Thu 3 Sep 2015
A Horror Movie Review by Jonathan Lewis: I, MONSTER (1971).
Posted by Steve under Horror movies , Reviews[3] Comments
I, MONSTER. Amicus Productions, 1971. Christopher Lee, Peter Cushing, Mike Raven, Richard Hurndall, Susan Jameson. Director: Stephen Weeks.
There are moments in I, Monster, an Amicus film based on and inspired by Robert Louis Stevenson’s Dr. Jeckyll and Mr. Hyde where Christopher Lee is at the absolute top of his game.
One early scene in particular comes to mind immediately. It’s when his character, the psychologist Charles Marlowe, scalpel in his hand, cradles one of his lab rats and eerily mimics the rat’s facial expressions. Of course, at that point, Marlowe (Lee) isn’t all Marlowe. He’s also Marlowe’s alter ego, the barbaric Edward Blake.
And that’s by far the best thing that I, Monster has going for it: Lee in a dual role as Marlowe/Blake, wherein the famed British actor gets to demonstrate just how well he can portray screen villains.
Unfortunately, however, this lesser known entry in Lee’s vast filmography suffers from a decidedly mediocre, if not tedious, script that does little to keep the viewer fully engaged with the story.
Even worse, as much as it pains me to say this, Peter Cushing’s presence in the film is just underwhelming. Sure, it’s great to see Lee and Cushing go at each other in the final sequence. But it’s simply not enough to make I, Monster more of a missed opportunity rather than the cult film it might have been.
September 3rd, 2015 at 9:28 pm
Nice to see what might have been done in a Lee Jekyll and Hyde — I think the reason they didn’t do the Stevenson was not to compete with Hammer’s versions. As you say, Jonathan, the film has its moments, but Cushing is wasted, and even Lee can only do so much without a script.
It always seemed to me the underutilized Lee’s remarkable voice in favor of his considerable physical presence much as they totally ignored his sly sense of humor. He did a number of recordings singing everything from Ghost Riders in the Sky to Heavy Metal with the group Rhapsody and his voice is remarkable.
He was famous for his W.C. Fields imitation at conventions. Jesus Franco told of filming on location with Lee at a place where Lee took the role only to get access at the golf course. While the rest of the cast and crew stayed in cheaper lodgings, Lee paid to stay at the finest hotel with access to the course, but no one at the hotel knew he was an actor or filming there.
Having filmed a scene where he is in a car wreck and blown up Lee rushed back to the hotel to change and make tee time, not realizing until he reached the desk to retrieve his key that in full make up and tattered clothes and the clerk and people in the lobby had no idea he was an actor.
In his most droll deadpan Christopher Lee manner he told the shocked clerk and guests in the entrance: “That eighteenth hole is a killer,” and went to his room without further comment
September 4th, 2015 at 1:02 am
There is a version of 3-D that requires the camera to be constantly in motion, and Milton Subostky asked Weeks to film it that way. It proved to be unworkable, but huge amounts of the movie had already been filmed that way. The result was a film that makes you slightly sea-sick because it never stands still and allows you to concentrate on the actors.
The script doesn’t quite work because it sticks a little too much to Stevenson, but also allows you to see what Jekyll/Hyde are up to. It’s a mystery where the mystery is constantly undercut because we already know the answer to the mystery! Cushing’s role is essentially superfluous to the story.
It is a maddening movie because there is a lot of talent in front of the camera, and you can see how good a movie it could have been. Lee’s performance of Jekyll/Hyde could have been the centre of a superb film, but unfortunately it’s the saving grace of a mediocre one.
September 4th, 2015 at 3:37 am
This is probably the closest anyone ever came to filming Stevenson’s story as it was written–a mystery. Beyond that interesting concept there are a few worthwhile moments, but I don’t know if that’s enough to make it worth watching; depends on your mood at the time and general affection for Monster Movies, I guess.