All Rise...

Welcome to the Age of Judge Patrick Naugle.

The Charge

One hundred years ago in the city of London, a man shocked the world by raping, murdering, and mutilating women.
He was never caught.

The Case

In Los Angeles, a killer is emulating the Jack the Ripper murders that took place a hundred years ago in London. The question is: who's behind the murders? The police are stumped. When a mild mannered doctor named John Wesford (James Spader, Less Than Zero) is found dead, his twin brother Rick (Spader again) shows up with visions of who's been doing the killings. All fingers point to a creepy resident doctor, but other suspects seem to hover throughout the film. Could it be that Rick himself is the killer? Or has Jack the Ripper somehow materialized into present day California?

James Spader has become one of the most interesting actors to come out of the “Brat Pack” era of the 1980s. While Spader has always had an edge to him, the actor often languished in fluff like Mannequin and Pretty in Pink. Sometime in the 2000s Spader seemed to break out of his earlier persona and became an eclectic, intense presence with a voice that could give shivers to the steeliest of men. From his weirdly comedic turn as Robert California on The Office to a star turn in the hit series The Blacklist—as well as villainous film roles in movies like The Avengers: Age of Ultron—Spader has become a fascinating actor to watch.

One of Spader's earlier roles was in the 1988 throwaway Jack's Back, a thriller dealing with a copycat killer who patterns his reign of terror after the infamous Jack the Ripper. This is a typical whodunit with no clear cut choice for who the killer is. Is it the edgy Rick? The irritable head doctor Sidney (Rod Loomis, Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure)? The attractive intern Chris (Cynthia Gibb, Death Warrant)? Or the police psychiatrist (Robert Picardo, Gremlins 2: The New Batch)? Eventually the mystery is exposed, though it's not as interesting as the initial build up to the reveal (and truth be told, I was able to guess the murderer's identity less than halfway through the film).

As usual, Spader gives an intense performance as Rick and John, though he's on screen mostly as Rick. Wearing a leather jacket and a scowl, Spader looks like a prime suspect for the murders. Spader is probably the main reason to see Jack's Back—it certainly isn't the screenplay by Rowdy Herrington (Road House), who also directed the film with a flat look (the made-for-TV quality is glaring). There's a pile of police procedural cliches, and POV shots of the killer that are straight out of the Halloween playbook. While there a few unexpected turns in Jack's Back, none of them make up for a very loose and sometimes meandering script.

Jack's Back's thematic ideas show promise but don't hold a lot of water. Without saying too much, I was sort of hoping for a really creepy thriller in the vein of The Silence of the Lambs (which would follow only a few short years later). Instead Jack's Back is seeped in a lot of 80's visuals (atmospheric smoke, harsh, sharp blue lightning) that makes it feel more like Michael Mann's Manhunter. Spader is fun to watch but the movie as a whole doesn't really hold up.

Jack's Back (Blu-ray) is presented in 1.85:1 widescreen in 1080p high definition. This newly minted transfer from Scream Factory looks very good considering the age of the film (coming up on thirty years). There's a fine amount of filmic grain in the transfer but overall the print is clear of any defects or imperfections. The soundtrack is presented in DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio track in English. This mix offers a good reproduction of the original soundtrack. There isn't much in the way of directional effects, but the mix features sold dialogue, music, and effects.

Jack's Back includes an audio commentary with director Rowdy Herrington, new interviews with Herrington, producer Tim Moore, actress Cynthia Gibb, and director of photography Shelly Johnson, a theatrical trailer for the film, and a bonus DVD copy.

Spader is the only reason to see Jack's Back. The film plays like a dated C.S.I. episode without any real tension (and a killer that's pretty easy to spot within the first half hour). As usual, Scream Factory offers up a good package for a movie that's not quite deserving.

The Verdict

This one is no killer.

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