From Hell
20th Century Fox (2001)
Crime, Mystery, Thriller
In Collection
#877
7*
Seen It:  Yes
(6/13/2011)
024543035572
IMDB   6.8
122 mins USA/English
DVD  Region 1   R
Johnny Depp Inspector Fred Abberline
Heather Graham Mary Kelly
Ian Holm Sir William Gull
Robbie Coltrane Sergeant Peter Godley
Ian Richardson Sir Charles Warren
Jason Flemyng Netley, the Coachman
Katrin Cartlidge Dark Annie Chapman
Terence Harvey Benjamin 'Ben' Kidney
Susan Lynch Liz Stride
Paul Rhys Dr. Ferral
Lesley Sharp Kate Eddowes
Estelle Skornik Ada
Nicholas McGaughey Officer Bolt
Annabelle Apsion Polly
Joanna Page Ann Crook
Director Albert Hughes
Allen Hughes
Producer Jane Hamsher
Don Murphy
Writer Alan Moore
Eddie Campbell
Terry Hayes

The true-life horror story of Jack the Ripper gets a new spin in this screen adaptation of the acclaimed graphic novel by Alan Moore and Eddie Campbell . In 1888, a ruthless and cold-blooded killer begins hunting prostitutes in East London, and while the murderer's work is savage, the mutilation of his victims suggests the fiend has an extensive medical background. Amidst a background of political unrest and barely contained scandal among the royal family, the murderer's grisly exploits shock and frighten all of England, and one of Scotland Yard's top inspectors, Fred Abberline ( Johnny Depp ), is put on the case, along with his partner, Peter Godley ( Robbie Coltrane ). Abberline, depending on one's viewpoint, is either blessed or cursed with second sight, and while he blurs his ability to see future events with opium and other drugs, he still has an uncanny ability to ferret out dangerous criminals, which is put to the test as he and Godley search for the Ripper. As Abberline and Godley investigate the neighborhood where the crimes occur, they become acquainted with the prostitutes and street people who were friends and compatriots of the victims, and Abberline finds himself falling in love with Mary Kelly ( Heather Graham ), a beautiful Irish streetwalker. As Abberline tries to identify the killer before Mary Kelly can become the next victim, he and Godley have to contend with Sir Charles Warren ( Ian Richardson ), their superior who is keen to pin the murders on a culprit who isn't British, and Sir William Gull ( Ian Holm ), a respected physician who has his own ideas about the murders and the benefits of psychosurgery. From Hell marked a change of pace for Albert Hughes and Allen Hughes , the sibling directorial team best known for their gritty depictions of America's urban underground in such films as Menace II Society and Dead Presidents . — Mark Deming
Edition Details
Edition Directors' Limited Edition
Chapters 32
Release Date 5/14/2002
Packaging Keep Case
Screen Ratio 2.35:1
Subtitles English
Audio Tracks ENGLISH: Dolby Digital 5.1 [CC]
ENGLISH: DTS 5.1 [CC]
FRENCH: Dolby Digital Surround
SPANISH: Dolby Digital Surround
Layers Single Side, Dual Layer
No. of Disks/Tapes 2
Personal Details
Purchase Date 10/23/2009
Owner Thomas Eisenmann
Store Best Buy
Purchase Price $19.95
Condition Excellent
Reviewed Widescreen Review
Bit Rate 448 KB
Anamophic Yes
Links IMDB
DVD Empire
DVD Empire

Features
Disc 01 Anamophic
Disc one of this two-disc Directors’ Limited Edition set includes feature-length commentary by directors Albert and Allen Hughes, screenwriter Rafael Yglesias, cinematographer Peter Deming, and actor Robbie Coltrane; an alternate ending and 20 deleted scenes with optional commentary; and a THX Optimizer™. The featurette-filled disc two starts off with The 6 Degrees Of Jack The Ripper, a 31-minute documentary with a selectable magnifying glass icon which reveals even more graphic information (including drawings and pictures) about the Whitechapel murders. There is a 12-minute production design featurette, a 10-minute featurette about how the movie was based upon Alan Moore and Eddie Campbell’s graphic novel, a 10-minute featurette on Absinthe, an on-set tour of the murder sites with the Hughes brothers, and finally A View From Hell is the Heather Graham-hosted 15-minute behind-the-scenes featurette. (Suzanne Hodges)

Widescreen Review
Story Synopsis:
If you were living in England in the late 1880s, Whitechapel is not where you’d want to plan a family vacation. Why? Well, besides the weather, Jack the Ripper, the nefarious prostitute slasher “From Hell,” is reigning the streets. To calm the frazzled nerves of the usually stoic Londoners, Scotland Yard sends their top inspectors, Fred Abberline (Depp), who is gifted (or cursed) with second sight, and his partner (Coltrane) to end the terror...and end it quickly. During the course of the investigation, Abberline meets and falls for Mary Kelly (Graham), a beautiful Irish streetwalker with, obviously, questionable morals. But can she be saved before becoming the next victim? Based on the graphic novel by Alan Moore and Eddie Campbell. (Jack Kelley)

DVD Picture:
The anamorphically enhanced 2.35:1 DVD exhibits a slightly soft character, but the appearance tends to support the setting of the movie. The picture has a rich color scheme, with bold reds, but hues border oversaturation at times. Fleshtones appear well balanced, and blacks are deep and solid. Some smearing is evident. Contrast and shadow delineation appear well balanced, considering the dark nature of the movie. There is some pixelization, but little edge enhancement. (Suzanne Hodges)

Soundtrack:
The 5.1-channel discrete soundtracks for this DVD are splendid with dramatic spatial characteristics. The sense of openness and immersion throughout is uncanny. This is a production that effectively utilizes dimension to its advantage. The presence of the very well-recorded music around the listening space can sound quite eerie at times, an example of which can be found in Chapter 4. The soundstage has also been crafted in quite a creative manner, with the split surrounds utilized to dramatically and even uncomfortably engulf you at times. Another standout aspect of this soundtrack is the deep bass presence, which is prodigious in nature with a clean, penetrating character. Low frequencies extend to below 25 Hz and the .1 LFE is actively engaged. Voices are presented with remarkable clarity, natural tonality, and with quite good spatial integration. The DTS® Digital Surround™ audio sounds slightly distinguished from its Dolby® Digital counterpart in terms of spatial resolution and midrange rendering, and to a somewhat lesser extent, the low-end as well. (Perry Sun)

This Disc Contains The Following WSR-Rated Superb Qualities:
Superb Music Score Recording Quality