Male Sexual Abuse Films (1996–2015)

Male Sexual Abuse Films (1996–2015)

Sleepers (1996)

C – 147m
Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1 – Widescreen
Novel: Sleepers by Lorenzo Carcaterra
Writer – Prod. – Dir.: Barry Levinson
Co–Prod.: Lorenzo Carcaterra
Starring: Kevin Bacon, Robert De Niro, Minnie Driver, Dustin Hoffman, Bruno Kirby, Jason Patric, Billy Crudup, John Slattery, Brad Pitt, Jonathan Tucker, Gerry Becker, Ben Hammer, Paul Herman, Lennie Loftin, Danny Mastrogiorgio, Mary B. McCann, Pat McNamara, Peter McRobbie, Mick O’Rourke, James Pickens, Jr., Wendell Pierce and Sean Patrick Reilly.
Music By: John Williams

After a prank goes disastrously wrong, a group of boys are sent to a detention center where they are brutalized. Over ten years later, they get their chance for revenge. Deliberately slowly paced but has great actors turning in great performances. The film is slightly over–long but the cinematography is impressive as are the aforementioned performances and an almost stellar script. There are a few lines that may invoke a, “No duh,” or other wised colored version of that statement from viewers. Period detail is fine and the soundtrack is fun. The indecision on a star rating is the fault of this reviewer. This reviewer can make arguments as to why this should just be a three star film but can also make arguments as to why it is the near perfect three and a half star film rating too. Rather than split hairs, this reviewer will cop to saying: flip a coin on it yourself after you have seen it and see where it lands for you. It does come highly recommended though!  

Trivia: Film Critic Roger Ebert criticized this movie as, “homophobic.” During filming, the two younger actors who play the roles that would become Brad Pitt and Jason Patric, wore contact lenses so they would have the same eye color as Pitt and Patric. This movie was filmed at Fairfield Hills, a former psychiatric hospital in Newtown, Connecticut; right after the state took possession of the property. Billy Crudup and John Slattery, in addition to this film, appeared in Spotlight (2015), which also revolves around similar themes of abuse.

Oscar® nominated for: Best Original Score – John Williams. 
Rated: [R] – Language, Graphic Violence, & Two Scenes Of Strong Sexual Content
Available on Blu–ray, DVD & Digital Copy

Mystic River (2003)

C – 138m
Aspect Ratio: 2.39:1 – Widescreen (Theatrical) / 2.40:1 – Widescreen (Blu–ray)
Novel: Mystic River by Dennis Lehane
Screenplay By: Brian Helgeland
Prod. – Dir.: Clint Eastwood
Starring: Sean Penn, Tim Robbins, Kevin Bacon, Laurence Fishburne, Marcia Gay Harden, Laura Linney, Kevin Chapman, Tom Guiry (as Thomas Guiry), Emmy Rossum, Spencer Treat Clark, Andrew Mackin, Adam Nelson, Robert Wahlberg, Jenny O’Hara, John Doman, Cameron Bowen, Jason Kelly, Connor Paolo, T. Bruce Page (as Bruce Page), Miles Herter, Cayden Boyd, Joe Stapleton, Tom Kemp, Bill Thorpe, Ken Cheeseman, Duncan B. Putney, Ed O’Keefe, Michael McGovern, Susan Bergeron (uncredited), Kevin Conway (uncredited), Brian Frates (uncredited), Eli Wallach (uncredited), Victor Warren (uncredited), Jillian Wheeler (uncredited), Brian A. White (uncredited) and Kris Williams (uncredited).
Music By: Clint Eastwood

The lives of three men who were childhood friends are shattered when one of them has a family tragedy. Heavy but powerful film focuses on the tight bonds of three guys who grew up in or around Southie, Boston. It adds to the enjoyment of the film if one is familiar with the area. Solid performances abound here and Eastwood masterfully handles the direction chore. The length may not be for all tastes but this reviewer doesn’t mind it. If one can look past the language, violence and thematic element of sexual abuse of a boy, there is a lot to be enjoyed here. The subtext is as rich as the plot and the characters. Good cinematography to boot… Dig the score composed and performed by Clint Eastwood too. A MUST for Boston or Boston area natives!

Trivia: The situation at the opening of this film is based on an incident when, as a child, author Dennis Lehane’s mother castigated him for getting into a car with two men who claimed to be plain–clothes policemen. The studio execs at Warner Brothers wanted Clint Eastwood to shoot this film in Toronto, Canada to save money. Eastwood refused and pushed to have the film shot in Boston where the story takes place. He won. Michael Keaton was originally cast as Sean Devine, played here by Kevin Bacon, and had already done several table reads with the principle cast and was well on his way in his research for the role with the Massachusetts State Police Department, when he got into a huge argument with Clint Eastwood. As a result of the argument, Keaton left the film and was replaced by Kevin Bacon.

