Once-Lost TV: The Veil (with Boris Karloff)- 'Jack the Ripper'

 In lieu of a new piece on The Boys, it is a Horror Anthology Show with Boris Karloff as the Host.
2020- the Year of Disappointments.

I joke, but this one is kind of interesting.  It is...

The Veil was a 1958 Horror Anthology Show that never actually aired.  It couldn't find a Network or buyer, so sat unreleased until the 1990s.

Now it is Public Domain and on random Discs like the one I got for a whopping $2.99.

Naturally, it is ANOTHER Jack the Ripper Story...

In this 1958 Episode, a Medium has visions of murder.  I wonder if that will be important.

He's pushed by his Wife to go to the Police, so he does.

However, the murders bring out all the 'crazies'...who manage to not be in the wide-shot and then magically appear in an insert shot.

Movie magic!

He has another vision and is, again, pushed to go to the Cops.  This time, he has a detail not given in the Papers.

Instead of proving his powers, however, this...

…lands him in a Holding Cell.

Overnight, two more Murders happen in Whitechapel and now the Police believe him.

He leads them to where he 'knows' the killer lives.

He's a Socialite that is part of the RCS (Royal College of Surgeons).

At first, it seems like he is dead, but he's actually given himself to an Asylum...which somehow makes him 'outside of the Police's jurisdiction.'

Is that how things worked?!?  Whatever- it is better than him being a Time Traveler or Immortal.
The End.

A nice twist on very, VERY familiar territory.  

Another Jack the Ripper story- what else can you do?!?  

Well, to be fair, this was made in 1958, far before nearly all of the previous examples I've covered here.  

Karloff does double-dip on the matter- with Thriller- but he's not actually *in* either Story.  

Speaking of not in the Story, this was not actually made for The Veil, so Karloff doesn't appear in the feature himself.  

Presumably, he'd have played the Doctor at the end- just a guess.  This was actually made by someone else and then bought to connect to The Veil and pad out its potential sale.  

As noted, that sale never happened.  

David MacDonald is not a household name, but he Directed numerous TV Shows and Films like Devil Girl From Mars and The Moonraker (no relation to the Bond Film).  

The Episode itself looks pretty good, is nicely acted and has a pretty good resolution.  

As people will note, this Story does ignore the final Ripper Murder from 2 months later...which I guess is just a copycat to them.  It hurts the flow of the story to give it the actual ending, huh?  

Regardless, this once-lost Show- it only appeared on DVD in the '90s after 30+ years in limbo- is pretty good, even if it randomly cuts from Karloff standing to sitting for no good reason to get this shot....

A good, solid Episode that maybe isn't the most accurate representation of the Show.  Even so, they made Jack the Ripper feel kind of fresh, so kudos.

Classic Cover Art: Jack the Ripper (1959)

After getting all my Images online for the Review (I streamed it, so no Caps), I took a real liking to the classic Poster for the Film.

Naturally, I made it a little project to touch it up.

As always, I didn't want to completely transform or change it- just improve it.  

See for yourself...

The dark black.  The vibrant red.  The bright yellow.

Everything 'pops' on this one now.

I also colored the knife a bit to make it stand out.  As you can see below, the color of it and the woman kind of blend together.

Speaking of that, here is the original Version I found Online.  No doubt the years have not been kind to it... 

All of the key elements are there.  They were just faded and worn.  What is old is new again.

BritFlix: Jack the Ripper (1959)

Another Film brought to me (for convenience's sake) by Tubi.  I can't get paid to promote a Free App, can I?  This is Jack the Ripper, a fairly-famous Film from back in the day.  It was made in the UK, but had a huge promotion for its US Release in 1960.  That brought along some changes, but I'll cover that later on.  The Film's Plot...should be easy to guess.  There's not big twist or wrinkle here- it's just people trying to stop 'Saucy Jack.'  As always, they play a little bit fast and loose with history.  Granted- I have seen Batman, The Hoff, and (of course) Nightman try to solve this case already, so this is nothing.  The Film's Directors are notable for creating The Saint- neat.  The Writer- Jimmy Sangster- was a prominent Writer for Hammer Films like X: The Unknown, The Curse of Frankenstein and The Brides of Dracula.  He also Directed a handful as well- The Horror of Frankenstein, Fear in the Night and Lust for the Vampire.  The Film was made on the cheap, but the turn around on it was kind of interesting.  The US Distributor paid £50,000 for the Film and then spent $1 million to promote it!  Can an American Detective solve the case when the bobbies failed?  To find out, read on...

