Stellead Don't listen to the Hype. It's awful

Konterr Brilliant and touching

Spoonatects Am i the only one who thinks........Average?

Kamila Bell This is a coming of age storyline that you've seen in one form or another for decades. It takes a truly unique voice to make yet another one worth watching.

Horst in Translation (filmreviews@web.de) "Das Ungeheuer von London-City" or "The Monster of London City" is a West German German-language production from 1964, so this one is already over 50 years old. Director is Edwin Zbonek and Robert A. Stemmle worked with Bryan Edgar Wallace on the script here. The title of this slightly under 90-minute movie is already an indicator that we are once again taken into the horrendous world of Jack the Ripper. There is a play in London which deals with this infamous serial killer and at the very same time prostitutes get murdered by a new perpetrator that is soon of course also called Jack the Ripper. What is his motivation? Watch for yourself and find out. The cast includes the likes of Felmy, Koch, Schönherr, Nielsen, Tillmann, so quite a few actors that were relatively famous back then, at least here in Germany and this also shows how prestigious these crime/horror films were back then, especially if the name Wallace was attached to them. Oh yeah, this one here is a black-and-white movie of course.I must say having seen many films from the well-known Rialto series I expected not too much here because I hardly liked any of them and if I did somehow, then it was mostly due to Klaus Kinski being in the cast and here he is not. This is why as you can see from the title of my review I was indeed pretty surprised I ended up liking this one here. The story was simple, yet smart. There were interesting inclusions in terms of the connection between the play and reality, such as the exchanged dagger. There was suspense if the actor is actually the killer. The old cop character was interesting, but they did not shove him into our faces like in other of these movies. The killer is not running around in some stupid costume. The comedy was not an essential part here, but still there were some subtly funny moments here and there like the guy they suspect of being the killer near the end. And there are also not too many suspects that you just get confused who is who and stop caring. Sure there were also some weak moments like the rushed-in explanation at the very end, but it's all good. I still think the good outweighs the bad here and especially a thumbs-up goes to the writers who prove that scary German crime movies in the 1960s do not have to be a failure by definition. This one here is kind of the exception to the rule. I recommend checking it out. Final note: The highly prolific Arthur Brauner produced this one and he is still alive today at the age of 98 (and a half). Will he make it to 100? Feel free to check it out if you read this review in August 2018 or afterward.

MartinHafer The idea for this film isn't bad, but somehow when it all came together the whole thing was a bit dull and I had a very hard time sticking with it. This is a German film dubbed into English and I wonder if perhaps it might have played better in its original form. Regardless, I couldn't wait for it to end.The story is set in 1960s London and a series of Jack the Ripper style have been occurring. At the same time, there's a play about the Ripper playing to huge crowds in the city and after a while it appears that the two might be related.The problem I had is that the characters weren't that interesting and the mystery wasn't all that hard to predict. On top of that, things were made a bit worse by a horrible musical track made by a cheesy theater organ. Overall, you could do a lot better.

bensonmum2 A modern day Jack the Ripper is on the loose in London. The police and other government officials are concerned that a play concerning the Ripper's activities may have been, at the least, the inspiration for the rash of murders. In fact, the police view the actor who performs as Jack the Ripper each night as their primary suspect. Has this actor become so obsessed with his role that it's spilled out into everyday life? What Works: That Jazzy Score. One positive aspect of the film worth mentioning is the score. Martin Bottcher has created an incredible, over-the-top, jazzy score that suits the film. It's a good representation of the music I expect when watching a Krimi. Very nice!The Look. The Monster of London City is full of those dark streets and creepy alleyways that seem to breed knife-welding killers. These are the kind of places that I sure wouldn't want to walk through alone. It's a great look that is effective in creating the occasional suspenseful moment.What Doesn't Work: The Plot. The biggest flaw I see with The Monster of London City is in the plot. It's predictable and, as a result, there's really very little suspense. It should be quite obvious to anyone watching who the killer really is. Suspect after suspect are thrown at the viewer with little effect. It's far too easy to see through these red herrings and arrive at the correct conclusion.Acting. For the most part, the acting is emotionless. I've seen inanimate objects with the ability to emote better than these people. Many of them appear just this side of being bored to tears.The Comic Relief. I've seen several other Krimis that contain comic relief, but The Monster of London City takes it a bit too far. The bumbling husband and wife detective duo have far more screen time than they should have. While they are occasionally funny, their act takes away from the serious nature of the plot and feels like an unwelcome intrusion.In summary, it's not that The Monster of London City is the worst example of a Krimi you can find, but it's nowhere near the best. I'll keep watching these films because you never know when you're going to run across a real winner.

John Seal The Monster of London City is an unremarkable entry in the krimi cycle, this time based on a novel by Bryan Edgar Wallace, son of the prodigious Edgar Wallace. Set in a London of perpetual night, the titular character is a modern day version of Jack the Ripper, whose murder streak coincides with the successful run of a play about the original Saucy Jack. Hansjorg Felmy is the star of the play, which judging from what we see here is one of the most inept to ever appear in the West End. Felmy is also the target of an MP (Fritz Tillmann) eager to shut down the production for inciting violence, and the police naturally suspect him as well. This review is based on a screening of IS Filmworks video, a faded and blurry black and white print that renders most of the night time scenes almost impossible to watch and incorrectly frames the film with a 1.66:1 aspect ratio, uncomfortably squeezing the original, widescreen Totalscope compositions. It's all we've got for now--the film isn't included in the recently released in Germany Edgar Wallace DVD boxed sets--but there are enough hints here to pique one's interest in seeing a restored print. A decent Martin Bottcher score is an added bonus.