Edge of Sanity (1988)

"Highly Enjoyable Version of the Jekyll & Hyde Story"

Victorian London viewed through a 1980s pop art video lens gets a new lease of life as Arrow releases Gerard Kikoïne's unique, fascinating, and highly underrated adaptation of the Robert Louis Stevenson classic.

Dr Henry Jekyll (Anthony Perkins with a limp) is a physician who has developed a new kind of local anaesthetic. One night in the lab his test monkey accidently spills ether onto an open petri dish of it. A few sniffs later and Jekyll becomes Jack Hyde (Anthony Perkins without a limp but with white face makeup and looking like Cramps lead singer Lux Interior after one too many heavy nights).

Jack Hyde wanders off into London and here's where the film starts to get interesting. Led down an alley by a girl wearing distinctly 1980s getup he finds himself in a Ken Russell-themed fetish club. Unable to satisfy his urges he ends up killing prostitutes. The police are baffled (but then it doesm't look as if it takes much). Jekyll's wife (Glynis Barber) finally works out what's going on but is it too late?

Much maligned on its original UK release in a severely truncated version, EDGE OF SANITY is a far more interesting, entertaining and accomplished picture than 1980s critics claimed and if you've steered clear of it for that reason (as I'll admit I had) than I urge you to give this one another go. Perkins is excellent in an performance of such over the top intensity one assumes he had so much fun doing that sort of thing for Ken Russell's CRIMES OF PASSION (1984) that he wanted to do the same thing all over again. 

Production design and photography are equal highlights. Jekyll's lab looks (refreshingly) like no Victorian laboratory ever did - all white tile and bottles of blue fluid - and while Henry's days are lit blandly, Hyde's world is dayGlo Madonna video hell. As for the rest of the acting, Glynis Barber is fine in a pretty thankless role while David Lodge of COCKLESHELL HEROES (one for the Spike Milligan fans there) and numerous Robert Hartford-Davis projects turns in a brief role as Jekyll's lawyer.

The special features on Arrow's disc also make this disc a must-have. First off is a commentary track by David Flint and Sean Hogan. Thankfully both are fans of the film so we get a wholly appreciative commentary that includes discussion of star Perkins, producer Harry Alan Towers, director Gerard Kikoïne and the filming locations. Any commentary that includes mention of both Jess Franco and Nabokov gets my attention and this is one that's essential listening for EuroHorror fans.

Stephen Thrower provides 26 minutes of appreciation and production history with his usual meticulous attention to detail as regards how the movie came to be. He also mentions Frederic Talgorn's music score which is indeed quite marvellous. Dr Clare Smith (author of Jack the Ripper in Film & Culture) provides an erudite talk about the film in relation to other presentations of Jack the Ripper in cinema. Edward's Edge is 12 minutes with producer Edward Simons who has some good stories to tell about how he placated Anthony Perkins at vital moments during the film's production.

Finally, we get 45 minutes worth of interviews with director Gerard Kikoïne who has plenty of stories to tell about the French erotica genre in which he worked extensively, how he kept Oliver Reed under control (there's a book in all these Ollie stories that are surfacing on Blu-ray), and how he came to work on the film. M. Kikoïne comes across as an engaging, enthusiastic individual who seems to have enjoyed his offbeat career. An excellent package from Arrow and an essential purchase for EuroHorror fans.

Gerard Kikoïne's EDGE OF SANITY is out on Blu-ray from Arrow on 20th June 2o22