christopher-underwood This really is a most impressive giallo from Lucio Fulci. The distinctive but odd title seems to distract somewhat from what is one of the director's finest. There is a Donald Duck toy in the film and while we have no reason to believe it was tortured it does lose its head. Even so, the more vicious 1982 outing, New York Ripper is only hampered by a Donald Duck voice in the taunting killer phone calls, so maybe that could have had this title instead. In any event here, Florida Bolkan, Barbara Bouchet and Tomas Milian turn in top notch performances and indeed even all the lesser parts are well accounted for and what with all the, presumably, local extras involved Fulci does a brilliant job in ensuring very believable performances from everyone. There is a strong sense of nastiness and hypocrisy running throughout and the film is racing non-stop from the very off with some worrying concerns for the many children involved.

GL84 Following a child's death in a small-town, a reporter and a woman from a nearby city try to solve the strange killings that continue to be carried out on the children and once they find the demented culprit at the center they try to stop the rampage from continuing.This was quite the enjoyable and underrated Giallo. The biggest factor here for this one is the film flying boldly along and feeling comfortable in it's rather strong and confrontational themes that may be quite uncomfortable. Its initial premise is tied around a serial killer offing children that alone gives it some courage to be unique and brave, but there's more to that here as several scenes here with the opening strangling scenes or a rather chilling scene finding another drowned in a town well, though the fact that this features even more types of similarly controversial scenes is what really sells this one. The type of plot here is one thing, but to have the kids smoking, bullying the town retard and the film's showpiece scene of a fully naked woman openly toying with him, teasing him with her figure and about sleeping with her makes for quite a sleazy, depraved time in a truly memorable scene. Beyond this, the film is a fantastic Giallo that features a lot of stylistic elements usually associated with these as the stalking scenes come off incredibly well regardless of their target. The cemetery stalking here is impressive through the driving rain before the killer strikes, a chase through the open woods out into the mountains to corral a suspect and a later scene where the suspect is viciously and brutally beaten in retaliation for what happened all come together to give this one some really enjoyable scenes. As well, there are some great times in the big brawl at the end which gets fun with the action as well as the location playing into it for some fun here, and these here make this good enough to overcome the flaws. The biggest issue here is the flimsy plot line for a Giallo, where it jumps around to the different suspects here without any reason only to start doing investigative work in the final minutes as the rampage continues despite the supposed death of the killer which starts it up again. This might be a revolutionary ploy for the style, but it causes the film to flip around pretty constantly here. Along with the subject matter being a little tough for some to take, there here are the film's only flaws.Rated UR/R: Graphic Violence, Full Nudity, Graphic Language, children smoking, themes of pedophilia, violence-against-animals and children-in-danger.

qmtv Masterpiece. This movie cannot have been made before or after.Excellent story, acting, plot, cinematography. The cemetery beating scene is excellent. The ending fight scene. Many great location shots.See this movie. Masterpiece. This movie cannot have been made before or after.Excellent story, acting, plot, cinematography. The cemetery beating scene is excellent. The ending fight scene. Many great location shots.See this movie. Masterpiece. This movie cannot have been made before or after.Excellent story, acting, plot, cinematography. The cemetery beating scene is excellent. The ending fight scene. Many great location shots.See this movie.

PimpinAinttEasy I watched a pristine bluray print of Don't Torture a Duckling. Did anybody else feel that Don Alberto Avallone was like Holden Caufield in J.D.Salinger's Catcher in the Rye? Holden Caufield wanted to become the catcher that saved children from falling off the cliff and preserved their innocence. But Don Alberto actually threw them off the cliff so that they do not fall into the arms of sin. HAHAHHAHAHHAAHA! This film wasn't too bad. Not sure if it is a Giallo. The film begins with the a wide angle shot of a seemingly idyllic Italian village (like the one where Pacino escapes into in The Godfather). Then Riz Ortolani's sinister score sets in and there is a close up of an ugly and filthy woman (Florinda Bolkan) burying bones in the sand. Nice way to catch the viewer's attention.A backward Italian village rife with rituals and superstition becomes the focus of national attention when dead strangled kids start turning up all over the place. Then there is a bisexual paedophillic heiress (Barbaba Bouchert) who preys on small teenage boys and girls. Tomas Milan (who looks like he would be perfect in a spaghetti western) is a journalist who is investigating the child murders.We are often treated to images of pins being poked into dolls. The whole village wears a rather desolate look. While the village seems authentic, you can tell that Bouchet's room is clearly a set. It did have some nice set pieces though - especially the fish tank with the waves.The violence is gratuitous and is highly stylized with a rock n roll song and a slow number playing in the background when Florinda Balkan is murdered. Ortolani's memorable title score which has a nostalgic vibe is used to great effect in the final scenes.I am not entirely convinced by my 8 rating. But the film has so much going for it - like the atmosphere that Fulci creates with the constant religious wailing that hovers over the village, the beautiful landscapes, Ortolani's score and last but not in anyway the least, the extraordinarily beautiful Barbara Bouchet who is introduced laying on a couch stark naked. (8/10)