Rent I, Monster (1971)

3.1 of 5 from 71 ratings
1h 17min
Rent I, Monster Online DVD & Blu-ray Rental
  • General info
  • Available formats
Synopsis:
Dr. Charles Marlowe (Christopher Lee) has dedicated his life to the healing of disturbed minds. Marlowe rejects the findings of Freud in his recently published papers for being too slow and decides to explore a more immediate and physical cure for his patients problems, namely character modifying drugs. To his solicitor Utterson (Peter Cushing) and friend Dr. Lanyon (Richard Hurndall) the Doctor confides that his experiments are causing some unpredictable character changes in his subjects - he daren't continue the experiments on others and decides to use himself as his test subject, with astounding and bloody consequences....
Actors:
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Directors:
Producers:
Max Rosenberg, Milton Subotsky
Writers:
Robert Louis Stevenson, Milton Subotsky
Studio:
StudioCanal
Genres:
Classics, Horror, Sci-Fi & Fantasy
Collections:
A Brief History of Film..., What We Were Watching in 1971
BBFC:
Release Date:
25/06/2007
Run Time:
77 minutes
Languages:
English LPCM Mono
Subtitles:
None
DVD Regions:
Region 2
Formats:
Pal
Aspect Ratio:
Widescreen 1.78:1 / 16:9
Colour:
Colour
BBFC:
Release Date:
19/10/2020
Run Time:
81 minutes
Languages:
English LPCM Mono
Subtitles:
English Hard of Hearing
Formats:
Pal
Aspect Ratio:
Widescreen 1.85:1
Colour:
Colour
BLU-RAY Regions:
B
Bonus:
  • Two presentations of the film: the original 75-minute theatrical cut; and the extended 81-minute version
  • Audio commentary with director Stephen Weeks (2020)
  • Audio commentary with Weeks and film scholar Sam Umland (2005)
  • The BEHP Interview with Peter Tanner - Part One, 1914-1939 (1987, 75 mins): an archival audio recording, made as part of the British Entertainment History Project, featuring the celebrated editor in conversation with Roy Fowler and Taffy Haines
  • I, Maestro (2020, 18 mins): renowned composer Carl Davis discusses his score
  • Introduction by Stephen Laws (2020, 6 mins): appreciation by the acclaimed horror author Stephen Weeks at the Manchester Festival of Fantastic Films (1998, 16 mins): archival video recording of the director in conversation with Stephen Laws
  • Interview with Milton Subotsky (1985, 182 mins): archival audio recording of the famed producer Image galleries: publicity and promotional material
  • Original UK and US theatrical trailers
  • Kim Newman and David Flint trailer commentary (2017, 2 mins): short critical appreciation by the genre-film experts
  • World premiere on Blu-ray

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Reviews (1) of I, Monster

Spoilers follow ... - I, Monster review by NP

Spoiler Alert
13/10/2016

This is a film that revels in its very low budget: Doctor Marlowe’s (Christopher Lee) quarters are cramped, tatty and cluttered, the location filming is frequented by only a handful of extras and the effective soundtrack is performed by a tiny ensemble. These are not complaints – such things enhance the intimacy of what is one of the most faithful and entertaining filmic adaption of RL Stephenson’s ‘Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde’ novella.

Two things marred any potential success this may have had upon release. To begin with, Stephen Week’s production was intended as a 3D release, but the process was abandoned mid-filming. This lends many scenes a curiously fluid movement which again enhances its uniqueness. Secondly, the central character of Jekyll/Hyde was renamed Marlowe/Blake – although all other supporting characters have names taken from the book. Probably this was due to Amicus’ concerns that audience confusion would otherwise arise between their film and Hammer’s upcoming ‘Dr Jekyll and Sister Hyde’.

And yet, there is a top-notch cast. Peter Cushing joins Lee as Utterson, Richard Hurndall as Lanyon, Susan Jameson as patient Diane and Mike Raven provides his best horror performance as Enfield. Yet it is Lee as the kind but starchy Dr Marlowe who steals the show. His descent into the initially mischievous Blake, with the death’s head grin and increasingly macabre sense of frivolity is terrific, despite the unconvincing hairpiece. He becomes frightened of the increasing power of his unsightly alter-ego in a tremendous scene in a leaf-strewn park. His earlier blurred-faced attack on a young girl in the street is surprisingly sinister. There is a finely balanced sense of sympathy/danger about Blake that is skilfully conveyed and carried through to the violent finale.

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