EXCELLENTRECOMMENDED GOOD POOR DIABOLICAL
Warning! Possible spoilers ahead for readers
outside the USA or Canada

From Hell
Reviewed by Lisa Kincaid

Released US: October 19 2001, Rated R • Released UK: February 8, 2002

Directed by The Hughes Brothers (Albert and Allen Hughes)
Starring Johnny Depp, Heather Graham, Ian Holm, Jason Flemyng, Robbie Coltrane, Lesley Sharp, Susan Lynch, Terence Harvey, Katrin Cartlidge
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By now, Jack the Ripper seems almost passé. The killer has already been re-imagined, re-invented, and re-animated in countless mediums, from a slew of B-movies to an episode of Star Trek.From Hell, however, is an entirely different creature: it draws on the actual events surrounding the Ripper's Whitechapel killing spree, presents its own theories about the still-unsolved mystery, and examines the motivations and machinations behind not only the Ripper himself, but the rest of the players in his world.

The film, based upon the graphic novel by Alan Moore and Eddie Campbell, translates that very visual feel to the big screen rather well, with a very dark, almost claustrophobic atmosphere. The Hughes Brothers create a dirty, horrific and no doubt realistic Whitechapel and populate it with a broad range of intriguing, deeply flawed and ultimately very human characters. The distinguished cast, particularly Johnny Depp, Robbie Coltrane and Ian Holm, make their roles their own and bring them to life with gusto, and the weaker actors among them are used deftly and sparingly.

Though the story drags at points, and there's a completely unnecessary love story thrown into the mix, From Hell possesses an understated menace and gritty visual style that makes it an excellent and unnerving thriller.

Charmed - Season Four
03 • Hell Hath No Fury – Reviewed by Ian Atkins

The WB • Written by Krista Vernoff
Directed by Chris Long • TX: October 11 2001
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Charmed Again and Enter the Demon also reviewed in this issue

It's Rose McGowan! She's the new sister! And this week, she has enormous breasts! While the events of Charmed Again gave Charmed an unusual gravitas, it's not surprising that an episode later we're dealing with a monster-of-the-week and spells backfiring with Hilarious Consequences™.

Piper's having trouble dealing with Prue's death, and her suicidal tendencies are threatening Phoebe and Cole too.
A pursuit of San Francisco's demonic villains exposes the group to some Xena-esque Furies and Piper to their evil influence; meanwhile Paige is discovering her powers can have pros and cons when she tries to use the Book of Shadows to help some friends.

If you take the latter plot as comedy then it fails awfully (the trailers highlighting this do the story a disservice), but as an introduction to Paige's character it's much more successful than her Charmed debut.

The initial scenes with Piper feel like cast-off Prue moments and her transformation to one of the Furies is so familiar that even they tell us which stories they've done this in before! Thankfully it's saved at the last moment by a wonderful conclusion which not only reassures Holly Marie Combs fans that she can act, but will bring a tear to even the driest eye.

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