This film was shot in 39 days. Forest Whitaker was the original choice for the role of Whitey Powers, played here by Laurence Fishburne, and he almost accepted the role but backed out due to other conflicts. Clint Eastwood narrated the teaser trailer. The liquor store scene was shot in Costello’s, a liquor store on Boylston Street in the Back Bay of Boston, next to Berklee College Of Music. After filming, screen shots from the scene were placed in the front display windows. Costello’s closed in January 2007. In the novel the surname of Jimmy and his family is Marcus but in the film it is Markum. 

Oscar® winner for: Best Actor – Sean Penn and Best Supporting Actor – Tim Robbins. Additionally Oscar® nominated for: Best Picture – Robert Lorenz, Jodie Hoyt and Clint Eastwood, Best Supporting Actress – Marcia Gay Harden, Best Director – Clint Eastwood, and Best Adapted Screenplay – Brian Helgeland. Golden Globe winner for: Best Actor – Motion Picture – Drama – Sean Penn and Best Supporting Actor – Motion Picture – Tim Robbins. Additionally Golden Globe nominated for: Best Motion Picture – Drama, Best Director – Motion Picture – Clint Eastwood, and Best Screenplay – Motion Picture – Brian Helgeland.

Rated: [R] – Language & Violence
Available on Blu–ray, DVD & Digital Copy 

Spotlight (2015)

C – 128m
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 – Widescreen
Writers: Josh Singer and Tom McCarthy
Exec. Prod.s: Jonathan King and Josh Singer
Dir.: Tom McCarthy
Starring: Mark Ruffalo, Michael Keaton, Rachel McAdams, Live Schreiber, John Slattery, Brian d’Arcy James, Stanley Tucci, Elena Wohl, Gene Amoroso, Doug Murray, Sharon McFarlane, Jamey Sheridan, Neal Huff, Billy Crudup, Robert B. Kennedy, Duane Murray, Brian Chamberlain, Michael Cyril Creighton, Paul Guilfoyle, Michael Countryman, Gary Galone, Nancy Villone, Joe Stapleton, Maureen Keiller, Laurie Murdoch, Richard O’Rourke, David Boston (uncredited), Richard Jenkins (voice, uncredited) and Colleen Kelly (uncredited).
Music By: Howard Shore

The true story of how The Boston Globe uncovered the massive scandal of child molestation and cover–up within the local Catholic Archdiocese, shaking the entire Catholic Church to its core. This is a splendid dramatization of the facts around the Catholic Church sex abuse scandal and how The Boston Globe uncovered it. While this may not technically be a thriller there is tension built during the film that will keep viewers on the edge of their seats. Wonderful acting by a colossal cast and a very impressive set of actors to be sure. The set on which parts of this film was shot is an achievement as well. While the subject matter may be a sore spot for some, or even unappealing or repulsive to others, the depiction of the victims of the abuse and their stories are handled with dignity and there is nothing graphically depicted here. While the purported numbers of abuse cases may be indeed huge, there are likely some minor embellishments, as is the case with most dramatizations. Should this wreck the film for you? Or even keep one from seeing the film? No. It works on too well to be ignored as a film. Watch it! 

Trivia: The Boston Globe offices were all a big set. When Michael Keaton met the man he played in the film, he did an impression of him based on tapes he had watched of the man, etc. It was so good that it unnerved the real person Keaton played in the film. The guy was quoted as saying, “If Michael Keaton robbed a bank they would come and arrest me!”

Oscar® winner for: Best Picture and Best Original Screenplay – Josh Singer and Tom McCarthy. Additionally Oscar® nominated for: Best Supporting Actor – Mark Ruffalo, Best Supporting Actress – Rachel McAdams, Best Director – Tom McCarthy, and Best Editing. Golden Globe nominated for: Best Motion Picture – Drama, Best Director – Motion Picture – Tom McCarthy, and Best Screenplay – Motion Picture – Josh Singer and Tom McCarthy.

