From Hell: Gothick or Dud

bah i can only be a bore (sp: "boore") on this topic: wrong ripper, wrong everything

ok i have not seen it, but the maybridge theory would make a way better movie, esp. the sections set in the 20th century (and tumelty actually DONE it, fact fans, tho he is as dull as all real life serial killers)

I have seen it and despite the fact that I would sell my first born for Johnny Depp who is the World's Most Gorgeous Bloke EVAH I thought it was absolutely preposterous and silly and I got bored and started fidgeting around in my seat and yawning. And I didn't feel it captured the London I know and wuv but then I don't hang around with hos, masons or opium addicts.

Its always difficult to be objective abt films where you've read (and admired) the source material beforehand, but I honestly thought it was one of the worst flicks I've ever paid money to go and see. Depp's accent was atrocious - he sounded like Daphne's 'cockerny' brother from 'Frasier' - and all the guff abt visions and opium dreams seemed like so much sucking up to the 'trendy' star (although I did like the opening, where it sort've hinted that the whole thing might be a fever dream on Abbeline's part.) Heather Graham was just as bad, and Robbie Coltrane really phoned in his performance. The attempt to turn it into a 'whodunnit' failed dismally because it was SO bleedin' obvious that Gull dunnit, and - biggest failing of all - it wasn't at all scary. I wasn't convinced by any of the sets - all looked far too studio bound - and all the interesting stuff that Moore threw into his plot (the fourth dimension/continuum of evil/Freemasonry/Elephant Man/Crowley/The Royals/Buffalo Bill etc.) was either mangled beyond recognition or totally ignored.

I much prefer 'Murder By Decree', which has Sherlock Holmes 'solving' the Ripper case.

was that the one with Michael Caine in? I enjoyed that one, shown on BBC in a multi-part format iirc.

I rather enjoyed the whole preposterousness of it - which is not to say that I don't agree with most of the points you made. However I thought Depp's accent was very good - just thoroughly incongruous. I do not know the comic that well (a few flicks) though people who have read it said that it used plenty of visuals from that to the cinematic version. And whilst many of the visual devices were hokey I rather liked the referencing of Hammer and 1960/1970's horror flicks.

Scary - probably not (you know too much of what will happen). Interesting, well as you say its take on the case is a little bit too obvious. And yet the London it conjured up for me was of darkness, of desperation and of contrast. It rollocked in my opinion.

Heather Graham really could have done with being a bit dirtier though.

In fact Johnny's accent was pretty good I'd say. When he first started speaking I sniggered but that was more due to the fact that it was so incongruous, it sounded very odd coming from that gorgeous gorgeous face (drools - NB my sticking up for his accent skillz is in no way related to my undying lust for him), plus we decided it was highly unlikely that a high ranking inspector in her Majesty's bobbies would be from the lower cockerney classes.

Curse the mind meld! (And the fact that we saw the film together and talked about it afterwards.)

which is the one where james mason says: "yes but dash it all holmes, to squash a fellow's pea!"

that is the greatest line in cinema history

the gull theory suXors giant rat phlegm-nobs

Well the real Abbeline was actually from Dorset, which might have been even funnier...

Yep, 'Murder by Decree' has Christopher Plummer as Holmes and James Mason as Watson. It was directed by Bob Clark, who went on to make 'Porky's'!

The Michael Caine version was made for ITV around the same time as a version of 'Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde' that also starred MC.

I don't think I've ever seen the 'real' Hammer version, 'Hands of the Ripper'...

I love Jekyll and Hyde/Jack the Ripper crossovers. Blur than fantasy/fiction line.

The other hoes were pretty good I thought, it was just Graham's good hearted and very good skinnedness made her look out of place. You might say Coltrane phoned it in, but he was the only one in the film who looked comfortable. Ian Holm though - what with nasty Bilbo face - is becoming evilest avuncular person in film (what wears waistcoats).

Mark - who did Patricia Cornwell say did it?

Shaggy's mate.

RikRok or Scooby Doo?

a high ranking inspector in her Majesty's bobbies

Perhaps it's the influence of the bra thread, but of course I read that as 'boobies.' So did Dan, of course.

She thinks Walter Sickert, doesn't she, based on his paintings (one of which she's already DESTROYED!) : he's quite often yoked into the Gull theory, tho not i think in her version...

The Sickert/Gull/Royal Family stuff all comes from Stephen Knight's bk 'Jack The Ripper: The Final Solution', which even Alan Moore admits in the back of 'From Hell' was prob. written as a 'hoax'.

It was the best movie I saw last year.

The Moore/Campbell book is just astonishing--classic all the way. I couldn't even bring myself to see the movie, having heard how completely they ignored the book...