The titular killer is on the loose in London's Slums.  What is his goal?

Also, there are a few different Cuts of the Film with varying visual fidelity.  I mention that because shots like this may be more or less revealing in which version you see.

An American- who is a friend of one of the Detectives- says he's there on vacation.  Of course, he's actually there to work the case.

It is funny that this Film so maligned for the changes made to the Film for the US Market- like a new Soundtrack-, when the Film itself is trying to market itself to America already!

Unfortunately, 'Jack' is still on the loose.

To be fair, there are a possible 11 Ripper victims.
That said, there are only 5 *official* ones and this Film shows us 3, while also saying that he's killed enough times before to affect Sociological Change on the City of London itself!

To get to around 80 minutes, we have some B-Plots.  They aren't bad, but they are definitely filler.

One involves the Niece of a Doctor who wants to go into the field, while he doesn't want it.

She's somewhat progressive...for all of the limited time her Plot is granted.

The other B-Plot is more related to the main one, to be fair.

We focus alot on a Dance Hall/Night Club, which seems to be connected to the Ripper's killings.

We 'focus' even more on it in the 'Continental Cut,' which is just an excuse for them to add in random Dressing Room Nudity for the French Market.  No joke.

In a big City (shown about twice, but to good effect), can they catch the killer?

Well, yes and no.

It eventually is revealed that 'Jack' is actually a crazy Doctor killing the Performers to get to the one whom he blames for his Son's death (via suicide)...

...but he manages to kill the woman first, getting ride of a witness and dies when he is ironically (?) crushed by an Elevator going to the Morgue where he worked.

In the US Cut, they include a shot of his blood seeping up through the wood...and it is the only shot in Color.  Gimmicks!

The Police, despite having evidence already, declare the case officially unsolved...for some reason.  The End.

It is surprisingly-dry and not trashy.  Don't get me wrong- making a Film like this is always a little bit trashy.  No matter what your intentions, you are exploiting an unsolved crime that involved the death of up to around a dozen people (or more).  There are far worse (and better) examples of this story as a truly 'trashy' piece of cinema, of course.  The one where Nightman and Manimal stop a Time Traveling Jack though- all class!  The thing about this Film is that it is kind of dry.  They don't play stuff up for scintillation or any of that kind of thing.  It is a pretty route way to do the Story for the most part.  While not a quality comparison, it reminds me a bit of M, as this one shows the effect of the killer on the City itself.  Normal people are no more violent and prone to suspicion.  There are probably too many Characters as a whole too- just saying.  The interesting thing is that people really tried to market the Film as, again, trashy Drive-In Fare.  It's honestly a decent, if nothing special Film.  On the plus side, the need to market the Film incorrectly has passed.  Isn't that right, Severin Films?

Next time, a more trashy affair from a bit later...and further away.  Who wants to visit Blood Island?!?  Stay tuned...

My Crazy Youth: The Time That Nightman and...Manimal Battled Jack the Ripper!

An obscure Superhero meets a forgotten TV Character- it must be Saturday Afternoon on WGN!

In the late-90s to early 2000s, there was LOTS of trashy TV made for Basic Cable.  I'm looking at you, The Lost World and Relic Hunter!  During this time, a character bought by Marvel as part of Malibu Comics got 2 Seasons of a Show.  He was...

In this Episode, we begin with...London in the 19th Century?!?

A mysterious man stops Jack the Ripper by...turning into a Leopard.  He fails to stop him from escaping via a magic crystal and he has one too!

In the present, Jack and the man battle again, with our hero- not in costume- getting caught in the middle.

Using his powers, he tracks down the man who reveals himself to be...

Manimal!

Yes, the fairly-infamous joke of a Show from 1983 is back (well, the Lead is) due to a shared Producer/Creator- Glenn A. Larson.

If he had plans to go further with this, I can't tell.  It didn't happen either way.

In this retconned adventure, Manimal explains his origin and says that he was tasked with stopping evil.  He yadda yaddas his way past explaining who gave him a time crystal and told him to stop Jack the Ripper.

