Hands of the Ripper (1971)
Studio: Synapse
Theatrical Release: October 17, 1971 (UK)
Blu Ray Release: July 9, 2013
Director: Peter Sasdy
Not Rated
Review by James Klein
The latest Hammer Horror Collection release by Synapse is the much eagerly awaited Hands of the Ripper. When the film was released in the U.S. in 1972, it had arrived in a much edited down R rated version, same for the VHS release. Now, for the first time, Synapse has released this strange Hammer horror film in its full uncut, bloody glory.
Hands of the Ripper starts off like most Hammer films: period piece, London, gothic type setting, it's all here. We are introduced briefly to Jack the Ripper who has just come back from one of his latest kills. When he gets home and his wife finds out that he's the infamous killer, he stabs her before she can turn him in. As she lays dying, he tends to his baby daughter whose crying hysterically until he kisses her. Once he kisses her, she seems to calm down.
Cut to 20 years later and Jack's daughter, Anna (the late Angharad Rees), works for a fake psychic who lures in grieving families by making up stories regarding their deceased love ones. Dr. John Pritchard (Eric Porter) is one of the guests invited to meet this psychic. While everyone seems captivated by the psychic, he knows she is a fake and even sees Anna's foot from behind a curtain. Dr. Pritchard is a man of science who believes in psychotherapy and wants to enforce the notion that criminals can be taught to change, that man needs to learn from a murderer than by sending him to be hung. When the guests begin to leave, Anna suddenly flips her marbles and stabs the psychic with an iron poker. While no one saw who committed the murder, the good doctor seems to have an inkling as to what happened but doesn't know why.
What unfolds is an odd father/daughter relationship which could even be interpreted as a love story as this doctor takes Anna under his wing and tries to protect her from being found out as a murderer while trying to figure out what makes her flip out at the turn of a switch. Does she have psychological problems due to her childhood or is she possessed by Jack the Ripper? What is different about this horror film than most Hammer films of the time was that the movie doesn't portrait the killer as evil and the audience may want to root for Anna and the doctor to figure out a way to cure her madness. But as the bodies pile up, one knows where this will end.
From the melancholy music by Christopher Gunning to the strong performances and tight direction, Hands of the Ripper may not be as fast paced as most Hammer films and may even be too much of a dramatic thriller for fans of the genre but it certainly is well made and one that I found really enjoyable. The uncut version may seem tame to today's standards but compared to a few of the Hammer films released in the 60's and 70's, this one gets a bit bloody (although death by eye glasses was a bit too humorous for me to take seriously). However, at just 85 minutes long, the film does take its time and seems to drag at various points.
As always, Synapse does an amazing job in its transfer and this picture has never looked this crystal clear, yet keeping the grain that was provided by the film stock. The 2.0 mono sound works well for this film and dialog and music is very clear. I loved the extras Synapse came up with for this disc such as a new making of, a still gallery of all the gore / make up shots from other Hammer films, the TV spots and trailers for Ripper and what may be the most interesting special feature is the U.S. Television premiere introduction. This introduction was shot and added to the TV premiere in 1977 to make the film more clear to American audiences, not to mention pad out the running time with all of the edits for nudity and violence that was forced by the censors. However, the footage has been destroyed and all that is left is the audio from the introduction.
Hands of the Ripper may not be Hammer's best or scariest film but it is one of their most dramatic and downright depressing films. That is a compliment in my book, as I really enjoyed this strange little film and appreciate the different take on Jack the Ripper.
[Rating: 3.5]
Theatrical Release: October 17, 1971 (UK)
Blu Ray Release: July 9, 2013
Director: Peter Sasdy
Not Rated
Review by James Klein
The latest Hammer Horror Collection release by Synapse is the much eagerly awaited Hands of the Ripper. When the film was released in the U.S. in 1972, it had arrived in a much edited down R rated version, same for the VHS release. Now, for the first time, Synapse has released this strange Hammer horror film in its full uncut, bloody glory.
Hands of the Ripper starts off like most Hammer films: period piece, London, gothic type setting, it's all here. We are introduced briefly to Jack the Ripper who has just come back from one of his latest kills. When he gets home and his wife finds out that he's the infamous killer, he stabs her before she can turn him in. As she lays dying, he tends to his baby daughter whose crying hysterically until he kisses her. Once he kisses her, she seems to calm down.
Cut to 20 years later and Jack's daughter, Anna (the late Angharad Rees), works for a fake psychic who lures in grieving families by making up stories regarding their deceased love ones. Dr. John Pritchard (Eric Porter) is one of the guests invited to meet this psychic. While everyone seems captivated by the psychic, he knows she is a fake and even sees Anna's foot from behind a curtain. Dr. Pritchard is a man of science who believes in psychotherapy and wants to enforce the notion that criminals can be taught to change, that man needs to learn from a murderer than by sending him to be hung. When the guests begin to leave, Anna suddenly flips her marbles and stabs the psychic with an iron poker. While no one saw who committed the murder, the good doctor seems to have an inkling as to what happened but doesn't know why.
What unfolds is an odd father/daughter relationship which could even be interpreted as a love story as this doctor takes Anna under his wing and tries to protect her from being found out as a murderer while trying to figure out what makes her flip out at the turn of a switch. Does she have psychological problems due to her childhood or is she possessed by Jack the Ripper? What is different about this horror film than most Hammer films of the time was that the movie doesn't portrait the killer as evil and the audience may want to root for Anna and the doctor to figure out a way to cure her madness. But as the bodies pile up, one knows where this will end.
From the melancholy music by Christopher Gunning to the strong performances and tight direction, Hands of the Ripper may not be as fast paced as most Hammer films and may even be too much of a dramatic thriller for fans of the genre but it certainly is well made and one that I found really enjoyable. The uncut version may seem tame to today's standards but compared to a few of the Hammer films released in the 60's and 70's, this one gets a bit bloody (although death by eye glasses was a bit too humorous for me to take seriously). However, at just 85 minutes long, the film does take its time and seems to drag at various points.
As always, Synapse does an amazing job in its transfer and this picture has never looked this crystal clear, yet keeping the grain that was provided by the film stock. The 2.0 mono sound works well for this film and dialog and music is very clear. I loved the extras Synapse came up with for this disc such as a new making of, a still gallery of all the gore / make up shots from other Hammer films, the TV spots and trailers for Ripper and what may be the most interesting special feature is the U.S. Television premiere introduction. This introduction was shot and added to the TV premiere in 1977 to make the film more clear to American audiences, not to mention pad out the running time with all of the edits for nudity and violence that was forced by the censors. However, the footage has been destroyed and all that is left is the audio from the introduction.
Hands of the Ripper may not be Hammer's best or scariest film but it is one of their most dramatic and downright depressing films. That is a compliment in my book, as I really enjoyed this strange little film and appreciate the different take on Jack the Ripper.
[Rating: 3.5]
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