This film was originally released in 1972 as NON SI SEVIZIA UN PAPERINO. While its true that there probably would not have been a DON’T TORTURE A DUCKLING if Argento had not struck gold with BIRD WITH THE CRYSTAL PLUMAGE, Fulci further raised the bar of the Giallo genre with this film. Because the film is littered with anti-Catholic sentiment, it was not received very warmly upon its original release in Italy (remember, THE EXORCIST had not debuted yet, which broke the barriers of Catholic taboos on film). Because of the negative religious overtones, Fulci was in hot water with the Italian filmmaking community, and this negative response hurt the film’s distribution (and Fulci’s career). DON’T TORTURE A DUCKLING became the ‘lost’ Fulci film, and was barely seen outside of Europe. Anchor Bay really has themselves something special with the official North America premiere on this DVD.

The film stars features Thomas (SYNDICATE SADISTS) Milian as investigative reporter, Andre Martelli. Florinda Bolkan portrays the witch, Martiara (Bolkan also starred in Fulci’s other Giallo film, LIZARD IN A WOMAN’S SKIN). Barbara (HOUSE OF 1000 PLEASURES) Bouchet stars as the spoiled, reformed junkie, Patrizia. Marc (LIVE LIKE A COP, DIE LIKE A MAN) Porel is Father Don Alberto. Irene (BLOODLINE) Papas is Aurelia, the troubled mother of the young priest, Don Alberto.

A small Italian villa is the location of a rash of serial murders. The victims have all been young adolescent boys. The parents of the victims are screaming for the killer’s head, and the police are clueless. The local priest, Father Don Alberto and his mother Aurelia (Papas), do their best to protect the runaway boys that live at the church. A local dimwit tries to use a one of the deaths to bilk ransom money from distraught parents. The police catch the dimwit, and accuse him of the murders. Reporter Andre Martelli (Milian) discovers that this guy is innocent in the killings.

Suspicion next falls upon the local black magic-practicing witch, Martiara (Bolkan). Martelli and the police are sure she is somehow involved, but there is another woman named Patrizia (Bouchet), who may also be the murderer. Partrizia is a recovering drug addict who likes to show her body to young boys. She also has a habit of disappearing for hours at time, and tells the authorities she just travels up and down the highway because she’s bored. Patrizia befriends Andre, and the two of them must learn to trust each other if they ever hope to catch the killer.

Lucio Fulci is best remembered in fan circles as the Godfather of Gore. And while the gore may be his trademark, let’s not forget that this man is one hell of a good filmmaker. Fulci knows how to tell a good story, and he knows how to deliver fantastic cinematography. And while his films were never the most original, he always imbued them with such intensity that they would often overshadow their inspiration. After BIRD WITH THE CRYSTAL PLUMAGE started the Giallo craze, none of the ensuing BIRD rip-offs came anywhere near the style and class of Argento’s 1969 visionary film. In my opinion, Lucio Fulci’s DON’T TORTURE A DUCKLING comes damn close. Furthermore, despite the absence of the living dead (or any supernatural elements for that matter), this is probably Fulci’s best film in terms of technique and cinematography.

The acting is better than usual for a Fulci film. Thomas Milian is perfect as the inquisitive reporter who teaches the police a few things about tracing a killer. Barbara Bouchet is great as the sexy, restless Patrizia. In this film, she reminds me of Erika Blanc of KILL, BABY, KILL fame. Marc Porel (who also worked with Fulci in THE PYSCHIC) is notable as the young priest; his time onscreen is limited, and you wish he had more screen time. Florinda Bolken gives the best performance is the film, as the distraught witch, Martiara. Although Fulci tries hard to make her look dirty and grimy, her natural good looks just shine through her ugly make-ups.

DON’T TORTURE A DUCKLING is Fulci’s most personal film, and shows the director’s opinions on the repressive nature of the Catholic Church, mass hysteria, and vigilantism. Fulci himself once stated this was his own favorite film. DON’T TORTURE A DUCKLING not only succeeds in it’s story telling, but it also generates real emotion in the audience, rather than just shocking them. In the film’s gore highlight, when a female suspect is graphically beaten to death by superstitious villagers, it is a very powerful and emotional scene; unlike the hollow head-drilling scene in CITY OF THE LIVING DEAD.