Rated: [R] – Some Language Including Sexual References
Available on Blu–ray, DVD & Digital Copy

Other Jack The Ripper Films & Shows (1961–2017)

 Thriller: Season 1, Episode 28: Yours Truly, Jack The Ripper (1961)

B&W – 60m
Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1 – Fullscreen
Story: Yours Truly, Jack The Ripper by Robert Bloch
Adaptation By: Barre Lyndon
Prod.: William Frye
Dir.: Ray Milland
Starring: Boris Karloff, John Williams, Donald Woods, Edmon Ryan, Ottola Nesmith, Adam Williams, Nancy Valentine, Sam Gilman, Gloria Blondell and J. Pat O’Malley.
Music By: Jerry Goldsmith

70 years after the Jack The Ripper killings in London, Sir Guy convinces the police that Jack The Ripper may still be alive, eternally young, and still killing, currently in New York City. Smart and spooky rendering of the tale of Jack The Ripper. While the gory sensationalism of the later Ripper film and television outings is absent, the atmosphere and tension of “Who is Jack The Ripper,” is present and makes this a must watch. Milland handled the directorial work splendidly and the actors are capable. Karloff, “The Gentle Monster”, intros this tale of suspense with his soothing voice very nicely. He was the perfect host for this show. 

Trivia: The director of this episode of Thriller, Ray Milland starred in Sir Alfred Hitchcock’s Dial M For Murder with actor John Williams. The story’s author Robert Bloch is the same man who wrote the novel Psycho (1960) was based on. He subsequently wrote sequels to Psycho and a Jack The Ripper novel, after this short story, titled: Night Of The Ripper.

Out Of Print on DVD but Available on YouTube and Digital Copy

Time After Time (1979)

C – 112m
Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1 / 2.39:1 – Widescreen (Theatrical Ratio) / 2.40:1 – Widescreen (Blu–ray Ratio)
Story: Time After Time by Karl Alexander and Steve Hayes
Screenplay By: Nicholas Meyer
Dir.: Nicholas Meyer
Starring: Malcolm McDowell, David Warner, Mary Steenburgen, Michael Evans, John Colton, Corey Feldman, Neil Armstrong (archival sound), Sir Winston Churchill (archival sound), Jimi Hendrix (archival footage), John F. Kennedy (archival sound), Douglas MacArthur (archival sound), Edward R. Murrow (archival sound), Franklin D. Roosevelt (archival sound).

H.G. Welles chases Jack The Ripper through time to the 20th Century when the serial murderer uses the future writer’s time machine to escape his own time. Smart and literate Sci–fi yarn pits H.G. Welles brilliantly against Jack The Ripper. This premise has spawned several books over the years and a failed TV show in 2017 (see review below). A cult classic like this is stylish though somewhat average. Worth watching over the failed show with the same title though!   

Trivia: Malcolm McDowell and Mary Steenburgen met and fell in love while making this film. They were subsequently married from September 29, 1980 – October 1, 1990. Screenwriter – director Nicholas Meyer chose not to let them meet before they filmed the scene where they meet in order to keep their reaction fresh for the take. Malcolm McDowell listened to recordings of H.G. Welles to prep for his role as Welles. The real Welles’ voice was high and croaky according to McDowell, hence he chose not to imitate it. All four of H.G. Welles’ children were still alive when this film was released. A deleted scene had H.G. Welles meeting a punk on a bus who was playing loud music on a boom–box. The premise of the scene was later used in Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home (1986), which was also co–written and directed by Nicholas Meyer. In the chase scenes at the hotel David Warner had a stunt double as he was recovering from two broken ankles at the time. In the close–ups you can see him running gingerly so as to not hurt himself. This was Corey Feldman’s film debut. Reportedly, Nicholas Meyer originally wanted Edward Fox as The Ripper; then he considered Mick Jagger as The Ripper but just couldn’t see him in the role. The studio wanted Sally Field for the role that went to Mary Steenburgen. This was the second Jack The Ripper film of 1979, the other was: Murder My Decree (1979) (see review in another entry).

Rated: [PG]
Out Of Print on Laserdisc Available on Blu–ray, DVD & Digital Copy through The Warner Archive Collection 

Jack’s Back (1988)

C – 97m
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 – Widescreen
A.K.A.: A Knife To Kill, The Ripper, Red Rain
Writer – Dir.: Rowdy Herrington
Starring: James Spader, Cynthia Gibb, Jim Haynie, Robert Picardo, Rod Loomis and Chris Mulkey.

A serial killer in Los Angeles, California celebrates Jack The Ripper’s 100th birthday (anniversary) by committing similar murders and only one person has a chance at stopping him. This reviewer will resist the urge to make cutting remarks about this film. However the film does have a slow pace, iffy acting and a script that never builds suspense. It plays like a television movie, at best. Still, James Spader does his best with the lackluster material. As noted in the description of the film, the “birthday” of Jack The Ripper is actually the anniversary of his killings. This reviewer does not know many babies with surgical skills. 

