06 November 2024
New York Ripper (1982)
92 min.
Directed by Lucio Fulci.
With Jack Hedley, Almanta Keller, Andrea Occhipinti, Paolo Malco, Alexandra Delli Colli, Howard Ross, Daniela Doria, Cinzia de Ponti, Cosimo Cinieri.
Quack, quack, quack.

We had high hopes for this Fulci slasher.

After all, if there's any city that deserves the psycho splatter treatment Lucio-style, it's gotta be the Big Apple.

The story: a wacko walks the streets of NYC slicing women to shreds and phoning in threats to the police.

Police detective Fred Williams (Hedley) is on the case. But can he catch the maniac before there are more gruesome murders? (Or before we have to endure more of that damn Donald Duck voice?)

Admittedly, there are some awesome, spunky (and chunky) special effects. You know, spliced eyeballs, ripped nipples, just the kind of gore so closely associated with director Fulci.

And we liked the gritty scenes set in and around Times Square.

But whose idea was it to have the killer use the voice of a duck...an idea that ultimately siphons away some of the power from the more graphic horror sequences?

Fans of Italian terrors will get more mileage out of this one than most.

Also known simply as The Ripper.

Italian: Lo Squartatore di New York.

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