On top of that, his wife- I guess the love interest from the cancelled show- is dead, but they have a daughter.

I won't SPOIL how it all goes, since you can actually watch it for free.  Check out Archive.org while you can.

I will note how little Nightman is mentioned in this summary and with good reason.

Can they stop Jack?  Can they save the Daughter?  Will this Show end regardless?

This is weird for so many reasons.  Where do I begin?  Nightman barely factors into the main Narrative, since this is all about Manimal, his daughter and what I can only assume was a failed pitch for a Show about her.  Sadly, *most* of the main Players aren't around for me to ask about this.  I guess I could ask the Actress, as she continues to work today.  Manimal himself has some MASSIVE changes put in to make this batshit crazy story work.  When did he get recruited to time travel?  By whom?  Why him?  Why do his transformations kind of suck now?  Despite taking all of the attention, he's not very good at stopping Jack, who is just some guy.  He doesn't have magic powers or anything- just a knife and that time crystal thing.  Speaking of which, how many times will I cover time-travelling Jack the Ripper without even touching Time After Time (or the TV Series)?!?  It's such an oddly-specific thing to keep coming back to, Media!  That Film and Show are worth noting for comparison, as they feature AN AUTHOR trying to stop Jack, making the challenge more believable.  In this case, it is a shape-shifting hero (who has to suck for the Plot to work) and a super-powered Hero (who has to just be away from Jack the whole time until the end).  It clearly isn't the same, unless you give H.G. Wells the power of flight, super-strength and laser vision!  I have vague memories of this Show as a whole, but that's about it.  Looking through other Plot Synopsis', I feel like I need to cover more.  Can they be this silly or this revival/possible backdoor Pilot the peak?  Either way, I'll find out.  If nothing else, it isn't his last team-up... 

As much as I love older Shows like Thriller and One Step Beyond, you don't get the same level of crazy cheese as you do with '90s Shows like this.  Bring them on!

Poor Bastards of Cinema: Terror at London Bridge (aka Bridge Across Time)

This is a weird Film, so it needs a brief recap for context...

- The London Bridge was rebuilt (for real) in Arizona.
- Jack the Ripper was killed on said Bridge (not real) and comes back when someone bleeds on the same block he touched during his fall (also not real).
- David Hasselhoff is the only one who can stop him!

For the climax, he goes back to the *real* fake Village built around said Bridge to stop his last kill.
He leaves his lady (and the Town Librarian) with his Partner.

He looks around for 'Jack' and also wonders where the Night Security Guard is.

...and he's dead.

This *should* be a bigger deal, since Jack needed one more kill to jump back in Time (or something).

However, this one doesn't count, since, I don't know, it's a guy...maybe.

So, to sum up, a guy was killed for just doing his job.  As a double-whammy, as a Security Guard, he doesn't get the 'rub' for being a Cop.

He just gets killed like they do in these Films AND didn't get to get out of Parking Tickets too!

The moral: clearly it is avoid Bridges.  It doesn't end well for ANYONE in this Film.

Rare Flix: Terror at London Bridge! (aka Bridge Across Time)

A thank you to Obscurus Lupa for bringing this Movie into my life!  This is 1985's Terror at London Bridge, an NBC Movie-of-the-Week.  Why is it worth resurrecting after 30+ years?  Well, first things first- its Star is David Hasselhoff.  I could end the hype right there...but I won't.  The Plot is bonkers.  So, follow me here, you know Jack the Ripper.  Did you know that he was actually killed in 1888?  Yep, he sure was and it happened at London Bridge.  Nearly 100 years later, a magic effect brings him back...in Arizona.  So this requires a quick history lesson for those not informed on the comings and goings of famous Bridges.  In 1962, the Bridge was deemed 'not safe enough for travel.'  So, naturally, a rich guy in Arizona bought the Bridge for his 'City of London' by Lake Havasu.  That brings us to 1985 and the return of Saucy Jack at the same Bridge.  Can the Hoff stop the Ripper?  Can you get enough '80s hair?  Can you stop laughing at the premise?  To find out, read on...

In 1888, Jack is chased by a mob (after tossing a man like he's Andre the Giant) and shot, falling to his death from the London Bridge, loosing a stone in the process.

