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Hands of the Ripper [Blu-ray]
(Peter Sasdy, 1971)
Review by Gary Tooze
Production: Theatrical: Hammer Studios Video: Synapse Films
Disc: Region: 'A' (as verified by the Momitsu region FREE Blu-ray player) Runtime: 1:25:14.609 Disc Size: 33,321,103,498 bytes Feature Size: 22,895,483,904 bytes Video Bitrate: 29.85 Mbps Chapters: 12 Case: Standard Blu-ray case Release date: July 9th, 2013
Video: Aspect ratio: 1.66:1 Resolution: 1080p / 23.976 fps Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC Video
Audio: DTS-HD Master Audio English 2025 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 2025 kbps / 24-bit (DTS Core: 2.0 / 48 kHz / 1509 kbps / 24-bit) Isolated Music and Effects Track: DTS-HD Master Audio English 1877 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 1877 kbps / 24-bit (DTS Core: 2.0 / 48 kHz / 1509 kbps / 24-bit)
Subtitles: English (SDH), none
Extras:
• The Devil's Plaything: Possessed by the Hands of the Ripper
(28:21) DVD of the Feature
Bitrate:
Description: An infant girl watches in horror as her father, the infamous Jack the Ripper , brutally murders her mother. Years later, young Anna (Angharad Rees) is now under the care of a fake psychic and has been forced into prostitution. At the end of a séance one evening, a woman is mysteriously killed. Dr. John Pritchard (Eric Porter) suspects Anna is the murderer but cannot understand how she could do this unspeakable act. Using new Freudian psychoanalysis techniques, Pritchard experiments on Anna and discovers a shocking secret. The spirit of the Ripper is alive and well, and may be possessing his own daughter! Can this evil be stopped before it's too late?
The Film: Hammer's trademark gothic style permeates this suspenseful thriller, considered one of the acclaimed British studio's superior efforts, thanks largely to the directorial skills of Peter Sasdy. This marked his last feature-length collaboration with the studio until 1980, when he returned to direct installments of the Hammer House of Horror television series. In the film's prologue, young Anna, the infant daughter of the notorious Jack the Ripper, witnesses her mother's brutal murder at her father's hands. Years later, the lovely teenage Anna (Angharad Rees) is plagued by traumatic memories of the incident and repressed impulses in which love and death are inextricably linked. These impulses finally turn homicidal when her emotions are stirred, spelling doom for anyone who arouses her. Anna's case is handled by the repressed psychoanalyst, Dr. Pritchard (Eric Porter), whose growing physical attraction to the girl could result in far worse than a mere breach of professional ethics. Sasdy weaves the psychological elements through the story with finesse, paralleling the sexual tension between the doctor and his patient with the mounting horror of the inevitable outcome. Excerpt from MRQE located HERELate Hammer horror with a hefty dose of cod Freud, as Jack the Ripper's daughter grows up to become a sexually disturbed homicidal maniac after seeing daddy butcher mommy. Rees is particularly effective in the role, while Sasdy keeps the tension reasonably high; nevertheless, one can't help experiencing a certain sense of déjà vu, for all the narrative ingenuity. Excerpt from TimeOut located HERE
Image : NOTE: The below Blu-ray captures were taken directly from the Blu-ray disc. Hammer Films' Hands of the Ripper gets a dual-layered transfer to Blu-ray from Synapse producing a high bitrate. It is transferred in the original 1.66:1 aspect ratio. The image quality is consistent with other Hammer films - reasonable but not quite stellar. Colors look true and contrast supports solid detail. There is no intrusive noise and this Blu-ray seems to accurately represent a British film of this era. This Blu-ray is competently rendered in 1080P and the source was in good shape. I was please with the HD presentation.
CLICK EACH BLU-RAY CAPTURE TO SEE ALL IMAGES IN FULL 1920X1080 RESOLUTION
Audio :Synapse provide an authentic DTS-HD Master 2.0 channel at 2025 kbps. The effects, screams, and Christopher Gunning's score build a wonderful atmosphere. It was some decent depth in the more aggressive segments and there is an equally robust, and lossless, optional isolated music and effects track for those who might wish to indulge. There are optiopnal English subtitles and m y Momitsu has identified it as being a region 'A'.
Extras : Synapse provide some excellent supplements. The Devil's Plaything: Possessed by the Hands of the Ripper is a 23-minute long featurette which has Hammer Historian Wayne Kinsey discussing the film with emphasis on Hammer Studios. We also get a 6-minute srtills gallery entitled Slaughter of Innocence: The Evolution of Hammer Gore which has many still and poster art of Hammer Horror efforts. Included is the U.S. Television Introduction examining the cuts for US TV, the original theatrical trailer (1:57) and TV Spots (:59) plus a Hands of the Ripper - Motion Still Gallery and we get the aforementioned Isolated Music & Effects Audio Track in lossless plus a secdond disc DVD of the Feature in the package.
BOTTOM LINE: Gary Tooze July 9th, 2013
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About the Reviewer: Hello, fellow Beavers! I have been interested in film since I viewed a Chaplin festival on PBS when I was around 9 years old. I credit DVD with expanding my horizons to fill an almost ravenous desire to seek out new film experiences. I currently own approximately 9500 DVDs and have reviewed over 5000 myself. I appreciate my discussion Listserv for furthering my film education and inspiring me to continue running DVDBeaver. Plus a healthy thanks to those who donate and use our Amazon links.
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