Trivia: Director Harrington wanted the title to be: Red Rain, and to have Peter Gabriel’s song play over the opening credits. Due to budget restraints, he couldn’t get the rights to the song. So he had Paul Saax compose: “Red Harvest”. At the last minute the studio decided Red Rain had nothing to do with the film and changed the title to Jack’s Back.

Rated: [R]
Out Of Print on VHS & Laserdisc but Available on Blu–ray, DVD & Digital Copy

The Ripper (1997)

C – 96m
Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1 – Widescreen
A.K.A.: Ripper
Written By: Robert Rodat
Exec. Prod.: Mark Gordon
Dir.: Janet Meyers
Starring: Patrick Bergin, Gabrielle Anwar, Samuel West, Michael York, Essie Davis, Karen Davitt and Josephine Keen.

The tale of Jack The Ripper and the lives of the people around him. “…Someone’s sneakin’, ‘round the corner...” A typical Jack The Ripper tale is boosted by the approach of focusing on the royal family rather than the victims. While this is a 1990’s television movie, it has the quality of an indie film sleeper hit. There are some factual errors as with any Ripper film / show. This is more of a drama than a mystery but the suspense still builds making it a good thriller.

Trivia: Samuel West previously played Prince Albert Victor Edward as a young child in: Edward The King (1975), in which his father, Timothy West, played the title role.

Rated: [R] – Violence & Sexuality
Out Of Print on VHS and not available on YouTube or Digital Copy, though it occasionally runs on TV 

Ripper (2001)

C – 114m
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 – Widescreen
A.K.A.: Ripper: Letter From Hell
Story By: John A Curtis and Evan Tylor
Screenplay By: Pat Bermel and Neil Bermel
Exec. Prod. – Prod.: John A Curtis (as John Cutis)
Dir.: John Eyres
Starring: A.J. Cook, Bruce Payne, Ryan Northcott, Derek Hamilton, Daniella Evangelista, Emmanuelle Vaugier, Kelly Brook and Bruce Pinard.

A massacre survivor studies serial killers under a famous expert, but her classmates soon start dying at the hands of a Jack The Ripper copycat. Excesses of excesses hamper this otherwise okay gory chiller. Followed by a sequel: Ripper 2: Letter From Within (2004).

Rated: [R] – Violence / Gore, Sexuality & Language
Available on DVD & Digital Copy 

Ripper 2: Letter From Within (2004)

C – 85m (Uncut) 89m (DVD)
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 – Widescreen
Story By: Evan Tylor, Jonas Quastel, and John A. Curtis
Screenplay By: Jonas Quastel and John Sheppard
Additional Screenplay By: Pat Bermel and Neil Bermel
Exec. Prod.: John A. Curtis
Dir.: Jonas Quastel and Lloyd A. Simandl
Starring: Erin Karpluk and Richard Bremmer

When Ripper Murders start occurring to a haunted mental patient who survived the first film, time will tell who the killer is. A killer is on the loose in the nut house plot works rather well here. Better pacing than the first film and more of a coherent story make this superior to its predecessor. 

Rated: [R] – Strong Sexual Content, Violence & Language
Available on DVD & Digital Copy 

Ripper Street: The Complete Series (2012 – 2017)

C – 59m. Per Episode
Aspect Ratio: 16X9 / 1.78:1 – Widescreen
Dir.: Various. Writers: Various.

Starring: Matthew Macfadyen, Adam Rothenberg, MyAnna Buring, Jerome Flynn, David Wilmot, Charlene McKenna, David Dawson, Anna Burnett, Clive Russell and others.

The crimes of Jack The Ripper, and some of the other criminals, on the streets around the time of the Ripper killings, as they relate to Inspector Reid and company. Excellent telling of The Ripper tale bookending a series of crimes committed by thugs, rapists, murderers, and sometimes even the police force. Not one false note in this series. Although the episode count is low, the body count is high and the production is vivid. A must for Ripperphiles and fans of period piece films and shows! Be forewarned: This is NOT for the squeamish. Disclaimer: This reviewer is a self-taught Ripperphile and therefore holds some prejudice in favor of this show and others like it.     

Trivia: BBC 1 and BBC America decided to cancel the show in 2013 after two seasons. Amazon.com picked up the show and aired it on their streaming service and on BBC 1 and BBC America. That stint ran three additional seasons; totaling five seasons and 36 episodes. This show was filmed primarily in the U.K. and England.

Available on Blu–ray, DVD & Digital Copy.

