Jack the Ripper

Starring:Josephine Chaplin, Herbert Fux, Klaus Kinski, Andreas Mankopff, Ursula Von Wiese, Lina Romay, Andreas Mannkopff
Director: Jesús Franco
Studio: Elite Entertainment
Product Type: DVD

Average customer rating:

A well-made Ripper movie with twists!
Interesting take on an infamous case
Entertaining but not historically accurate
From Hell (Two-Disc Special Edition)
Graphic , well paced , dramatization of the Jack The Ripper story

From Hell (Two-Disc Special Edition)
Starring: Robbie Coltrane , Johnny Depp , Heather Graham , Terence Harvey , and Ian Holm
Director: Albert Hughes , and Allen Hughes
Manufacturer: 20th Century Fox
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B00005JKJM
Release Date: 2002-05-14

Amazon.com

Heavy on atmosphere and light on everything else, From Hell is visually impressive while lacking the depth of the acclaimed graphic novel it's based upon. Making their third feature since 1993's Menace II Society, twins Allen and Albert Hughes approach the Jack the Ripper case with physical precision, re-creating the gritty Whitechapel district of 1888 London in meticulous detail. What they've forgotten is the sheer terror that gripped Whitechapel in the wake of the Ripper's slaying of five prostitutes, investigated here by a Scotland Yard sleuth (Johnny Depp) who uses opium, laudanum, and absinthe to fuel his semiprescient visions of the slayings. Heather Graham attempts a slippery Cockney accent as a would-be victim, while Ian Holm steals the show as a has-been surgeon with devilish delusions of grandeur. Violence is obliquely suggested or briefly graphic, but no matter how you cut it, From Hell is only marginally thrilling as it treads familiar territory. --Jeff Shannon

Customer Reviews:

A well-made Ripper movie with twists!.......2007-04-28

The Jack the Ripper murders in nineteenth century London has remained an intriguing unsolved mystery with many plausible theories behind the identity of the Ripper. Based on this background, From Hell posits the theory that the Ripper was actually a member of the British Royal Family, Prince Victor Albert who married & sired a child with a commoner, worse still a prostitute, and the movie revolves around the cover-up by members of the British upper class. Johnny Depp plays the role of the investigating officer who falls for a prostitute, Mary Kelly, played by the beautiful Heather Graham. There is more to the story than just that of course, and the plot is well driven, there is never a dull moment. What makes the movie truly gripping besides the credible performances by the leads is the realistic portrayal of London's Whitechapel district...one gets the sense that it is not a movie one's watching but the district as it truly was with all its poverty, squalor, disease and debauchery. The atmosphere is filled with menace and a sense of evil and this thriller makes for riveting viewing!

Interesting take on an infamous case.......2007-03-22

Based on the premise that the infamous Jack the Ripper case may have involved a member of the British Royal family, namely Prince Albert Victor and hints at possible connections to the notorious Cleveland Street scandal of 1889.

The film explores an alleged plot by Freemasons and high-placed persons in the British government to keep that knowledge away from the general public.

Visually stunning with accurate costumes and sets.

Entertaining but not historically accurate.......2007-02-22

For general entertainment purposes this movie is very good. However the audience must be cautioned that this movie is not historically accurate by any means. Abberline wasn't an opium addict, nor did he die at the end of the case (he live well into the 1920's). The murdered prostitutes never knew eachother, and the royal conspiracy theory is laughable at best. For a good weekend entertainment movie this film will certainly fulfill that need. This is not for the individual looking to learn more about the case.

From Hell (Two-Disc Special Edition).......2007-02-13

I have both the single disc widescreen edition and this issue. The extra bonus material is well worth having. Check out some of the Amazon sellers for GREAT prices if you already own the single disc version.
I especially enjoyed seeing how accurate the scenes were from line drawings from police reports or newspapers of the time and from crude photographs depicting the murder sites. The brothers Hughes did an EXCELLENT job recreating late 19th century London's White Chapel district.
I'm happy with this buy. The movie disc is exactly the one in the single disc version with the same bonuses which actually are pretty decent. The 2nd Disc is loaded with lots of interesting info on making the movie, "Ripper-ology", possible suspects, etc.
John Row
in1ear

Graphic , well paced , dramatization of the Jack The Ripper story.......2006-09-09

The Hughes Brothers created a nightmarish vision of Victorian London only matched by some of Dickens novels. Johnny Depp and Heather Graham are fabulous as the police inspector investigating the case and a prostitute who is a friend to the victims.
The film is beautifully shot and the atmosphere of the grimy southside of London is captured incredibly well. The murder scenes are very graphic and this is definitely not for the squeemish or the very young. Depp plays a role similar to the one he played in Sleepy Hollow but this is a much more serious movie aimed at a different audience. My kids loved Sleepy Hollow but I wouldn't let them watch this. It would give them nightmares for a week.

The plot is interesting and while fictional it has enough plausibilty to engage the viewer for it's entire length.

Johnny Depp is an incredible talent. After seeing him in this,Pirates, Slepy Hollow and Edward Scissorhands I have to conclude that this guy is the best actor of his generation. He is always interesting to watch.

Berg - Lulu / Davis, Schafer, Bailey, Kuebler, Harries, Schone, Bardon, Glyndebourne

Average customer rating:

Lulu Review
Schäfer - the Lulu of our generation
LULU - Christina Schaeffer
Hair Raising - a Perfect Performance
A stunner.

Berg - Lulu / Davis, Schafer, Bailey, Kuebler, Harries, Schone, Bardon, Glyndebourne
Starring: Christine Schäfer , Kathryn Harries , Patricia Bardon (II) , Jonathan Veira , and David Kuebler
Director: Humphrey Burton , and Graham Vick (II)
Manufacturer: Kultur Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Berg - Wozzeck / Duesing · K. Ciesinski · Banks · R. Hamilton · R. Davies · Ormiston, Peter Mussbach · Sylvain Cambreling · Frankfurt Opera
Shostakovich - Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk / Secunde, Ventris, Kotcherga, Vas, Clark, Nesterenko, Capelle, Anissimov, Barcelona Opera
R. Strauss - Elektra
Britten - Peter Grimes / Davis, Vickers, Harper, Bailey, Royal Opera Covent Garden
Monteverdi - Il Ritorno d'Ulisse in Patria / Christie, Spicer, Mijanovic, Abdeslam, Les Arts Florissants, Aix-en-Provence Opera

ASIN: B00014NE76
Release Date: 2004-01-13

Amazon.com

Alban Berg's second and last opera Lulu is one of the monuments of modernism, constructed around serial technique and containing scenes conceived of as Sonata-form, Suite, and so on. The bliss of Andrew Davis's conducting in this classic Glyndebourne production is that we forget all of this--Davis doesn't gloss over the music's intellectual content, but that's not what we think about as we watch and listen. Part of the production's strength is the prodigious performance by Christine Schafer as Lulu--for once we believe in the character's sexual energy and power; and Schafer makes her real enough as a person that we largely forget the work's intrinsic misogyny. The rest of the cast is admirable too: Norman Bailey brings something perversely sweet to the disreputable painter Schigolch; Kathryn Harries makes the dying words of Lulu's lesbian lover Geschwitz one of the work's lyric high points; David Kuebler is equally powerful as Alwa. The final duet between Lulu and her destroyer Jack the Ripper is one of Wolfgang Schone's great moments, but he is equally good as Dr Schon, the man Lulu marries and kills. This is a performance of energy and beauty, matched by a simple but effective production. --Roz Kaveney

Description

Winner of the 1997 Gramaphone Award for Best Video! This production by the Glyndebourne Festival Opera stars Christine Schafer, Kathryn Harries, and Wolfgang Schone. With its intensely beautiful score, this is one of the greatest operatic masterpieces of the 20th century. Andrew Davis conducts the London Philharmonic. Subtitles in English, French, German, Spanish, Japanese. Color, 183 minutes.

