Official Synopsis:
“One hundred years ago, Jack the Ripper slashed his way through London’s red light district. Now, a modern-day maniac is honoring the event by mutilating L.A.’s ladies of the evening. Has Jack the Ripper been reborn? The police are stumped and the prostitutes of L.A. are scared. The only person with a chance of solving the murders has a problem of his own – he’s the LAPD’s number one suspect.
James Spader (The Blacklist, Avengers: Age of Ultron) and Cynthia Gibb (Death Warrant, Youngblood) star in this taut mystery-thriller written and directed by Rowdy Herrington (Road House).”
Jack the Ripper is a timeless story that brings to light the dark horrors of the human psyche. The fear of an unknown predator that keeps people in their homes in fear they may be next is a tale that has been told many different times and in many different genres; one of the more unique being the science fiction film, Time After Time, in which H.G. Wells must chase Jack the Ripper through time.
It is clear that this is a fascinating story, but it has been told so many times that a fresh perspective is imperative to make an entertaining story that will be unique and set itself apart from the others. Fortunately, Jack’s Back brings some interesting aspects to this century-old mystery.
One of the things I enjoyed most about Jack’s Back was the noir-like quality it had to it. Fog-filled scenes with intense back lightning through alleys, quick-witted dialogue and a troubled protagonist searching for clues all give off that vibe.
James Spader goes above and beyond in his first leading role, providing a stellar performance that raises the level of this low-budget flick substantially. The supporting cast is excellent, as is the on-screen chemistry between James Spader and Cynthia Gibb.
Though impressive the artistic elements by cast and crew, I did have a few reservations about the story itself that prevents me from shouting praises from the rooftops. For a story touting itself as Jack the Ripper reborn, there isn’t much sense of urgency about the killer. Instead, James Spader is searching for the person who murdered his brother. He doesn’t care about Jack the Ripper, and as such the audience is left wondering why we should care as well. Toward the end, James Spader pulls a photograph out of nowhere of the man who killed his brother and instantly gets his name and address. What could have taken ten minutes to accomplish dragged out for an hour.
Despite this, I was pleasantly surprised by Jack’s Back, and with James Spader’s surging popularity this is fun to revisit. It will make a solid mystery-thriller addition to any collection.
Video
The video on the bluray is presented in 1080p 1.78:1. This release has a brand new transfer from the original camera negative and looks amazing. The only issue is a softness that is present throughout due to the low-budget filming which unfortunately isn’t able to be corrected. However, there are no defects noticed at all.
Audio
The audio is presented in DTS-HD Master Audio Mono. The soundtrack is horribly dated, but on the technical side everything sounds good with no noticeable problems.
Special Features
As with any Scream Factory released title, I highly recommend watching the special features. They go above and beyond in providing the most up to date interviews on some of the most obscure titles. With this release, you’re going to get:
Audio Commentary with Director Rowdy Herrington
Making of Jack’s Back
Theatrical Trailer
I wish they could’ve got James Spader to do an interview for the features of this film. It would have been extremely interesting to hear his take on the process and his memories from filming.
Jack’s Back is an interesting mystery-thriller with noir elements that will keep you guessing until the very end. Scream Factory continues to bring us titles that may not have seen the light of day, and for that, we thank you.
