Lo squartatore di New York (1982)

Country of Origin: Italy
Year of Production: 1982
Running Times: 85m (USA – cut version); 89m (Argentina); 91m; 93m (USA – uncut version); 97m (Finland)
Length:
Format: 35mm; Techniscope
Colour Format: Eastmancolor
Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1
Sound: mono

DIRECTION

Directed by: Lucio Fulci

CREW

PRODUCTION
Copyright: MCMLXXXII [1982] by Fulvia Film s.r.l.
Production Companies: Fabrizio de Angelis presents a Lucio Fulci film  A film produced by Fulvia Film S.r.l. - Rome
Producer: Fabrizio De Angelis (uncredited)

SCRIPT
Screenplay by Gianfranco Clerici, Vincenzo Mannino, Lucio Fulci, Dardano Sacchetti
Story: Gianfranco Clerici, Vincenzo Mannino, Lucio Fulci
French Adaptation: Alain Lemaitre-Mory, Jean Lamy

DIRECTION
Assistant Director: Roberto Giandalia
2nd Unit Assistant Director: Marisa Agostini
Continuity: Rita Agostini

PHOTOGRAPHY
Director of Photography: Luigi Kuveiller
2nd Unit Director of Photography: Guglielmo Mancori
Cameraman: Ubaldo Terzano
Assistant Cameramen: Antonio Annunziata, Renato Palmieri
2nd Unit Assistant Cameramen: Aldo Marchiori, Marco Sperduti
Chief Eletrician: Sabatino Sperandeo
Key Grip: Sergio Emidi
Stills / Stills Processing: Antonio Benetti
2nd Unit Stills: Roberto Nicosia
Camera Equipment: Cinenoleggio

EDITING AND POST-PRODUCTION
Film Editor: Vincenzo Tomassi
Assistant Editors: Armando Pace, Massimo Cataldo
Color by: Luciano Vittori
Negatives: Eastmancolor

MUSIC
Music Composed and Directed by: Francesco De Masi
Music Copyright: Deaf Edizioni Musicali s.r.l.

SOUND
Sound Engineer: Eros Giustini
Boom Operator: Guglielmo Smeraldi
Recording Studios: N.C.
Mixage: Bruno Moreal
French Version: Sonorinter
French Sound: Michel Peru

COSTUMES AND MAKE-UP
Costumes: Massimo Lentini
Make-up: Manlio Rocchetti, Luigi Rocchetti
2nd Unit Make-up: Franco Di Girolamo
2nd Unit Make-up Assistant: Rosario Prestopino
Hairstyles: Rosa Luciani
Wigs: Rocchetti-Carboni

DESIGN AND SET CONSTRUCTION
Production Design: Massimo Lentini
Assistant Designer: Mariangela Capuano
Property Master: Rodolfo Ruzza
Set Dressings: Arredamenti Cineteatrali grp, L'immaginoteca, E. Rancati
Set Furnishings: D'Angelo
Set Construction: Fabio Traversari, Roberto Pace

OTHER CREW
Paymaster: Otello Tomassini
Production Assistants: Emilia Morale, Settimio Scacco

LOCATIONS
Locations: New York City, New York, USA
Interiors Filmed at: In.ci.r. - De Paolis Studios - Rome
Unit Managers: Paolo Gargano, Fabrizio De Martino

STUNTS
Stunt Coordinator: Nazzareno Cardinali

CAST

Jack Hedley (Lt Fred Williams)
Almanta Keller (real name: Almanta Suska) (Fay Majors)
Howard Ross (Mickey Scellenda)
Andrew Painter (real name: Andrea Occhipinti) (Peter Bunch)
Alexandra Delli Colli (Jane Forrester Lodge)

and featuring
Paolo Malco (Dr Paul Davis)

also appearing
Cinzia de Ponti (Rosie)
Laurence Welles (real name: Cosimo Cinieri) (Dr Lodge)
Daniela Doria (Kitty)
Babette New (Mrs Weissburger)
Zora Kerowa (Eva)
Paul Guskin (desk sergeant)
Anthon Kagan (real name: Antone Pagan) (Morales)
Johs Cruze (Chico)
Marsha Mac Bride (policewoman)
Rita Silva (Scellenda's landlady)
Giordano Falzoni (Dr Barry Jones)
Lucio Fulci (Chief of Police)
Barbara Cupisti (Heather)
Martin Sorrentino (police detective)
Violetta Jean (hospital nurse)
Cesare Di Vito (red Volkswagen owner)
Elisa Cervi (hooker)
Chiara Ferrari (Susy Bunch)

