Very very predictable, including the post credit scene !!!

A story that's too fascinating to pass by...

The film creates a perfect balance between action and depth of basic needs, in the midst of an infertile atmosphere.

A terrific literary drama and character piece that shows how the process of creating art can be seen differently by those doing it and those looking at it from the outside.

Original Narrative Hook Poor Ending No spoilers but it's necessary to give away the narrative hook to explain the complex plot.Someone is LA is copy catting the Jack the Ripper murders exactly 100 years to the date. Everyone in LA is on high alert as this is the night of the fifth and final murder.James Spader is a left handed doctor named Jack. GET IT? But Spader is not the Ripper. He accidentally stumbles on the fifth murder and finds a coworker at his office also named Jack. The two fight and Jack insists he is not the Ripper just before hanging Spader and making it look like the Ripper committed suicide after completing his killing.Similar to 'Psycho's twist of the lead character dying early in the film, we are left to wonder, how can Spader find the real Ripper if he's dead within the first 20 minutes? Enter Spader's black sheep twin brother Rick with a criminal history. Rick is furious with the police whom are trying to pin the murders on his brother. Rick's brotherhood bond lets him know just as we do that Spader was not the killer nor did he commit suicide.Not only do the cops dismiss Rick's claims but when some evidence leads away from their original theory, the cops start looking at him as being his brother's accomplice.As the audience we know the original Spader twin is innocent but could Rick be the real killer? Unfortunately the ending isn't surprising, it's just plain silly. But for the first 1:15 it keeps us hanging on the every single clue. It's worth watching.

Writer/director Rowdy Herrington seems to want to say something about homelessness, but then the theme trails off.The best reason to watch this, for most people, is that James Spader plays two roles. (Identical twins, and one of them has an earring!) It may be this film that inspired me to embark on my project of cloning Spader. No luck yet, but I will keep you posted.Considering the title refers to Jack the Ripper, this film is surprisingly even handed when it comes to the ratio of female to male victims of violence.There isn't much to dislike about the writing or the acting, but there isn't anything that really jumps out as outstanding.

Had this film been a ship it would have gone under from all the holes. Even though it was a run of the mill production the performances were adequate and it was interesting. A much better picture by Spader was "Storyville".

Rating: *** out of ****Despite having one of the worst titles I've ever heard, Jack's Back is actually a nifty little thriller, a true hidden gem if I ever saw one. I happened to come across the film at a used video store (like the title, the cover box is pretty awful, too) (makes you wonder if the trailers and TV promos were also just as lame), and being a James Spader fan, decided to give it a look. Nice to see this turned out to be one of the better impulse buys I've made in a while.The title refers to Jack the Ripper, or more specifically, a copycat who's committing similar murders in Los Angeles on the same days on the hundredth anniversary of when the original killings occurred. Without giving anything away, I'll simply say that James Spader and Cynthia Gibb are the protagonists who are searching for the killer, even though Spader himself might be the one.Despite a plot that plays somewhat like a routine thriller, the story is still fairly enjoyable for what it is. There are a few plot twists and turns, some unpredictable, some which are fairly obvious. Fans of whodunnits (and let's face it, I think everyone enjoys a good whodunnit every once in a while) will find just enough intriguing detail to make this at least an average viewing. But what sets this apart from many thrillers, particularly those of the late 80's, is the emphasis on characters. Writer/director Rowdy Herrington probably spends even more time developing the lead protagonists than he does fueling the main plot (I can actually see how this might somewhat disappoint whodunnit fans hoping for a very convoluted plot, or slasher fans expecting more, well, slashing). Consequently, the suspense is ratcheted up a few notches and we find ourselves caring about the outcome. Most of the credit for this should go to Spader, who delivers a terrifically charismatic and extremely likable performance. He plays a man who's hardly a saint, but realistic in that he's flawed, and simultaneously more than capable of showing a genuine conscience. Cynthia Gibb (who's very cute) works well with Spader, she's charmingly convincing and adorable. The rest of the cast isn't really worth mentioning except for maybe Robert Picardo as a thoughtful police psychologist (who happens to live in a mansion, no less). Everybody else is mostly present to act as suspects or people who are simply in Spader's way.Herrington's direction is quite good, setting up a creepy atmosphere, nicely accompanied with an equally creepy score. It's Herrington's storytelling that could use more work. While many details are set up well, the finale stumbles due to a rather large leap in logic. To some, the film's conclusion might also seem rather abrupt, without quite enough explanation for all that transpired. If Herrington had tightened up his story, he might have had a great thriller on his hands. As it is, this is merely a good movie that rates well above average. But I shouldn't be complaining. Jack's Back is a pleasant surprise, even moreso for a movie with such an awful title.