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From Hell (Single-Disc Edition)

From Hell (Single-Disc Edition)

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Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Time to get "Ripped "Apart
Review: If, you've seen previews for from hell, you'll know this about the most famous killer of all time Jack the Ripper. For those who are wondering why it is called from hell, well in the book it states that the killer was a creature "From Hell". Johnny Depp plays the Inspector, as Heather Graham will play Rippers last victim. The book was entertaining and chilling, The movie should be the same.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: jack is back and he is going to attack
Review: I read the book based on this film and saw the movie preview of this movie that this movie from hell should go down in movie history as the most awesome jack the ripper movie ever made I have been waiting for this to come out for long time from hell is number one on my list when it do's come out on dvd

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Meticulous and Thrilling Depiction of an Incarnation of Evil
Review: Jack the Ripper is perhaps one of the most famous (or should I say infamous) serial killers known. His has indeed become somewhat of a household name that has withstood the test of time. The Whitechapel murders, to this day, remain unsolved, and many people find themselves morbidly drawn to this slew of ghastly occurrences. The Hughes brothers are no different from the countless others who seek to dissect the facts surrounding these heinous crimes, and they approach this fascination with cinematic fervor, creating an excellent movie from the excellent comic book.

There have been countless books, movies, and PBS specials produced that delve into the Jack the Ripper tales and theories. This particular adaptation is the depiction of a detective named Inspector Fred Abberline (Johnny Depp) who is hot on the trail of the murderous monster. Enlisting the hallucinatory effects of absinthe, he can induce visions that aid him in his quests. Throughout his investigation, he gradually begins to fall for one of the Whitechapel prostitutes at risk (Mary Kelly played by Heather Graham), and this serves to up the ante regarding the challenge to find the villain and, furthermore, accelerate his efforts. Sir William Gull (Ian Holm) is a doctor who contributes to Inspector Fred Abberline's profile of the meandering butcher. Add to this an illegitimate marriage and a royal scandal, and this equates to an enticingly dour, moody thriller that one can't help but to enjoy.

The sets on this film are incredible, and included in the two disc edition within the extras existing on the DVD is an intriguing explanation of the recreation of the sets from actual photographs and maps from the period. The props and attire were also quite well done. The acting and casting were superb. The dark lighting created a potently thrilling and disturbing atmosphere, and the excellent cinematography only served to strengthen that sinister ambiance, as well as create an almost overwhelming sense of impending danger. The blood and gore effects are incredible as well, yet they never take precedence over the story line, which is very much appreciated. Though fairly predictable, this film is still an exhilarating, if somewhat fictitious, romp through some dreary and obscure pages in history.

This movie is a must for fans of horror, true crime, and dark thrillers. I very highly recommend this film to those with any kind of brooding fascination for the macabre. Not for the easily disturbed.

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: RIPPER Rip-off...
Review: If you're a so-called RIPPER-ologist, this movie may be more than disappointing. If you're looking for cinema reprise of Alan Moore's evil graphic novel this isn't it either. Johnny Depp is engaging enough as Scotland Yard CDI Fred Abberline,but the movie lacks depth and tries to have "outdated" psychedelic pyrotechnics (and very good art design)compensate for a fluffy plot. David Wickes/BBC/Michael Caine televideo production of JACK THE RIPPER is vastly more accomplished both as entertainment and movie manifesto of Stephen Knight's THE FINAL SOLUTION. FROM HELL and TFS both propose Masonic conspiracy to protect the British Monarchy from a scandal involving the "presumptive heir to the throne". In my estimate the best Ripper story(unless you want to go way "back in day" for '50's solutionless,but very atmospheric
B x W cult thriller called,THE LODGER) remains,MURDER BY DECREE: where Sherlock Holmes(Christopher Plummer)stands-in for Abberline to face down Masonic adepts who are also RULERS of not-so merry, or olde England at height of the Victorian Age Empire. Again, if you're a fan of Johnny Depp you might like this surprisingly edgeless PM probe of the monstrous Whitehall Chapel Murders. Otherwise, be prepared to shrug-off the bloody, drugged-up,grape strewn path of this Jack the Ripper rip-off.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: The Whitechapel Murderer
Review: "One day men will look back and say that I gave birth to the Twentieth Century." - Jack The Ripper, in From Hell.

