Anthony Perkins builds upon his legendary status as cinema’s seminal psycho in Edge of Sanity, a delirious conflation of Robert Louis Stephenson’s classic horror novella ‘Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde’ and Jack the Ripper’s real-life reign of terror over Victorian London. When his experiments into a powerful new anesthetic go hideously awry, respected physician Dr Jekyll (Perkins) takes off into the night, casting aside the shackles of upper-class propriety as he disappears into the shadowy decadent demimonde of Whitechapel in pursuit of sensual pleasures under the guise of ‘Mr Hyde’. As his wife Elisabeth (Glynis Barber) passes her time in charitable work, rehabilitating the district’s fallen women, Hyde is drawn into an escalating cycle of lust and murder that seems to know no bounds. Produced by exploitation maestro Harry Alan Towers (The Face of Fu Manchu, Count Dracula) and directed with a hallucinogenic intensity by Gérard Kikoïne (Lady Libertine, Buried Alive), Edge of Sanity plunges the viewer into a labyrinth of depravity from which there is no escape.
For thoughts on Edge Of Sanity, please check out our discussion on The Video Attic here.
Video Quality
Edge Of Sanity comes to Blu-Ray courtesy of Arrow Video in its original 1.85:1 sourced from an excellent 2K restoration of a 4K scan of the original 35mm camera negative. This film was previously available on Blu-Ray as a part of a double feature distributed by Scream Factory, but we do not have that disc for comparison. Despite this, it is likely not a huge leap to assume this new presentation is a remarkable improvement from that out-of-print version.
This presentation looks frankly incredible with a litany of posh and lurid locations that sparkle in high definition with natural film grain intact and nicely resolved without ever seeming overly thick or clumpy. There is virtually no print damage to be found outside a few specks that made it through the restoration gauntlet. The contrast is well defined with some of the sterile white backgrounds never veering into blooming. Black levels are very deep but a few shadowy scenes struggle with minor crush and loss of detail. There is a tremendous amount of depth and enhanced detail present with pleasing textures on the clothing and production design. The film features some distinct color grading when the narrative calls for it, and the transfer handles the shifts without fault along with the normal, vibrant hues that pop off the screen really well. Arrow Video has treated this film with the care its fans have always wanted.
Audio Quality
This Blu-Ray comes with an LPCM 2.0 stereo track in the original English (with optional English subtitles). The film is more of a dialogue-driven affair with only sporadic scenes of violence which increase as the narrative evolves where the track really springs to life. The dialogue sounds perfectly clear without sound effects or the score trouncing on pertinent information. Certain locations such as the spa or the nightclub that are visited provide a healthy din of sound that gives some texture to the mix. The score comes through with impeccable fidelity in relation to the competing sounds. This presentation presents everything accurately without damage or other unwanted issues.
Special Features
The first-pressing of the Arrow Video Blu-Ray of Edge Of Sanity includes a booklet featuring the essay “Jack’s Back: Edge Of Sanity’s Return Of The Repressed” by film critic and author Jon Towlson. This piece provides a great analysis of the film in the context of the cultural repression on display through certain censorship practices, its themes and more. The booklet also contains the details of the restoration. The on-disc special features are as follows:
- Audio Commentary: Writer David Flint and author and filmmaker Sean Hogan deliver a fun and informative commentary track in which they discuss the origins of the film, the work of director Gérard Kikoïne, how his previous unique filmmaking experience benefited him on this one, how this compares to the source material and other filmed versions, the performances from the ensemble, the Freudian elements that are littered throughout, how the creative teams uses production design and clothing to show the influences of drugs and more. This is a worthwhile listen for those who enjoy the film.
- French Love: A 21-minute interview with director Gérard Kikoïne in which he discusses his career at large, his early entry into the film world, the love he has for his films, the explicit nature of certain projects, the preparation he puts into his productions and more. Kikoïne is a really lively personality who keeps you very entertained throughout.
- Staying Sane: A 24-minute interview with director Gérard Kikoïne who this time speaks extensively about Edge Of Sanity exclusively including working with Anthony Perkins, the production design, shooting the different personalities with different aesthetics, his influences from classic cinema and more.
- Edward’s Edge: A 12-minute interview with producer Edward Simons in which he discusses his initial interest in making an adaptation of Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde, how they packaged the film, why they chose certain performers, memories of going to a salon with Anthony Perkins, the involvement of his wife and more.
- Over The Edge – Stephen Thrower On Edge Of Sanity: A 26-minute analysis of the film by Stephen Thrower, author of Nightmare USA, in which he gives some background production details, the shooting locations, the shady nature of certain background figures, the themes that were explored in the film, how this fit into the career of Anthony Perkins, and more.
- Jack, Jekyll and Other Screen Psychos: A 29-minute interview with Dr Clare Smith, author of Jack the Ripper in Film and Culture, takes you through the known lore of Jack the Ripper, how it has been portrayed on film, how the topic is tackled in Edge of Sanity, and so much more. This is one of the most intriguing pieces on the disc from a historical perspective and is well worth checking out.
- Trailers: The minute-long trailer is provided here.
- Image Galleries: This disc provides galleries for promotional and behind-the-scenes materials.
Final Thoughts
Edge Of Sanity attempts to put a new spin on the old Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde tale by weaving in elements of other infamous slayings. The narrative is ambitious, but it does not always mesh together completely seamlessly. Nevertheless, the dedicated performance from Anthony Perkins keeps this one highly entertaining with an undercurrent of chaos. Director Gérard Kikoïn has an eye for capturing the lurid and distasteful, and this adaptation revels in the more unseemly elements in a captivating manner. It’s far from flawless, but it is doubtful you will feel bored after watching this one. Arrow Video has released a Blu-Ray featuring an A+ audio/visual presentation and an array of special features that fans will appreciate. If you are generally a fan of horror movies that delight in excess, this should be an enjoyable time for you. Recommended
Edge Of Sanity will be available to purchase on Blu-Ray on June 21, 2022.
Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.
Disclaimer: Arrow Video has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.
Dillon is most comfortable sitting around in a theatre all day watching both big budget and independent movies.