Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (TV, 1954) (Plus Bonus ""Lights Out"" Episode) (2007) Review

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(More customer reviews)"Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde" is released from Alpha Home Entertainment. The DVD contains two episodes: "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde" (B&W 48 minutes) and "The Lost Will of Dr. Rant" (B&W 22 minutes).
"Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde" stars Michael Rennie as the titular character, whose secret experiment unleashes the "beast" within him. This Robert Louis Stevenson tale is in fact an episode from the anthology TV show "Climax!" (aired on July 28, 1955) and adapted for TV by Gore Vidal. The original music is by Jerry Goldsmith.
Unlike more famous 1931 and 1941 feature-film versions (starring Fredric March and Spencer Tracy respectively), this TV episode dispenses with the good doctor's melodramatic love story and focuses on the consequences of Jekyll's experiment. Only the bare-bone elements of the original story has made it to this version, and despite the efforts of the players (including Cedric Hardwicke and Mary Sinclair), the result is not very impressive. Michael Rennie (perhaps best known for his performance as "Klaatu" in "The Day the Earth Stood Still") is very good as Dr. Jekyll, but his portrayal of the hedonistic Mr. Hyde is a bit disappointing with minimum amount of special make-up. Probably this couldn't be helped because it is said most of the show's episodes were broadcast live, so the crew had to do without elaborate effects.
"The Lost Will of Dr. Rant" is based on M. R. James's short story "The Tractate Middoth" and this short work is in fact from the TV show "Lights Out." The episode was aired on May 7, 1951, starring Leslie Nielsen, Pat Englund, Russell Collins and Eva Condon.
The story begins when John Eldred, an anxious old man looking for a rare edition of the Talmud, arrives at a Boston library. Leslie Nielsen plays a librarian named Bill, who is more than happy to help him find the book, but some mysterious powers intervene in the form of a creepy stranger. The episode has a very interesting premise, a blend of ghost story and detective novel, and the adaptation is fairly faithful to James's original short, but it really needs a better final act that is too short.
As these are from old TV shows, you should expect neither crisp image nor clear sound quality. Still the DVD has a curiosity value with two episodes from the earliest days of American TV shows.


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Gore Vidal wrote the script for this excellentadaptation of Robert Louis Stevensons' classic horror story that first appeared in the legendary anthology series ""Climax.""Includes bonus ""Lights Out"" episode, ""Lost Will of Dr. Rant.""

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Jekyll (2007) Review

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(More customer reviews)Steven Moffat's writing, combined with James Nesbitt's extraordinary performance has me hiding behind the sofa--but in a good way!
Rather than rehashing all the old films that came before, Moffat took the "What if..." route--what if there was a Jekyll/Hyde combo running about *today?* His answer is a stylish, intelligent, scary, wickedly funny, and just plain wicked storytelling at its best.
The script is lean and mean, every line has a purpose, and one is not just invited, but compelled to try to anticipate what's going to happen next. This is suspense in its purest form, and there is always a solid payoff.
Certain tastes, raised on fizzy diet soft drinks, are not going to react well to their first pint of Guinness. As a writer myself, I am blown away by Moffat's handling of the material.
We are not presented with the same old "don't mess with this stuff" cautionary tale so much as invited along to truly see the world through Hyde's eyes. He's a fun fellow, honestly puzzled by some things and the absolute master of others. He is able to hone life down to its basics and enjoy himself and his carnal nature, yet Nesbitt makes this humorous as well as frightening. This is the true definition of horror in that we are repelled but at the same time attracted.
Did I mention intelligent scripting? That also goes for the direction, production, and a very well-picked supporting cast, able to keep up with the perfectly chosen Nesbitt.
His Jekyll (Dr. Jackman) is as solid and interesting as his devilish Hyde. So far as this fan of classic horror is concerned he now owns the character, and someone dang-well better give him some kind of an award for his outstanding work. It can't have been easy, yet he makes it look so. Wow.
There is close attention to detail in this series that one needs multiple watchings to pick out everything. In-jokes related to Stevenson's original story tickled my literary palate, such as Dr. Jackman's twin boys being named Henry and Edward. There's more, but I'm not spoiling them for you.
It is by perfectly executed turns funny, sharp, and bloody scary and for this jaded viewer, wholly engaging. I can't recommend it enough!

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Part conspiracy thriller, part comic horror, Steven Moffat's extraordinary retelling of this Robert Louis Stevenson classic takes the ultimate tale of inner conflict to unforgettable new heights. It is 2007 and there's a new Dr. Jekyll with an old problem - Mr. Hyde. But the pair have a deal - a body share - and an impossible life is somehow lived. With all the resources of modern technology, and the best surveillance hardware, Jekyll is determined to keep his dangerous alter ego in check by doing a deal with his own devil. What neither of them know is that an ancient organization with limitless wealth and power is monitoring their every move, and a plan over a century in the making is coming to fruition. The return of Dr Jekyll is no accident...

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