A vicious serial killer who quacks like a duck
preys on young woman in New York City. HORROR
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The New York Ripper (1982)Directed by Lucio Fulci
Written by Gianfranco Clerici, Vincenzo Mannino, Lucio Fulci, Dardano Sacchetti Starring Jack Hedley, Almanta Suska, Howard Ross, Andrea Occhipinti, Alexandra Delli Colli, Paolo Malco |
Basically, The New York Ripper is what would happen if Donald Duck finally snapped and started killing women in New York City. It's probably Fulci's weirdest movie, and that is really saying something. It takes a while to get going, and the narrative is all over the place, a frequent issue with Fulci. This film is angry too, mostly towards women. There's a lot of unnecessary brutality in the murder scenes. Most of the film is watching innocent women get unflinchingly ripped open with a switchblade, including one woman who get her eyes sliced open. I like a gory movie, but there's a line on the verge of being crossed here.
There's a slasher loose on the streets of New York, and Lt. Williams (Hedley) is on the case. The killer is identified by his tendency to quack like a duck whenever he kills someone or taunts the cops with phone calls. In the 1970's and 1980's, New York City was a super dangerous place. A high murder rate, nasty shit all over the streets, and a lot of pent up rage just all over the place. Films like The New York Ripper showcase this horrible place, and in that respect, the film does a great job. I think the final reveal of the killer is a bit obvious, and I think the film itself is blatantly pornographic. The New York Ripper is an oddball with a memorable killer. Honestly, I will never forget the quacking murderer cutting open women and slicing through their nipples. I think Fulci was letting out a lot of resentment with this film. It just feels far more exploitative then the rest of his work. But maybe I'm just reading into it too much. |