Review – Man in the Attic

This is the only time I’m aware of – other than the “Saucy Jack” routine from This Is Spinal Tap – that the story of Jack the Ripper has ever included musical numbers. Jack Palance stars as the killer, and here he’s so young that initially it’s a little hard to tell whether it’s really him or not (though as soon as he starts speaking all doubt disappears). The script is weak, paying little attention to the details of the actual murders and offering no significant plot or character development in exchange for our tolerance of historical inaccuracy. Palance does a solid-if-hammy job, but otherwise this is mediocre fare. Mildly amusing. [And it turns out I was wrong about the musical number thing, inasmuch as this is a remake of The Lodger, which itself had a song-and-dance or two]