Hands of the Ripper

TCM just aired this and like all the other Hammer films I enjoyed it a great deal. They're not cinematic achievements but they are fun and that's one of film's aspects I really appreciate. I also tend to look at technical aspects and the first thing that struck me is how fake the moustaches looked. The beards looked better but now I wonder. The second, I'm embarrassed to write, was Marjie Lawrence's cleavage which may not be how she would like to be remembered given her extensive body of work. Did they really dress like that in Victorian England? I'd also never seen Angharad Rees before nor had I even heard of her but then I found out this was her first co-starring and second film role and I was intrigued. And, incidentally, that's another thing I like about Hammer: they find and highlight young talent. Anyway lots of good talent here, a lot from TV, presumably because they come cheaper. Some goofs like when Rees begins to sit while her host invites her to do so. But I'm getting technical again. Eric Porter is great. He manages to save the day even skewered by a cavalry sabre. Which brings up another goof: the thing must be five feet long but you can't see the other end sticking out of Porter's body. Good final scene, good score, worth a viewing.

Orphaned teenager Anna (innocent-looking Angharad Rees) is placed under the care of the awful Mrs. Golding (Dora Bryan), a fake medium who uses her in moneymaking schemes and pimps her out to customers, which leads to her murder. Anna is adopted by Dr. John Pritchard (Eric Porter), an early follower of Freudian philosophy, who tries to help Anna when it's revealed she's the daughter of Jack the Ripper with homicidal tendencies of her own after seeing dear old dad murder mum as a child. Dr. Pritchard is so obsessed with Anna and his research that he isn't above covering up the murders that follow.

The performances are first-rate, the turn-of-the-century London flavor is accurately captured, the murders are pretty bloody for the time and there's a great, subdued ending at the "Gallery of Whispers." Fine period horror from Hammer Studios, originally shown on a double bill with TWINS OF EVIL.

Score: 7 out of 10

I'm a big fan of Hammer Horror; their inventive camp styling puts their output above the majority of other horror studios. Adding to that is the fact that when you watch a Hammer film, you know that you're in for a good time. While Hands of the Ripper isn't the best film to come out of the studio, it still represents another success for the studio and it's a film that will no doubt delight their fans. The great plot line follows the daughter of the infamous murderer; Jack the Ripper. After witnessing her father kill her mother, the young girl is permanently scarred and now, years later, her past is beginning to surface. The film finds a space between a psychological thriller and the familiar 'slasher' sub-genre (and it's yet another film in this style that pre-dates Halloween), and it blends brilliantly. The first thing you will notice about this movie is the way that the murders are done - stylishly, brutally and extremely camp! They're extremely over the top and a great treat for the horror fanatic.

Eric Porter stars as a psychiatrist who takes our heroine in after she murdered the woman who was looking after. Porter gives a fine performance as the good doctor, and keeps in with the style of the older leading male that Hammer have created. The film is noteworthy for it's excellent creation of the period in which the film is set, and that too adds to the delight of the film. One thing that I have noticed about Hammer's product as they entered the seventies is that the films lost that colourful camp edge that epitomised the earlier films and it had been replaced by a more European style. Captain Kronos is the prime example of that change, but luckily Hands of the Ripper is more like the Hammer films of yore. Not as colourful, but it still has that Hammer charm that us fans love so much. As usual, the film isn't quite perfect; it's dogged by a less than perfect script, and at times the psychological elements of the film ground down to walking pace, which makes the film boring; but generally this is a lovely piece of kitsch and Hammer fans won't be disappointed!

Jack the Ripper's young daughter Anna; witness the grisly murder that her father committed against her mother. Many years have past and she been adopted by an old lady who fakes being a medium with the help of the girl. But one night these traumatic memories of her mother's death and her father kissing her cause to enter a trance because of a glittering light and she murders whoever decides to kiss her. A psychiatrist - Dr John Pritchard is an idealist that decides to take her in, as he believes he can discover and eventually cure the girl's unstable condition.