Customer Reviews:

Lulu Review.......2007-04-05

This is an amazing performance of Berg's Lulu. The impressive acting and singing may help distract you from music that is quite difficult to comprehend.

Schäfer - the Lulu of our generation.......2006-01-02

This is a great production.
The sets are minimal and the costumes are essentially modern. However, the acting, singing and pacing of this opera is as close to perfect as one could ever hope for. I have the Teresa Stratas / Pierre Boulez recording on CD on DG. Boulez' Lulu is very "in your face" and he revels in the atonality of the work. However, this Glyndebourne production actually makes the work sound more lyrical and natural.

I highly recommend this recording - along with Christine Schäfer's 'One Nigh. One Life' DVD.
Lulu isn't an easy work and it isn't meant to be easy listening. However, as a human drama, it is in a league of its own. Some have said that Christine Schäfer was too young for this part - she sings in a clear, vibrato-free voice (she has a voice perfect for 18th century music) - how her youth and "earthy sexiness" are great assets here, we can easily believe that men will do foolish and criminal things to possess her.

LULU - Christina Schaeffer.......2005-04-26

The best LULU, the real one! The YOU MUST HAVE IT!

Martin

Hair Raising - a Perfect Performance.......2005-01-28

I cannot say enough good about Glyndebourne's 1996 production of Berg's
opera recently (and finally) released on video here in the States.
Initially I believed I'd be disappointed in this unit set. Wrong. A tall,
brick semi-circular wall of red brick with offset white bricks that extend
as necessary into beams, creating an angular stage wide staircase joining
otherwise impossible to use doorways, etc. A bare floor with 3 or 4
concentric circles revolves (sometimes in opposite directions) as necessary
denoting scene changes etc. At its direct center is a vast round hole.
This circular concept is fascinatingly explored bookending Lulu's going
full circle - beginning and ending in the gutter. Interesting too watching
her rise from this hole (a really great visual) in her first scene to
sinking permanently into it in the final. Once again the team of Graham
Vick and Paul Brown shed new light on one of opera's best bad girl
stories. That said light is brilliant is a cause for celebration!

Andrew Davis leads the London Philharmonic in a reading of the score that
may well be the most heavily romantic I've encountered. Berg's exquisite
melodies have never sounded more obvious (and sometimes drawn out -
wondrously so) as here. The jazz elements never sound foreign or archly
intrusive as they sometimes can, but rather all of a piece. The audience -
already berserk at final curtain goes berserker still at Maestro Davis's
bow.

If ever a singer was made for a role it is Christine Schaefer. Ms.
Schaefer's incarnation of this notoriously and fiendishly difficult role
comes off, both in voice and body, as an almost "victoire trop facile" for
she is, quite simply, Lulu. Schaefer exudes a raw, otherwordly femininity
and sensuality - the first notable gal to play by her own rules, facing
odds and consequences with an aplomb most men either find shocking or
forget completely the scruples they once possessed. Brilliantly
costumed Schaefer looks amazing whether she's in leather, lace or latex.
Heck, this Lulu even makes a bath towel look like evening wear. (And
the "painting" with her in almost painted on pants is hot stuff.)

Wolfgang Schoene paints Schoen in broad strokes on a huge emotional canvas
and the payoff is huge! Wonderful throughout, he is particularly
mesmerizing watching this "giant" of a human reduced to putty in the letter
writing scene. He is a helpless bear and he gets his just desserts, alright!

While not vocally - physically, in Kathryn Harries's portrayal of Geschwitz
looks like Frederica von Stade. Her countess is particularly pitiable, a
frightened bird - her act of heroism in the escape comes off with
incredible passion. Also a little creepy since I found it impossible to
decide whether the act was purely selfless or selfish. Her grizzly, filthy
demise following Lulu's horrifying screams were particularly chilling and
heartbreaking.

Stephan Drakulic offers a tremendous portrayal of the Painter. Here we see
Lulu's first victim (not, of course, sequentially) trapped in a fatal
obsession where he's so hot for her he can't keep his hands off her (or his pants on). His Act II with Schoen is really played out bigger than I recall in any other Lulu and it is shattering to watch both ego and love fly out the
window as Schoen repeatedly suggests his sole success was having "married a
half a million" - reducing the artist to nothing in a matter of minutes.
His return as a post punk, metal white trash Negro was initially a
humorous, then chilling turn.

Wonderful to see Norman Bailey as a more human than usual Schigolch, yet
retaining a wonderful bum-like craziness.

There is a wonderful black and white film during Act II's great intermezzo -
showing the action we "miss", Lulu's trial, the Countess's panty exchange,
all in a silent "film noire" style. The film ends back at Glyndebourne in
an empty house with Maestro Davis conducting. Amazing!

I could go on for pages more - but will spare you by saying: if you love
Lulu - you won't want to be without this most exciting DVD. It really is
remarkable and Schaefer gives a performance that simply cannot be missed!

A stunner........2004-10-13

It might be said that the 20th Century brought along opera's entry into the adult age. Little by little, operas started treating "delicate" subjects in a more serious way, one the largely victorian 19th century never dreamt of. Perhaps the trend was started by Richard Strauss, first with Salome and later on with Elektra. And others followed gladly suit, Schönberg with his Moses & Aron, depicting on stage a savage orgy that even today, almost three quarters of a century later, stage directors have a hard time devising tastefully (and perhaps tactfully). Berg was no exception: the 20's saw his Wozzeck and its tormented characters, the 30's this, his unfinished crown jewel with its decadent world of wealth, lust and manipulation that is given here, as is now customary, in the Cerha completion of the last act that Berg's untimely death prevented the composer from finishing.

At last, this production allows for a credible stage Lulu; the Graham Vick production, filmed here almost ten years ago at Glyndebourne's then new theatre does away with the usual overaged singer attempting a rôle that is inextricably linked like few others to the visual image of its portrayer and has for us the excellent Christine Schäfer, not just looking the part (her young, attractive looks undoubtedly helped) but also despatching its fiendishly difficulty with ease and applomb.

The other parts are also effectively cast, rendering this a winning all-round team effort. Katryn Harries is a superior Geschwitz, David Kuebler an intriguing Alwa. The veteran Norman Bailey appears as Schigolch.