In the Present Day (of 1985), the final brick is restored and this lady bleeds on it (after somehow grazing a piece of a scaffold), which brings Jack back to life.

Of course, it is not clear why it brings him back in way shape or form, so...um...moving on...

When the body is found, the Mayor won't close the Beach...I mean, the Village and blames it on a transient.  Enter the Hoff to smolder him into doing the right thing!

At the same time, this man shows up and is properly-creepy...and also British.

His name should be Red Herring, but it is probably more like Spotted Dick.

In the B-Plot, Current and future Detective Hasselhoff is courting the lady who runs a Boat Service.

In a bit that was possibly-stolen by Die Hard, his backstory involves him killing a kid.  Break out that Emmy, dammit!

As the killings increase and time passes in a vague manner (seriously, the Film takes place over like 2 months with no time cards), Hoff makes his big thesis- the killer is the real Jack.

To the Film's credit, nobody accepts his logic (even if he's right).  Touché, Film.

Shockingly, the guy who was also British and wasn't a fake evil guy is actually Jack.  He needs to kill one more person to make the stone send him...back to England.

First off, huh?!?!?
Second, they know you are the killer, so why would you go back?!?
Third, you already killed a Guard.  Why not use his blood?

Hoff fights Jack and loses pretty soundly the first time.  He takes Hoff's girlfriend up to kill her, but Hoff returns.

For some reason, he decides to toss him over the side of Bridge like it is the Royal Rumble Match!

Of course, Hoff hangs on (but doesn't skin the cat) and shoots Jack, getting over his fear of shooting.

The Movie goes full circle with Jack falling to his death...again and taking the brick too.  Sequel Bait?  The End.

A fun, silly affair.  To be fair to the Film right off the bat, it plays things straight.  Thank Xenu they do too, since the Movie is all the funnier for it!  The Setting- Arizona Tourist Trap- is not rife for Horror or Thrills.  They try to manufacture it by having a 'House of Horrors' Gift Shop, but that's obviously not enough.  The Story is silly as hell.  Why involve Magic?  Why involve Time Travel?  There are a number of ways to make a good, but forgettable Film based on the London Bridge in Arizona...if one is so inclined.  In the short term, that would have been better.  Granted- it worked out well in the long term, since it inspired someone to Review it in 2020 and then inspired me to rip them off by also covering it to.  In my defense, Obscurus Lupa indirectly led me to Roller Gator, so she earned this!  The Film is super cheesy and clearly confined by the setting.  It is a nice travelogue for the place, I suppose, but the Film just lacks atmosphere.  They have to constantly cheat to not show you stuff that would ruin the tension even more, which is kind of funny.  If you can get past the silly Plot, they play it straight enough to enjoy as good old, American now that we bought it cheese.  Case in point: Jack stalks the Funeral for one victim (which takes place in broad daylight on a Golf Course!) and...nobody sees him.  I mean...really?!?

Next up, I need to do some more stuff about women.  How about this Movie about a Witch that isn't spelled with two 'Vs' for some reason?  Stay tuned...

Old-School TV: Thriller- 'Yours Truly, Jack the Ripper'

I felt like I should cover more of this Show since it usually turns out to be nice and surprising.  I guess that's why they call it...

This one is based on a Story by Robert Bloch, the famous Writer of Psycho.

Fun Fact: this was later retro-fitted for a 1967 Episode of Star Trek!

When a murder happens in San Francisco, an old British Lawman comes to Town with a theory: Jack the Ripper is immortal and stays that way by killing ritualistically.

They...take it well.

The Cops try to protect an area on the night he's supposed to make a kill.  However, they can't watch everywhere- for instance, this window after they just leave.

I will say that this death does make a little bit of a Plot Hole for me, but I'll cover it later.

They take an odd direction with the case: hang around with Artists, since 'Jack' is apparently known to be one/associate with them.

Well, in hindsight, they're not wrong.

Tragically, they can't stop the killings.  The next victim has tons of pathos too- sick kid, rough life.

As an added bonus, they tease that this will be stopped/interrupted, but its not.  Cold move!

As the date of the last killing time arrives, the Investigator and the Psychologist brought in to help him step outside.  That's when the latter kills the former, revealing himself to be Jack the whole time!

Well, all the clues were there.  The End.

