Jack’s Back is a 1988 American horror film directed and written by Rowdy Herrington (an electrician on Humanoids from the Deep; A Nightmare on Elm Street and Nightflyers). It stars James Spader (Wolf) and Cynthia Gibb.
Plot teaser:
In Los Angeles, a young doctor is suspected when a series of Jack the Ripper copycat killings is committed. However, when the doctor himself is murdered, his identical twin brother claims to have seen visions of the true killer…
Reviews:
‘Jack’s Back was written and directed by Rowdy Harrington, who pays adequate homage to the requirements of the thriller, especially in a couple of truly shocking moments. But he’s up to something more than a routine shock movie here. He has taken the trouble to make three-dimensional characters, and paused here and there to provide scenes that make the characters seem real and complicated, instead of just pawns in a movie formula.’ Roger Ebert
‘ …so dull it leaves you plenty of time to marvel at how a plot can be this rickety, how a production can look this shabby, and how the first-time writer and director Rowdy Herrington could borrow a story with so relentless a grip on our imaginations and in no time at all declaw it.’ Caryn James, The New York Times
‘An angry black police captain? Check. A scene set in a porn shop/strip club for no reason? Check. Lots of jazzy sax? Check. Then we have some “oh, the 80s” details, like a guy in a hideous pink and blue pastel shirt giving our hero some grief, and people smoking inside the mall… it’s possible that the only way to enjoy anything about this movie is if you have an appreciation for how silly the 80s were.’ Horror Movie a Day
Choice dialogue:
Cop: “This isn’t Twilight Zone, Sam. This is real life!’
Cast:
- John/Rick Wesford – James Spader
- Chris Moscari – Cynthia Gibb
- Sgt. Gabriel – Jim Haynie
- Dr. Carlos Battera – Robert Picardo
- Dr. Sidney Tannerson – Rod Loomis
- Jack Pendler – Rex Ryon
- Scott Morofsky – Chris Mulkey
- Anchorman – Mario Machado