The London Philharmonic, not an ensemble one usually associates with 20th century music, play stupendously and are very well conducted by an Andrew Davis that shows an absolute understanding of the score. Vicks's staging encompasses all three acts with minimum changes (more to do with objects on stage rather than actual scenery modifications) and I've read some critics in UK periodicals whose authors at the time (summer of 1996) did not seem to like it much. Granted, there's no actual displaying of the painter's atélier in Act 1 or Paris saloon, London street, etc. in other parts of the work, but to me it flows well; the work is so well directed you don't actually need scenery changes.

This video (in its VHS incarnation, back in 1997) deservedly won the prestigious Award for Best Video granted by the well-known Gramophone magazine in the UK, and may we say very much so especially in this new, DVD edition.

Average customer rating:

Where Terror and Madness Are In Full Bloom
Torture garden
Class Brit horror
"There's nothing like a good fright for toning up the circulation."
ENTERTAINING HORROR ANTHOLOGY.....

Torture Garden
Starring: Beverly Adams , David Bauer , Michael Bryant , Norman Claridge , and Peter Cushing
Manufacturer: Sony Pictures
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000AM6OOY
Release Date: 2005-10-04

Description

A special sideshow torture exhibit has the power, according to showman Dr. Diablo, to warn people of evil in their futures. As skeptical customers are shown the greed and violence they're hiding, one of them snaps and kills Diablo. When they run off, we see the murder to be staged as part of the show. One of the customers has hung around to see this, and wants to make a deal with Diablo, aka the Devil.

Customer Reviews:

Where Terror and Madness Are In Full Bloom.......2007-02-23

In Torture Garden you won't see anyone whipped with string beans or turnips rammed under fingernails, but you do get a good collection of Robert Bloch horror stories...Amicus style! I like the horror anthology format for movies, it's something we really don't see much of anymore. Torture Garden is quite entertaining, but it falls victim to the same thing pretty much all anthologies suffer from, and that's the fact that not every story is a winner. It must be tough to make all the stories good, but sometimes there's that one or two that tend to fall short. But even the worst of Torture Garden is entertaining. I'd have to say the low point revolves around a homicidal piano. In reality, if a piano was trying to snuff you out, it would probably be terrifying, but in the film world, it's pretty silly. The Mangler should have taught us that homicidal inanimate objects are usually good for a laugh rather than a scare. You can't say it's not amusing though. This film stars Burgess Meredith, Peter Cushing and Jack Palance. As we all know, any movie by one of these actors is worth watching, so all three together is a no brainer. Meredith hams it up nicely as the sinister Dr. Diablo(the devil!!), our ringmaster for the horror stories. Palance is a joy to watch as a Poe collector who gets as giddy as a kid in a toy store when he's around Poe memorabilia. And has Cushing ever given it less than 100%? Nope! Modern horror audiences won't give this the time of day, but anyone who digs British horror of Hammer and Amicus(or reads Robert Bloch) should check this out if they haven't already.

Torture garden.......2007-01-10

Fabulous movie - great performances in the repertory style of their decade.Our favourite - the man who collected Poe;the wonderful Peter Cushing matched against Jack palance, neither sadly still with us.The pot pourri collection of stories is perfect for those who grew up with Creepy tales...and the tying story of old Nick collecting souls contains another stirling performance from dear Michael Ripper who inhabited virtually all horror movies of the time, or so it seemed.

Class Brit horror.......2006-05-19

This film is one of several "portmanteau" films made by Milton Subotsky at Amicus, the British horror studio second only to Hammer during the '60s and '70s.

The interlinking story is about four punters at a carnival sideshow run by the sinister Dr Diablo. They each look into the shears of the ancient goddess Atropos to see what their fate holds. The first story is a chiller about a playboy who rips off his dying uncle and winds up possessed by a homicidal cat. The second story is about a wannabe Hollywood starlet who discovers the horrifying secret behind her co-star's longevity. These first two stories are the slowest moving.

Things really pick up for the third story, in which a grand piano gets jealous of its owner's new girlfriend. The girlfriend is Barbara Ewing, later seen in Hammer's Dracula Has Risen from the Grave (1968). This segment is brilliantly filmed, with some great shock moments and effective photography.

The fourth story is a gem - Jack Palance and Peter Cushing play rival Edgar Allen Poe collectors, one of whom ends up avenged by the famous horror writer himself.

Palance and Meredith stand out among the cast (and of course Peter Cushing, who never gave a bad performance). A must-have for British horror from that era. If you like the style, Dr Terror's House of Horrors is an earlier Amicus effort in the same genre. Sadly, the latter has yet to gain a Region 1 release.

"There's nothing like a good fright for toning up the circulation.".......2005-10-18

Throughout the mid 60s and early 70s, Hammer Studios counterpart, Amicus Productions, also known as the Studio That Dripped Blood, formed through a partnership with producers Max Rosenberg and Milton Subotsky, churned out a series of wonderful little horror anthologies including Dr. Terror's House of Horrors (1965), The House That Dripped Blood (1970), Asylum (1972), Tales From The Crypt (1972), The Vault Of Horror (1973), From Beyond The Grave (1973), and this feature, titled Torture Garden (1967). Written by Robert Bloch (Psycho, The House That Dripped Blood, Asylum), and directed by Freddie Francis (The Evil of Frankenstein, Dr. Terror's House of Horrors, Tales from the Crypt), the film features Burgess Meredith (Rocky, Clash of the Titans), Jack Palance (Hawk the Slayer, Alone in the Dark), Beverly Adams (How to Stuff a Wild Bikini, The Silencers), and Peter Cushing (The Abominable Snowman, Dracula, The Revenge of Frankenstein). Also appearing is Michael Bryant (Bikini Summer II), John Standing (Au Pair Girls), John Phillips (Village of the Damned, The Mummy's Shroud), Barbara Ewing (Dracula Has Risen from the Grave), Robert Hutton (The Colossus of New York), and character actor Michael Ripper, whose appeared in over some thirty Hammer films over the years, including such features as X the Unknown (1956), The Revenge of Frankenstein (1958), The Mummy (1959), and The Brides of Dracula (1960), to name a few.

As the film begins, we're at the carnival, an English one, to be precise...it's ever so much fun with the rides and attractions...would you care for some for some blood pudding? No? How about a creamery scone? Doesn't that sound smashing? Maybe later...oh, look...Dr. Diabolo's Torture Garden...that's an odd attraction. Look, it's Burgess Meredith dressed up like a creepy transvestite, and he's promising the `thrill of a lifetime' to those willing to stick around, and pay a little more after the regular show...I don't like the sound of that...a handful stick around, and soon we're knee deep into the first tale about a man named Colin (Bryant). Seems Colin's in debt up to his neck, but a fair bit of luck comes his way after his seemingly well to do uncle kicks the bucket (with a little help from Colin...nothing wrong with making your own luck, is there?), and Colin is the sole beneficiary. Colin does collect on his inheritance, but it comes with a few strings attached, one being a cat with an unusual diet and psychic powers. The second story features a comely woman named Carla (Adams) who will do anything to make it in the movie biz, including betraying her flat mate (which she does). She soon learns of a group within the business, a select few who never seem to age (can you say Dick Clark?), and will do anything to protect their secret. The third tale involves a woman named Dorothy Endicott (Ewing) as a musical journalist doing a piece on a famed pianist, played by John Standing. The two hit it off quite well, and a romance ensues, but problems arise due to a strange relationship the man has with his piano, one that his mother gave him before she passed. The forth story features both Palance and Cushing as Ronald Wyatt and Lancelot Canning, respectively, both extremely avid Edgar Allan Poe collectors. Turns out this `Poe' passion runs in Canning's family, as his grandfather started the accumulating of Poe memorabilia, his father followed, and now Canning himself maintains that which has grown over the years into what some might call the penultimate Poe collection. Wyatt is envious, especially during a visit to Canning's house, which is basically a shrine to Poe, and discovers there's more to this collection that meets the eye.

