A fast moving thriller about a Jack the Ripper rip off killer who uses the hundredth anniversary of Jack's last attack to go on the prowl in Los Angeles, killing a variety of women in vicious ways similar to Jack's methods. James Spader is a sheltered young man whose ability to see what types of crimes they will commit next leads him to the suspicion that his own brother is the killer, but there are a ton of twists and the mystery of who it is brings Spader out of his shell, especially with the young coworker who has aggressively hit on him and cause other co-workers to tease him because he doesn't respond to her advances.

Spader plays a very complex individual, checking up on his high school prom night date only to find out that she's become a victim. When his brother is accused of being the psychopathic killer, Spader is certain that he is innocent because of the emotional and mental bonds they share, recalling a situation in school where they were accused of cheating because their test answers were exactly the same. It's a small little detail but wisely inserted into the details of why Spader ascertain his brother is innocent. The film moves at a fast pace and has a snazzy atmosphere with a good jazzy score. Lots of fun and a film that holds up 30 plus years later.

Jack's Back's main gimmick is that the film was released exactly 100 years after the Jack the Ripper murders; it sees a copy-cat serial killer murdering prostitutes in Los Angeles in exactly the same manner as the infamous Whitechapel murderer. The film also features a pretty decent twist, in which John (James Spader),who we assume to be the main character, is killed early on, before the introduction of his twin brother Rick (also Spader) as the real protagonist.

Presumed to be the copy-cat killer by the police, John is declared to have killed himself before he could be caught; however, having seen his twin's murder in a dream, Rick knows that John was innocent and tries to bring the real killer to justice, with the help of pretty trainee medic Chris Moscari (Cynthia Gibb). The charismatic Spader handles both roles brilliantly, giving each brother his own distinct personality (John is saintly, while Rick is a bit of a bad boy),and writer/director Rowdy Herrington handles the twisty-turny plot with skill and style, giving his film a wonderful neo-noir style atmosphere.

Solid support comes from Gibb as the girl who we all know will be targeted by the killer at the end, Robert Picardo as possible red herring psychologist Dr. Carlos Battera, and Rex Ryon as creepy hulk/backstreet abortionist Jack Pendler, who is guilty of many things - but is he the L. A. Ripper?

6.5/10, rounded up to 7 for IMDb.

I'm kind of obsessed with young James Spader. Let's face it, in movies like The New Kids and Tuff Turf he exuded either a coked-up menace or hardscrabble heart that's hard to beat. Here, he plays two roles. First, he's a young doctor that becomes a suspect in a series of Jack the Ripper copycat murders. But then he dies - and his twin brother may or may not be the true killer.

Written and directed by Pittsburgh native Rowdy Herrington (Roadhouse, Striking Distance),this film also stars Cynthia Gibb (the TV version of Fame),Jim Haynie (the dockmaster from The Fog),character actor Robert Picardo and Rod Loomis (Zed from The Beastmaster).

Harrington wanted the movie to be titled Red Rain and for the Peter Gabriel song to be in the film. However, this was his low budget debut, he couldn't get the rights, so he had a song composed called "Red Harvest," which sounds exactly like the Gabriel ditty. However, the studio felt that the title had nothing to do with the movie, so they renamed it.

The story isn't any great shakes: the good twin has found one of the victims before becoming one himself, while the troubled brother becomes the prime suspect. It's also one of those movies packed with red herrings and endings that aren't endings. So it's kinda sorta an American giallo - minus the black gloves, inventive camerawork, fashion and neon colors. But the story - where a protagonist is dragged into a situation that he must investigate himself - comes off that way. And despite all the things I've said above, I ended up enjoying this one.

Spader is great - he always is - and you have to wonder about Cynthia Gibb's character. It seems weird for the same woman to be involved with two brothers, but I guess identical twins makes that a little easier, if no less creepy.