The tyranist's thoughts
One of the very first science fiction short stories that I read and remembered well was a Jack the Ripper story in one of Harlan Ellison's Dangerous Visions anthologies. I wonder why more people don't take advantage of this material. In a way, I guess it is like JFK and is a mystery that will forever remain unsolved, but that it is fun to guess at.
So Jack the Ripper has begun to strike and the whores on the street are not safe. In walks an investigator whose particular talents include opiate induced visions of the crimes taking place. As the mystery unravels and his attachment to a particular whore develops, the magnitude of the situation betrays itself to be bigger than anyone could have suspected.
I'm a sucker for Johnny Depp and when he plays these investigator types I find that he is easy to identify with. Add to him the alluring Heather Graham and who wouldn't want to solve the mystery. Ian Holm was incredible, but when has he not been, and Robbie Coltrane grows greater in my estimation by the film.
In the end this film speculates that there was much more to the Jack the Ripper cases than just foul play and it is fun to watch the conspiracies unfold. I'd heartily recommend this to anyone who has the time. I didn't get to spend as much time with it as I'd like so perhaps one day I'll return for another sample.

Rish's Reviews
Based on the sprawling graphic (literally) novel by Alan Moore, From Hell was a period horror film, something we don't get much of these days. It looks great, had really nice production values, an interesting look, and a good mystery behind it.
I don't know why, really, but I like Johnny Depp. I also really like Ian Holm, though I'm sure that's because of his talent, likability, and body of work. Heather Graham, however, I didn't like. Again, I don't know why. I think it might have been the choice to make her so much prettier/cleaner than the other prostitutes, besides the fact that we see them practicing their business, but not her. Irritating.
I felt sorry for the dirty English prostitutes. Poor girls.
I don't really have much to say about From Hell. I enjoyed it fairly well, even though it was a gritty and unpleasant film, and leaves you feeling that way in the end. It is a bit higher brow and intellectual than a lot of Horror, so that could be a recommendation for or against it, depending on your personal taste. I know one of the producers and I was a P.A. on one of the Hughes brothers previous works (for only one day, though). I don't know why I told you that. I'll be leaving now.