This is an anthology, comprised of four stories plus a wraparound (the wraparound is the `in-between' story that ties the rest together). My general conception of these horror anthology type films is that some of the stories work, and some don't, a good ratio being somewhere around 50/50...this applies here, but for me, it wasn't that some of the stories didn't work, but just that they didn't work as well as the ones that did...probably sounds like I'm splitting hairs here, but I have seen an anthology or two where one story was so completely lacking it drew the rest down. Amicus did produce a number of different type films including horror (The Psychopath, Scream And Scream Again), and science fiction (They Came From Beyond Space, The Terrornauts), but their strength was the horror anthology (1972's Asylum is probably one of my favorites, of the ones I've seen so far). The strongest stories, in my opinion, are the first, being a fairly straight up horror tale, and the last, featuring Palance and Cushing, playing off pretty well against each other. You can see Palance's tendencies towards going overboard with a bit here, but it works given the nature of the character, particularly in that of an obsessed collector determined to get what he wants. The second story is more of a science fiction tale, while the third, featuring the man and his unusual relationship with his piano, was kinda goofy, but ended fairly well. The wraparound story, usually the weakest link in these films, is no different here, as Meredith's character comes across as an impish character from the 60s Batman television series, which he actually appeared on as the character The Penguin. Overall the stories aren't very horrific, generally not very shocking, but they do contain some cultivated creepiness, and there's a lot of fun to be had here.

The picture, presented in widescreen (1.85:1) anamorphic, looks very sharp, and the Dolby Digital mono audio comes through clean and clear. There's not much in terms of special features except for some unrelated previews of other Columbia Tristar Home Video releases like Frankenfish (2004), Devour (2005), Vampires: The Turning (2005), and a television mini-series titles Kingdom Hospital (2004). I'm hoping this release is a signal that more of the as yet unreleased Amicus anthologies are making their way to DVD, if only to illustrate to those who have the misconception that the horror anthology film genre originated with the release of Creepshow (1982), which is a great film, by the way (Creepshow 3 is scheduled to be released in 2006).

Cookieman108

ENTERTAINING HORROR ANTHOLOGY............2005-10-06

From Britain's Amicus Studio's anthology series is 1967's "Torture Garden", a quartet of ironic terror tales featuring a great cast, directed by horror pro Feddie Francis and written by Robert Bloch--no slouch in the horror genre himself. Burgess Meredith is Dr. Diablo, a carnival operator of a "Torture Garden"--a sideshow of ancient to modern torture devices. He lures a group of people into seeking their future from a Sybil he has on display...the Goddess of Fortune. They learn they each have an evil desire and see what happens should they pursue their greedy urge: a greedy nephew falls prey to a demonic cat owned by the uncle he murders; an ambitious starlet, willing to do anything for eternal fame, learns how those big stars last forever; a girl finds she has an unusual rival for her pianist boyfriend's affection....his piano; and there's Jack Palance and Peter Cushing in a tale about a fanatic Poe collector who gets much more than he bargained for. Good fun and a good DVD print make this a collector's item for those who love the old Amicus anthology films like "Asylum", the original "Tales From the Crypt" and "The House That Dripped Blood"---also written by Bloch. Enjoy.

Average customer rating:

FAR AND AWAY, THE BEST AND MOST PLAUSIBLE VERSION TO DATE
This one is worth seeing again and again.
Best of the Ripper Lot
The Juws are the men that will not be blamed for nothing
michael caine hunts the most famous killer in history

Jack the Ripper [Region 2]
Starring: Michael Caine , and Armand Assante
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

Thrillers | Mystery & Suspense | Genres | DVD | Video

( J ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
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ASIN: B0000505FM

Customer Reviews:

FAR AND AWAY, THE BEST AND MOST PLAUSIBLE VERSION TO DATE.......2007-05-06

Michael Caine as Insp Abberline and Lewis Collins as Sgt Godley are a match made in police Heaven. They complement each other perfectly and work together on Scotland Yard's most famous unsolved case, still argued about to this day among Ripperologists.
The storyline is the most plausible, following Stephen Knight's The Final Solution faithfully. This theory exlains all the questions one has re: these murders and brings up one more that this version did NOT elaborate on, which is: Did Queen Victoria KNOW about (and condone) these murders in order to preserve the-then shaky state of the Monarchy?
The Freemason link, the murders done in accordance with a traitor's death in the Society, explains the more graphic details of the murders, and also the WHY of them. Sir William Gull, physician to the Queen, was also high up in the Masonic arena.
The carriage driver, Netley, (the real Netley died, fittingly, under the wheels of his own coach...an accident?) is played to the hilt by George Sweeney; just as slimy as the real driver most likely was..."impress a little man."
Armand Assante is great as the American actor Richard Mansfield, and Richard Morant as Dr Acland, Gull's son-in-law, is brilliant.
The most amazing aspect of this particular version is the taut pace which holds the viewer mesmerized for the duration of approx four hours!
The various characters, and the sub-stories within the whole, are fascinating and lend total credibility to the production. The real horror is suggested, and the director and writer wisely leave the bulk of the details to the imagination, which is more powerful than any written word. One shot which left me breathless with horror was the shot of the back of the carriage with blood streaming underneath. Then, of course, the one second glimpse of the Mary Kelley murder scene, the only Ripper murder committed within the privacy of a room, thus allowing JTR to do his work in peace at his leisure, a benefit he took full advantage of...this photograph actually exists, a contemporary work done due to the belief the face of the murderer might still be visible on the eyes of the corpse. It is horrific.
So see this one, it is magnificent and explains, really, the most plausible solution to this murder mystery with so many previously unanswered questions:
Why was the Ripper never caught despite heavy police presence?
Why was there never any blood found at the crime scenes?
Why these particular five "soiled doves?"
Why did the murders suddenly stop?
How was the Ripper able to move about with such ease, seemingly invisible, and why were the prossies so willing to go with this stranger when they should have been on their guard?
Why were Ripper files missing from Scotland Yard years later?
And why was the only crime scene evidence, the words of JTR, cleaned off immediately on the orders of Chief Superintendent Arnold?
"The Juwes are the men who will not be blamed for nothing"; removed, ostensibly, to offset any more anti-Semitic feelings of the time, were not, in point of fact, a reference to Jews at all, but refers to Jubela, Jubelo and Jubelum who murdered Hiram Abif and were eventually found and ritually killed. See Masonic history for more info.
"Juwes" is said by Masons to refer to these three mythical characters at the time of the building of Solomon's temple. This is one of many pieces of evidence that masons and masonic symbolism may have been involved in these horrific murders...the murders themselves done according to Masonic ritual.
Robert James Lees, psychic, actually did predict, (his visions were so disturbing to him he left London briefly...upon his return, the visions came back) uncannily, the murders, and was later said to have cooperated with Insp Abberline who listened to him with great interest and followed him as they walked from the last crime scene up to the door of a wealthy surgeon of the day. The wife incriminated her husband, who was committed to an insane asylum under a pseudonym...

