Director: Lucio Fulci
Notable Cast: Florinda
Bolkan, Barbara Bouchet, Tomas Milian, Irene Papas, Marc Porel, Georges Wilson,
Antonello Campodifiori, Ugo D’Alessio, Virgilio Gazzolo, Vito Passeri
Lucio Fulci will always be known as a godfather of gore with
magnus opus films like Zombi 2 and The Beyond underneath his belt. Yet, the
director was a much more diverse artist than just splattering the screen with
death and violence and spent a large portion of his career dedicated to other
styles and approaches. Of these other films, one of his most well regarded is
his 1972 spin on the giallo genre, Don’t
Torture a Duckling. Granted, giallo films are still firmly situated in the
horror genre so it’s not a huge leap from his more wildly known material for
readers of this site, but it’s one of those prime examples of how Fulci could
handle horror with vicious elements without being necessarily in your face with
it. Not only that, but Fulci accomplishes the task rather well by giving the
film palpable tension and using the mystery murder plot to invoke some primal
emotions through its thematic punch. It’s not one of his most upfront and thrilling
films as Don’t Torture a Duckling
does have some issues ultimately, but for fans of giallo films or those looking
to dig into the genre, it’s one that deserves a look – particularly in the new jam-packed
Arrow Video release.