On October 19th, 2001, 20th Century Fox Entertainment released a chilling movie that dealt with crime, prostitution, drugs, and one of the most infamous murder cases in all of history. Wielding a daunting title and a star studded cast, directors Albert and Allen Hughes captivated audiences that autumn with their startling film, From Hell. Johnny Depp and Heather Graham star in this frightful interpretation of the 1888 killing spree that introduced the world to the name of Jack The Ripper. Depp plays the part of Inspector Fred Abberline, the psychic detective that is sent down to the seedy Whitechapel district of London to investigate the Jack The Ripper case. Abberline lives in an opium-induced state of euphoria that he needs in order to deal with the pain that was incurred by the loss of his wife and child. He was chosen to investigate the case for his cryptic ability to be able to see the murders within his mind before they occur. Graham, meanwhile, is one of the impoverished harlots that take to the streets of Whitechapel, in search of a means of getting by, but ends up being caught in the midst of the slayings and eventually becomes a target herself. The movie also stars Ian Holm as Sir William Gull, a physician to the Royal Family and Robbie Coltrane as Abberline's closest and most trusted friend, Peter Godley.
From Hell was a very successful film. It was critically acclaimed (Ebert and Roeper gave it two thumbs up), and it did well at the box office, opening to 2,305 theatres, gaining the number one slot and grossing ... million[s]in it's first weekend, ... In fact, From Hell represented the first time that the popular, seasoned actor Depp has ever had a number one movie. These facts alone allow us to see as to how this movie would be able to fall into the criteria of popular culture by being well liked such an array of people. The Los Angeles Weekly called From Hell "Less of a horror film than a classical film noir. Depp and Graham... have the gravitational force of Cary Grant and Grace Kelly." The movie proves that there at times can be little to no distinction between high and popular culture, as while it was incredibly favoured by the people, it also contains the art and intrigue characteristic of most high culture. Facts supporting that statement begin with the casting. First off, by casting Depp as Abberline, they get a man who is famed for his involvement with less hyped, although critically acclaimed films such as Ed Wood and Donnie Brasco, plus off-beat characters like George Jung in Blow, Ichabod Crane in Sleepy Hollow and the title role in Edward Scissorhands. The movie also gains heavily in terms of high culture by casting Ian Holm, who was made famous by his role in Chariots Of Fire and by being knighted in 1998 and also Robbie Coltrane who gained fame by playing the lead role in the heavily acclaimed television series Cracker.
From Hell was a fantastic piece of popular culture that allows the viewer to experience for themselves the terror and pandemonium that was caused in the fall of 1888 during the height of the killing spree of the "Whitechapel Murderer." It takes us to a time, place and era that have been long forgotten and forsaken, locked away in the files of the unsolved mysteries. The scariest part of all though, is that it is so real. The names of the prostitutes, the detectives, the suspects and even the manner in which people were dealt with are all real. Through a combination of acceptance by the masses as was stated previously, and even an acceptance in the elite circles, From Hell has proven itself to be a part of Popular Culture.