UNCREDITED CAST

Michele Soavi (man buying newspaper)

PLOT SUMMARY

A serial killer is stalking the streets of New York, eviscerating young women while doing a strange duck impression. On the trail is down at heel detective Lt Fred Williams who seeks professional help from a psychiatrist as the body count rises. Red herrings abound as Williams struggles to capture the killer before he can strike again.

CAPSULE REVIEW

Fulci's most notorious and controversial film may not be terribly good – in fact at best it’s tedious and nonsensical - but as the reductio ad absurdam of the giallo form, it's not without interest. The brutality of its misogyny so appalled the British Board of Film Censors that they allegedly had the print they saw escorted from the country by a private security company to prevent it from falling into the wrong hands! The torturous narrative confuses more than it thrills, the violence is well done and suitably disturbing and the killer’s motivation is ridiculously obscure. Worth seeing for its outrageous nastiness, but best approached with caution if you’re easily offended.

AVAILABILITY

France
Theatrical Distributore: Stenelleprodis

Japan
DVD Distributors: Beam Entertainment Inc / Creative Axa Co Ltd

Netherlands
Laserdisc Distributors: Professional Cine Media (LAP-0200)

UK
Video Distributors: Vipco
DVD Distributors: Vipco

USA
Video Distributors: Vidmark Entertainment
DVD Distributors: Anchor Bay (DV 10897)

CENSORSHIP HISTORY

Argentina
Rating: banned; 18

Australia
Rating: banned

Finland
Rating: K-18

France
Rating: -16

Italy
Rating: VM18

New Zealand
Rating: R18

Norway
Rating: banned

UK
Rating: banned; 18 (with 22 seconds of cuts)

USA
Rating: unrated

West Germany
Rating: banned; 18 (with cuts)

TIMELINE

1981
April
Day Unknown: USA – filming begins

May
Day Unknown: Italy – filming ends

1982
February
18: Italy - rated by the censors board

March
4: Italy – theatrical release

June
10: West Germany – theatrical release

November
18: France - shown at the Paris Film Festival

1983
May
4: France – theatrical release

1987
March
Day Unknown: USA - video release

1999
August
24: USA - DVD release (Anchor Bay (DV 10897))

POSTER TAGS

Cutting up women was his pleasure!

ALTERNATIVE TITLES

Blodig voldtaegt - Dutch title
Descuartizador de New York, El - Argentinian video title
Descuartizador de Nueva York, El - Spanish title
Destripador de Nueva York, El - Spanish title
Éventreur de New York, L' - French / French Canadian title
New York Ripper, Der - West German title
New York Ripper, The – UK / US title
Psycho Ripper
Ripper, The
Schlitzer von New York, Der - West German title
Viiltäjä - Finnish title

REFERENCES

PERIODICALS

European Trash Cinema vol.2 no.6 p.36 (USA)
review

Necronomicon no.7 (1995) pp.52-53 (UK)
review

Shock Cinema no.9 p.8 (USA)
review

Starburst no.53 pp.20-21 (UK)
illustrated review

Starburst no.55 p.34 (UK)
review

Video the Magazine January 1985 p.11 (UK)
note

BOOKS

Horror and Science Fiction Films Volume III p.191
credits

OTHER SOURCES

screen
credits

KEYWORDS

gore, masturbation, nightmares, razor blades, sadism, serial killers, sex, splatter, stalk and slash, throat slitting, torture

Last Updated: 20 March, 2010