This one is worth seeing again and again........2006-07-21

I happened to catch this awesome film one morning on TBS. I work nights, and wound up staying up half the day to finish watching it. It was too good to turn off. This is definitely one of Michael Caine's best films, and the best "Ripper" film I've ever seen. "From Hell" included. The only problem with this classic thriller: it's a British-made film, and almost impossible to find. I do not yet have my own copy. I am hoping for a DVD release here in America.

Best of the Ripper Lot.......2006-05-13

Five murders of five prostitutes, taking place in the same area between August 31 and November 9, in 1888. To this day, the case remains officially unsolved. It's notariety is partially because it was the first serial murder case to be sensationalized in the press.

I saw this excellent version of the story when it originally aired on television. David Wickes (London Weekend Television) had done it again. Without getting overly graphic - made for TV, remember - the story of the East End prostitutes was brought to life with beautiful production values, an intelligent screenplay, and a top-flight cast.

The characters of Inspector Abberline (Michael Caine) and Sgt. George Godley are probably more accurate here than they are as portrayed in "From Hell." (One major error in "From Hell" is the character's death; Abberline died in 1929 of old age in Bournemouth.) They are played here as real; the sub-plot of Richard Mansfield (Armand Assante) is woven in authentically. The mood of the times is re-created with startling clarity, and the sequence of events holds with historical facts, only two or three minor exceptions.

The plotline of this version starts with Mary Nicholls' death, and follows through the investigation and confusion of the case, with each successive death adding to the tensions and social unrest. Mary Kelly was the last, and then Jack vanished into the mists of history. Although the running time on this version seems overlong (it was shown in two parts originally), the pacing never allows boredom to creep in. Wickes' production (he also directed) came to a conclusion similar to those presented in "Murder by Decree" (fictionalized to include Sherlock Holmes) and "From Hell." What is presented here is labeled as opinion, and it is plausible.

This is the one I watch again and again. If you see a copy, grab it! Here's hoping the DVD will become available.

The Juws are the men that will not be blamed for nothing.......2006-03-26

I originally saw this as a 2 part mini series on British television in the late 80's and was amazed at how good it was (I have since discovered that most British TV "police" series are VERY good).
Michael Caine is simply brilliant as detective Abberline and along with the rest of the wonderful cast make this probably the best Ripper movie of them all. I say movie as it is now presented as such, no long a 2 part mini series.
A short introdution at the begining of the movie explains that it is based on facts and togehther with leading crimanologists they have reached several conclusions, including whom they believe Jack the Ripper was...

It really is a must see thriller and one that will keep you guessing to the very end.

Get your hands on a copy NOW!

michael caine hunts the most famous killer in history.......2006-03-16

first off this is not a horror movie or just a shock your system story of jack the ripper. this tightly written mini-series about the murders plays as a mystery as caine playing the real life inspector who handled the case, sorts through the clues and hunts the killer. this was a very good mini-series and it was and is very tastefuly done story of the famous crime. caine is as good as he always is and for once the story is up to his great talent.

Average customer rating:

Pretty, Ambitious, Clever, but just a mess.
Good Movie
Failure every which way
STELAR RIPPER
RIPPER OFF

Ripper - Letter From Hell
Starring: A.J. Cook , Bruce Payne , Ryan Northcott , Claire Keim , and Derek Hamilton
Director: John Eyres
Manufacturer: Lions Gate
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Ripper 2: Letters From Within
Absolon
Night Skies (Widescreen Edition)
The House Next Door
Wishmaster 3 - Beyond the Gates of Hell

ASIN: B00005RDSA
Release Date: 2002-01-15

Description

By the time she was 16, Molly had already lived to tell a bloodcurdling tale: she was the only survivor of a violent murderer who slaughtered all her friends. Disturbed by her horrific past, she focuses her energies on researching the minds of serial killers. Enrolled in a forensic science program led by famed author and man hunter Martin Kane, she joins a study group fixated on solving a local campus murder. When the students realize the killer's modus operandi mirrors that of London's legendary Jack the Ripper, Molly's friends, once again, begin to fall victim around her.

Customer Reviews:

Pretty, Ambitious, Clever, but just a mess........2006-10-23

This movie tries so very hard that you can't help but root for it! The plot is a very clever one, and the heroine is terrific idea for a character. That said, the film is constantly hampered by it's limits of budget, set and other factors that stumble it into contriving itself.

The detective's character is hampered by being only himself, and by listening to the profiler, who he believes is a suspect - and never shown to interact with other police makes him look not villianous, but incompetent. Molly's ablitity to hack in to police files and find answers about Kane and the current investigations are simply unbelievable and everyone's to quick to take them wholly at face value. Setting up everyone at the cabin for the final face off was so ham-handed that it becomes a stumbling block that the plot is hard pressed to over come. Let's face it, if that was the last turn in this steeplechase the horse would have broken it's leg.

However, Molly and Kane are wonderful characters and their chemistry together is part of the glue that keeps the film together. Their intimate scene alone is worth the price of admission. I only wish there had been more scenes with the two of them to build it up, because that payoff, and how it shapes how you see the rest of the film is sheer gold.

More about Molly's past before the island should have been revealed, and the other girls with the exception of Chantelle are seriously underdeveloped. Fewer characters and stronger development would have served better.

The Ripperology is absolutely excellent.

Though, I have one small correction. Ted Bundy didn't charm most of his victims beyond luring them in a trap and then cold cocking them. They went with him because he presented himself as being weakened and needing assistance, not for sex appeal.

Good Movie.......2004-12-23

This movie is really good but I have to say that most of the killings in thsi movie isnt done by the killer its done by the people themselves , Some fall into blades and one gets hit by a car its a movie that is good but the killer only had one true kill in the hole movie.

Failure every which way.......2004-07-19

If you are looking for a movie about the real life Jack the Ripper, this ain't it (one or more of the reviews below are obviously thinking that this movie was the From Hell movie starring Johnny Depp, which it definitely isn't).

If you are looking for a movie based upon some facts of the Jack the Ripper case but going off in a new direction, this isn't a good bet either. It's a typical low budget teen slasher with just enough loose mentions of the Ripper case so they could throw a name on it to catch all the people looking for the other movie. It basically steals the plot of Scream 2, replacing the nonsensical links to the first Scream movie with nonsensical links to the Jack the Ripper case.

