The Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde Rock ‘N Roll Musical - Reviewed by axlish
Reviewed By: axlish
Release Date: January 8th, 2008
Directed by: Andre Champagne
Released: Elite Entertainment
2 out of 5 Skulls
Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde is a story written in 1886 by Robert Louis Stevenson that is probably familiar to most people, but just in case you aren’t… Dr. Jekyll is a scientist trying to create a concoction that will separate the two different sides of mankind, good and evil. He successfully creates this potion, and upon drinking it he becomes his evil counterpart Mr. Hyde. The experiment is a success but the consequences result in bad outcomes for all involved. 
In 2003, Alan Berhoft (who plays the lead character of Jekyll/Hyde) and Andre Champagne (Director) decided to tackle the ambitious task of producing a rock ‘n roll musical based on the Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde story. With other high-budget Hollywood musicals such as Sweeny Todd and Chicago costing upwards of fifty million dollars, Berhoft and Champagne set out to film Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde for a paltry fifty five thousand dollars, a sum that wouldn’t cover the catering bill for Moulin Rouge. 
The lack of budget is apparent by what is presented on screen. The grimy back alleys and seedy pubs of 17th century London has been replaced by modern day Los Angeles. They literally grabbed a camera, wrote some music and made it happen. There are extended periods of spoken dialogue so this isn’t a wall-to-wall musical. It is advertised as a Rock ‘N Roll musical, but it is more of a traditional musical with some of the songs being rock inspired. The rock music sounds similar to Spinal Tap’s style, choppy rock riffs but not necessarily bluesy. One particularly funny scene features Hyde taking the stage at a back alley bar and singing “Little Girls”, a seemingly made up on the spot lyrical assault on the women in attendance.
Alan Berhoft has a very good voice, and turns in a solid performance as the titular character. The direction is experimental and the camera appears to be handheld at all times. The lighting and set decoration could have been better in many scenes, but you could tell these guys were using whatever was accessible to them so it is slightly forgivable. At the end of the day, I am impressed with what they have put together. Some of the songs are still stuck in my head, mostly the rock based tunes. If you are into musicals, or the Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde story, then give it a rent.
The Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde Rock ‘N Roll Musical is presented in 1.78:1 matted (4:3). Special features include Making of Video, Filmmaker’s Commentary, Photo Gallery, Trailer, Promo Reel, Extended Hal Blaine Interview, Original Short Film, Deleted Scenes and more.
Recommended for Musical and Jekyll & Hyde Fans