Time After Time: The Complete Series (2017)

C – 552m
Writers: Various
Novelization: Time After Time by Karl Alexander
Dir.s: Various
Starring: Freddie Stroma and Josh Bowman.

H.G. Welles takes his time machine through time to chase Jack The Rippers and other notable Troubledoers. This abysmal attempt to bring the Nicholas Meyer cult classic to the small screen for the modern audience should be avoided at all cost. By that this reviewer means: don’t spend money to see it! The acting resembles Charlie McCarthy sans humor and the story is stretched beyond reason. What is left is 552 minutes of agony for anyone that has good will towards the 1979 cult classic film, from which this abomination is derived. Weirdly the television show: Sleepy Hollow (2013–2017), derived from the 1999 Tim Burton film, succeeds where this one failed, in this reviewer’s opinion. Others may think differently on these points of course. But in the interest of saving people time after time, don’t bother with this one!

Available on Digital Copy

Christina Ricci Lizzie Borden Film & Show (2014 & 2015)

 Lizzie Borden Took An Axe (2014)

C – 87m
Aspect Ratio: 16:9 / 1.78:1 – Widescreen
A.K.A.: Lizzie Borden Took An Ax
Writer: Stephen Kay
Dir.: Nick Gomez
Starring: Christina Ricci, Clea DuVall, Gregg Henry, Stephen McHattie, Shawn Doyle, Sarah Botsford, Jeremy Akerman, Brett Donahue, John Dunsworth and Andrew Gillies.

The true story of Lizzie Borden, a woman tried and acquitted in the 1892 murders of her father and stepmother. “Lizzie Borden took an axe and gave her mother 40 whacks. When she’d seen what she had done, she gave her father 41.” The premise is simple the acting is solid. The only thing out of place is punk rock – ish music playing in a film set in 1892. Still, this reviewer enjoyed the film that did it first: A Knight’s Tale (2001). So why complain too much with it here? Christina Ricci and the cast are capable but the presentation is average. This spawned the limited series: The Lizzie Borden Chronicles (2015), A.K.A.: Lizzie Borden: The Fall River Chronicles.

Rated: [TV–14]
Available on DVD & Digital Copy 

The Lizzie Borden Chronicles: The Complete Series (2015)

C – 337m
Aspect Ratio: 16:9 / 1.78:1 – Widescreen
AKA: Lizzie Borden: The Fall River Chronicles
Exec. Prod.: Christina Ricci
Starring: Christina Ricci, Clea DuVall, Cole Hauser, Dylan Taylor, John Ralston, Jeff Wincott, Jonathan Banks, John Heard, Kenneth Welsh, Stephen McHattie, Bill Carr, Chris Lawrence.

Fictionalized account of the actual events and people surrounding Lizzie Borden after her controversial acquittal of the double murder of her father and stepmother in 1892. Vivid characters help boost this above the original movie, Lizzie Borden Took An Axe (2014). The stories of the episodes are even more lively than that of the film and the body count is greater than two, which helps. Not for the squeamish but not the most violent thing to view either. Christina Ricci, as always in this reviewer’s opinion, is in good form and she commendably produced this project. This was a limited run series. 

Available on DVD & Digital Copy

The Lodger Films (1927–2009)

The Lodger (1926 / 1927)

B&W – 98m (Ontario, Canada) / 92m (Theatrical) / 90m (2012 Restoration & TCM Print) / 74m (National Film Archive Print) / 67m (VHS)
Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1 – Fullscreen
A.K.A.: The Lodger: A Story Of The London Fog
Novel: The Lodger by Marie Belloc Lowndes
Play: “The Lodger” by Marie Belloc Lowndes
Scenario By: Eliot Stannard
Uncredited: Sir Alfred Hitchcock
Prod.: Michael Balcon
Dir.: Sir Alfred Hitchcock
Starring: Marie Ault, Arthur Chesney, June Tripp, Malcolm Keen, Ivor Novello, Reginald Gardiner, Eve Gray, Sir Alfred Hitchcock and Alma Reville.
Script Supervisor: Elma Reville

SILENT FILM

A landlady suspects her new lodger is the madman killing women in London. The first surviving Jack The Ripper film boasts of the talents of Alfred Hitchcock, his wife Alma Reville and actor Reginald Gardiner. As it is a silent film it helps to pay attention when watching the film and not try to multitask. The film is dated and stilted but worth watching for the fact that it was Hitchcock’s first suspense film and the first surviving Jack The Ripper film. 