Fulci’s direction is perfect, and proves his mastery of filmmaking. The rural Italian seaside village dominates the cinematography with some truly breathtaking visuals. The pacing and editing of the film is tight, with some great Argento-style camera angles and zooms. Fulci makes time for more characterization than normal, and explores the themes of hypocrisy, oppression, and repression. The special effects are frighteningly real, except for the death of the killer at the conclusion, but even this final scene is still disturbing and memorable.

The Italian title, NON SI SEVIZIA UN PAPERINO, literally translates to DON’T TORTURE DONALD DUCK, as a headless Donald Duck doll plays a key role in the apprehension of the killer (Donald Duck in Italian is Paperino). Perhaps because of Disney copyright, the name of the film was changed to DON’T TORTURE A DUCKLING for international release. Fulci again revisited the use of Donald Duck as a plot device in NEW YORK RIPPER, another violent film with a heavy Giallo content.

SIGHT

Anchor Bay releases DON’T TORTURE A DUCKLING in a 16x9 enhanced widescreen version (2.35.1). Considering the vintage of this film, the transfer is near perfect. The image is exceptionally rich and clean. The colors are natural and vivid, though the film is intentionally dark. The black level is perfectly calibrated, giving DON’T TORTURE A DUCKLING a clear, atmospheric luster. The only flaws are a few scratches and speckles in the source elements, and some noticeable grain. The panoramic cinematography features some great photography of the surrounding Italian hillsides, very reminiscent of Fellini or the Taviani Brothers. The scenes of the Italian villa, the elevated highways, and the seaside landscape, are bursting with intricate detail. The entire look of the film really captures the flavor of old Europe very well, and prompts me to book a vacation. The violence really comes though the visuals powerfully. The scenes of the ignorant townspeople beating a woman with chain-whips feature some super-realistic blood effects that will make you wince. A superior job by the people at Anchor Bay.

SOUND

The audio is Dolby Digital Mono 2.0. Surprisingly, the mix delivers a wide range of frequencies for a mono mix. The sound is very clear and natural. There is no hiss, background noise, or audio dropouts. When you raise the volume considerably, there is some distortion on the high end of the frequencies. But that is about the only negative thing I can say about this solid Dolby Digital Mono 2.0 mix. The score by Riz Ortolani is sinister, but subtle. Ortolani haunting themes are used to punctuate the mood and drama. During the chain whipping scene, the villagers crank up some acid rock music to drown out the screams of the woman. This adds considerably to the impact of the scene. Though the score and rock music are mono in nature, the music sounds clean and well-integrated into the mix. The movie features English dubbing, of course. The dubbing is not at all cheesy like old kung-fu flicks; it’s done with a touch of class, if you can believe it. The dialog, sound effects, and score are perfectly synchronized.

FEATURES

Because this film was never released anywhere, there is no promotional materials for it. Thus no extras for the DVD. There is, however, a bio/filmography called ABOUT LUCIO FULCI.

CONCLUSION

DON’T TORTURE A DUCKLING is Lucio Fulci’s greatest and most personal film of his career. Some tragedies in the life of the director play an important role in this motion picture. This daring film breaks many a taboo, and was very controversial because of its anti-Catholic views and imagery. DON’T TORTURE A DUCKLING is a film about ignorance and superstition, which are deadlier than any serial killer. It will leave an impression on your mind well after the film is over. If you consider yourself a Fulci fan, or a scholar of genre films, then you must check out this DVD out immediately. Anchor Bay should be given a medal for releasing this overlooked film, and for making the presentation look so good. You really can’t complain about the lack of extras for this DVD, since there was never any publicity materials ever created for it. You have to love that cliffhanger of an ending.

DON'T TORTURE A DUCKLING is available from DVDEmpire.com

LUCIO FULCI COLLECTION 3: DON'T TORTURE A DUCKLING/CITY OF THE LIVING DEAD is available from DVDEmpire.com

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