Jack’s Back is a 1988 Crime-horror film written and directed by Rowdy Herrington and starring James Spader and Cynthia Gibb.
Jack's Back | |
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Theatrical release poster | |
Directed by | Rowdy Herrington |
Produced by | Cassian Elwes Tim Moore |
Written by | Rowdy Herrington |
Starring | James Spader Cynthia Gibb Robert Picardo |
Music by | Danny Di Paola |
Cinematography | Shelly Johnson |
Edited by | Harry B. Miller III |
Distributed by | Palisades Entertainment (theatrical) Paramount Pictures (home video) |
Release date |
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Running time | 97 minutes |
Country | United States |
Language | English |
Box office | $492,519 (USA) |
Screenplay
A young doctor in Los Angeles becomes a suspect when a series of Jack the Ripper copycat killings is committed. However, when the doctor himself is murdered, his identical twin brother claims to have seen visions of the true killer.
- James Spader as John/Rick Wesford
- Cynthia Gibb as Chris Moscari
- Jim Haynie as Sgt. Gabriel
- Robert Picardo as Dr. Carlos Battera
- Rod Loomis as Dr. Sidney Tannerson
- Rex Ryon as Jack Pendler
- Chris Mulkey as Scott Morofsky
- Mario Machado as Anchorman
- Danitza Kingsley as Denise Johnson
The film got a negative review in The New York Times, which read in part "Jack's Back, which opens today at the Cine 1 and other theaters, is so dull it leaves you plenty of time to marvel at how a plot can be this rickety, how a production can look this shabby, and how the first-time writer and director Rowdy Herrington could borrow a story with so relentless a grip on our imaginations and in no time at all declaw it."
Conversely, both Gene Siskel & Roger Ebert gave it a thumbs up with Siskel declaring that it was a most impressive debut for Rowdy Herrington, as it was for Spader and Gibbs. As of April 2012, it has an insufficient number of reviews for an overall rating on the Rotten Tomatoes website.
UK-based distributor Slam Dunk Media released the film on DVD in May 2007 in 1.33:1 full frame format. It is the only DVD release to date. It was available on Netflix video streaming service in SD widescreen format. Scream Factory released the film in fall 2015 for the first time on Blu-ray Disc in the US.