Hands Of The Ripper (Blu-ray + DVD Combo) (1971)

Welcome to Hammer's outstanding "Hands of the Ripper", one of the studio's last movies and one of their best. The story tells of Anna, a young girl who is actually Jack the Ripper's daughter, and who was traumatised as a toddler by witnessing a vicious killing (seen in the prologue). Now an adult, she is prone to murderous seizures which provide the many grisly highlights of the film. It sounds rather lurid, but the film takes the subject seriously, and as a whole, the plot is tremendously engaging. Anna's rages are only triggered by a specific set of circumstances, and the script creates a surprising and clever staging for each one, following on every time with a suitably gory slaughter. The film features great performances from its prestigious cast, particularly Angharad Rees who is luminously beautiful as Anna, and Eric Porter as the doctor who realises her identity but is compelled to try and cure her rather than turn her in (as well as falling for her charms, as she has no recollection of what she does when she goes into a trance). Of course, in the movies such a situation can only end in tragedy, and the climax of the story is elegantly downbeat and very effective. The period London setting, the photography and the directing all fall perfectly into place, and "Hands of the Ripper" can be judged as one of Hammer's greatest acheivements. It's crying out for a DVD release, so hopefully someone will take the initiative very soon. There is a UK region 2 release, but it's only available as a box set with two far inferior British 70's horror movies "The Monster" and "The Uncanny". I was lucky and got one from a split set, but it's a real shame that most people will miss out on enjoying this movie by it not getting the circulation it deserves.

'Hands of the Ripper' is a Hammer movie from Peter Sasdy; the same guy who directed the lamentable 'I Don't Want To Be Born' and it's in a different league.

Superior in every multitudinous way you can possibly think of, and then some...

It's a sharp, aggressive picture. A slight departure for Hammer, in that there's a VERY sympathetic 'monster'. Not an unthinking fiend from the murk and fog, but a vulnerable and frightened young girl: Anna.

Traumatized by an unspeakable horror from her childhood, conditioned by years of abuse and then hidden away. Forced to participate in her guardian's shameful exploiting of recently bereaved people in her fraudulent role as a medium.

That she snaps will come as no surprise. The trigger, something as innocent as a kiss, provokes the most horrendous violence as she becomes possessed by her father's murderous spirit and continues his trail of destruction.

Her father is none other than Victorian bogeyman Jack the Ripper. In 'HOTR's pre-credit sequence we see a hysterical Anna in her cot, witnessing her own mother's ghastly death at the hands of her scarred and blood stained father. Sowing the seeds of the inevitable carnage that follows....

Later, she's taken into the care of a kindly doctor, played excellently by old Soames himself Eric Porter. Who, as an early advocate of Freud(the only thing he doesn't do is say "Ja ?"(!)), both suspects the evil in Anna, but thinks he can help her with psycho-analysis.

An opinion not shared by nasty politician (is there any other kind?) Dysart who believes the only cure for her is "a good, stout rope about her neck".

As it turns out, in Sasdy terms anyway, this would undoubtedly have been the wisest course of action.

There's some brilliantly unpleasant low-budget killings, including a jaw-dropping hat-pins-in-the-eye demise. and the film roars along like a leopard on fire cramming all sorts of ideas and subversions across it's superbly compact 85 minutes.

Performances are exceptional. The fine Welsh actress Angharad Rees is marvellous as Anna, giving an understated interpretation. On one hand, ferocious, eyes-ablaze and ruthless on the other a child. Lost and innocent with no comprehension of whats happening to her or the devastation she's causing either in her own environment, or on the foggy, corrupt streets of Victorian London(itself a ruthless, hypocritical monster a theme explored just as bitingly in Sasdy's previous 'Taste the Blood of Dracula').

Despite it's lurid title, this is a serious, complex thriller with many facets and is unmissable if you're in any way a fan of the Hammer ouvre in particular, or horror pictures generally.

Buy Hands Of The Ripper (Blu-ray + DVD Combo) (1971) Now

Hands of the Ripper is a shockingly neglected and obscure little atmospheric masterpiece from Hammer Studios. It's a veritable showcase of classic horror at its best, with several somewhat bloody scenes thrown in for good measure. Beautifully shot and scored, the film simply oozes the aura of Victorian London, and the cinematography of the final shot is, ahem, to die for. The entire cast is wonderful, particularly Eric Porter and Angharad Rees, the latter being a delightful young actress I had never encountered before.

I know you're probably wondering if the film is about Jack the Ripper. Well, yes and no. The story is ostensibly about his daughter. You can imagine how screwed up in the head a daughter of Saucy Jack might be; now imagine that this little girl saw her father murder her mother right in front of her eyes. Freud would have wet himself over such a poor, young thing. Now a young lady, we find Anna working as a fraudulent medium's secret little helper. The madam isn't above selling Anna's body to certain gentlemen, either. Following a "séance" attended by the good Dr. Pritchard (Eric Porter) and others, no less than a man of Parliament (Derek Godfrey) stays behind to indulge in some special favors. A scream later, Pritchard has run back into the house (encountering the fleeing Parliamentarian at the door) to find Anna in a somewhat catatonic state and the medium quite dead. You would think Pritchard would accuse the man he saw fleeing the house at the time of the murder, but he has plans of his own. Having grown fascinated with the breakthrough work of Freud in Vienna, Pritchard thinks he can cure the girl (if she does turn out to be the murderer) and, at the same time, finally acquire the answers as to why people commit murder in the first place.

Having brought Anna home with him, Pritchard finds her to be the meekest of creatures, a veritable delight to be around. If it weren't for her bad habit of killing people for no good reason, she would be a beacon of female virtue. In her defense, she is quite unaware of her murderous actions, as she falls into something of a trance each time the violence rises up in her. Pritchard, not yet knowing the facts of her childhood, believes her to be schizophrenic, but more than one character ultimately voices the opinion that Jack the Ripper himself possesses her body whenever a certain stimulus causes her to break with reality. Either way, Dr. Pritchard has bought himself some trouble and just days away from his son's marriage, too.

OK, the plot is a little less than perfect, but I loved this movie. You just can't beat Hammer Studios when it comes to producing old school horror films heavy on suspense and characterization. Those looking for quick bloody thrills should probably look elsewhere, as this film's rather limited gore is sprinkled here and there throughout the film, but those who appreciate horror in all its facets should be particularly impressed with this overlooked 1971 Hammer Studios gem.

Read Best Reviews of Hands Of The Ripper (Blu-ray + DVD Combo) (1971) Here

The other reviews are good. Trouble right now is that the DVD is becoming unavailable. This import is spoken in English, don't worry, and subtitles can be turned off. It's the full wide screen. The end credits are cut short before the music stops, which spoils that mood, but not "in the middle of the credits". There's a bit of nudity with Rees.

The title may mislead people into thinking it's a cheap gore film. No, it's a literate masterpiece, and based on a serious novel.

Want Hands Of The Ripper (Blu-ray + DVD Combo) (1971) Discount?

This Carlton release has no problems, it is a genuinely good copy of the 1971 Hammer Film, Reg. 2 from Great Britain. It is an intriguing twist on the Jack the Ripper story with great performances by Eric Porter, Angharad Rees and others directed by Peter Sasdy, even though Hammer by this time was on the decline. Synapse Films who brought out a Reg. 1 edition of "Vampire Circus" is supposed to later this year put out "Hands of the Ripper" and "Twins of Evil." "Vampire Circus," in otherwise a great presentation, was printed too dark and one must adjust the "Contrast" button. This Carlton release has no such hindrances.

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