If you are looking for a scary horror movie, this ain't it either. The characters are all idiots. For supposed top students in serial killer studies (that all look like teen models, right) none of them act in a way at all realistic for someone in their position. It's like basing a slasher movie at a music camp but with characters who can't play any musical instruments, except worse than that, because these people aren't just dumb for supposed serial killer experts, they make boneheaded mistakes that cheerleader characters in other movies are too smart to make. So right off the bat you couldn't care less if the characters die, which makes it hard to feel any horror. But then the movie manages to miss most every opportunity for suspense and instead makes fuzzy references to things that never appear onscreen but might have been interesting if they had.

If you are looking for a good cheesy teen slasher popcorn movie... nope, not here either. The ending is horribly muddled, the pace is bad, the dialogue is ridiculous, and the romantic or sexy parts they usually use to pad the storyline for those films are entirely absent.

And it doesn't even work as a movie so bad you watch to laugh at its unintentional jokes, because it's just not entertaining. It's not a "Hah hah hah. How stupid" kind of thing, more of a "What? They can't be serious, how lame."

There were a couple scenes and one or two actresses that might have been good in another movie, if only the people writing and producing it had picked what kind of film they wanted to create and then put a little effort into it.

STELAR RIPPER.......2004-03-20

The rating for this totally off by a thousand! This made jump quite a few times. This movie is not as scary as some other movies I have seen in the past. The other reviewers must have been half asleep when they watched this movie. Do not let the rating and the reviewers ratings discourage you. If you are a Jack the Ripper fan you will love this movie. The can be a little bit twisted,so you will have to pay close attention to the movie.

RIPPER OFF.......2004-01-22

John Eyres can't be totally blamed for directing this flick. The script must have seemed innovative and challenging at the time. However, I'm sure once he got into it, he must have been as disappointed as I was. The movie opens with a young girl (AJ Cook from Final Destination II) being pursued by a mysterious serial killer who has evidently wiped out all her friends. Five years later, Molly is taking a class in serial killers (do they really offer such stuff?). Her professor, the disturbingly sinister Kane (played with exquisite boredom by Bruce Payne), tells his class to think outside the box. Ho hum...but of course what happens is that this little group of serial killer students are being wiped out one by one. Enter Jurgon Prochnow in perhaps the most ridiculously funny performance ever given by someone who got rave reviews in DAS BOOT, and the plot sickens. Prochnow is so horribly bad, and whoever did his hair, well they certainly aren't touching mine!
This is also an incredibly sadistic movie, the murders being totally over the top; most of the film is shot so darkly you can't tell what's going on, and there's little redeeming qualities, except for a few tense scenes. The ending is so cryptic, you don't know what the heck really went on.
Could have, should have been better, but barely a decent time waster.

Average customer rating:

If you like your horror really dark and weird, then this is for you
Fulci's most brutal movie!
Not by far
the reviews make it sound worse than it is
A memory I want wiped from my brain!

The New York Ripper
Starring: Cosimo Cinieri , Josh Cruze , Barbara Cupisti , Alexandra Delli Colli , and Daniela Doria
Manufacturer: Anchor Bay
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B00000K0DV
Release Date: 1999-08-24

Amazon.com

Italian shock maven Lucio Fulci directed this effort, undoubtedly one of his seediest and most offensive films. A serial killer prowls the streets of New York, preying strictly on women and butchering them in the most sadistic ways (usually starting at the crotch). The cops are always several steps behind the killer, who uses a Donald Duck voice to taunt them (and his prospective victims) over the phone. It's all pretty misogynistic, violent, and brutal, and adds up to an unsavory viewing experience. That said, the plot hangs together fairly well (better than in much of the giallo genre), and Fulci's camera work and editing are topnotch. The director's sense of color and shot composition are in line with much of contemporaries Dario Argento and Mario Bava's work (the color red in particular dominates much of the movie). As with Argento's work, an unassuming woman, caught up in circumstances, turns out to be the film's heroine. Also, it's interesting that both in this film and in Don't Torture a Duckling, Fulci uses Donald Duck as a sort of bizarre totem of shattered innocence and tragedy. Still, Fulci uses his camera here in such a leering, lascivious way that it reinforces the film's oppressive sleaziness and sadism. Fans of Italian horror won't be disappointed with The New York Ripper, but be advised that the movie's overriding unpleasantness makes it an acquired taste at best. --Jerry Renshaw

Customer Reviews:

If you like your horror really dark and weird, then this is for you.......2007-02-02

Although the Italian horror/slasher genre of the 1970's includes many films that aren't exactly Disney-esque, I found "The New York Ripper" to be a particularly unpleasant ride. Lurid violence, depressing cinematography (90% of the film is dark and grainy), and choppy (no pun intended) storytelling made this more of an ordeal than the guilty pleasure I expected. Check out "Strip Nude For Your Killer" and "The Case of the Bloody Iris" for more polished, entertaining examples of the "giallo" form. That is, unless you really, really want to see a movie about a serial killer who quacks like a duck.

Fulci's most brutal movie!.......2006-09-29

In the seedy streets of New York city, a madman that talks like a cartoon duck is stalking the streets at night on innocent women and slaughtering them. Spilling enough entrails as clues for the cops to find, Detective Willams is on the verge to find out who is the sicko behind these hideous murders.

An unpleasant and nasty Italian horror crime thriller from the legendary Lucio Fulci and it's his most controversial movie ever. It's been censored and banned in some countries due to scenes of extreme sexist violence, gore and sex alike! this notorious sleaze-feast is as graphic as they say with some difficult to watch scenes like the infamous nipple slice which is worse then the one on "Ichi The Killer", the music score is funky and the acting is above average.

This DVD has some good picture with a few blemishes at times and decent sound quality with a bio of the director and theatrical trailer. This movie certainly isn't for everyone or the faint-hearted but for fans of gore and sleaze alike!

Also recommended: "Ichi The Killer", "City of the Living Dead ( a.k.a. Gates of Hell)", "Maniac ( 1980)", "House By The Cemetery", "Demons", "Cannibal Apocalypse", "A Nightmare on Elm Street", "Driller Killer", "Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer", "Sin City", "House of 1000 Corpses", "The Devil's Rejects", "Caligula", "Beyond The Darkness: Buio Omega", "Men Behind The Sun", "House on the Edge of the Park", "High Tension", "Bloodsucking Freaks", "Last House on The Left", "The Toxic Avenger", "Evil Ed", "Hostel", "The Hills Have Eyes ( 1977 and 2006)", "Final Destination 2", "Blood Feast", "Shogun Assassin", "Color Me Blood Red", "Irreversible", "Se7en", "Silence of the Lambs", "A Lizard in a Woman's Skin", "Wolf Creek", "Cannibal Ferox", "Jungle Holocaust ( a.k.a. Last Cannibal World)", "The Bird with the Crystal Plumage", "Suspiria", "Tenebre", "Phenomena", "Red Dragon", "Stage Fright", "Manhunter", "Riki-Oh: The Story of Ricky", "The Untold Story", "Perfect Blue", "Freddy Vs. Jason", "Man Bites Dog", "Hellraiser", "Hellbound: Hellraiser 2", "Silent Hill", "Street Trash", "From Hell", "Cannibal Holocaust", "Opera", "Inferno", "Blood Diner", "Hollywood Chainsaw Hookers", "Saw 1 & 2", "Angel Heart", "Don't Torture a Duckling", "Black Christmas", "An American Werewolf in London", "Kill Bill", "Reservoir Dogs", "Cat in The Brain" and "The Beyond".

