Edge of Sanity appears in an aspect ratio of approximately 1.85:1 on this Blu-ray Disc. The transfer captured the source fairly well.
Overall definition seemed appealing. A little softness impacted a few interiors, but the majority of the movie brought appealing accuracy and detail.
I saw no issues with jagged edges or moiré effects, and edge haloes remained absent. Grain seemed light but appropriate, and print flaws remained minor, as I detected nothing more than a handful of specks.
Colors went for a fairly natural vibe during the “Henry” scenes, but they opted for garish reds and blues in the “Jack” sequences. These came across as largely well-rendered.
Blacks looked deep and dense, while shadows offered good delineation. The image held up pretty well over the last 33 years.
As for the film’s LPCM stereo soundtrack, it seemed more than competent for a film of this sort. The soundscape didn’t impress, but it opened up the material in a moderate manner.
This meant good stereo music as well as a decent sense of movement. For instance, horse-drawn carriages went from one side to the other in an appealing manner.
A few other elements used the channels in a logical way. Again, none of this felt impressive, but the soundfield showed reasonable engagement.
Dialogue felt natural and concise, without issues related to edginess or other issues. Music came across as reasonably full and lush.
Effects had less to do, but they worked fine, as those elements felt accurate and concise. This was a perfectly adequate soundtrack for a 33-year-old horror tale.
As we shift to extras, we begin with an audio commentary from film writer David Flint and author/filmmaker Sean Hogan. Both sit together for this running, screen-specific look at story/characters, the source and other adaptations, cast and crew, interpretation and themes, and genre domains.
Expect a decent but not particularly memorable chat here, mainly because Flint and Hogan spend too much time on general opinions of the film and not on clear insights. Though we get some decent thoughts, the commentary feels mediocre to me.
In addition to the film’s trailer, we get five featurettes. French Love spans 21 minutes, 12 seconds and brings notes from director Gérard Kikoïne.
The filmmaker examines aspects of his career such as what led him to films as well as some of his creations. Kikoline seems enthusiastic and energetic, but this interview tends to feel scattered and not especially coherent.
Staying Sane goes for 24 minutes, 17 seconds and provides another interview with Kikoïne. From the same session that created “Love”, he discusses aspects of Sanity.
This means the same manic energy seen during “Love”, but at least Kikoline manages to come across as more focused. He delivers a fairly good series of notes related to Sanity.
Next comes Edward’s Edge, a 12-minute, eight-second chat with producer Edward Simons. He covers various aspects of the production. Expect a reasonably informative look behind the scenes.
Over the Edge lasts 26 minutes, 18 seconds and delivers info from film historian Stephen Thrower. He tells us about production details and elements related to the filmmakers. This becomes an enjoyable summary.
Finally, Jack, Jekyll and Other Screen Psychos involves Jack the Ripper historian Dr. Clare Smith and runs 28 minutes, 37 seconds. Smith relates details about the historical Ripper as well as his appearances in films. Smith offers a fine examination of these subjects.
In theory, a mix of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde with Jack the Ripper could succeed. Unfortunately, Edge of Sanity seems too campy and too purposeless to do much to prosper. The Blu-ray comes with generally good picture and audio as well as mix of bonus materials. Don’t expect much from this forgettable flick.