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Released by: Video-X-Pix
Released on: 4/21/2010
Director: Zebedy Colt
Cast: Harry Reems, Bree Anthony, Bobby Astyr, Zebedy Colt, Nancy Dare, Terri Hall, C.J. Laing
Year: 1976
Purchase From TLA Video
The Movie:
Directed by Zebedy Colt (or, if you prefer, Victor Milt, born Edward Earl Marsh and credited here as Tim McCoy!), The Erotic Dr. Jekyll (which has also been known as The Amazing Dr. Jekyll and The Incredible Dr. Jekyll - take your pick, they're all appropriate) stars Harry Reems in the lead role of Dr. Charles Jekyll. A scientist by trade with a great fake beard, Jekyll is the grandson of the original Dr. Jekyll that we all know. When he discovers grandpa's secret laboratory, he can't help but follow in the family tradition and start playing around with the formula hidden away in the confines of the room.
Of course, once Jekyll imbibes, he turns into the sinister Rory Hump, an insatiable sex animal (who loses the beard but of course keeps the trademark Reems moustache) who just can't seem to satisfy his hunger for poon. There's a catch, however - taking the formula three times can have adverse effects and even lead to death. Witness the hunchbacked lab assistant, Igor (Bobby Astyr), who took the potion once and now has to life with the physical deformity that it caused him. But how is Jekyll, as Hump, going to get all the action he craves when his lady friend, Linda (C.J. Laing - dolled up with a curly dark haired wig to make her look like a certain other Linda that Reems was known to cavort with on screen - you do the math!) is hanging around? By telling her that he's going to Africa to conduct some scientific research, that's how! And it works - so off her goes to get his freak on and play in a rock band.
Seeing Harry Reems on stage with a headband all messed up and pretending to be able to play guitar is worth the price of admission alone. He's horrible, and it's great. His new found fame finds him decked out in a Paul Stanley-style glitter-suit on a talk show, where he lets Terri Hall give him head before bending her over and doing her doggy-style in front of a live audience that applauds him all the way. As Reems and his magic moustache grow in popularity, he winds up becoming a nationally known sex star until finally he's asked to prove his worth by doing one hundred virgins in one session!
Reems is in full on pimp-mode in this film, contrasting quite amusingly with Astyr's extremely hammy Igor. The two of them completely dominate the film and while as nice as it is to see Terri Hall, C. J. Laing and even Bree Anthony show up in the movie, it really is their show all the way. Fast paced and campy as can be, it's actually fairly surprising that Reems isn't better known for this film than for some of his other pictures. Obviously a certain Lovelace collaboration is going to overshadow anything else but he shows some real comedic timing here that proves he was more than just a random seventies dong willing to penetrate poon on camera.
Colt's flair for the bizarre is obvious in the picture, from the pacing and the plot to the art direction and the camera work, not to speak of the wardrobe. From the bizarre illustration used during the opening credits to the lab scenes that look like they were shot on an Off-Broadway theater stage to the scenes where Reems dresses up in some sort of New York Dolls style glam rock suit and tears it up on stage while the zoom lens moves so far it'd give Jess Franco a brain hemorrhage, The Erotic Dr. Jekyll is pretty wacky stuff but you can tell all involved are having a blast with the picture. Colt himself has a supporting role and looks rather ridiculous with a big fake moustache glued to his face.
Video/Audio/Extras:
Alpha Blue Archives previously released The Erotic Dr. Jekyll on their Cult 70s Porno Director: Zebedy Colt Volume Two DVD back a few years ago. That transfer was watchable enough but it pales in comparison to the transfer that Video-X-Pix, the film's legal rights holders, have supplied. Taken from the original 35mm negative, it's hard to imagine the film looking much better than it does here, even if the transfer is interlaced. Colors are very strong, skin tones look very natural and aside from some grain and the odd speck here and there, print damage isn't really much of an issue at all. There aren't any compression artifacts to complain about and the clarity really allows you to soak in the weird atmosphere that Colt has conjured up with this film.
The Dolby Digital Mono track is clean, clear and easy to follow. There's a bit of hiss here and there and a bit of flatness in a few scenes but nothing to really complain about too much. Reems' goofy dialogue is easy to follow and the musical numbers sound pretty good!
Extras are limited to a slideshow of vintage smut stills from unrelated films, a menu and scene selection. The Seka Interview mentioned on the back of the packaging is nowhere to be found, but she had nothing to do with the movie anyway so it's not that big a deal.
The Final Word:
There are definitely sexier adult films out there than this one but few that are funnier than The Erotic Dr. Jekyll. Colt's flair for the theatrical combined with Reems penchant for comedy overshadows the reasonably steamy sex scenes and delivers a film ripe with bizarre humor and enjoyably screwy performances. Video-X-Pix doesn't do much with the extra features on this release but most importantly offers up the film in an improved transfer.
