The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Miss Osbourne

Polish filmmaker Walerian Borowczyk is best known for mixing eroticism with fantasy and horror, presenting sex as a primal instinct that can unleash buried desires. This adaptation of Robert Louis Stevenson's classic novel Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde takes place over the course of a single night, as Dr. Henry Jekyll (Udo Kier) hosts a dinner party to announce his engagement to Miss Fanny Osbourne (Marina Pierro), but then unleashes Mr. Hyde (Gérard Zalcberg) to prey upon the guests and servants. This is not the only change to the original story: Jekyll brings out Mr. Hyde by pouring powder in a tub and bathing in the mix, like an unholy baptism meant to summon the devil inside. Here, Hyde is a sex maniac—with a huge prosthetic phallus—who rapes and murders women, while Jekyll's fiancée becomes a fascinated witness, unleashing her own suppressed desires and violent instincts. Mixing art, horror, nudity, and sex, the film is ultimately something of a muddled mess. Bowing on Blu-ray, the copious extras include an audio commentary, cast and crew interviews, behind-the-scenes featurettes, and a bonus short film (an homage to Borowczyk). Optional, at best. (S. Axmaker)