Lo squartatore di New York (1982)

Director:

Lucio Fulci

Writers:

Gianfranco Clerici (writer)
Lucio Fulci (writer)

Release Date:

4 March 1982 (Italy)

Genre:

Crime | Thriller | Horror | Mystery

Tagline:

New York City: It's a nice place to visit, but you wouldn't want to die there!

Plot:

A burned-out New York police detective teams up with a college psychoanalyst to track down a vicious serial killer randomly stalking and killing various young women around the city.

Plot Keywords:

Detective | Killing | New York | Killer | Police

Cast

Jack Hedley	...	Lt. Fred Williams
Almanta Suska	...	Fay Majors (as Almanta Keller)
Howard Ross	...	Mickey Scellenda
Andrea Occhipinti	...	Peter Bunch (as Andrew Painter)
Alexandra Delli Colli	...	Jane Forrester Lodge
Paolo Malco	...	Dr. Paul Davis
Cinzia de Ponti	...	Rosie (ferry victim)
Cosimo Cinieri	...	Dr. Lodge (as Laurence Welles)
Daniela Doria	...	Kitty (prostitute)
Babette New	...	Mrs. Weissburger
Zora Kerova	...	Eva (sex show performer) (as Zora Kerowa)
Paul E. Guskin	...	Desk sergeant (as Paul Guskin)
Antone Pagan	...	Morales (as Anthon Kagan)
Josh Cruze	...	Chico (as Johs Cruze)
Marsha MacBride	...	Policewoman

Also Known As:

New York Ripper (USA) (video title)
Psycho Ripper
The New York Ripper
The Ripper

Runtime:

91 min | Argentina:89 min | USA:85 min | USA:93 min (director's cut) | Finland:80 min (cut) (video version) (1989)

Country:

Italy

Language:

Italian

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Australia:(Banned) (original rating) | Finland:(Banned) (uncut) (1982) (1985) | Finland:K-16 (heavily cut) (1989) | Finland:K-18 (heavily cut) (1985) | Australia:R (2005) (re-rating) | Norway:18 (re-rating) (uncut) (2007) | Sweden:15 (uncut) (video release) | Germany:(Banned) | Argentina:X (original rating) | Argentina:18 (re-rating) | Canada:18+ (Quebec) | Italy:VM14 (cut) | Finland:K-18 (uncut) (self applied) (2007) | Germany:16 (heavily cut) | France:-16 | Italy:VM18 | New Zealand:R18 | Norway:(Banned) | UK:(Banned) | UK:18 (cut) | USA:Unrated | Netherlands:16 | Germany:BPjM Restricted

Filming Locations:

Columbia University - Broadway & 116th Street, Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA

Company:

Fulvia Film

Trivia:

The lead role was originally offered to Catriona MacColl who had previously starred in director Lucio Fulci's Paura nella città dei morti viventi (1980), E tu vivrai nel terrore - L'aldilà (1981), and Quella villa accanto al cimitero (1981). She was apparently a little suspicious and turned the offer down. It would have been her second time appearing with Paolo Malco.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: Last fighting scene - obvious fake head when it is shot at.

Quotes:

Lt. Fred Williams: Well, if it isn't the big chief person himself.
Chief of Police: Hello, Fred. I need to talk to you and it's kind of hush-hush. Is there anywhere private where we can talk?
Lt. Fred Williams: Sure. How about the church across the street?

Movie Connections:

Referenced in La sindrome di Stendhal (1996)

An average crime story with excessive gore

But I liked it! Obviously not Lucio Fulci´s best ("The Beyond" still holds the top, followed up by "Zombi 2"!), but nevertheless "The New York Ripper" is another gorefest that delights the fans and despairs the censors (Actually this flick is banned in many countries like Australia, the U.K., Germany or Norway...)! Endowed with some nudity (Maybe the sleaziest flick Fulci ever directed...) and elements from Giallo this gem has got some really unforgettable moments: I like the scene when Alexandra Delli Colli (She plays a woman which is permanently on the search for sexual adventures...) gets stimulated by two Latino-boys in a billiard bar and the take where wonderful Zora Kerova ("Cannibal Ferox") was maltreaten by bottle is pretty gut-wrenching! The bloody climax however is when the ripper tortures a prostitute to death with using a razorblade! Really shocking and disturbing!! People who demand a clever story surely will be disappointed, gorehounds however will find a revelation in this! So if you had fun with William Lustig´s "Maniac" (1980) you will also like this effective shocker!!!