A quirky, but serious Episode.  The whole premise is odd.  Jack the Ripper commits ritualistic, Satanic sacrifices to stay alive.  He travels across the World like an immortal, Satanic Anthony Bourdain.  This kind of works in the context of this Story and this time since photography is not as prevalent in this period.  Imagine trying to do it in the age of Facebook/Instagram/etc- no way he's not spotted all the damn time.  The Acting is nicely done and that may also be due in part to the direction.  As you'll see below, an Actor Directed this, so that could be related.  There's maybe a couple minor Actors that don't quite nail their parts- mostly the Artists- but that's a minor issue.  The mood created by the Episode is quite nice.  It is all about murder, but never gets garish.  You never see blood or any of that kind of stuff.  At the same time, they don't sanitize the emotional consequences of the deaths either.  If you're squeamish, it's a win-win.  I will say that the twist is interesting, but has some issues for me.  When we last see 'Jack,' he's with the Brit.  It is only moments later that we see POV Jack in action, so did he just go 'I need to pee- brb' or what?  The other ones hold up fine- it's just this one.  All in all, Thriller continues to deliver and I have no reason not to go back at least a few more times now, especially if he's behind the Camera...

Another solid Episode- which should be no surprise given who is involved.  It's a bit dated, but that can also be part of its charm.

'70s Trash: Terror at the Wax Museum (1973)

Another Rifftrax Review, but one I'd do normally anyhow.  This gem is Terror at the Wax Museum, a 1973 Horror Film full of silliness.  This is one of MANY Films in the Wax Museum Sub-Genre of Films.  In the group, you have Mystery of the Wax Museum, House of Wax, this Film, Waxwork, House of Wax (2005) and a few notable others.  You also get my favorite- the one where the guy is turning ladies literally into wax and is revealed to be a Robot at the end!  Thanks, Italy!  The Films are all a bit different, but usually relate to the idea that wax figures are somehow killing people.  It's so silly that you can see why they've made them for over 80 Years!  This time, the intrigue is based around the Museum as someone tries to buy it.  When the murders start, who is to blame?  The Film is notable for its Cast of 'Aww, you're in this?!?' Actors.  They include John Carradine, Ray Milland, Louis Hayward and Broderick Crawford- among others.  Is the fact that I watched this on Rifftrax a bad sign?  Yes.  To find out how and why, read on...

A weird, old man- Carradine- owns a Wax Museum and might sell it.  He's confronted that night by his...animated Figures.

That's just an average Tuesday for him in the '70s though.

After he dies the next night, his Niece inherits the Museum and his mute/deaf worker.  He must be evil- the Poster says so!

Some murders start to happen and all signs point to...Jack the Ripper.  That or the Wax Figure of him.

Either way, this guy is going to solve the case...or get into the Niece's 'pants'- whichever comes first.

She too starts to experience weird things such as noises and figures appearing to move.  What is going on here?!?

On top of that, another murder happens- this time with the 'Oh, it's you!' cliché used to full-effect.

Who is the guilty party?  Is it Jack the Ripper (real one)?  Is it the figure?  Is it Ray Milland, who's character is written as a combination businessman/black-out drunk?

Nope- it was the Bartender.  Yep, it's that anti-climactic.  And no, I didn't forget to mention this important Character- he wasn't one.  The End.

It really is that anti-climactic and random.  A story like this should be easy to tell.  You can add some flourish and style- sure- but the Film should be easy enough to follow.  Instead, they keep building up that the Figures come to life...or one comes to life...or it is Jack the Ripper...or it is Milland.  Hell, by the end, I'm surprised they didn't also try to pin it on the Aunt, the Detective or Carradine himself!  The Film is fun to watch for the sheer silliness of it all.  There's nothing super-special here other than the early Carradine freak-outs.  Sadly, he's not in this much- not that he's ever in these kinds of Films much.  He's like a shooting star- an old, fragile and insane shooting star.  I kid, I kid- mostly.  The rest of the Cast- mostly Milland and Crawford- handle things well in his absence.  If you like this kind of silly stuff, check it out.  You can watch it with or without Rifftrax- but I prefer the latter.  Films like this have dry spots, which they help cover, and they are quite funny.  Now they just need to do the original...

Next time, I will actually get around to a Film I planned to do back in, oh, June.  It's Japan, so it's crazy and hopefully-fun.  Stay tuned...