Breaking Glass Pictures gets in the Halloween spirit with the October 11, 2016 DVD release of "Razors: The Return of Jack the Ripper." This modern homage to the 1959 classic "The House on Haunted Hill" has ironically named professor Richard Wise locking carefully selected students in a Victorian-era warehouse with a link to the titular pioneer serial killer for the stated purpose of participating in a contest to write a horror-film script.
Wise indirectly nods to "House" and its ilk by introducing members of the group through descriptions such as the cynic and the true believer. The center of this group (and the film) is Ruth Walker. Her cred. extends beyond owning a set of knives certified as belonging to The Ripper to include a past and a present of horrific nightmares and grisly images. These disturbing incidents come to feature members of her current group.
Much of "Razors" consists of our Millennials exploring their dark and creepy surroundings. This includes seeing the typical spooky shadowy figures, finding scary writing on the wall, experiencing increasing insanity, etc.
Writer/director Ian Powell elevates the film about the ordinary and the cliched in roughly the last 30 minutes by pairing up Ruth with unexpected help that makes sense. He further builds suspense regarding whether The Ripper is a figment of very scared imaginations, Wise or another prime "Scooby" style subject, or the ghost of the 19th century murderer. This payoff and the related surprising reveals turn an otherwise average atmospheric horror film into one that fans of that genre will not want to miss.
The special features includes a "making of" documentary, a short about the film itself, and a commentary by Powell and his cast.
Anyone with questions or comments regarding "Razors" is encouraged to email me; you can also connect on Twitter via @tvdvdguy.
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