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: The worse kind of exploitation of a tragig story.
Review: I hated this film, had it set out to try and give an honest appraisal of the murders, not the gory nature of them, but the sadness and tradegy of the lives and deaths of these woman; I may have given it a better rating. It doesn't, it does what most films on the story do, which is to add in barmy and bizarre conspiracy theory for the sake of sensation and to make the terror and horror a entertainment factor.
The story is not entertainment, it's the worse kind of tragic conclusion to wasted and abused lives and that should be the message of any film exploring it's continued mesmer.
The victims are as much abused by this kind of inhuman exploitation as they were when they lived.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: History Re-created (from a comic book perspective).
Review: The time: 1888. The place: London, Whitechapel district (the Victorian equivalant to the modern Red Light district). Mary Kelly (Heather Graham) is a beautiful and buxom lass who's life in London didn't turn out anything like she planned, struggling just to survive working in the world's oldest profession. Mary and her friends live a harsh existence. Their only comforts are their own companionship and the belief that their lives cannot possibly get any worse than it already is. But they do. Their friend (and former prostitute) Ann, is kidnapped from her home and disappears. Days later a member of their fellowship is brutally murdered. The women realize that they have unknowingly become a part of a conspiracy in which they have no control and are being eliminated one by one. Meanwhile, the gruesome murder of the Whitechapel girl has gained the attention of a brilliant police officer, Inspector Fred Abberline (Johnny Depp). Abberline claims he had visions about the murder. The dreams continue, more prostitutes are brutally murdered by an anonymous killer who is dubbed Jack the Ripper and claims that he has been sent from Hell, and Abberline becomes increasingly entangled in the wicked web as he falls in love with Mary Kelly and races to solve the case before she meets Jack.

The Hughes brothers pulled off an impressive horror/suspense film with FROM HELL. At it's most basic level, the movie is a slasher movie. But FROM HELL is a slasher flick done with taste. The film is rather gruesome in certain sections and is fairly historically accurate. However, the brothers feared the possibility of a NC-17 rating if too much was revealed and used a great deal of restraint in re-creating the famous murders. It is a testament to their skills that they were able to re-produce the real-life terror felt at the time, but without displaying all the grizzly details. Not only that but the historical re-creation of 1888 Whitechapel is amazing. Almost every minute detail is reconstructed to perfection.

Johnny Depp captures the essence of the real-life Abberline despite the fact that the real Abberline was short, balding, paunchy, and lived to a fairly ripe-old age. Heather Graham does a decent job of portraying Mary Kelly, though it would have been nice to see a more real-looking actress in the role--Graham is just too Glamour Girlish.

There have been many Jack the Ripper movies made over the years, but FROM HELL is one of the better ones (despite the inprobable conclusion). The movie is based upon the graphic novel by Alan Moore and though their are several changes, the movie stays true to the spirit of the original text. Just don't think about it too much.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Victorian Mystery/Horror at its BEST!!!
Review: This has to be one of the best horror movies ever made. Who knew a graphic novel would adapt so perfect to screen. So many good things have been said, so I'll be brief. YOU MUST OWN THIS MOVIE!!!! WATCH AGAIN AND AGAIN (and I don't even really like Jonny Depp).

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Highly underrated
Review: This is an interesting and very well-produced take on the "Ripper" legend. If you can stomach (or if you enjoy) the gore and unsettling sound effects, this film is a well-spent two hours. I was totally intrigued by the recreation of late 19th century London...the set design and cinematography is gorgeous. Johnny Depp is great as usual, although in an understated way. However, Ian Holm really lights up the screen time - somewhat over the top as usual for Mr. Holm, but I loved every minute of it.

As for the DVD, the technical presentation is out of this world. If you have a nice setup and can decode DTS surround sound, you're in for a treat. There is a HUGE choice of deleted scenes on disc 1, but do yourself a favor and try to find a copy of the 2-disc "director's limited edition". It's out of print and tough to find, but if you're a fan of DVD extras disc 2 is one of the most well-produced bonus discs I've ever come across. It really gives you a heightened appreciation for the film.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: another good depp horror movie
Review: johny depp has slowly become one of my favorite character actors his acting seems to get better everytime and he seems to choose horror movies or dark cool characters to play in from hell hes trying to solve the jack the ripper case as he battles opium addiction this movies violent and very gory but has some amazing visuals up there with bram stokers dracula and sleepyhollow johny depps acting stands out as usual but heather grahm seems out of place in this movie if youre a horror fan and liked some of depps other movies youll definately like this atleast for depps acting and the amazing visuals and costumes


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