Sur le fil du scalpel

This item might be trapped in its 80s decor (fashion, music), but this stylishly compelling and crisp psychological thriller holds it cards close and leads the way with an appealingly subtle and sincere James Spader performance. This guy has charisma! And he strongly pulls off the whole dual part of playing twins. The premise is one of those, the less you know, the better off you are. When you think you have it figured out, you'll find yourself at square one again. It's a simple, but cleverly penned whodunit murder mystery story. Its odd and manipulative multi-layered structure offers unpredictable turns, hidden clues, suspicious red herrings, but in the long run leaves some spotty developments and a real lack of motivation. It might annoy and could've used some tweaking, but the well-paced story (that takes time to give our protagonist some depth) and sense of urgency just grips you that you just go with it. Director / writer Rowdy Herrington's directorial debut shows assurance in his abilities. The thrills are routine, but confidently done with razor-sharp timing and jarring force. They're menacing, brooding, bloody and a little disturbing. He really does hold you at bay with powerful visuals and anxious suspense. The moody photography and lighting composition drills in well with the stirringly blues music score. This blends well in with eerily glum and sullen atmospheric tinge coming from the Los Angles' setting. The performances are well-suited. Spader is the film's main drive, but Cynthia Gibb is capably good and Robert Picardo turns in a sound performance. Its also stars Jim Haynie, Chris Mulkey, Rod Loomis, John Wesley and Rex Ryon in amusingly fine support.

A wonderfully quirky and darkly projected thriller that's better than your average output.

I caught this on TV late at night. Thought it would just be some

typical 80's slasher movie, but I was pleasantly surprised to see

what a genuinely well-made thriller this was. It's a basic potboiler

story, but thoughtfully executed and James Spader is excellent in a

dual role as twin brothers. It's got a little bit of everything --

reincarnating the Jack the Ripper myth, twin brothers who are (of

course) total opposites, a bit of the paranormal, a great whodunit

mystery, and some genuinely creepy scenes. Spader really makes

this watchable -- the story's solid enough, but his performance is

just so much fun to watch. He plays one twin, who is the affable,

friendly doctor who works in a local free clinic, and then his

anti-hero bad-boy twin brother who works a minimum-wage job,

has shady connections, but ultimately shares his brother's sense

of justice and good heart. And Spader's performance isn't the

typical uber-yuppie, not a whiny preppy wimp, and not a total

psychopath. He's just playing an average guy trying to do the right

thing, save the girl, and clear his brother's name by finding the real

murderer. It's good stuff! For James Spader fans, I think it's a great

chance to see him do yet another unique job of character

interpretation.

Because DTV (Direct-To-Video) thrillers have a reputation for being the "bastard stepchildren" of larger budgeted cable, TV and big screen fare, some great little movies that hold dynamite performances have a tendency to become underrated and overlooked. This was definitely one of them.

James Spader gives a performance every bit as remarkable as that of Jeremy Irons in DEAD RINGERS, playing twins who become embroiled in a murder mystery involving a serial killer, who is copycatting the infamous Jack the Ripper's horrendous legacy of bloody terror, down to the most minute details.

B-movie pro Herrington knows how to keep the action, cinematography and editing going at maximum warp, so that the glaring inconsistencies and gaping plot holes are apparent only on repeated viewings. But if you can get past that, you will be rewarded by Spader's performance, (which gives one all the more reason to wonder why this man is not a major star right now), as well as some fine turns by Cynthia Gibb (TV's FAME), Jim Haynie, TWIN PEAKS' Chris Mulkey (another criminally overlooked actor), and a wickedly enjoyable portrayal by Rod Loomis, as a local doctor who knows a lot more about the murders than he lets on.

A nice little surprise that's worth seeking out on the shelves of your local video palace when all the "good" stuff is gone for the weekend.

A serial killer in Los Angeles celebrates Jack the Ripper's 100th anniversary by committing similar murders.

My first thought was how strange this film was for starting when there was only one murder left. It seems like it would make more sense to start at the first murder and allow the characters to solve the mystery of the pattern. Instead, they know from the opening scene that the killer is following the pattern of Jack the Ripper. This takes out much of the mystery element...

The cast here is pretty great, with both James Spader and Robert Picardo, both (I think) before becoming bigger names. Spader always had that boy next door charm, and Picardo is interesting and plays his role as a psychiatrist well, coming off as very suspicious at all the right moments.

The New York Times said "is so dull it leaves you plenty of time to marvel at how a plot can be this rickety, how a production can look this shabby, and how the first-time writer and director Rowdy Herrington could borrow a story with so relentless a grip on our imaginations and in no time at all declaw it." This seems terribly harsh. While not the greatest movie, it is still much better than many films out there, and had a premise that was enough to carry it.

I watched this film on Netflix, and I am told this version is different from the one on VHS or that was shown in theaters. I would be curious to know the differences, as I am told they are big enough to completely change the plot of the film... I liked the version I saw, but maybe the other is even better?

Rating: *** out of ****

Despite having one of the worst titles I've ever heard, Jack's Back is actually a nifty little thriller, a true hidden gem if I ever saw one. I happened to come across the film at a used video store (like the title, the cover box is pretty awful, too) (makes you wonder if the trailers and TV promos were also just as lame), and being a James Spader fan, decided to give it a look. Nice to see this turned out to be one of the better impulse buys I've made in a while.

The title refers to Jack the Ripper, or more specifically, a copycat who's committing similar murders in Los Angeles on the same days on the hundredth anniversary of when the original killings occurred. Without giving anything away, I'll simply say that James Spader and Cynthia Gibb are the protagonists who are searching for the killer, even though Spader himself might be the one.

Despite a plot that plays somewhat like a routine thriller, the story is still fairly enjoyable for what it is. There are a few plot twists and turns, some unpredictable, some which are fairly obvious. Fans of whodunnits (and let's face it, I think everyone enjoys a good whodunnit every once in a while) will find just enough intriguing detail to make this at least an average viewing.

But what sets this apart from many thrillers, particularly those of the late 80's, is the emphasis on characters. Writer/director Rowdy Herrington probably spends even more time developing the lead protagonists than he does fueling the main plot (I can actually see how this might somewhat disappoint whodunnit fans hoping for a very convoluted plot, or slasher fans expecting more, well, slashing). Consequently, the suspense is ratcheted up a few notches and we find ourselves caring about the outcome.

Most of the credit for this should go to Spader, who delivers a terrifically charismatic and extremely likable performance. He plays a man who's hardly a saint, but realistic in that he's flawed, and simultaneously more than capable of showing a genuine conscience. Cynthia Gibb (who's very cute) works well with Spader, she's charmingly convincing and adorable. The rest of the cast isn't really worth mentioning except for maybe Robert Picardo as a thoughtful police psychologist (who happens to live in a mansion, no less). Everybody else is mostly present to act as suspects or people who are simply in Spader's way.

Herrington's direction is quite good, setting up a creepy atmosphere, nicely accompanied with an equally creepy score. It's Herrington's storytelling that could use more work. While many details are set up well, the finale stumbles due to a rather large leap in logic. To some, the film's conclusion might also seem rather abrupt, without quite enough explanation for all that transpired. If Herrington had tightened up his story, he might have had a great thriller on his hands. As it is, this is merely a good movie that rates well above average. But I shouldn't be complaining. Jack's Back is a pleasant surprise, even moreso for a movie with such an awful title.