The New York Ripper Review

MPAA Rating: NR
Released: 1982

Banned in multiple countries, The New York Ripper is the one of the most infamous cult movies of the 1980's, so it was inevitable that it would be added to the 80's Reborn archives in due time. Why is this film so well loved by some and hated by others? It's a Lucio Fulci production – to anyone familiar with this Italian director, that should say it all. But if you don't recognize his name, continue on to the Feature Attraction, where you'll learn about gratuitous sex, mutilated bodies, a frustrated New York detective and a demented serial killer that rips and slashes through his victims while quacking like a psychotic Donald Duck.

I never saw The New York Ripper when I was a kid – movies like this just weren't easy to come by when I was young, and probably for good reason. No telling how much this slice of cinematic trash could have twisted my fragile, young mind. I could have turned into a sleazy sex club fanatic, a twisted killer or… and I shudder at the thought… a lawyer. Instead this innocent youth grew up to become a movie reviewer. Hmmm, upon second thought, perhaps that's not much better. Oh well, on with the review.

As The New York Ripper opens we see a kindly old man enjoying some time playing with his dog. He tosses a stick and his loyal canine partner fetches it for him… the stuff Disney films are made of. But that all comes to a crashing halt when the old fellow accidentally tosses his stick into a series of bushes. The dog runs to fetch it, and instead returns with a decomposing hand. Ouch!

It seems there is a serial killer prowling the streets of New York, chopping up an assortment of beautiful women with reckless abandon. Lieutenant Fred Williams (Jack Hedley), a burned out NYPD detective, is on the case, but when an eyewitness – a daffy old lady – suggests the killer talks like a duck, Williams just rolls his eyes and dismisses the testimony.

Big mistake!

One evening while Williams is sharing some quality time with a hooker in a seedy apartment the mad quacker calls out of the blue and begins taunting the detective. This sets up a dangerous case of cat-and-mouse where the killer is always one step ahead of the police.

But fear not, because Williams is no greenhorn – he knows full well he will need help. So he seeks out the aid of Dr. Paul Davis (Paolo Malco), a local college psychologist, to assist him in creating a psychological makeup that could shed light on the identity of the killer.

The first real break in the case comes when the killer fails to finish off one of his targets: the beautiful Fay Majors (Almanta Suska). In fact she evades two of his assaults, though not without obtaining some battle wounds. With the killer determined to finish what he started, it becomes a race against time. Can Lieutenant Williams put a stop to the killer before the wannabe duck makes a successful third attempt at her life? You'll have to watch the film to find out… provided you have a strong stomach.

Yes, dear readers, this is a Fulci production. Regulars of this site will recall mixed reviews of some of his other films, ranging from good (Contraband) to downright horrible (Conquest). So how does The New York Ripper fare? You're either going to love this one or hate it – there's no room in the middle!

The New York Ripper is one of the sleaziest, goriest and misogynistic films I've seen in a long while. You'll witness an assortment of ultra-violent and close up murders ranging from a woman being gutted from crotch to neck, eyeballs being slit, nipples being sliced off and a broken bottle being shoved up a woman's privates. If just reading that makes you queasy, then rest assured this is not a movie you want to watch. (As a side note, since the gore is sooo over the top, it's not quite as bad as it sounds – you can readily tell much of it consists of fake props.)

What about sex and nudity? Oh yes, you'll get plenty of that here too. In Fulci's world, New York is dominated by strippers and sex clubs where peep shows and XXX films are too tame… instead, live "actors" have sex in front of an audience. And even more absurd, upon finishing the audience politely claps as if they just watched a Mozart concert!

Fans looking for a quality script need not worry – here's just one example of the ingenious exchanges you'll find in this film:

A woman accidentally smashes her bike into a red sports car. Naturally the owner, who was sitting inside, is not impressed, so he initiates a rant: "You women should stay home where you belong. You're a menace to the public. And you've got the brains of a chicken!" Whoa… he told her!

Fulci clearly had no clue how to properly compose a film, because as is a trademark in many of his movies The New York Ripper has a couple scenes that have no context within the storyline. For example, a rich woman sits in a seedy café, at which time a Latino sits across from her, removes his shoe and… I can't think of a clean way to say this, so forgive me… foot-f**ks her. We're expected to believe she doesn't like this since she verbally protests during the very prolonged sequence, but she doesn't bother getting up and walking out until after she's had an orgasm. Man, this is the type of trash that could make a porn producer roll his eyes in disgust!

It's too bad this film has so many flaws too, because there are shreds of redemption to be found. The idea of a quacking serial killer is just so absurd that it almost makes the movie fun at times. The cat and mouse game the detective and serial killer plays is also pretty decent, and despite some truly irrelevant and pathetic scenes the storyline isn't half bad! It contains some neat little plot twists that will keep you guessing about the killer's identity until the end.

I can't recommend The New York Ripper for any sane viewer, but if you find 80's exploitation movies, Italian giallos or slasher flicks to be guilty pleasures then it might be worth popping this one into your DVD player. The New York Ripper might not be a good film, but it's definitely earned its notoriety and is a curiosity that many will just have to watch.

Movie review: 4 stars

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