Trivia: This was the first Sir Alfred Hitchcock film in which Hitchcock had cameo. For the opening of the film Hitchcock wanted the Avenger’s murder victim being dragged out of The Thames River with the Charing Cross Bridge in the background. His request to shoot the scene was turned down by Scotland Yard. After several more appeals to the Yard, Hitch got his answer when they agreed to look the other way if he could shoot it in one night. Hitch sent the cameraman and his actors to shoot the scene. After the film was developed they searched frantically for the scene. It was discovered that the cameraman forgot to load the lens on the camera before shooting the scene. The original story had hints of homosexuality and incest but Ivor Montagu changed that by removing title cards, bringing the number from 400 down to 80, at the behest of producer Michael Balcon.

The book is supposedly based on a story told to painter Walter Richard Sickert, writer Patricia Cornwell’s pick for who was Jack The Ripper, by a landlady who made the claim that her last lodger was Jack The Ripper. This was the film debut of Reginald Gardiner. Ivor Novello reprised his role in the first talkie remake of this film: The Phantom Fiend (1932).

Out Of Print on VHS but Available on Blu–ray, DVD & Digital Copy separate and as part of The Criterion Collection

The Phantom Fiend (1932)

B&W – 67m (Full Running Length – beware of shorter prints)
Aspect Ratio: 1.37:1 – Fullscreen
A.K.A.: The Lodger
Novel: The Lodger by Marie Belloc Lowndes (as Mrs. Belloc Lowndes)
Scenario By: Miles Mander and Paul Rotha
Adapted For The Screen By: H. Fowler Mear
Uncredited: Ivor Novello
Dir.: Maurice Elvey
Starring: Ivor Novello, Elizabeth Allan, A.W. Baskcomb and Jack Hawkins.

A landlady suspects her new lodger is the man killing women in London. Interesting but somewhat lesser version of the Sir Alfred Hitchcock classic. Hitch had the visual flair while this relies on the new addition of sound. Still it does build some suspense. Worth a look.

Trivia: This film is in public domain. Ivor Novello reprised his role from the classic Sir Alfred Hitchcock Film. Hitchcock was asked to direct but declined. 

Available on DVD, Digital Copy & on YouTube

The Lodger (1944)

B&W – 84m
Aspect Ratio: 1.37:1 – Fullscreen (Theatrical Ratio) / 1.34:1 – Fullscreen (Blu–ray Ratio)
A.K.A.: Jack The Ripper
From The Novel: The Lodger by Marie Belloc Lowndes
Screenplay By: Barre Lyndon
Dir.: John Brahm
Starring: Merle Oberon, George Sanders, Laird Cregar, Sir Cedric Hardwicke, Sara Allgood, Aubrey Mather, Queenie Leonard, Doris Lloyd, Billy Bevan, Edmund Breon, Ruth Clifford, Herbert Clifton, Cyril Delevanti, Frank Elliott, Herbert Evans, Kit Guard, Gerald Hamer, Lumsden Hare, Forrester Harvey, Stuart Holmes, Boyd Irwin, Colin Kenny, Skelton Knaggs, Anita Sharp–Bolster, C. Montague Shaw, Ethel Sherman, Will Stanton and Frederick Worlock. Cinematography By: Lucien Ballard

A landlady suspects her new lodger of being Jack The Ripper. Splendid remake of the Hitchcock classic and subsequent 1932 remake that also starred Ivor Novello. Cinematography is wonderful! Oberon is stunning and Cregar is menacing. The suspense builds wonderfully and this reviewer will admit to having nightmares based on the ending chase. A must watch!

Trivia: Merle Oberon fell in love with the cinematographer, Lucien Ballard, and they were married the following year. Because of a car accident Oberon was in she had facial scars. Ballard created a way of lighting her that would wash out the scars. This technique is still called: “The Obie”, not to be confused with the Off–Broadway award. Laird Cregar’s screen presence created such a stir 20th Century Fox planned to cast him in many more roles capitalizing on his role here. The first of which was Hangover Square (1945). Unfortunately Cregar suffered a fatal heart attack and Hangover Square was released posthumously. This was filmed in 1943 and released in 1944. This film was remade by 20th Century Fox as: Man In The Attic (1953), which was filmed on the same sets and reused footage of the London police chasing Jack The Ripper on the rooftops. The sequence of the killing at the beginning of the picture was ordered to be placed there by studio chief Darryl F. Zanuck.

