Wait to DVD for "From Hell"

With Halloween right around the corner, one can expect a flood of cheesy gore films hitting the local Cineplex. Twentieth Century Fox's "From Hell," however, tries to be different from the typical slasher film by being an intelligent and beautifully shot thriller that focuses on the legendary tale of Jack the Ripper. Unfortunately, no matter how aesthetically pleasing the film may be, its slow pace and a lack of on-screen chemistry between Johnny Depp and Heather Graham prevent the movie from being as believable and haunting as it could have been.

"From Hell," based on the novel by the same name, tells the story of Jack the Ripper, a man who in 1888 committed five murders in two and a half months. Although the man was never caught in real life, Alan Moore and Eddie Campbell's novel focuses on a conspiracy between the murderer and the highest powers in England, and the inspector (played in the film by Johnny Depp) whose job is to protect those who he foresees as being the next victim.

Mixing terror with romance, directors Allen and Albert Hughes direct a visually stunning film that will be sure to please audiences aesthetically. Everything from the costumes to the streets of London is in place to bring back the legendary setting of Jack the Ripper's murders. The film, which was shot in Prague, even features a re-creation of the Whitechapel district of London where the five prostitutes lost their lives in order to make the story even more realistic. Add to this the numerous castles the Hughes Brothers shot in and you have 1888 London all over again.

As beautiful as the film's sets are though, the bloody and gruesome murders could easily take away from the visual eye-candy cinematographer Peter Deming offers viewers. Luckily for those with weak stomachs, the Hughes Brothers tame down the murder scenes and-- outside one particularly graphic scene-- refrain from showing much blood at all. Still, like "The Blair Witch Project" proved two years ago, sometimes the most haunting images and murders can be those heard off-screen, and screenwriters Terry Hayes and Rafael Yglesias definitely write a script that details the murders verbally when the Hughes Brothers refrain from showing it visually.

Sadly, despite the beautifully constructed sets, "From Hell" has its share of weaknesses. For one, the overall pacing is far too slow. Even though the film is intentionally staying away from the typical MTV-style editing that most horror films have these days, viewers will find themselves wishing for some quicker cuts before the film is halfway done.

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