Der New York Ripper (1982)

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.

Director:

Lucio Fulci

Writers:

Gianfranco Clerici (story), Lucio Fulci (story)

Stars:

Jack Hedley, Almanta Suska, Howard Ross

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
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
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

Storyline

Killer who talks like a duck wanders around New York City killing women by various means including slicing an eyeball with a razorblade. Detective Jack Headly is hot on his trail.

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Plot Keywords:

serial killer | italian cinema | grindhouse | grindhouse film | psychotronic film | 

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Taglines:

Slashing Up Women Was His Pleasure!

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Genres:

Horror | Mystery | Thriller

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Certificate:

Unrated

Details

Country:

Italy

Language:

Italian Spanish

Release Date:

10 June 1982 (West Germany)

Also Known As:

New York Ripper

Filming Locations:

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

Box Office

Gross:

ITL 414,859,000 (Italy)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Fulvia Film

Technical Specs

Runtime:

91 min 93 min (director's cut) 80 min (cut) (1989) (video)

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

After many years of being banned in Britain the rights were purchased by UK company Vipco who issued the film originally as an export-only VHS version under close censor & police supervision. When censorship laws were relaxed in the UK it was submitted to the BBFC for a certificate in 2002 and received 22 secs of cuts to the razor-blade murder, as well as a strict guideline that the film could only be released with minimal publicity. The film was then issued on VHS by Vipco but a DVD release was canceled after some UK DVD distributors refused to stock it. Consequently it was never available on UK DVD until 2007 when the movie was released by Shameless Films, and this version contained similar cuts but reduced to 19 secs via a different edit.

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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?

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Connections

Referenced in Scream: The Inside Story (2011)

User Reviews

the end of an era

An elderly man is walking his dog one afternoon, he decides to throw a piece of wood and have his canine companion fetch, but when the dog brings back not a piece of wood, but a human hand the owner is reasonably perturbed. Thus begins Lucio Fulci's most notorious film "The New York Ripper", the most misogynistic film this side of William Lustig's "Maniac". Police detective Fred Williams (Jack Hedley) is after one sicko who cuts pretty women up in the cruelest fashion. The killer's Donald Duck voice is ludicrous and annoying, but the rampant nudity, over the top gore, red-herrings and the ultra-sleazy atmosphere make up for that in spades. It doesn't hurt that this is tightly scripted and nicely filmed either. This would be the last film in the second (and starting with "Lizard in a Woman's Skin" best) era of his three part career. The last and worst part would start with his next film "Manhattan Baby"

My Grade: B

Anchor Bay DVD Extras: Uncut version; Theatrical trailer and Lucio Fulci bio