Jack's Back
Jack's Back is a 1988 crime thriller horror film[1] written and directed by Rowdy Herrington and starring James Spader and Cynthia Gibb.
| Jack's Back | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Rowdy Herrington |
| Produced by | Cassian Elwes Tim Moore |
| Written by | Rowdy Herrington |
| Starring | James Spader Cynthia Gibb Robert Picardo |
| Music by | Danny Di Paola |
| Cinematography | Shelly Johnson |
| Edited by | Harry B. Miller III |
Production company | Cinema Group |
| Distributed by | Palisades Entertainment |
Release date |
|
Running time | 97 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Box office | $492,519 (USA) |
Plot
A young doctor in Los Angeles becomes a suspect 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.
Cast and characters
- James Spader as John/Rick Wesford
- Cynthia Gibb as Chris Moscari
- Jim Haynie as Sgt. Gabriel
- Robert Picardo as Dr. Carlos Battera
- Rod Loomis as Dr. Sidney Tannerson
- Rex Ryon as Jack Pendler
- Chris Mulkey as Scott Morofsky
- Mario Machado as Anchorman
- Danitza Kingsley as Denise Johnson
Reception
The film got a negative review in The New York Times, which read in part "Jack's Back, which opens today at the Cine 1 and other theaters, is 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."[2]
Conversely, both Gene Siskel & Roger Ebert gave it a thumbs up with Siskel declaring that it was a most impressive debut for Rowdy Herrington, as it was for Spader and Gibb.[3] Jack's Back has a 60% rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on five critic reviews.[4]
Home video releases
UK-based distributor Slam Dunk Media released the film on DVD in May 2007 in 1.33:1 full frame format. It is the only DVD release to date in that area. It was available on Netflix video streaming service in SD widescreen format.[5] Scream Factory released the film in fall 2015 for the first time on Blu-ray Disc in the US, and also included a DVD in the package knowing that the film had never made it to the format in North America.[6]
References
External links