Available on Blu–ray, DVD & Digital Copy

Man In The Attic (1953)

B&W – 82m
Aspect Ratio: 1.66:1 – Widescreen
Novel: The Lodger By Marie Belloc Lowndes
Screenplay By: Robert Presnell, Jr. and Barre Lyndon
Exec. Prod.: Leonard Goldstein
Prod.: Robert L. Jacks
Dir.: Hugo Fregonese
Starring: Jack Palance, Constance Smith, Byron Palmer, Frances Bavier, Rhys Williams, Sean McClory, Leslie Bradley, Lester Matthews, Harry Cording, Lisa Daniels, Lilian Bond, Isabel Jewell, Rama Bai, Chet Brandenburg, Morgan Brown, Noble ‘Kid’ Chissell, Franklyn Farnum, Stuart Holmes, Michael Jeffers, Colin Kenny, Sylvia Lewis, Mickey Martin, Monty O’Grady, Joe Phillips, Bob Reeves, Cosmo Sardo and Ben Wright.

After an enigmatic, self–described pathologist rents the attic room of a Victorian house, his landlady begins to suspect that her lodger is Jack The Ripper. A near miss of a film remake of The Lodger suffers from stuffy scripting and over–acting. Likely best to skip this one.

Trivia: This film is in “public domain”. This is 20th Century Fox’s second stab at The Lodger story. Film debut of Lisa Daniels.

Available on DVD & Digital Copy

The Lodger (2009)

C – 95m
Aspect Ratio: 16:9 – Widescreen
Novel: The Lodger by Marie Belloc Lowndes
Writer – Dir.: David Ondaatje
Starring: Alfred Molina, Hope Davis, Shane West, Donal Logue, Philip Baker Hall, Rachael Leigh Cook, Rebecca Pidgeon and Simon Baker.

A couple rents out a room to a mysterious young man, who may or may not be guilty of a series of grisly neighborhood murders. While there are historical inaccuracies in this version, as with any other version, the film is a smart updating of the classic novel. Be aware that this is a premise only remake. Obviously Jack The Ripper was seldom mentioned in 2009. Worth a look as a completion of The Lodger story.

Trivia: Annie Chapman was Jack The Ripper’s second victim, not his fourth victim. Liz Stride and Catherine Eddowes were killed on the same night but in different locations unlike what is stated here.

Rated: [R] – Violent Content, Language & Brief Nudity
Available on DVD & Digital Copy

Sherlock Holmes Vs. Jack The Ripper Films

A Study In Terror (1965 / 1966)

C – 95m
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 – Widescreen
A.K.A.: Sherlock Holmes Vs. Jack The Ripper, Fog
Characters By: Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
Loosely Adapted From The Novel: A Study In Terror by Ellery Queen (Daniel Nathan / Fredric Dannay and Emanuel Benjamin Lepofsky / Manfred Bennington Lee) 
Original Story By: Jim O’Connolly
Screenplay By: Donald Ford and Derek Ford
Dir.: James Hill
Starring: John Neville, Donald Houston, John Fraser, Anthony Quayle, Barbara Windsor, Adrienne Corri, Frank Finlay, Judi Dench, Cecil Parker, Georgia Brown, Barry Jones, Robert Morley, Peter Carsten, Christiane Maybach and Patrick Newell. 

Sherlock Holmes and Dr. John H. Watson join the hunt for the notorious serial killer, Jack The Ripper. Slick loose adaption of the Ellery Queen classic novel features an interesting take on The Ripper story. The novel it is loosely adapted from has the Holmes story framed by armchair detective / writer Ellery Queen reading the manuscript by Dr. John H. Watson. This film is simply the Holmes Vs. The Ripper story that Queen was, “reading”… For what it was at the time the film does a swift job of telling the story, though there are many loose ends not so well tied up. Still, it is of interest for Ripperphiles and should be screened with Murder By Decree (1979).   

Trivia: The close of the film, set a Baker Street eludes to The Adventure Of The Blue Carbuncle by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Frank Finlay also plays Inspector Lestrade in: Murder By Decree (1979). Anthony Quayle appears in both films as well. John Neville reprised his role as Sherlock Holmes on Broadway in the 1970’s. Robert Stephens was the first choice to play Sherlock Holmes here; he would go on to do so in 1970 and Thorley Walters was the first choice for Dr. Watson. Jim O’Connolly was at first attached to direct the film. Mary Anne Nichols, The Ripper’s first victim, bought a hat that she was proud of the night she was murdered. This bit of info was given to his third victim in this film: “Long Liz” – Elizabeth Stride. The final victim, Mary Jane Kelly’s one room flat was historically located on the first floor.

