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Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde 1920 ★★★★
One thing to keep in mind about these old timey classics is that every positive sentence should be preceded by the words “by the standards of *insert year or decade*”. This is one of the oldest horrors ever, if not the oldest. So that goes even more.
Nonetheless, I thoroughly enjoyed it. Ye old timey English – that somehow seemingly lends itself more to this type of epic drama – or the interesting way the score balanced strings for the more ominous and eerie moments and the piano in the more lighthearted and/or melodramatic parts. Around the first time Jekyll changed into Hyde, I heard snippets that would not be out of place on a post rock album. Would not mind a screening with live music provided by, I don't know, 65 days of static or Sigur Ros or some other good band I forgot to mention.
This goes well with the tragic figure that Jekyll was. A well meaning soul with kindness in his heart, whose curiosity as a scientist became his undoing. Shedding his kindness when Hyde, going even as far as killing people. Even though the death toll is not all that high in this movie. Separate mention for the scene where Hyde's ghost takes over Jekyll's body. Wondering how they did that with the technology of the time.
Two downsides: It's pretty slow and you have to stay focused because the pancartes with the dialogue and the exposition do not always leave you much time. Granted, this is coming from someone with English as their second language. But still, heads up for the more ADD prone among the native speakers.
I loved it. Make of it what you will.
The Last Man on Earth 1964 ★★★★
A shot of Vincent Price's voice and a classic from the sixties. Because I can and because I felt like it.
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