Like father… daughter will follow. Well, the voices in her head made sure. After watching this - I couldn't believe director Peter Sasdy went from this credible Hammer flick to the ridiculously monstrous "I Don't Want to Born" that I watched only a fortnight ago. Um, "Hand of the Ripper" is quite a big step up. "Taste the blood of Dracula" is even better. This Hammer production takes on the Jack the Ripper legend with a quite different and cerebral angle. Amongst psychological edge -- there's even a slasher touch about it. But those looking for high camp might be slightly disappointed. The skillful direction by Sasdy conjures up some flair, outlandishly violent deaths and a hauntingly, harrowing conclusion. The workman like production injects a very detailed and quite realistic backdrop of the grimy period. The empowering, but professionally orchestrated score is hard to shake as it works around with the moods effectively. Acting from the cast was very solid even if they had somewhat stilted characters. Eric Porter gave a strong performance as the determined doctor who has his own personal agenda and the ravishing Angharad Rees is naturally good as (daddy's little girl) Anna. Now onto the weakest points. The muddled story is fuelled by many ideas, but still it has some illogical aspects and certain reasoning's that just don't rub off. The script probably does ponder on with some unusual turns, being flooded with scientific jargon and unconvincing relationships that don't really lead anywhere. For some the pacing could be quite slow and while; I didn't find it spectacular and filled with such excitement, but there was enough going on to keep me watching.

Hammer's latter day effort is a above-average and polished presentation that receives more ticks than crosses.

While just a young child, Anna (Angharad Rees) witnesses the brutal murder of her mother by father ‘Jack the Ripper'. Fifteen years later she begins to enter trances and appears to be possessed by the Ripper himself. A friendly psychiatrist, Dr. Pritchard (Eric Porter), unaware of her past and believing her problems to be purely in the mind takes Anna in while he attempts to cure her. However, he soon regrets his decision.

‘Hands of the Ripper' is a rather underrated and enjoyable Hammer film. The film is slow, methodical and story based which may not appeal to those who like lots of `action' in their flicks, but anyone who likes classic horror wonderfully entwined with a near-gripping thriller should find something enjoyable in ‘Hands of the Ripper'. Director Peter Sasdy does well in building the tension and ensuring that the audience remains enthralled throughout the slower paced thriller aspects. Peter Sasdy does his best in making the most of the screenplay and adds some wonderful touches to the visuals of the film which really stand out and help to make the movie what it is. The sporadic flashback sequences may not be entirely original in horror but few are quite as effective. Some beautiful and often despairingly solemn musical arrangements accompany the film and induce the necessary mood in the viewer in order to fully appreciate this interesting piece of cinema.

The film is made all that better by some great performances from Eric Porter, Angharad Rees and Derek Godfrey in the short role of Dysart. Unfortunately, while one expects a certain degree of camp from a hammer movie, there did seem to be a slight overabundance of camp or hammy performances from some of the cast. However, one can take solace in knowing that the majority of these moments were towards the beginning of the film. Sadly, the poor performances were not the only thing that damaged this movie. There was an occasional lack in useful dialogue which lead to some of the scenes seeming distracted or unbelievable. This was accompanied by a couple of scenes which seemed bizarre and incoherent in their reasoning of the characters actions.

Nevertheless, the film manages to entertain and should hold the interest of fans of other Hammer films. Compared to modern day horror movies, ‘Hands of the Ripper' is a slow moving film that probably has little appeal for the `nu-horror' fans but fans of classic horror should find the film to worthy of at least one watch. The death scenes may be a little of an anti-climax and there are some storyline problems, but ‘Hands of the Ripper' is an entertaining movie that seems to be rather underrated. A bizarre yet enjoyable mixture of horror, thriller, period drama and the work of Sigmund Freud. My rating for ‘Hands of the Ripper' – 7/10.