Edge of Sanity (film)
| Edge of Sanity | |
|---|---|
 Film poster | |
| Directed by | Gérard Kikoïne |
| Produced by |
Jacques Fiorentino Harry Alan Towers |
| Written by |
J.P. Félix Ron Raley |
| Based on |
Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde Jack the Ripper |
| Starring |
Anthony Perkins Glynis Barber David Lodge |
| Music by | Frédéric Talgorn |
Production company |
Allied Vision |
Release dates | April 14, 1989 |
Running time | 85 mins |
| Country | U.S. |
| Language | English |
| Box office | $102,219 |
Edge of Sanity is a 1989 British horror film, directed by Gérard Kikoïne and starring Anthony Perkins, that is a portrayal of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde with aspects of Jack the Ripper.[1]
Plot
Dr. Henry Jekyll ingests a mix of ether and cocaine and goes insane. As the monstrous Edward "Jack the Ripper" Hyde, he murders a prostitute who resembles one that he previously met as a child. He begins a murder spree, using the mixture, originally meant to be an anesthetic, to influence prostitutes and the johns to torture and kill each other.[2]
Cast
- Anthony Perkins as Dr. Henry Jekyll / Jack "The Ripper" Hyde
- Glynis Barber as Elisabeth Jekyll
- Sarah Maur Thorp as Susannah
- David Lodge as Underwood
- Ben Cole as Johnny
- Jill Melford as Flora
- Noel Coleman as Egglestone
- Briony McRoberts as Ann Underwood
- Harry Landis as Coroner
- Basil Hoskins as Mr. Bottingham
Production
A few exterior sets were filmed in London. Vincent Canby stated that he thinks the film looks "19th-century atmospheric".[1]
Alain Silver compared the style of the film to those directed by Ken Russell, based on the way that the films incorporate the supernatural, psychology, and sexual imagery. He also said that the prostitutes "further unsettle the preconceptions of the audience".[2]
The book Marked Women: Prostitutes and Prostitution in the Cinema uses the film as an example of sexual brutality against women in films.[3]
Reception
Vincent Canby wrote in The New York Times that Anthony Perkins "gives a good, funny, if somewhat lopsided performance as the madman of medicine".[1]
TV Guide reviewed the film, giving it 1 out of 4 stars and saying, "EDGE OF SANITY obviously isn't meant to be taken seriously, despite its expensive production values and surrealistic photography—both surprisingly good. But the rest of EDGE OF SANITY (shot mostly in Budapest with some English exteriors) doesn't measure up to its technical proficiency."[4] Leonard Maltin described the film as "Tasteless, pointless, and unpleasant".[5]
References
- 1 2 3 Canby, Vincent (April 14, 1989). "Edge of Sanity (1989) Review/Film; Anthony Perkins Plays a Modern Jekyll and Hyde". The New York Times. Retrieved July 24, 2013.
- 1 2 Silver, Alain (1994). More Things Than Are Dreamt of. Hal Leonard Corporation. pp. 83–84. ISBN 9781617802232. Retrieved July 24, 2013.
- ↑ Campbell, Russell (2006). Marked Women: Prostitutes and Prostitution in the Cinema. University of Wisconsin Press. p. 374. ISBN 9780299212537. Retrieved July 24, 2013.
- ↑ "Edge Of Sanity: Review". TV Guide. Retrieved July 23, 2013.
- ↑ Maltin, Leonard (2009). Leonard Maltin's 2010 Movie Guide. Penguin. ISBN 9781101108765. Retrieved July 24, 2013.
External links
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