I, Monster

Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing were excellent as Charles Marlowe and Edward Blake, the renamed Jekyll and Hyde, and Frederick Utterson respectively. Richard Hurndall lent strong support as Dr. Lanyon while DJ Mike Raven was extremely good for someone who wasn't a professional actor. It was nice to see Susan Jameson, Michael Des Barres and Ian McCulloch pop up in small roles. Speaking of Marlowe and Blake, I'm not sure why the characters' names were changed as I'm fairly sure that the original story was in the public domain by then but that's only a minor thing. The script wasn't as strong as "The Two Faces of Dr. Jekyll", Hammer's second of three Jekyll and Hyde films in which Lee also starred, but Lee makes an infinitely better leading man than that film's star Paul Massie, a mostly and justifiably forgotten Canadian actor with an undistinguished career.

This odd adaption of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde was originally shot in a rare form of 3-D which depends on a complicated camera move, much to the annoyance of star Christopher Lee. But it was all worth it, Mr. Lee, because it stands now as your only 3-D movie for us to enjoy today! The 3-D only works when the camera is moving left to right or right to left and you need special glasses (with the right lens slightly darkened) to enjoy it. But in 3-D, the creeping camera moves and slow editing all make sense because the scenes spring to life with deep focussed 3-dimensional action. Now you know why Christopher Lee is always walking up and down his laboratory behind all the chemical glassware!

In the Nineteenth Century, in London, the psychologist Charles Marlowe (Christopher Lee) researches a new drug capable to release inhibitions and uses his patients as guinea pigs. He discusses the principles of Freud with his friend Dr. Lanyon (Richard Hurndall) and decides to experiment his drug in himself. He becomes the ugly and evil Edward Blake and his friend and lawyer Frederik Utterson (Peter Cuhsing) believes Blake is another person that might be blackmailing Charles. Meanwhile Charles loses control of his transformation. "I, Monster" is another version of the classic story of Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde. The art direction is very beautiful and the great attractions are certainly Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing. My vote is six. Title (Brazil): "O Soro Maldito" ("The Damned Serum")