I,Monster

I've had a disinterested attitude concerning actor Christopher Lee prior to seeing this rustic gem from Hammer studios rival Amicus productions. He plays a doctor experimenting with behavior altering chemicals. Up until his first injections, Lee's character in the movie is a rather reserved, quiet man, who, when not seen putzing around in his laBORatory, also finds the time to stroll on over to his local gentlemen's club to discuss the fine points of morality and ethics with his fellow doctors, among them Peter Cushing, who clashes with Lee's outre philosophy. Dr. Marlowe(Lee): "Suppose that, just for a while, we could let loose the reins, fullfill our desires without restriction, without control. I think I might choose either." Dr. Utterson (Cushing): "Well surely the essence of civilization is the restriction of individual appetite by the individual himself for the good of all mankind." Back in the lab, Dr. Marlowe does indeed self-inject his experimental serum and it is here that I was awakened by the performance of Mr. Lee. His mannerisms, body language and facial expressions as he undergoes a transformation into a careless, violent beast was captivating. Cushing's Utterson is compationate and level headed in trying to help his friend whom he sees tumbling into the abyss. I describe this as an elegant tale of terror minus the gore that is now demanded from the modern day horror audience. This dvd, put out by one Retromedia company, comes with a grindhouse style trailer-quite fun to watch, and one of those pre-film "our feature presentation" intro's with the swirling circles and classic theme that Tarantino pinched for Death Proof if memory serves.      11/6/11