COLLECTOR'S CRYPT - EDGE OF SANITY (ARROW BLU RAY)
The duality of human beings is a familiar theme across the horror genre. In 1987’s THE STEPFATHER, TERRY O’QUINN portrayed a seemingly loving husband and stepfather who was actually a sociopathic murderer. Then, TAKASHI MIIKE gave us the feminine side of obsession and desire with his skin-crawling slow-burner AUDITION. The parallels to this theme are vast and frequent, but of all of them one story stands out as the most referenced of them all, ROBERT LOUIS STEVENSON’S “Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde”. Hell, in 1931 the ROBERT MAMOULIAN film adaptation was nominated for three Academy Awards, and won one of them! EDDIE MURPHY even took his turn in the 1996 remake of JERRY LEWIS’ THE NUTTY PROFESSOR. While it can be argued that you can’t have too much of a good thing, it could also be argued that too much of the same thing is numbing. This brings us to 1988’s EDGE OF SANITY. The Jekyll/Hyde/Ripper mash-up starring ANTHONY PERKINS has gotten a brand new blu ray release courtesy of the fine folks at ARROW VIDEO. Thanks once again to our friends at MVD ENTERTAINMENT, we at the crypt have been busy figuring out if this familiar fable is a worthy addition to your cinema shelves or another late-80s obscurity you can miss.
WHAT’S IT ABOUT?
When his experiments into a powerful new anesthetic go hideously awry, respected physician Dr. Jekyll takes off into the night, casting aside the shackles of upper-class propriety as he disappears into the shadowy decadent demimonde of Whitechapel in pursuit of sensual pleasures under the guise of ‘Mr. Hyde’. As his wife Elisabeth passes her time in charitable work, rehabilitating the district’s fallen women, Hyde is drawn into an escalating cycle of lust and murder that seems to know no bounds.
HOW IS IT?
EDGE OF SANITY is a familiar face to those of us who grew up in the age of the video store. I distinctly recall seeing Perkins’ face, both the Jekyll and Hyde versions side-by-side on the front cover. While the look of Perkins as Hyde was creepy enough, it was never enough for me to want to rent the movie even with the star power of Norman Bates himself. I suspect the fine folks at ARROW VIDEO know what I’m talking about, as they gave this almost-forgotten pulpy flick new life on blu ray. The movie itself is a bit of a mixed bag, and your enjoyment will largely depend on how much you like ANTHONY PERKINS because he carries 80% of the movie.
What works is Perkins. His turn as Dr. Jekyll is intentionally aloof, which works well since his transformation into Mr. Jack “The Ripper” Hyde is a night/day experience (as it should be). The first time you see Perkins feel back the drapes to expose his newly minted Hyde look there is a classic stare and smirk that is playfully chilling. As Mr. Hyde, Perkins is set loose to chew up every single piece of scenery and person in it becoming the all-consuming focal point for however long he is on screen. You can’t look away from him, for you might miss a twisted grin or crooked smile that is horror-personified. The problem is, that gets old when there is nothing else of interest happening in-between. While it is truly delightful to watch Perkins perform to an exponential degree, it's also not enough to excuse the general lack of plot and overall hyper-sexualization of the story.
If sexual repression unleashed was a movie, it would be EDGE OF SANITY. The moment Perkins becomes his alter-ego he devolves into a sadistic and repressed pervert who ultimately kills his victims out of anger. His modus operandi is no different than the vast majority of serial killers we have come to see over the 20th century. While EDGE OF SANITY is mainly a Jekyll/Hyde story, it also dabbles in revisionist history mixing into the affair elements of London’s infamous Jack the Ripper. While it is a novel idea to mix up a worn-out theme, it also feels irrelevant. Part of my issue with much of the plot is that our main character had a traumatic experience as a child that has zero effect on them until their lab monkey spills some powders which seem to accidentally make some form of vapor meth. All of sudden, now our timid Dr. Jekyll is a misogynistic slasher, and the drugs made him do it. It just doesn’t add up, even if it sounds like it does.
