Dr. Jekyll's Dungeon of Death (1979)

In this lesser-known prequel to Yorgos's Poor Things, a disgraced doctor – the grandson of the infamous Dr. Jekyll – lives in a house full of lobotomized and mind-altered humans and animals. His de-lobed sister wanders around staring wide-eyed at things, trying to avoid the doctor's weird incestuous remarks.

He invites his old college professor to observe his latest research: a modification of his grandfather's serum. He demonstrates how, when given to a pair of human test subjects, the subjects become unable to do anything other than their most basic instinct; namely: kung-fu fighting to the death.

The professor fails to recognize the valued achievement of inventing Ultimate Fighting Championship and storms off in anger and disgust. He does keep staying in Jekyll's house, though. I guess torturing people to death isn't that bad.

Jekyll has also kidnapped the professor's daughter and is keeping her locked up in the basement for his unreciprocated sexual desires.

Unlike Poor Things, the acting and dialogue varies between moderately and intensely unbearable. And way, way too much of it is told via voiceover.

It was directed by the singular James Wood, not the plural James Woods. The plural James Woods was off starring in The Onion Field while singular James Wood was beginning and ending his directing career with romance-era kung-fu fighting.

The amount of kung-fu is unbelievable. It feels like 40% of the film is just filming karate practice. But who am I to complain? As long as some zombies are sparring, we don't have to listen to the crummy dialog.

The daughter escapes and sneaks in for the kill during the final kung-fu.

But she bungles it and the mad doctor kills them all.