Director: Lucio Fulci
Notable Cast: Jack Hedley, Almanta Suska, Howard Ross,
Andrea Occhipinti, Alexandra Delli Colli, Paolo Malco, Cinzia de Ponti, Daniela
Doria, Cosimo Cinieri
One of the problems about being a critic that focuses on
cult and genre cinema is navigating the often overzealous fanbases. There are
ravenous fans out there that even refuse to acknowledge the idea that a film
(or films) have flaws despite their love for the film. This is fine. An
emotional attachment to a film or some part of it is the essence of what makes
cinema so fantastic. I love films that don’t deserve my unadorned appreciation.
However, as a critic, it becomes problematic when reviewing a film that has an
incredibly dedicated fanbase and the film is significantly flawed. Such is the
case with Lucio Fulci’s brutal and sleazy giallo-esque The New York Ripper.
Although the film has its own rabid fanbase, enough so that Blue Underground
felt comfortable enough to re-release the film in a stunning new 3-disc 4K
restoration, it’s hardly the perfect film. A patchy script is somewhat
reclaimed by Fulci’s intense style and intention to push horror cinema at the
time to some new extremes, but it’s a film where some of the bold choices feel awkward.
This latest release is a stunner though, so fans of the film will more than
likely – if they already haven’t – pick up this Blu Ray for the sheer effort
that went into delivering the best version of this film.
Don’t mistake the opening of this review as a complete
disregard for the better qualities that The New York Ripper contains.
There is a valid reason this film has a dedicated following and it’s not just because
of the extreme violence or sleazy narrative – although it’s those pieces that
are often cited by fans as to why the film is entertaining. Fulci has always had a
knack for visual punches and he does not hold back on this one. The gore
sequences are intensely vivid and visceral in how they are shot and edited,
lingering on moments for sheer intensity, and key moments within the film
feature his unique ability to leap from dreamlike qualities to grim and gritty
realism. A theater sequence in the second act is perhaps the highlight of his
ability to direct a potentially cheap moment into an artful moment. This
happens throughout the film. Fulci does not shy away from anything that might
be taboo in the film, to a rather unintentionally hilarious degree in certain
sequences. In those regards, the film must be lauded for its bold choices and
relentless sense of intensity. For those with a weak stomach for violence or substantial
sexual material, then it’s perhaps wise to go into the film knowing that it rarely
backs down from potentially controversial content.
Not every choice that Fulci makes in the film works from a stylistic
standpoint though. One of the bigger choices is to have the faceless killer
sound like a poor Donald Duck impersonation while on the phone and while it
ultimately is explained through a somewhat devastating finale, it’s so off-kilter that it feels uncomfortably funny. The New York Ripper also makes
a very intense choice to give very few characters positive traits as
characters. There is a sense of nihilism to the entire film that is relatively
suffocating and it never really lets up, doubling down on the feel by the third
act in a shocking way. Although it’s a bold choice, it does not make the film
an overly balanced one either.
The New York Ripper also careens around the Italian
version of slimy New York streets and it leaps from character to character to create
an overwhelming web of deceit and mystery. It’s a giallo inspired series of
murders that formulates a sense of discombobulation as it leaps through a
variety of players in this game of brutality and it’s not always the most effective
that it can be. With the previously mentioned nihilistic tone, there is no clear-cut
protagonist of the film. The killer is the one that drives the action of the
narrative and it’s a flurry of potential victims and police that are all
reacting to those. The film regularly jumps “lead” characters and it undermines
some of the more interesting elements crafted for them. The building of this
web-like plot creates an intriguing narrative, but not necessarily one of the
more engaging ones for a Fulci film.
For all of its big choices and problematic elements, The
New York Ripper has grown quite the following of cinephiles under its big
brutal banner. Blue Underground knows this and they have given fans the release
to end all releases for their collections. This three-disc set is a beast. It
features a CD for the film’s soundtrack (one of the best parts of the film,
in my opinion) and the other two discs cover the film and bonus content. It’s a
new restoration of the film, gloriously cleaning up the visuals to allow an
audience to revel in the grimy material that blows away all other versions of
the film. The bonus content is packed too with plenty of behind the scenes and
film appreciation materials to warrant a double dip purchase for fans who
already own a previous release. Blue Underground has upped the ante with their
last few re-releases and The New York Ripper is no different. It’s meant
to be a cornerstone of any cult cinema fan’s collection.
Although The New York Ripper has its strong elements
including its realistic gore and Fulci’s strong sense of visual punch that he
delivers in so many of the key sequences, it’s also a significantly flawed film
that never finds the balance as it pummels its audience with weighted themes
and odd and brutal exploitative set pieces. Fortunately, even for those who are
not nearly as sold on the final product, this latest Blue Underground release
is still a worthy addition to anyone’s collection. It’s so robust and well
executed, that it overcomes many of the film’s flaws. The film gets a slight
recommendation for Italian or cult cinema fans. The release gets all the
recommendations in the world.
BLUE UNDERGROUND FEATURES:
Written By Matt Reifschneider
No comments:
Post a Comment