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Jekyll (1969)
JEKYLL (1969) Severin Films Blu-ray Review
JEKYLL (1969)
Label: Severin Films
Region Code: Region-Free
Rating: Unrated
Duration: 262 Minutes
Audio: Italian DTS-HD 2. O Dual-Mono with Optional English Subtitles
Video: 1080p HD Fullscreen (1.33:1)
Director: Giorgio Albertazzi
Cast: Massimo Girotti, Ursula Davis, Marina Berti, Giorgio Albertazzi, Claudio Gora
In 1969 the RAI, Italy's equivalent of the UK's BBC in England offered a 4-episode mini-series adaptation of Robert Louis Stevenson's gothic novella and explored the allegory of depraved duality in modern times. The film opens just after an attack at a roadside stop by a lunatic named Edward Hyde, the investigation leads to molecular biologist Henry Jekyll (Giorgio Albertazzi, Five Women for the Killer). Among the characters include lawyer John Utterson (Massimo Girotti, Baron Blood) who leads the charge to find out what the connection between the animalistic Hyde and the brilliant Dr. Jekyll is, plus Prof. Lanyon (Claudio Gora, The Facts of Murder), Ingrid (Ursula Davis, An Angel for Satan) and Barbara (Marina Berti, Night Train Murders). A very intriguing take on the classic tale that posits it with references to the late-60s drug culture. The flick features stark black & white cinematography Stelvio Massi (Convoy Busters) who would go onto make a mark as a director with Italian crims flicks, plus a solid score by (Planet of the Vampires). The Jekyll/Hyde transformations are minimalist and little seen, but still quite effective.
Audio/Video: The 4-episde Jekyll (1969) arrives on Blu-ray from Severin Films in 1080p HD framed in 1.33:1 widescreen, sourced from a tape master. The RAI-TV tape master source does not offer a superior viewing experience, it's like watching a VHD and not a great one at that. The B&W image is very flat, with VHS type anomalies like warping and ghosting, looking squeezed in spots, stretched in others, but always watchable, just less than stellar in every way. The scan lines offers some VHS-era nostalgia for sure, but is a low-point on this set in regard to picture quality. With that said, I love that Severin plumb the depth and come up with these obscurities clenched between their teeth and digitally spit-shine them as best they can to perverse them for future audiences Audio comes by way of English DTS-HD MA 2.0 dual-mono with optional English subtitles, which offers a much more stable audio presentation than expected. The Italian dialogue sounds fine, and the score by Gino Marinuzzi Jr (Planet of the Vampires) has a nice showing in the mix.
Extras include the the 7-min Dr. Jekyll And Mr. Albertazzi - Interview With Actor Giuliano Disperati; the 9-min Building The World Of Jekyll - Interview With Set Designer Emanuele Taglietti; and the 15-min The Double Spiral Staircase Of Jekyll And Hyde - Video Essay By Film Scholar Joseph Dwyer.
Special Features:
Disc 1:
- Dr. Jekyll And Mr. Albertazzi - Interview With Actor Giuliano Disperati (7:24)
- Building The World Of JEKYLL - Interview With Set Designer Emanuele Taglietti (9:13)
- The Double Spiral Staircase Of Jekyll And Hyde - Video Essay By Film Scholar Joseph Dwyer (14:42)