Am I Missing Something?

In truth, there is barely enough story here to make a film.

I am only giving this movie a 1 for the great cast, though I can't imagine what any of them were thinking. This movie was horrible

One of those movie experiences that is so good it makes you realize you've been grading everything else on a curve.

"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.

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.

The 'Krimi' genre is mostly made up of films based on stories by novelist Edgar Wallace and many of the best of them were directed by the prolific Alfred Vohrer. The Monster of London City does not benefit from the input of either of these two genre luminaries and is undoubtedly one of the weaker films of its type out there. As mentioned, the film is not based on a novel by Edgar Wallace; but it does boast perhaps the next best thing as the story used for this film was penned by none other than Wallace's son, Bryan Edgar Wallace. Like many films of this type, the story takes influence from the murders committed by Jack the Ripper and we focus on a stage play about the serial killer. Unfortunately, someone has taken it upon themselves to begin copying The Ripper and is murdering girls throughout London. Naturally this means that a harrowing eye is cast upon the play; and the lead actor soon becomes the chief suspect in the investigation carried out by the London police.Naturally the film is set in London; and director Edwin Zbonek does a good job of capturing the fog drenched streets which help to give the film a thick and foreboding atmosphere. It's often the style that I like most about these films; and while this one is not so heavy on the style as some other films in this genre; the style is once again the best thing about it. The cast list does not include any well known actors; although as an ensemble there is nothing wrong with the performances. The story is the biggest let-down, however, as while there are certainly opportunities for a good, strong thriller here; it unfortunately falls somewhat short of the potential. There is very little in the way of suspense and therefore it is easy to get rather bored with the investigation. Naturally the murders are not very grisly; but they're not really memorable either and this also harms the film. The ending is a particular disappointment and can be seen coming a mile away. Overall, this film might be worth a look if you're a big Krimi fan, but I wouldn't bother with it otherwise.

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.