by Frank Calvillo
Of all of the performances James Spader has committed to screen, it was his turn in the 90s werewolf thriller Wolf which remains my favorite. Though that film was so heavy on the interplay of stars Jack Nicholson and Michelle Pfeiffer, Spader still managed to command every moment he was on the screen, playing a ruthless, opportunistic book editor, sporting a preppy wardrobe and great villainous dialogue. His work in Wolf will eternally be my go-to Spader performance, but his work in the underrated Jack’s Back gives it an extremely close run for its money.
The debut of writer/director Rowdy Harrington, Jack’s Back takes place in late 1980s Los Angeles, where a the murders of a number of prostitutes have been troubling authorities, especially since all of the killings mirror those of famed London serial killer Jack the Ripper. When local medical student John (Spader) is suspected, and later turns up dead himself, it becomes up to his estranged twin brother Rick (also Spader) to clear his brother’s name and keep cops from thinking he might be the actual copycat killer. Along with the help of John’s co-worker Chris (Cynthia Gibb), Rick sets out on a cat mouse chase between him, the police and his brother’s murderer, while the real killer stands back watching.
This film definitely fits into the Jack the Ripper sub-genre of films, all of which usually try to either put their own spin on the true-life killings, or play with the character of Jack by placing him in a variety of settings and decades. The Jack the Ripper sub-genre is not an official one by any means. Yet its fascinating to see the many filmmakers who cinematically revisit the crimes and how they choose to portray the most infamous serial killer of all time.
The most inventive of these tributes was the early 80s fantasy/mystery/thriller Time After Time, in which H.G. Welles uses his time machine to venture into modern-day San Francisco to bring the era-jumping Jack back to justice. Jack’s Back embodies the same sort of spirit by placing the image of the monstrous Jack in an era where everyone believes they are safe from him. Harrington’s idea of a copycat idolizing the man so much to the point that he recreates all of his crimes in the same manner, is a great way of showing that Jack the Ripper still terrorizes even today. This is helped all the more by the well-shot L.A. setting. While its as different as can be in comparison to the mysteriousness of foggy London, the idea of the boogeyman being able to find you in a large metropolis is as chilling and alive as ever.
I’m sure Jack’s Back was marketed as a slasher movie upon release. And that’s fair enough. The film features enough upfront blood and gore to justify such a classification. Its just a shame that the film had to be made at a time when slashers on the whole were on the decline.
In all honesty, Jack’s Back works best as a thriller with slasher elements and is full of a number of superb features which make it one of the better offerings from the late 80s. First off, the introduction of Rick into the story is hands down excellent and while there aren’t a lot of bodies piling up in comparison with most slashers, there’s enough potent cat and mouse action going on to keep the audience in suspense. What stands out most however, is the architecture of the plot and the fact that it isn’t always easy to decipher where the story is going, mainly because this is a story which works so hard to defy conventionality at every turn. In the end, there’s a welcome subtlety to this thriller, especially in the times it chooses to function as a solid character piece with a heightened sense of danger always lurking in the background.
Regardless of whichever well-cast character actor is on the screen (including Gibb, who is saddled with a nothing part), none of them even come close to stealing attention away from Spader in what is truly a tour de force performance. Dual roles can be tricky, but the actor physically looks the part of both brothers so believably well. This isn’t just due to well-chosen costumes, but to the actor’s steadfast commitment to crafting two such different characters and mentalities. Even a laughably choreographed fight scene still works thanks to the intensity in Spader’s eyes, as does a short monologue featuring the actor looking into the camera and describing his relationship with his twin brother.
The final few minutes of Jack’s Back features some great action and quick scenes which really tie all the threads together, making for a fitting climax. There is however one glaring element, whose purpose is only assumed, but never fully explained. Despite this, Its hard not to admire the creativeness on Harrington’s part in wanting to pay tribute to one of the most notorious serial killer cases ever and doing so in such a magnetic and original way.
The Package
Aside from the incredibly misleading trailer, there’s a retrospective featurette, with interviews from Harrington, Gibb and various other members of the crew, most of whom talk about how the film was made so cheaply, including having all crane shots being made on one day because the production didn’t have the crane for any longer
The accompanying commentary track with Harrington also talks about the interesting genesis of Jack’s Back, but more or less follows the same path as the featurette with more technical trivia on hand.
The Lowdown
Though its been largely forgotten since release, Jack’s Back features a high-quality thriller plot and a flawless performance from Spader.
Jack’s Back is now available in a Blu-Ray/DVD combo pack from Scream Factory.