Not by far.......2006-04-30

Even if you're a big Lucio Fulci fan you can easily skip this one.
On the other hand... this movie features some of the coolest duck sounds in the history of film making.

the reviews make it sound worse than it is.......2006-03-30

It's actually a good movie. Yes, it's unpleasant and sarcastic, but it's meant to be that way. Like a reviewer said, serial killing is not picking daisies. The film is carefully shot. Just watch the different length of the panning shots, the dissolving shots, the way they contribute to the atmosphere of claustrophobia. The music sounds like an early eighties cop show and it's totally adequate. For beginners of Fulci, I'd recommend Lizard in a Woman's Skin, but if you want to watch a violent murder mystery, this is it.
Many people mentioned the scene of the nipple and the eyeball. Well, it is grotesque, but I didn't found it that scary. The Donald Duck voice is one of those details that, before seeing the movie, I thought, «what a stupid idea», but the execution (excuse the pun) here is everything, and it really works. This detail is more scary, if you ask me. A creepy film by a director who should be more apppreciated.

A memory I want wiped from my brain!.......2005-10-28

If you're reading this review it probably means you're a fan of this genre and are looking for something nasty. Good for you. I haven't seen the full movie, I don't think I ever will, not my cup of tea.

However, since you're here, I'll tell you a little story: this movie was playing on a tv at "exit", a punk club in chicago, back in '89, I caught 'the scene' out of the corner of my eye and immediately puked in my mouth. I had to sit down and have a glass of water. I wish I could wipe the memory from my brain. The end.

Now, I can't think of a better endorsement of this film for a gorehound:
"See 'The New York Ripper', it'll make you puke in your mouth!"

And yet, here I am, after a long search to find out what the hell I saw back then. I can't tell you why, it's not like I'll ever watch it, and in a way, if I did, I imagine it may not do my memory of it justice, because when I think of it, I think it may be the most nasty thing I've ever seen. I'd hate to spoil that.

But hey, you might like it, so I'll give it five stars, because you're here and you know you're gonna buy it anyway.

BTW, the only other film that made me puke in my mouth is 'the grim reaper', but you probably already own that.

Enjoy!

Average customer rating:

Jack Boy
Yours Truly...

JACK THE RIPPER: PHANTOM OF DEATH

Manufacturer: A&E Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

( J ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

History's Mysteries - Hunt for Jack the Ripper (A&E DVD Archives)
The Diary of Jack the Ripper
Jack the Ripper
Jack the Ripper
The Complete History of Jack the Ripper

ASIN: B000E3718W
Release Date: 1995-09-14

Description

In the fall of 1888, five prostitutes were savagely murdered in the poor, Whitechapel area of London, England. The murderer was never found. This case has taunted "unsolved crime" lovers for 107 years! Jack the Ripper occupies a unique place in the history of crime, and the identity of the killer is still the subject of fantastic speculation. BIOGRAPHYintroduces some of the most popular theories, and examines the evidence for and against them. FBI specialist John Douglas reveals how his agency would investigate the case today, and explores the steps taken by Scotland Yard. Graphic photos, seen here on video for the first time, reveal the shocking savagery of the crimes. Crime historians Martin Fido and Donald Rumblebow, who make their living as Ripper experts, offer their opinions on the mysterious identity of the killer. And a new suspect, an American, is introduced. Journey to the heart of a century-old mystery for a chilling look at the darkest aspect of humanity.

Customer Reviews:

Jack Boy.......2007-03-11

I think this video as a begining one is good. For a forensic class, this works as a begining. It does not have much depth to it, but it does cover the murders Jack the Ripper is blamed for. They do touch on a couple of theories very quickly. I was looking for a more historic biography of Jack the Ripper. I almost obtained that goal. The students in my high school class thought is was good.

Yours Truly..........2007-03-10

Over a decade after it aired this is the only Jack The Ripper documentary that still holds up. Full of great info not readily sited by most books (racial & class biases, political & press motivations, Conan Doyle's midwife theory) it whets the appetite for further investigation. Most importantly, unlike any other Ripper film it's the only one to capture the unrelenting terror behind the granddaddy of serial killers. There can rightfully be no firm resolution to the identity of the murderer and that fear of the unknown and the socially deviated shows through in spades. I recommend it highly to anyone interested in the case or the human phenomena of serial murder; but even as a true-to-life scary story it's terrifically effective, making the idea of particularly foggy nights unappealing to walk in.

Average customer rating:

More of an expose of human nature
...yours truly...
The diary was proven to be a hoax.
An OK Video About a Truly Dubious Diary
Into the Heart of Darkness Itself!

The Diary of Jack the Ripper
Starring: Michael Winner , and Tom Baker
Manufacturer: Image Entertainment
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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History's Mysteries - Hunt for Jack the Ripper (A&E DVD Archives)
JACK THE RIPPER: PHANTOM OF DEATH
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Ripper Notes: How the Newspapers Covered the Jack the Ripper Murders

ASIN: 6305301727
Release Date: 1999-03-16

Amazon.com

In the 1890s in London, several prostitutes were murdered in ways so grisly and brutal that it terrorized the city's entire populace. Though the latest investigative techniques of the time were used, the murderer was never caught or even positively identified. The killer sent taunting letters to the police and newspapers, identifying himself as "Jack the Ripper," and the name has stuck for the past 100-plus years, even as Jack's true identity has been left to conjecture and speculation. In 1991, the murderer's purported diaries were uncovered, pointing toward middle-class Londoner James Maybrick as the man behind the killings. The Diary of Jack the Ripper retraces the killer's steps through dramatizations, while various experts assess and discuss the veracity of the diaries through handwriting examination, paper and ink analysis, and such. Though the evidence falls just short of nailing down Maybrick as the murderer, all the information does point in the direction of the drug-addicted man as the culprit. The diary contains information that could only be known to those on the inside of the cases. Where The Diary of Jack the Ripper falls short, though, is in its execution. The cheap-looking videotape dramatizations do little to capture the squalor of the Victorian London slums or the character of Maybrick himself. On the other hand, the film relies far too much on the rather gaseous commentary of various English talking-head historians and criminologists, who take an interesting topic and making it more like a classroom lecture. Still, true-crime enthusiasts should find plenty to like in this reexamination of one of the most notorious serial killers in history. --Jerry Renshaw

Description

After more than a century--out of the mists and fogs of Victorian London comes this astonishing new documentary. Reading from the infamous murderer's 63-page diary, a macabre record of obsession, horror and madness, Jack the Ripper's own words are the basis for this dramatized analysis, overturning all previous theories and investigations.

Customer Reviews:

More of an expose of human nature.......2005-09-18

What is most interesting about this video is the way different journalist sift the evidence.

