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Released by: Shameless Films
Released on: 10/01/2007
Director: Lucio Fulci
Cast: Jack Hedley, Andrew Painter, Andrea Occhipinti, Alexandra Delli Colli
Year: 1982
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The Movie:
Next to Zombie and The Beyond, Lucio Fulci's New York Ripper is, if not one of his better known pictures in mainstream circles, at least his most notorious. It's been labeled as near pornographic, misogynist, sexist trash and it's hard to argue with a few of those more colorful adjectives. That said, Fulci's film definitely succeeds in creating an unsettling mood and a sleazy atmosphere - and it's more fun to think he planned it that way rather than to assume it happened by accident.
The movie takes place in, you guessed it, the New York City of the early eighties where some of the local ladies are being stalked and slashed by an unknown assailant with a penchant for making quacking noises while he does his dirty deeds. The cops, lead by a detective named Frank Williams (Jack Hedley), are on the case however and they figure that the quacking has got to be some sort of clue worth following up on so that's just what they do. Their investigation doesn't move quite as quickly as they'd hoped, however, so Williams winds up working with a psychiatrist named Dr. Paul Davis (Paulo Malco) to catch the killer before he can strike again. Sadly, their efforts aren't so spectacular and the maniac keeps ripping whores. As the killer seemingly zeroes in on Williams' personal life, the bodies start pilling up leaving one frantic detective desperately trying to bring a knife wielding asshole to justice just as quickly as he can before it's too late!
It's interesting to look at Fulci's later films as his own sort of middle finger up to the world that was starting to fall apart around him. After making some considerably more artistic films in the seventies, the eighties gave way to the gore period for which he's become better known, ironically enough. The unrestrained nastiness of some of the films he churned out during this period really did push the envelope in terms of on screen violence and New York Ripper definitely falls into that trapping.
Fulci definitely pours on the atmosphere with this film. The period inner city NYC setting is the perfect place to tell his tale and the copious amounts of sex and violence that the film spoon feeds its audience feel right at home amongst the peeling paint, gaudy signs and myriad of strange background characters that pepper the film. The location shooting gives the film a remarkably squalid feel that goes a long way towards making its trashy plot work, and it's a good thing too, as the performances, as enjoyable as they are, really don't stand out. They're serviceable enough, but they're far from remarkable.
What does stand out in regards to the film, aside from the nasty murder set pieces and the seedy atmosphere, is the score and the camerawork. The film has a very voyeuristic feel to it aided in no small part by the instrumental score courtesy of Francesco De Masi. In the end, New York Ripper might not be a deep film, but it's an entertaining enough slasher film that entertains in its own depraved way. Not Fulci's best picture by any stretch but a remarkable one in its own right and one well worth seeking out.
NOTE: You've got to give Shameless points for trying with this release, but sadly, it would seem that the BBFC are still not quite ready for a full strength version of New York Ripper to be unleashed upon an unsuspecting British populace. The fact that the film is available uncut throughout other parts of Europe and in the United States compounds who completely retarded this decision is, but in order to stay in business, they've got to play by the rules. As such, this release is noticeably cut during the infamous nipple slashing scene. Considering that this 'video nasty' was formerly banned outright in the UK, this is progress of a sort, but really, is cutting a half minute or so of sex and gore really going to help society in any way, shape or form? We're already going to Hell in a hand basket, why not let the Brits enjoy the ride like the rest of us?
Video/Audio/Extras:
While the transfer is nice and clean and colorful, the 2.35.1 widescreen image is sadly non-anamorphic and there are some obvious compression artifacts noticeable in the darker scenes as well as a bit of noticeable print damage. The image is perfectly watchable, but this transfer definitely leaves room for improvement and there's a fair bit of macroblocking throughout playback that definitely hurts things quite a bit.
The English language Dolby Digital Mono soundtrack is of better quality than the video, thankfully. Dialogue stays clean and clear throughout, even the quacking, while Francesco De Masi's score has some nice bounce to it.
Aside from some animated menus and chapter selection, look for the film's original theatrical trailer and trailers for a few other DVDs available from Shameless.
The Final Word:
The cuts, mandated by the BBFC, are lamentable but Shameless can't really be held responsible for following the law, can they? Uncut versions are out there and as such, they're preferable (especially considering that this release is NOT anamorphic ) but for anyone living in the UK wanting a decent quality release of this classic Giallo without having to deal with import issues, this affordable release fits the bill.