From Hell?

[RonnieKray]

Gross eleven million dollars! Imagine how little that would actually be after tax and costs taken out.

If you like wooden English accents great stuff!

I made no judgement on Depp's inteliigence, friendliness or what books he may or may not have read.

[Doppelganger]

loved it even though it and the truth parted ways i knew it wasn`t based on fact going in, i ve often thought the ripper diary would make a good film.

[Glenn Lauritz Andersson]

i ve often thought the ripper diary would make a good film.

Oh God no! No!!!!

All the best

[Brenda]

As for the lead actor, I found him to be well read, highly intelligent and very friendly and I greatly admire his acting skills.

And very good-looking, Mr. Evans . You forgot the good-looking part.

The average person doesn't care about Jack the Ripper, and they sure don't care about debating if one of them died from eating a grape or not, or any of the other debates that we here find so endlessly fascinating. They want entertainment. And its Hollywood's job to dumb it all down as much as possible.

I also cannot see how a film could be done without it being suspect-based. I don't think any film-maker would take that one on without defining who the killer was. As a casual viewer of a subject I knew nothing about, I wouldn't want to be watching a film and suddenly have to digest who 10 or 12 (or MORE) suspects were. I do think From Hell did a fine job of stoking viewers' interest, and its up to the individual to pursue the subject from there. And there have been people that found their way here because of the movie, I've seen their posts before.

Now a DOCUMENTARY, that would be a whole other story. I would love to see a high-dollar, finely-produced documentary done with plenty of dramatic re-enactment.

[andy.s]

I watched the film last week and am probably in a better position to enjoy it than the more informed members of the forum.
Being relatively new to the whole ripperology thing, i found i enjoyed the victorian London scenes, and whilst understanding a lot of it was far fetched, i was unhampered by the facts of the case, because i knew mainly bugger all of them.
My wifes a Ward sister, and theres nowt worse than trying to sit and watch a programme like "casualty" or "scrubs" for instance...because she sits there saying
"you would not use one of them to do that"
"that amount of morphine would kill him...
"you would never do something like that without having one of these"
"If he's diabetic why in gods name are they puttin' all that sugar on his cornflakes"

you cannot enjoy it once you are acquainted with the facts..
I took "from hell" for what it was, a story based in misty facts that even the experts disagree on, and I quite enjoyed it....except for the obvious fiction at the end...i mean..
"you'de never do that to somebody with 2 of those......................................

[LTowell]

i ve often thought the ripper diary would make a good film.

I had a paperback of the Diary from the 90s that actually said on the front, "Soon to be a major motion picture starring Anthony Hopkins." I vaguely recall the publisher jumped the gun a bit and the talks weren't finalized. Then they never were.

[Zodiac]

Movies v History

Greetings to one and all,

My very first post on casebook so please be gentle!
I really can feel for both sides on this one. I know where you're coming from Glenn, as a historian, watching movies that portray themselves as "historical" or "based on a true story" can send the old blood pressure rocketing through the roof!!! Think "Braveheart" my God, need I say more???

On the other hand, I have myself on occasion, been asked to provide "historical advice" for TV and Video productions, (though I never got go to Prague, chat with Johnny Depp or meet the gorgeous Ms Graham!) Damn you Evans!!! My experience usually consisted of long days trudging back and forth accross a cold wet field somewhere in England trying to preserve some sense of historical accuracy to the filmed recreation of a battle that took place hundreds of years ago in different cold wet field somewhere else in England entirely! So I know full well how little understanding, consideration or even sympathy most writers/directers/producers etc. have for historical accuracy. All can say is that without our underappreciated and all too often ignored advice these productions would have been even more flawed than they are even now.

I feel I have agree with Stewart as regards the film "From Hell" It was based on a Graphic Novel, one of the best graphic novels imho, which the film, almost inevitabley, fails to do justice to. It never claimed to be otherwise. I'm not a fan of it myself, but to be fair it wasn't exactly aimed at my demograghic, i.e pedantic middle aged, scratch that, early middle aged historians!!!

Glenn, be careful with other serial killer films that claim to stick to the facts. I haven't seen the BTK one you mention, so I cannot comment on it, but as regards the Bundy film, I'm sure I don't need to tell you that it is not beyond some liberties with the case and filling in some of the blanks with artistic licence. The same can be said, only more so, for "The Riverman" both in its assumtions about the Green River Killer and in its Hannibal Lectorish portrayal of Ted Bundy. As for "Zodiac" if you are referring to the David Fincher movie, then I'm sorry to say that it is a complete travesty of the actual facts. This does not come as any surprise to any serious student of the case, as the film is based on that "Big Yellow Book" by Robert Graysmith, a.k.a. "Robert Gray's Myth" But this is not the place to get into the whole Zodiac case. I can strongly recommend www.zodiackiller.com It is essentially to the Zodiac what this site is to the Whitechapel murders.