There are two key items in the presentation:

1. A British government department did a forensic examination and dated the diary at the time of the murders.

2. Things described in the diary were kept secret by the police until recently.

The only conclusion that comes from these two facts is that the diary was written by either Jack or one of the few police detectives that knew the facts at that time.

...yours truly..........2002-01-04

One of the main reasons I give this video five stars is that this truly unique video doesn't try to exploit the idea of the diary's existance...in fact, it tends to discourage it's viability, and with the semi-plausible/almost laughable excuse for the diary's possesion, and if it weren't for the timeline, i would even suggest that the 'possesor' was also the guilty party...however, with this being impossible, we must accept the possibility that this is indeed the diary of Jack...no one knows for sure, and even by the end of many repeat viewings, i have yet to come to a conclusion myself...but one conclusion i can draw is that this is one of the most fascinating cases of a video featuring 'talking heads' actually talking...you see every point of view, you're given facts, both pro and con, and even if you are an afficienado of the ripper tales, i guarantee you will still get more insights,not to mention that slight chill up your spine....

The diary was proven to be a hoax........2001-10-15

The so-called diary of Jack the ripper was proven to be a hoax despite what one poster said.I guess that you can fool some of the people some of the time.Avoid this DVD.

An OK Video About a Truly Dubious Diary.......2001-04-28

I had never heard of the alleged diary before renting the video and I must say that it was an interesting diversion, but I felt almost guilty after watching it. Over and over again the document in question was treated as something actually written by Maybrick--something for which there is no evidence and something the man cannot come back from the grave and denounce.

I don't know a lot about the Ripper case, but I am a student of hoaxes and this alleged diary simply screams "hoax." Just some of the more obvious points:

1. We are told by one of the experts that little ink from Victorian days survives because ink evaporates and therefore, the ink used for the document was either genuine or would have to have been carefully recreated by an expert. Such is not the case, however. The fluid evaporates but the pigment does not. All one would need to do is add water to a bottle of dried pigment.

2. The handwriting not only doesn't match that of the Ripper or what is said to be Maybrick's writing, but is simply too modern in execution to be authentic. It lacks the characteristic flourishes that Victorians would have used even in informal writing. I was amused by the handwriting expert they consulted, as graphology is a pseudoscience on par with astrology. There simply is no logical basis for the statements she makes (example: a T with an elongated cross being a sign that the writer likes games).

3. The documentary holds that the word "Jewes" scrawled on the wall near one of the victims could also be read "James"--as in James Maybrick. This is offered as proof of his cleverness. Problem is that a pun has to make grammatical sense and this one doesn't.

4. Much is made of the supposition that Maybrick was a drug addict and consequently, ripe for schizophrenic behavior. Given that cocaine and opiates were available over-the-counter, lots of people would have fit that description. If legions of addicts did not commit such crimes under the influence of drugs, why would this one man have committed them?

5. The explanation that the missing pages in the diary were removed out of angst was ludicrous. It is far more likely the hoaxer found an old ledger that had been filled part way and simply ripped out the pages that had writing on them. The fact that the missing pages all preceded the "Ripper" text would seem to bear this out.

6. "Ha-ha" written in various places was a literary touch that a deranged person writing an actual diary would most likely not have used--but it certainly is in keeping with somebody wanting to sound deranged for their readership.

7. The composites of the Ripper looked nothing like the photos of Maybrick--the tip of the nose was entirely different! The only similarity was that both had a husky face and mustache, which is enough to implicate half the men in London at the time.

8. All of the references in the diary are old news. Again and again the documentary tried to prove its thesis by matching facts of the Ripper case to the diary, when it is the diary that seems to have been written to match the facts of the Ripper case.

These are just some of the obvious flaws in the Ripper Diary story--dozens of others cropped up while I was watching the video. It wasn't long before the whole thing took on a Shroud of Turin or Chariots of Fire feeling that made the documentary more of a shlockumentary. What is really sad, when you think about it, is that the name of yet another man who can't defend himself is being dragged through the Ripper gore.

Into the Heart of Darkness Itself!.......2001-03-15

It is a topsy-turvy inside-out back-to-front slippery-sick-and-poisonous catalog of facts that surround the life of Jack the Ripper! Admirably, this DVD documentary keeps to its primary objective: to conclusively identify the Whitechapel murderer!

To do this, the documentary examines The Diary of Jack the Ripper a text that documents the diarist's
(1) public-self and private-self divide; exacerbated by marriage to an attractive, younger, flirtatious, spirited woman
(2) determination to avenge the public insult caused to himself by what he judged to be his wife's public improprieties
(3) deepening rage and increasing loss of private sanity (while, characteristically, maintaining public composure)
(4) increasing belief in an answer to the 'problem'
(5) enactment of the complexly self-deduced answer i.e. the Whitechapel murders
(6) vicious reign of public terror accompanied by private glee, public games with letters to the public press for personal entertainment, narcissistic wonderment, cannibalism, and self-gratification
(7) sudden physical disintegration; the Whitechapel murders stop
(8) knowledge of his own imminent death
(9) signature (at close of text) as Jack the Ripper!

Additionally, the gross injustices to the young American wife (after the diarist's death) create weighty questions! The most likely answers to those questions also indicate that the diarist is the Whitechapel murderer!

Ignoring the conspiratorial and larger social issues that the questions raise, one lighter question persists: What about Doctor Fuller? Was he a hypnotist, drug counselor, a diagnostic incompetent or an early psychologist and genius? Whatever the answer, after the diarist's second consultation with Doctor Fuller, the Whitechapel murders stopped! The diary's madly-mixed shrieks and doggerel are replaced by the type of seductive requests for compassion that one would conventionally expect from an actor leaving the dramatic stage! What did Doctor Fuller say that brought this serial killer to his senses? Learning that answer would benefit medical professionals and police departments throughout the world!

Product Description

ENTIRELY UNCUT!!! In New York City, a killer who speaks like a duck and is missing two fingers from his right hand is slashing young women. Police are baffled by the murders. Meanwhile, a strange but beautiful rich woman is cruising bars looking for working class guys to have her kinky kicks with. Another young woman who barely survived an attack by the murderer has a dream that appears to implicate her boyfriend, played by Andrea Occhipini of "A Blade in the Dark." It all ends with a fairly clever twist ending and one of the better gore effects seen in a Fulci movie.

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Jack The Ripper

Manufacturer: Front Row Entertainment Canada, Inc.
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Action & Adventure | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Horror | Genres | DVD | Video

Jack the Ripper

ASIN: B0006NZVMS

Product Description

Directed by cult director Jesus Franco, this firm stars Klaus Kinski, as the notorious Jack the Ripper. By day, Kinski is a respected doctor who often takes on charity cases. But by night he is haunted by the memory of his abusive mother, who was a prostitute. To fight his brutal memories he stalks and kills prostitutes by brutally dismembering them. The local police Inspector does his best with the limited witnesses available to solve the case. But he doesn't have much success until his girlfriend goes undercover to try and catch the killer.

DVD:

DVD

Erotica (REGION 1) (NTSC)

DVD: Striptease

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