Rent Dr. Jekyll's Mistresses (1964)

Interesting early Jess Franco sci-fi chiller ... - Dr. Jekyll's Mistresses review by NP

Prolific director Jess Franco follows up his previous very successful Orloff films with this stylish black and white chiller. As is often the case with Franco, this production has been distributed around the world under several titles. Some refer to the title character as Orloff, and some as Jekyll. But who cares when we're having this much fun? The weakest link is the main man himself - whatever his name is! With Howard Vernon unavailable, Marcelo Arroita-Jáuregui steps in; he's avuncular, cuddly and friendly-faced, the polar opposite of Vernon.

Everything else is much as it often is in monochrome Jess Franco films. Stylish, arty, stark, polished, creepy and ever so slightly dull. The magnificent monster is far too handsome to warrant all the shrieking that greets his every appearance. Hugo Blancoplays zombie henchman Andros very well, and he's aided by sinister lighting and spooky music, but really, his 'hideousness' amounts to nothing more to bad acne.

This is an enjoyable ride, though, and a million miles away from the gleeful bargain-basement fetish-romps that Franco would soon be producing. Some seeds of his future obsessions are sown here, in what would become familiar character names (Andros, Melissa for example) and a lengthy exotic jazzy cabaret sequence.

Perhaps not quite up there with the earlier 'The Awful Doctor Orlof', this is nonetheless unsettling, riotous early picture from the notorious Uncle Jess.