DVD REVIEW

From Hell - Special Edition

Starring: Johnny Depp, Heather Graham, Ian Holm
Director: The Hughes Brothers

Rating: R

Review Posted: 6.1.02

Reviewed by John Teves

While Jack the Ripper ruled the streets of London, terror reigned. His crimes were unspeakable. His blood lust, unquenchable. His identity, unknown… until now! Based on a popular graphic novel, FROM HELL puts an intense psychological spin on the horrific legend of Jack the Ripper and unravels a chilling alleged conspiracy involving the highest powers in England.

Fist a history lesson: The Ripper was the most notorious and mysterious figure ever to emerge from the white chapel district of London in 1888. He/she (because we really don’t know who this person is) was a cold, and ruthless killer, who not only murdered several prostitutes, but also mutilated the bodies in ways that had never been seen before.

Jack's leaves an unbelievable amount of smoke behind. And this is just after an early morning breakfast.

The Ripper was the first serial killer to gain international notoriety and to become famous via the papers as his legend and stories grew with each grisly victim. Ironically enough, nothing was being done as the poor lived in fear of being the Rippers next victim. The fear of the unknown was not how shocking the ladies were killed, but that each one was killed in a vicious manner and each murder was even more savage than the one before.

All criminology majors know (because all of us have written reports on The Ripper) the greatest mysteries in history bounds us to who the Ripper was, and what the motivations behind his crime were.

Now onto the film: From Hell, which refers to the return address on a letter written by Jack the Ripper, centers around the story of 6 prostitutes, who fear how they will get the money to pay the local pimp, much less earn enough from selling themselves for food and shelter.  As the story unfolds, one of the girls is found dead. Her throat is cut and her body mutilated. There are no clues and no suspects and the police officials are interested in keeping this matter quiet and getting the case taken care of (hmmm, I smell a rat). Into the investigation comes Inspector Fred Abberline (Johnny Depp), who has psychic visions. Abberline is assisted by Sgt. Peter Godley (Robbie Coltrane) who is determined to help the inspector solve the case. After several other murders the investigation leads Abberline to Mary Kelly (Heather Graham), a working girl who was friends with the murdered victims, who seems to be the next target of the killer.

Everyone's favorite "body shop" kit.

Inspector Abberline seeks the advice of Sir William Gull (Ian Holm), who seems to believe Abberline theory that the killer is an educated and professional man, and likely a doctor. So without giving anything away, the story is set and the enticing tale of murder and mystery is about to unravel before our very eyes.

What makes this film great is that the Hughes brothers remained faithful to the historical facts and gave viewers a modern tale of the Ripper. The film delivers an effective story and provides some interesting takes on the many possible reasons behind the Ripper’s madness.

From Hell appears in an aspect ratio of 2.35:1 on this single-sided, double-layered DVD; the image has been enhanced for 16X9 televisions.

The DVD offered a very solid picture. Sharpness was excellent. The film remained crisp. I saw no signs of softness or fuzziness. Jagged edges caused no problems, and I also noticed no signs of any edge enhancement. Colors came across clear and vivid. Black levels seemed deep and rich, while shadow detail was appropriately heavy without any major thickness. From Hell provided an excellent viewing experience with a very clear image.

From Hell was presented in both Dolby Digital 5.1 and DTS 5.1 mixes. The DTS version had a slightly stronger bass response, but the differences seemed minor. The soundfield maintained a high emphasis on the forward channels. The track showed a good stereo presence creating a solid atmosphere. The rear speakers added excellent reinforcement for the music and effects. Dialogue seemed natural and distinct, with no signs of edginess. Overall, From Hell provided strong sound throughout the film.

Disc One:

Full-Length Commentary by Directors Albert and Allen Hughes

Alternate Ending and Over 20 Deleted Scenes with Optional Commentary by Albert Hughes

Disc Two:

Jack the Ripper: 6 Degrees of Separation, gives us a nice look at the facts of the case. We are given two options to look into relevant snippets of the featurette by either clicking on the magnifying glass found on the bottom right hand of your screen, or just watching the featurette straight through and then revisiting it for the extended pieces.

"There's no mentioning of "The Astronaut's Wife," got it!?!"

A View From Hell HBO Featurette Hosted by Heather Graham (looking sweet!), this is featurette which includes the standard film clips, shots from the set, and interviews with the actors.

Tour of the Murder Sites hosted by the Hughes Brothers, we see the directors as they talk about the relevant parts of the set.

Behind-the-Scenes Featurette, background of some behind the scenes shots from the set, as well as insight from the Hughes Brothers.

Absinthe Makes the Heart Grow Fonder Featurette, this features interviews from Barnaby Conrad, author of Absinthe History in a Bottle.

Graphic Novel-to-Film Comparison, The Hughes Brothers and producer Don Murphy talk about the inspiration behind the film and on the graphic novel.

Finally, as obvious as it is, we also get the original theatrical trailer and a trailer for "Unfaithful."

Overall, the film is an effective drama and a gripping look into one of the darkest chapters in human history. If you’re looking for gore, this movie has it! The murders are absolutely gruesome. The Hughes Brothers describe more than they show and give us just quick glimpses, the human imagination tends to fill in the rest of the blanks for us. The scenery match’s the mood of the movie. It's dark and dreary. The story unfolds very well. The Hughes Brothers did an excellent job with this film. I have to admit it’s the best movie of this type I've seen in a long time.

Should you rent it or buy it? For those of you who like this sort of flick, From Hell is a great cinematic piece and is true to the facts considering the historical significance behind the Ripper, so a purchase is highly recommended for your video library. Fox video has given us an exceptional DVD with excellent picture, sound, and extras. For those who are on the fence about this one, it’s definitely a recommended rental.

Heads up! To all you Limited Edition Fans!!!! This DVD Directors Limited Edition release of From Hell, will not have a long shelf life; Fox will eventually release the single disc version of this film eliminating the extra features found on disc 2, so if your interested in the 2-disc version of this film, purchase it now!