Jack's Back

I am at a loss to explain why James Spader is not a major star. He got a good start with 80s teen flicks and didn't burn out too fast. This movie shows off his acting as well as his on-screen charisma. His everyman is better than Harrison Ford's, usually, because you know there's some intelligence and humanity behind the intensity.

There's some nice moments in the movie, and it has a quirky feel that makes it endearing despite the violent content. Unfortunately, it doesn't quite hold together and the quirkiness doesn't stop it from been a familiar story. Incidentally, despite the direct description of its plot, it's a terrible title.

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.

While all of my reviews usually include a brief rehashing of the story, I'll try to say as little as possible, so people can experience the twists fresh. The main idea is that in 1988 L. A., on the 100th anniversary of the Jack the Ripper slayings, a current serial killer is replicating those murders down to the last detail. James Spader plays John Wesford, a do-gooder medical student employed at a clinic, and John ends up suspected of the crimes. So not only must the psychopath be identified, but Johns' name must be cleared...by an unexpected source.

"Jack's Back" creator Rowdy Herrington had been working in the business approximately a dozen years, doing various odd jobs behind the camera, before making this writing & directing debut. He realized that the anniversary of the Jack the Ripper crimes was imminent, and tied in that element to a story he'd already conceived. While his movie isn't anything special, it *is* solidly entertaining. It might not be gory enough for some people, but it has some good atmosphere (the sets are deliberately rendered to be somewhat hazy), and Herringtons' story twists help to keep things somewhat interesting.

The main attraction is in seeing Spader subtly delineate two different characters. Herrington has also assembled a strong supporting cast here: pretty Cynthia Gibb as an intelligent leading lady, Jim Haynie, Chris Mulkey (source of some amusing comedy relief), and John Wesley as assorted detectives working the case, Rod Loomis as the ill-tempered head doctor at the clinic, Rex Ryon as Johns' co-worker, and the always great Robert Picardo as a psychiatrist lending the cops his expertise.

Nicely filmed at a variety of L. A. locations.

Seven out of 10.

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.

"Jack's Back" (1988) is a serial killer movie that is thoroughly '80s: the soundtrack, the lighting, the acting--everything. Watching this movie is like going back many years in a time machine. In other words, it's pretty fun. It's also surprisingly restrained. For example, in a scene where the lead goes into a topless bar to buy a gun, there is no obligatory shot of topless girls gyrating around steel poles; he just walks into the bar owner's office. Who knows, maybe the small budget held them back, but it was actually enjoyable to watch a movie that didn't indulge in every predictable grotesquerie.

The plot is simple: It's the hundred-year anniversary of Jack the Ripper's crime spree, and someone is killing prostitutes in exactly the same manner, on exactly the same dates. Kinda fun.