The New York Ripper

This time Lucio Fulci made the mistake of conceiving his film not as a dark horror movie but as a bloody detective flick. Imagine an old, mediocre detective series set in Manhattan, with a bland middle-aged actor in the lead role, leave out the sophisticated crime plot and spice up the result with murders that turn your stomach. There is no suspense or atmosphere, just the cheap visual concept of an average made-for-TV movie. And why does the killer make sounds like Donald Duck?? The New York Ripper is memorable only for the opening murder with a close-up of the precise slicing of a woman’s breast and nipple with a razor. Apparently Fulci’s tribute to Bunuel... (18.05.2002)

I didn't believe it even when I read it before watching it, but it's true, the killer does sound like Donald Duck when he kills. Why didn’t I find that out while watching the film? It doesn’t matter, it's hilarious, and along with the "razor blade" scene, it's the only noticeable thing about the entire film. Otherwise, dull boredom, uninteresting actors, a weak script and five murders that are relatively moderate in terms of gore for Fulci. And just a small detail for the record: the famous razor blade scene mentioned by Pomo is not during the first murder, but during the fifth one at the end of the film. Just in case you want to save yourself an hour and a half of unnecessary boredom. (03.09.2004)

The New York Ripper is one of Lucio Fulci's better films, mainly because it shows that even in the realm of what's often considered trash, he can still create an intriguing plot that keeps you on edge until the end. It's precisely elements like perversion, sexuality devoid of intimacy but openly depicted, and the violence that make his films so intriguing. If you're not afraid of blood, Fulci is definitely an author who shouldn't be overlooked. (24.01.2014)