Welcome back to our queer film retrospective, “A Gay Old Time.” In this week’s column, we revisit 1971’s British body horror romp, Dr.
Jekyll And Sister Hyde.At the beginning of the month, we discussed in this column how horror movie villains have historically been stand-ins for outcasts and the figure of the ‘Other,” and why the queer community tends to gravitate towards these stories and characters—even if the movie itself, the devil-as-a-gay-boy horror flick Fear No Evil was less than successful in its attempt.
Horror, with its many portrayals of lonely creatures, underdog final girls, and celebration of the untraditional, has always been a rich place for us to find metaphors.This week, we’ll talk about another movie that reflects themes and issues that resonate with us.
However, unlike last time, this film actually seems to have a point of view and purpose in tackling these subjects, and makes for a worthy, entertaining watch.