Sorry for rambling on so,

All the best everyone,

Zodiac.

[Stewart P Evans]

Just For You

...(though I never got go to Prague, chat with Johnny Depp or meet the gorgeous Ms Graham!) Damn you Evans!!!
Sorry for rambling on so,
All the best everyone,
Zodiac.

Just for you Zodiac, I thought that you might enjoy this shot taken at the front of the National Museum, Prague (Wenceslas Square in the background) showing yours truly and Albert Hughes acting nonchalantly whilst sneaking the odd glance of admiration at Ms Graham's aesthetically appealing dress neckline. She's a great girl.

[Zodiac]

Is that a canoe in your pocket or are you just pleased to see her???

First off, let me say thanks Stewart, lovely photo! secondly let me say, in a Monty Python style manner, "You lucky, lucky b*st*rd!!!"

Seriously though thanks Stewart, not just for the photo (she is... WOW!!!) but also for all your research, your books and, never let it be forgot, your photographs of key ripper sites before they were swept away redevelopement. Without going into details, I grew up in the middle of the Yorkshire Ripper's reign of terror, quite literally. With the way Leeds is being redeveloped, all be it somewhat "on hold" now, what with the credit crunch, I think that it may become necessary for me to photograph and record the Yorkshire Ripper murder sites. Already several of them have been changed/redeveloped almost beyond recognition and many of the pubs used by the girls have been demolished. I suppose I should be glad in some ways about this, life moving on etc. But I can't help feeling that its as if the memory of the victims is been wiped away, maybe not on purpose, but still wiped away.

Anyhow, thanks again,

Zodiac.

[ken]

hey thanks for that also stewart. i love all your 'from hell' on set pic's, a fantastic set it was too i'm sure no one would argue with

[richardnunweek]

Hi,
I am with Glenn on this one, i fully understand that the film we are discussing was a adaptation, and not a ripper movie, nevertheless it came across as extremely far fetched, and full of what Hollywood see that period as ie, fagan like characters, and pubs full of DA -RA -RA BOOM -D A- atmosphere.
Some of the sets were first class, but the casting was absolutely wrong, Depp is a fine actor, but Abberline... NO. Robbie C, was a terrible choice for his sidekick , he was obviously the heaviest sergeant in Whitechapel, Heather Graham , although a good actress did her best.
It achieved its purpose, but like Glenn, I would love to see a film [ not a documentary] that sticks to the actual facts as we know them, a film that would leave everyone ripperologists, and the media. leaving the cinema with 'Now that was good' attitude.
Regards Richard.

[Nothing to see]

A great movie if you believe in Shrek as Jack.

Great art direction, locations, cast, set decoration.

Just what a waste of film and what a load of c***.

[RonnieKray]

I couldn't agree more with the last two posts.

There are millions of gory entertaiment movis to choose from....why not have one based on truth. I could think of nothing more entertaining.

[Steve S]

[QUOTE=Zodiac;71777]
On the other hand, I have myself on occasion, been asked to provide "historical advice" for TV and Video productions, (though I never got go to Prague, chat with Johnny Depp or meet the gorgeous Ms Graham!) Damn you Evans!!! My experience usually consisted of long days trudging back and forth accross a cold wet field somewhere in England trying to preserve some sense of historical accuracy to the filmed recreation of a battle that took place hundreds of years ago in different cold wet field somewhere else in England entirely! So I know full well how little understanding, consideration or even sympathy most writers/directers/producers etc. have for historical accuracy. All can say is that without our underappreciated and all too often ignored advice these productions would have been even more flawed than they are even now.

{QUOTE]

I recall,some time ago,a video company's 'Gofer' throwing a hissy fit at us for 'smoking in the ranks'....Not realising we were lighting our match......
Steve

[Zodiac]

The "joys" of film shoots!!! lol.

Hi Steve,

Oh yes, the joys of filming!!! Trying to explain the concept of a matchlock musket to someone who looks at you as if you're speaking to them in a foreign language!!! I remember one shoot where the two "leading actors" turned up from costume in bucket tops, buff coats, back, breast and morion, plus a full set of Apostles!!! Now that is what I call "Ye Compleat Soldier"!!! Needless to say I, plus several hundred hardened civil war reenacters, thanks guys! , had to impart a few historical home truths to them!!!

Ronnie, I agree with you, I would love to see such a film made, I wanted to see such a film for the 100th anniversary and I still want to see such a film. All I am trying to get accross is that, sadly, historical accuracy counts for very little in the minds of the vast majority of film makers. I wish it were otherwise but there it is. I think that our only hope of ever seeing anything like the film we would want to see is if someone, with a serious interest in the case, were make a small, low budget, independant film. Any film students etc. on this site interested in taking up the challenge???

All the best to everyone,

Zodiac.