Customer Reviews

Jack the Ripper

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(6)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

This is a good looking package. The print is fine and the color and photography are sumptuous. But the film itself is another matter. The dubbing is laughable with voices mismatched to the characters so that whole scenes are comical when they should be serious. The victims are too healthy looking and pretty and costumed for a rock video---not the Whitechapel period of the Ripper. And boy do those costumes come off fast. The girls don't even put up a fight. They just whimper. The gore is confined to one scene that's gross but not very convincing. Klaus Kinski is sufficiently sinister as Jack but he just mopes around and tangles with the girls. So this is just a sexploitation effort by Franco although it looks good. Too bad it isn't.

Fans of director Jesus "Jess" Franco will probably enjoy this more than the typical horror fan, as this is certainly no masterpiece. But, in spite of the awful dubbing, bright orange blood (as is so typical in 60's & 70's horror flicks!), and frequently graphic violence, I actually found this watchable. However, I don't think it's worth seeing more than once, and I've already sold the dvd I bought.

Klaus Kinski plays Jack the Ripper, although there's VERY little similarities between this one and the infamous serial killer who terrorized the women of Whitechapel District in London beginning in August, 1888. In this film he kills because of his universal hatred of all women (particularly prostitutes), brought on by the shame of his own mother being a prostitute. The women in this film are quite beautiful, in stark contrast to the real victims of Jack the Ripper who were...well, ugly. There's frequent nudity and gore throughout this movie, including one disturbing scene where he mutilates one of his dying victims (with neon orange blood everywhere!).

As a previous reviewer already mentioned, the fact that this movie was poorly dubbed makes many of the scenes (especially the police interrogations) unintentionally hilarious, and in fact the whole movie is pretty ridiculous. But if you enjoy watching cheap 70's horror flicks then you might want to give this one a try. The Image dvd has great bonus features for such a mediocre movie, and the picture and sound quality are quite adequate. Overall, I recommend that you rent this before buying.

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 *****

This film is a relatively decent portrayal of the ripper murders of the late 1880's. Klaus Kiniski does a very good job depicting the mental instability that must have plagued the real Jack the Ripper. Overall , I was a bit dissappointed in the film's relative lack of gore considering the unsavory reputation this film supposedly has. But there is plenty of atmosphere and a touch of gothic to the fim's ambience. If you want blood and graphic depictions of murder check out New York Ripper instead, but if you are in the mood for a good european style thriller with some creepy atmosphere and an even creepier actor then check out Jack the Ripper.

Terrible acting + bad dubbing + very slow development + stupid ending = lousy movie. The title begins the great deception on the viewer. The story has almost nothing to do with Jack the Ripper. What a waste of time.

Make no mistake about it, the movie is very poorly made and has laughable acting, but this one is still entertaining. "Jack The Ripper," One of Jesus' most well known films, is a test for average film goers. Necrophilia (almost) and really low budget gore make this movie hard for the "Lord Of The Rings" viewer to witness. But that fact is the beauty of it all. If you ever watch a Fraco movie it's a badge of honor: "Hey, that movie was funny as junk, it was awesome." Jesus Franco's perception of The Ripper is a unique one, making him an insane doctor who treats the less than fortunate Fellow. Warm hearted doctor Luv by day, Cold blooded pscho necrphyliac murderer. Doesn't fit, but is certainly entertaining. Great camp perfornces from Kinski(Jack) and Romay (uh... wife.)

... Buy this DVD instead. Image's disc is the US version of the legendary European VIP edition, featuring a new, longer transfer which adds so much more atmosphere to this masterpiece of horror. Kinski as the maniac killer and Lina Romay as a sexy prostitute are reason enough to make this movie a classic.

...it had a big effect on how i look at real life(or supposedly real life) murderers. I just recently got into watching Jes Franco movies for the lone fact that that his ideas and movies were a huge sampling source for one of my all time favourite bands, Thrill Kill Kult. I have since seen 5 of his movies and am not impressed. he is not a bad director but he is way below average. this movie is very interesting to see the Frac's opinion on who Jack the Ripper is, and i like it. Go see FROM HELL, which is written by Watchmen/Miracleman creator Alan Moore. talk about messed up souls...

This Jess Franco film is as bad as it gets. I will not waste either my time or those of reviewers with a long diatribe. Unless you want to build a collection of the worst films ever made, then you probably want to stay clear this Jack The Ripoff who lurks the dark corners of your video store.

All I can say is that I bought this film because I'm a Klaus Kinski fan: particularly of his work with Herzog. Without knowing it, this catchy title with Klaus Kinski caught my attention in an obscure corner of the video store very much like the infamous killer jumped on his victims from out of the London fog. Next thing I know, I fall victim to the jabbing pain of pathetic scenes and horribly fake special effects.

This is quite a stretch from Herzog's work and Klaus Kinski is horribly underused in this film: he barely utters any lines! Everything about this film is cheap and just bad: the plot, the acting, the directing, the filming, everything! Avoid this film at all costs!

With the release of "From Hell" sure to revive interest in Jack the Ripper, this 1976 effort from exploitation director Jesus "Jess" Franco is going to get some revived interest. But this "Jack the Ripper" is only loosely based on the historic murders. Klaus Kinski plays the title character and his "true" identity of Dr. Orloff. The explanation here is that "Jack" was abused by his prostitute mother and so he starts butchering prostitutes on the streets of London. Even in a film career based on dishing out the gory, Franco finds a way to go way over the top with this one. This is a movie of stomach turning, savage violence that is rated "R" only because they did not have NC-17 way back then. You do not want to know anybody who can laugh their way through the gore in this one. The DVD version includes the theatrical trailer ("Close your eyes and whisper his name..."), photo stills and liner notes.