A century has passed since the notorious Whitechapel murders when a copycat killer appeared in Los Angeles. Following five similar killings, investigators are (seemingly) convinced that the murderer took their own life; otherwise, they remain at large. Given that "Jack’s Back” (1988) centers on the return of Jack the Ripper, I anticipated a gruesome and gritty slasher film comparable to "Edge of Sanity" (1989). Instead, it resembles “I, Madman” (1989) blended with “The Night Stalker” (1972), though noticeably less impressive than either. It marked one of James Spader’s initial leading roles and he performs adequately, while Cynthia Gibb is also a welcome presence in the female cast. However, something prevented me from enjoying it. For instance, Rex Ryon's character seems more like an NFL linebacker than a young doctor, which was a miscast choice. Additionally, there's a sudden plot development roughly thirty minutes in and the predictable identical twin device is employed. It doesn’t help that very little of the movie captures the essence of Jack the Ripper transplanted to contemporary times, as effectively portrayed in "Edge of Sanity" or the more recent “Maniac” (2012). This was the writer/director's debut feature, which may account for its shortcomings. His original plan was to call it “Red Rain,” incorporating Peter Gabriel’s song for the opening credits; however, a limited budget prohibited securing the necessary licensing. Although I felt let down, Siskel & Ebert gave it an approving "thumbs-up." If any of my criticisms appeal to you, then perhaps give it a try—you might find it enjoyable. In my opinion, there’s a clear reason for its relative lack of recognition. The film has a running time of 1 hour, 37 minutes and was filmed in Los Angeles. GRADE: C/C-

Source on TMDB