Jack the Ripper

Although this movie is completely historically inaccurate as far as Jack the Ripper goes, it's surprisingly well made for a Franco movie. It's one of the few horror movies, however, that could actually benefit from some more cuts as the gore sequences, besides being nasty and misogynistic, are also just plain stupid and inept. The sequence with Kinski and a young Lina Romay (Mrs. Jesus Franco, for the uninitiated)is one Franco's best and one of Romay's best performances (especially considering she has her clothes on for most of it), but it is almost ruined in the end by an extremely gruesome and completely pointless bit of gore. Still, this is one of the few Franco films that has a more or less coherent plot to go with the occasionally impressive visuals. It definitely won't please the "Ripperologists", but it's worth a look, especially if you like Franco, Romay, or Kinski.

This film, starring Klaus Kinski, and directed by Jesus Franco, proves very disappointing viewing unless one has an affinity for gross-out gore (which this film delights in with numerous scenes of the Ripper dismembering his lady victims). Me I prefer the focus remain of the story at hand and this tale has been adapted better for the screen many times before.THE LODGER and MAN IN THE ATTIC being two of the better examples..Kinski does have a moment or two where he shines a little but it isn't enough to save this film.

Let me begin this review with the statement that DVD packaging does make or break a film. Also, DVD packaging that attempts to be creative and exciting (when it is actually not) will only break a film. I mention this because it is what I experienced with Jack the Ripper on DVD. When the film's menu started it seemed like there was some time and effort put into this release.

As the menu opens there is Kinski's spooky eye twitching back and forth with several options for special features and extras. I was impressed; I thought that this film would just start without really any detail going into the DVD. This is what I thought, until I tried to work the audio options. With my German not up to par, I needed some subtitles or anything to help translate this film. What I discovered were flags for different countries to have the characters speak. This was a dubbed film, and the only flag that I knew (since there was no American flag) was Britain's flag. A made the choice and changed the outlook on this film forever. While it was grizzly to watch, there was quite a bit of humor behind it as D-grade British actors attempt to dub over German words. The character voice placement was horrendous. The main police officer sounded more effeminate than respectable and the others had this feel that they were behind the microphone speaking their lines. You never really felt like the voices matched the characters. What began as a developed horror story soon turned into a possible MST3K episode. It really detracted from the overall feel of the film.

This was my first Jesus Franco film and let me say I was taken aback. I wasn't expecting to see the gore and disgusting acts that Jack the Ripper did to these unsuspecting women. Franco holds nothing back from these deeds. The blood is fake, the bodies are doubles, and Franco is behind the camera making this all work. Outside of Clint Howard, Franco could be a master of this genre. I need to see more of his work, but this initial taste left a flavor in my mouth I cannot seem to fathom. I was impressed, and not impressed with this body of work. Kinski did a fantastic job of creating this hellish creature devoid of fear and compassion. The raw power in his eyes alone will send shivers up your spine as you sit in the comfort of your own couch. This was awesome to see, but then on the other side of the spectrum the voice and sound that came from Kinski's mouth was embarrassing. You were scared, yet laughing at the same time. This is the first time that I have ever experienced this feeling while watching a film. Kinski pulled me into this film, but the sound yanked me back out.

Before you expect too much from this film, you need to realize that this was a B-rated horror film. The young women show their breasts, they run into the woods instead of into safety, there are dark alleyways and implausible characters. This is not a film to win awards, but to a newbie into the world of Jesus Franco, it was fascinating. This was not in anyway the caliber of From Hell, because it is a slasher film to the utmost degree. It was somewhat of a tame slasher film, but nonetheless one in that genre. Sexual instability is the culprit in Franco's eyes that built this mass murderer known as Jack the Ripper. While Franco does skew the truth a bit about the actual murders involved with Jack the Ripper (throwing the bodies in the Themes, etc.), it still makes an interesting story.

Overall, it was decent. After I watched it and thought about it for some time, I had a better respect for the film. It wasn't the greatest, yet it wasn't horribly bad. The dubbing caused me the most irritation, while Kinski raised the bar on this film. If you go into this film with high expectations, you will be utterly disappointed, but if you go in with an open mind and an ability to laugh, than it may just be up your dark alley. The DVD packaging is impressive, yet very misleading. The transfer of this film to DVD is impressive for it being made in 1976. Again, not expecting a lot will lead to a better film experience. You should also accompany this film with your favorite six-pack of beer and your most eccentric friend. Sit back, relax (as much as you can with this film) and enjoy the next hour and a half.

Grade: ** out of *****

One of the remarkable elements about this improbably interesting, intelligent and engaging fictionalization of the Jack the Ripper story is the fact that the amazing Klaus Kinski is not the only reason the film held my interest. Basically, this is a rather graphic horror film with a lot of perverse sexuality (all of which is too disturbing to be interesting from any prurient perspective). Yet this is not Jesus Franco's standard garbage, but rather an interesting Freudian interpretation of Jack the Ripper, which deviates far enough from the actual historical facts to allow for a few surprises along the way.

The cinematography is generally good. The editing and pace are decidedly unamerican, and will turn off mainstream audiences. the film proceeds at a steady pace, but features dialog which is more oriented toward driving the plot than elaborating the characters. The cast is pretty uneven, but strong support comes from Menkopff, Chaplin and Fux. Kinski's role, though not much of a challenge for him, is interpreted with the great actor's usual intensity. The sets, though not particularly London, and a tad anachronistic at times, are detailed and enjoyable in their own right.

What the film does successfully - and again, it's not all Kinski - is to create a tense and disturbing atmosphere, punctuated with occasionally graphic scenes of sexual and bloody violence. Along the way, the director presents an interpretation of Jack the Ripper which is straight out of Freudian pop psychology. The effect is powerful, and the film is memorable. Perhaps Franco's best work, though I've not seen them all (for good reason!)

A serial killer (Klaus Kinski) whose mother was a prostitute starts killing streetwalkers as a way of paying back his mother for her abuse.

How do we know this is a Jess Franco movie? Because it has a character named Dr. Orloff and features his muse, Lina Romay. Beyond that, I have not quite figured out what his directing trademarks are... his films range from decent to abysmal, so it is hard to pinpoint a running theme.

This happens to be one of the better ones. The copy I watched was taken from a terrible print and the dubbing is awful, but the overall mood and atmosphere is good, and the effects are above average (the eye is nasty, some of the gore is a bit gross). Maybe the one from Image Entertainment is better...