This is the time of year for reflection, for asking the big important questions. Like, which B-movie exploitation riff on Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde is better: Jacqueline Hyde or Dr. Jekyll and Ms. Hyde?
Above is a clip from Jacqueline Hyde, a beloved direct-to-DVD movie from Rolfe Kanefsky, the science fiction softcore porn auteur whose work we’ve discussed before. In Jacqueline Hyde, Jackie (Gabriella Hall) discovers her grandfather had a secret formula that allows you to transform yourself—and she uses it to turn herself into a supermodel (Blythe Metz). But of course, there’s a terrible price to pay. Or something.
Below is a clip from Dr. Jekyll and Ms. Hyde, a 1995 movie that I actually saw in the theaters. Tim Daly is a scientist who unexpectedly discovers a formula that turns him into Sean Young... but his female version is not only beautiful, but evil. Because this is the mid-1990s, there is A) a lot of stupid gender politics, and B) TONS of morphing, because morphing was new and shiny.
Below is a clip where Ms. Hyde seduces Jekyll’s boss, played by Stephen Tobolowsky. Warning: Clip is NSFW for naked breasts. Also contains horrendous “gay/trans panic” humor, and Tobolowsky saying “Mr. Monkey wants to play.”
So which is better? It’s so hard to decide!
This is almost as good as the time we compared The Witches of Breastwick with The Bare Wench Project
Just to make things more complicated, here’s a clip from 1971’s Dr. Jekyll and Sister Hyde, which is basically the same idea as Dr. Jekyll and Ms. Hyde except made by Hammer Studios:
So who wins? Only YOU can decide!
Charlie Jane Anders is the author of All The Birds in the Sky, coming in January from Tor Books. Follow her on Twitter, and email her.