London Calling

 

One day, I'll remember which James is the good one and which is the piece of crap.

Considering I get TWO of the good ones in today's movie, maybe that day has finally come. 

Quick Plot: On the 100th anniversary of each of Jack the Ripper's murders, victims are turning up in the same pattern way over in the lower class parts of LA.  

Dr. John Wesford (baby-faced James Spader) toils away at a free clinic, much to the chagrin of his grumpy boss. Having grown up in LA's less affluent area, John cares deeply about the neighborhood and has been paying close attention to the ongoing crimes. 

Right on schedule for the final murder, John catches the clinic's janitor Jack slipping out of a pregnant sex worker's apartment, her body bloodied and pulse gone. Jack claims it's a misunderstanding, but that seems less likely when he follows John back to the clinic and strings him up, staging it as suicide.

To the police, it's a relief. Dr. John Wesford, found hanging and covered in the final victim's blood, was clearly Jack the Ripper 2.0. Case closed!

Not so fast (we're only about 25 minutes into the movie, after all). John's twin brother Ricky, a less successful assistant manager at Foot Locker, shows up in town knowing his better half would never do such things. Most of the detectives are dubious, though the story is just incomplete enough to give Ricky some merit. 

Several MORE investigations proceed. Ricky grows close to Christine, Jack's colleague at the clinic who might be on the next hit list. Lurking in the background is the always welcome, and usually squirmy Robert Picardo as a psychiatrist who specializes in hypnosis. Through it all, James Spader and his stunt double display an excellent knack and possible addiction to leaping out windows and landing safely.

Jack's Back was written and directed by the gloriously named Rowdy Herrington, who followed this up with a little movie you might have heard about called Road House. Jack's Back doesn't reach the campy fun heights of that classic, but considering its low profile in film history, it's a surprisingly interesting little mystery. 

James Spader is incredibly watchable as both John and Ricky, which holds everything together even when the story gets a bit messy. Herrington makes some great moves in the film's first act. We're caught completely off guard by John's early murder. The series of suspects that comes after keeps the story moving, but also never really seems to come together. I was a bit unsatisfied when the very '80s credits music closed in. 

Still, considering those very '80s credits music included sexy saxophone solos, my complaints are minimal.  

High Points

Both John and Ricky don't quite have enough character history on the page, but by GOLLY is James Spader good at captivating the audience. This is one of those "that guy's a star" performances not in scope, but in pure charisma

Low Points

I'm still not exactly sure how some of the characters line up, which is a bit of shame when this is the kind of film that should have a clear, resolute finish

Lessons Learned

The bigger the scar, the higher the fee (at least in Texas)

Rickys are always the naughty ones

The best way to distract an old lady is to ask about her grandkids

Rent/Bury/Buy

Jack's Back isn't a masterpiece, but it's a nice little hidden gem in an era that wasn't really making these kinds of movies. You can find it streaming on Peacock.