Out Of Print on VHS but Available on Blu–ray, DVD & Digital Copy

Murder By Decree (1979)

C – 124m
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 – Widescreen
A.K.A.: Sherlock Holmes: Murder By Decree, Sherlock Holmes And Saucy Jack
Characters By: Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
Book: The Ripper File by Elwyn Jones, Stephen Knight and John Lloyd
Screenplay By: John Hopkins
Novelization By: Robert Weverka
Prod. – Dir.: Bob Clark
Starring: Christopher Plummer, James Mason, David Hemmings, Susan Clark, Anthony Quayle, John Gielgud, Frank Finlay, Donald Sutherland, Genevieve Bujold, June Brown, Hilary Sesta, Anthony May, Ann Mitchell and Iris Fry.

Sherlock Holmes investigates the murders committed by Jack The Ripper and discovers a conspiracy to protect the killer. Sherlock Holmes Vs. Jack The Ripper once again – basic but fun. The ending feels a tad rushed but the film is entertaining. For a shoe–string budget film, this is quite impressive. Worth a look and should be on a double bill with A Study In Terror (1965). 

Trivia: Alien (1979) was filming concurrently with this film, Murder By Decree (1979). Peter O’Toole was originally cast as Sherlock Holmes with Sir Laurence Olivier as Dr. Watson. Director Bob Clark had to research to see if the word, “fart,” existed in 1888, it was. According to Bob Clark the film’s budget was less than $4 million. Christopher Plumber, who plays Sherlock Holmes here, was a cousin of Nigel Bruce, who played Dr. Watson to Basil Rathbone’s Sherlock Holmes from 1939 – 1946. Plummer previously played Holmes in the tele-movie: The Sunday Drama: The Silver Blaze (1977). Frank Finlay also played Inspector Lestrade in A Study In Terror (1965). Anthony Quayle also was in that film. This was the first Ripper film released in 1979. The other was: Time After Time (1979).

Rated: [PG]
Out Of Print on VHS but Available on DVD & Digital Copy 

From Hell (2001)

C – 122m
Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1 – Widescreen
A.K.A.: Jack
Graphic Novel By: Alan Moore and Eddie Campbell
Screenplay By: Terry Hayes and Rafael Yglesias
Exec. Prod.s – Dir.s: Albert Hughes and Allen Hughes
Starring: Johnny Depp, Heather Graham, Sir Ian Holm, Robbie Coltrane, Sir Ian Richardson, Jason Flemyng, Katrin Cartlidge, Terence Howard, Susan Lynch, Lesley Sharp, Annabelle Apsion, Joanna Page, Mark Dexter, Sophia Myles, Donald Douglas, John Owens, Ian McNeice, Vincent Franklin, Anthony Parker, James Greene, Dominic Cooper and Carey Thring.

In Victorian Era London, a troubled clairvoyant police detective investigates the murders of Jack The Ripper. Other critics and film historians panned this film thoroughly. This reviewer on the other hand loves this film. The period detail is fairly good, the CGI and makeup are great and the story is basically Sherlock Holmes, as a clairvoyant, chasing Jack The Ripper, as previously depicted in A Study In Terror (1965/1966) and Murder By Decree (1979). The cast plays this to the hilt and it has some wonderful visuals – the red London skyline and the drugged visions of the streets including The Elephant Man – Joseph Carey Merrick ( incorrectly called: “John Merrick”). There is also great attention paid to the details of The Ripper’s crimes. A must!  

Trivia: Heather Graham almost went into softcore pornography until she got her role in Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me (1999), then, subsequently made this film where she plays a prostitute. Real photos of The Ripper’s victims were pinned to the walls of the police station set. The directors did this to unnerve the actors in order to get better performances out of them. Commissioner of Police Sir Charles Warren never really visited the site of the fifth ripper victim as he was relieved of his duties, forced resignation, prior to the final victim’s murder. Daniel Day–Lewis, Sir Sean Connery, Jude Law and Brad Pitt were all either, considered, wanted or interviewed for the role that went to Johnny Depp. Sir Nigel Hawthorne was set to play Sir William Gull, played here by Sir Ian Holm, but had to drop out due to being terminally ill with cancer. As noted Sir Ian Holm replaced him. Sir Nigel Hawthorne died in 2001. Around the time of this film William Friedkin was trying to set up The Diary Of Jack The Ripper as a film with Sir Anthony Hopkins. This was the film debut of Dominic Cooper and the final film of Katrin Cartlidge who died from food poisoning at the age of 41 on September 7, 2002.  

Rated: [R] – Strong Violence / Gore, Sexuality, Language & Dug Content
Available on Blu–ray, DVD & Digital Copy