Rating summary

Movie		2.5
Video		4.5
Audio		4.0
Extras		1.5
Overall		3.5

Dr. Jekyll's Dungeon of Death Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf June 3, 2020

The horrors of Robert Louis Stevenson’s 1886 novella, “Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde,” are significantly diluted for 1978’s “Dr. Jekyll’s Dungeon of Death.” The title suggests an ominous viewing experience, detailing absolute finality in a basement setting. However, what director James Wood is actually offering is a loose appreciation for the original text, mounting his own martial arts exhibition as the potential for frights is replaced by choreographed fights. This is one bizarre feature, seemingly slapped together over a few weekends, with Wood keeping to the bare minimum of story and screen tension while offering large parts of the run time to a local karate school. There’s a dungeon and there’s some death, but the real Dr. Jekyll-ness of it all doesn’t factor into the final cut.

In a San Francisco home, Dr. Henry Jekyll (James Mathers, who also scripts) has been working on a mission to provide fatter cattle for worldwide meat consumption, experimenting with a special serum that targets the pituitary gland. Unfortunately, the juice isn’t working as it should, with Dr. Henry realizing that his science inspires aggression, using the serum to create a fight club of sorts in his basement, kidnapping locals to do battle. Also on Dr. Henry’s to-do list is the forced seduction of Julia (Dawn Carver Kelly), a young woman he keeps tied up, hoping to chemically persuade her to fall in love with him, unable to create attraction on his own. When Julia’s father, Professor Atkinson (John Kearney), is summoned to Dr. Henry’s home to say goodbye to his seemingly deceased daughter, the visitor senses a lot of strangeness in the dwelling, including Igor-like assistant Boris (Jake Pearson), armed enforcer Malo (Tom Nicholson), and Dr. Henry’s lobotomized sister, Hilda (Nadine Kalmes).

There’s not a lot of money being spent on “Dungeon of Death,” forcing Wood to find ways to make the film without drying up the tiny budget. The screenplay is small in scale, with action contained to the house and its multiple floors of mystery. Dr. Henry abhors bright light, giving Wood the opportunity to keep the frame nearly blacked out at times, with cinematography struggling to keep characters illuminated with single lighting sources. In fact, the feature is so ridiculously dark, the production adds a mouth-closed looped line from Professor Atkinson (“Do you always keep your house so dark?”) to help explain what’s likely some sort of a creative mistake. Filler is common here, but Wood gives his movie over to the karate contests on multiple occasions, studying the serum-induced raging from local kidnap victims forced to pummel each other.

A story? That’s not happening in “Dungeon of Death,” which offers only Dr. Henry’s obsession with Julia, keeping the love of his life drugged and tied up, faking her death to keep her forever. Boris is also interested in the kept woman, causing some friction between the limping butler and his master, but anything approaching a real dramatic arc isn’t pursued on full, with the viewing experience jumping from weird science to karate time. Admittedly, the fights are furious, delivering some level of choreographed intensity as the strangers face off, delighting the mad doctor. The sequences aren’t polished, but they do the trick. Also of interest is Mathers, who tries to give the material he created some life through his broad performance, going excessively big to keep the endeavor alive. All the evil cackling really makes a difference.

Dr. Jekyll's Dungeon of Death Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Enjoying some form of life on VHS and television programs, "Dr. Jekyll's Dungeon of Death" has been criticized for its murky cinematography, which never stood a chance in lower resolution. Vinegar Syndrome hopes to deliver clarity for the first time, presenting an AVC encoded image (1.85:1 aspect ratio) presentation, sourced from the 35mm original camera negative. Of course, this feature is all about black levels, and while there's inherent solidification with cinematographic limitations, the viewing experience is as illuminated as possible. Blacks are deep, highlighting the spooky mood director James Wood is trying to achieve, with delineation comfortable throughout. Primaries are distinct, with a heavy use of red on costuming and household decoration, while feminine hues offer lighter whites and purples. Skintones are natural. Detail is superb for a movie that doesn't always know what to do with it, offering distinct skin surfaces and fibrous clothing, which favors felt and stiff karate gear. Grain is fine and film-like. Source is in good condition, with mild judder and few brief areas of damage.

Dr. Jekyll's Dungeon of Death Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The 2.0 DTS-HD MA sound mix offers a basic presentation of dialogue exchanges, with some mild sibilance issues detected along the way. Performances are clear, from grunting to madman ecstasy, allowing what little here passes for drama to remain intelligible. Scoring cues are supportive without overwhelming the actors. Sound effects are appreciable but limited, dealing with body blows during karate battles.

Dr. Jekyll's Dungeon of Death Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Promotion Image Gallery (:40) collects poster art, VHS box covers, and pressbook pages.

• And a Theatrical Trailer (3:36, HD) is included.

Dr. Jekyll's Dungeon of Death Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

There's a lot of kookiness in "Dungeon of Death," which is supposed to take place in 1959 despite everyone in the cast looking as though they just auditioned for "One Day at a Time." There are also extensive conversations about bull breeding as Dr. Henry tries to sell the legitimacy of his serum to Professor Atkinson. Wood is caught between his interest in creating a tale of a demented man, the grandson of the original Dr. Jekyll, hoping to live up to his scientific potential to change the world, and the karate demo experience where, presumably, friends are showcased delivering their best moves. "Dr. Jekyll's Dungeon of Death" isn't focused enough to be wonderful nonsense, but for B-movie addicts on the hunt for a film that's sufficiently odd to hold attention, even when nothing of note is happening, this is a passable experience of no-budget entertainment.