The eroticism and sexuality of the film can be explained in some part by the director’s past in porn (more on that later), but most of the time it just comes off as strange and awkward. I’m not sure how it is intended to land, and maybe it’s working as intended, but for me, it just didn’t add anything to what is mostly Perkins getting high, copping feels, and slashing throats. It should be said that on a technical level the film looks and sounds fantastic. Heavy “Suspiria-Esque” lighting vibes and a great score that elevates the material just a hair above late-night CINEMAX horror. It’s not a bad movie, but it’s also not the greatest either. If you’re a fan of Perkins it is a must-own for his unhinged performance alone.
HOW DOES IT LOOK?
Yet again, ARROW VIDEO does not disappoint in the video department. I have not seen the previous region A release from SCREAM! FACTORY, so I cannot compare that version and this one. What I can say is that ARROW’s transfer is impeccable, especially considering how dark the film’s color palette is. From deep dark blacks to bright crimson reds, the restoration work makes this film look as if it came out within the past five years
For this release, ARROW VIDEO presents EDGE OF SANITY in its original aspect ratio of 1.85:1. They used the original 35mm negative which was scanned in 4K, then graded and restored in 2K. You can see images from the films below and throughout the review:
HOW DOES IT SOUND?
Nothing much to report on the audio front as ARROW VIDEO presents EDGE OF SANITY in its original stereo audio. The stereo mix was remastered by MGM for this release, and while it sounds full when the music builds and action occurs on-screen. Overall, the audio track is sufficient enough for the film considering it is relatively light on loudness aside from some screaming and score.
ANYTHING SPECIAL?
As we have lamented before in the crypt, in the world of special features few are as capable and consistent as ARROW VIDEO. True to that standard, their release of EDGE OF SANITY includes a bevy of features that are quite additive to the overall enjoyment of the film. In this case, we watched three of the included featurettes that each provide a unique point-of-view on the film, the creative process, and the thematic content. First was a 20+ minute interview with director GÉRARD KIKOÏNE titled, FRENCH LOVE. This interview was focused entirely on Kikoïne’s career, spending most of the time on the earliest parts. He started working dubbing for Hammer Horror films until he started working in the French adult-film industry. He made 22 adult films before transitioning out of porn into commercials and worked with OLIVER REED on a couple of obscure CANON films. If nothing else, this interview is a must-watch for the outrageous story that Kikoïne tells about Reed. You have to watch into the credits of the feature a little, but it’s worth it.
The next interview, STAYING SANE, was a continuation of the first with Kikoïne this time exclusively focused on EDGE OF SANITY. Here you can see just how much respect he has for Perkins and how his whole reason for taking the job was because of the opportunity to direct him in this kind of material. There is a great story about the first time Kikoïne and Perkins met at the latter's Hollywood Home, and the way Kikoïne talks about Perkins and how he worked makes you realize just how wonderful of an actor he really was. The last feature we took in was OVER THE EDGE, an interview with well-known horror historian STEPHEN THROWER who gives an oral history of the film and how it came to be. THROWER’s command of horror facts and history is always so endearing, and you can’t help but walk away with at least one cool new fact.
The full list of special features for this release is listed below:
Brand new audio commentary by writer David Flint and author and filmmaker Sean Hogan
Over the Edge, a brand new interview with Stephen Thrower, author of Nightmare USA
Jack, Jekyll and Other Screen Psychos, a brand new interview with Dr Clare Smith, author of Jack the Ripper in Film and Culture
French Love, a career-spanning interview with director Gérard Kikoïne
Staying Sane, Gérard Kikoïne discusses Edge of Sanity
Original Theatrical trailer
Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Graham Humphreys
FIRST PRESSING ONLY: Illustrated collector's booklet featuring new writing on the film by Jon Towlson
LAST RITES
EDGE OF SANITY is an obscure and sleazy Jekyll/Hyde film that is elevated by a strong performance from the King of Psychos, ANTHONY PERKINS. As always, ARROW provides a strong release with great supplemental content for fans of the film who clamor for more, and while it may not be an essential part of your collection it certainly is an interesting one that is enjoyable even if it isn’t an outright recommend.
THE GORY DETAILS
EDGE OF SANITY is out NOW and can be purchased via MVD ENTERTAINMENT or ARROW DIRECT!
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