by his friend that such work could not be completed during his lifetime, the good doctor realises he needs to find a way of prolonging his life so he can gain time to complete his work. He refers to this as "cheating death". As he walks down the Whitechapel streets, he says in his mind an excellent line summing up his dilemma. You can find it on this website under the "Memorable Quotes" section.Once the basic idea is in place, Jekyll realises the only way to prolong life is by injecting himself with female hormones. Jekyll will do anything, even kill, to extract these female hormones he needs to fulfill his lofty ambition. Eventually, he transforms into a woman whom he dubs Sister Hyde. Unfortunately, Sister Hyde has plans of her own and a battle of wits comes into play. I'm sure you can imagine the rest.Hammer do a wonderful job in recreating the Victorian atmosphere of 1880s Whitechapel, London. The streets are foggy, a somewhat sinister blind man is seen in many scenes, London bobbies lurk around every corner, and there are plenty of females willing to sell their "wares". In this respect, far more effort was invested by Hammer in this venture than they put into their Dracula and Frakenstein franchises.Some superb killing scenes occur, usually with the most horrific details left to our imagination. These scenes are very intense and prove that Hammer is no longer just a company who produces tame cheesy movies.The watchful censors predictably insisted on cuts to the movie before allowing it to be released to cinemas. The fully uncut print may sadly no longer survive. However, the producers managed to work around difficulties imposed by the censors with some carefully crafted re-editing techniques.But, it is the acting that I want to draw attention to next.The late great Ralph Bates appeared in several Hammer productions around this time, including TASTE THE BLOOD OF Dracula, THE HORROR OF FRANKENSTEIN, LUST FOR A VAMPIRE and FEAR IN THE NIGHT. But it is in DR. JEKYLL AND SISTER HYDE where he gives what his easily the best performance of his career as the doctor faced with a terrible dilemma. He invests maximum effort into his performance. His facial expressions, mannerisms, tone of voice and body language are perfect in every scene. He was a highly underrated actor who died when he was not much more than 50 years of age. He will always be remembered by his fans such as myself.Martine Beswick also gives what is easily the best performance of her career as the ultimately sexy yet manipulative, devious and evil Sister Hyde. It is very surprising that she did not become a regular leading lady in Hammer movies.Gerald Sim has a great time playing Professor Robertson, Dr. Jekyll's lecherous friend and colleague. He delivers some of the best lines in the movie. Every scene he's in is a true joy to watch and it's a real pity he was never given an opportunity to play anything other than supporting roles.Lewis Fiander, whilst not as good as Ralph Bates, proves himself a superb supporting actor in the role of Howard Spencer, Dr. Jekyll's upstairs neighbour. He far outshines many of the younger actors appearing in Hammer movies from this period, especially the very bland young supporting actors in TASTE THE BLOOD OF Dracula and the equally bland actor who appeared alongside Ralph Bates in THE HORROR OF FRANKENSTEIN. Mr. Fiander's character is also very interesting and he clearly has a good time playing him.Susan Broderick plays the somewhat introverted sister of Lewis Fiander's character, a role that looks as though it were written for Veronica Carlson. She is in love with Dr. Jekyll and makes attempts to arouse his interest. Unlike many other Hammer actresses, who are prepared to get their kit off and use their bodies to arouse the viewers, Miss Broderick remains fully clothed and behaves like a true lady throughout. This is not to say I dislike other actresses who behaved differently, I merely make the point to illustrate how Susan Broderick differs from her counterparts in other British horror movies of this time. It is also why I consider Miss Broderick's character the most likable in the entire movie.The highly underrated Roy Ward Baker directs this movie. He worked on so many great movies, including QUATERMASS AND THE PIT, ASYLUM, SCARS OF Dracula and VAULT OF HORROR. However, it is in DR. JEKYLL AND SISTER HYDE where he demonstrates his finest talents as a director. His clever direction is evident during the killing scenes and during the scenes where Dr. Jekyll changes to Sister Hyde or vice versa.Overall, this is a superb, highly atmospheric movie with excellent acting, scripting and direction. Everyone involved in this production have good reason to be proud of what they have created.I highly recommend this to fans of Hammer horror movies. I also recommend this to those who perceive Hammer horror movies as tame and cheesy because I believe they might be in for a pleasant surprise.
