The New York Ripper

"The New York Ripper" (aka "Lo squartatore di New York", 1982, Lucio Fulci, Fulvia Film) is an Italian giallo film based in New York. It was also the subject of much censorship and banning.

I'm visiting NYC soon for my first trip there, so naturally, my first line of research into the city is to watch an Italian made slasher film. I'm sure it's very representative... Ok, no. At least I hope not!

So this film is chalk full of prostitutes, burnt out detectives, scantily clad young ladies, mental old ladies and mysterious slasher killers speaking like Donald Duck, only more psychotic. There's not much in the way of plot and pretty much every second scene is NSFW due to nudity, sexual acts... etc...

A strange film which is all about the (hopefully exaggerated) older, sleazier side of New York's culture. Fulci shows unflinching scenes of attacks on women by his deranged killer with some truly gross effects. Usually, this would not phase me, but the film is possibly just a little too sleazy for me. It's not an enjoyable gross-out-fest, it's just a bit uncomfortable to watch.

The cartoony voice does serve its purpose, that of making this film memorable, but on the whole it kind of negates any threat the killer had. Essentially, we are just lurching from kill to kill at a slow, drunken pace whilst our detective goes down all the wrong paths on his investigation.

Not the best example of Fulci's work.

[Image: Fulvia Film]

Hani

Frankenhooker

"Frankenhooker" (1998, Frank Henenlotter, Shapiro-Glickenhaus Entertainment) is exactly what you think it is.

We meet Jeffrey Franken (James Lorinz) who is a science geek electrician meddling with biology (despite having been thrown out of medical school) and his fiancée, Elizabeth (Patty Mullen) who is constantly being nagged by her mother about her weight. 

Unfortunately, at her dad's birthday party, Elizabeth is killed by a freak lawnmower accident which completely dismembers her.

Going further round the twist, Franken concocts a plan to rebuild his bride-to-be using body parts from other women. Naturally, the best way he can think of to get enough body parts is to kill a bunch of sex workers and stitch them together for reanimation. 

Once awakened, the creature is confused, having a mixture of Elizabeth's and the other women's memories, and breaks free to rampage through the city in search of a 'date'. 

Lorinz's mad scientist is great fun and who doesn't love an exploding hooker mannequin? But Patty Mullen steals the show with her hilarious undead facial expressions and monster act. The film boasts the kind of effects you have to associate with all Henenlotter creations, and a very entertaining ending. 

[Image: Shapiro-Glickenhaus Entertainment]

Hani

Creepshow 3

"Creepshow 3" (2006, Ana Clavell, James Dudelson, Creepy Film Productions) is the third installment of the Creepshow collection. The original "Creepshow" was created by Stephen King and George A. Romero. "Creepshow 3" was not. And you can tell.

Just like the rest of the series, "Creepshow 3" is a collection of shorts. In this collection we have 5 mini-movies; "Alice", "The Radio", "Call Girl", "The Professor's Wife" and "Haunted Dog".

While this is by far my least favourite of the "Creepshow"series, it is by no means a terrible way to spend a Monday evening amongst good friends and chocolate Rice Krispies cakes (yes, that is indeed how I spent last night).

Unlike "Creepshow" and "Creepshow 2", "Creepshow 3" does not have any narration by 'The Creep', and instead of the stories coming from the "Creepshow" Comic book as it was in the previous installments, in "Creepshow 3" the shorts have interlinking characters and are common in setting and surroundings (the hot dog stand for instance). Kind of reminds me of "Pulp Fiction"...

Anyway, the stories are odd, confusing and just not as striking as the first two movies. But the special effects are gloriously gorey!

"Alice" is fabulously disgusting. I at first thought Alice was getting her comeuppance for being a shallow, bitchy teenager, but after much debate with my good friend Jim, we came to conclusion that she was not, infact, a girl all along! We likened this story to one of the 'Goosebumps' tales from our childhood (the one when the children begin turning into dogs, but it turns out they were really dogs who'd been turned into children). An apt description, I think.

"The Radio" was one of my favourites. If you've seen "Magic" (1978, Anthony Hopkins) which is about a ventriloquist who begins killing people because the dummy told him to, then you'll enjoy this one. I like the transition of Jerry's character from 'Only-decent-dude-on-the-block' to 'paranoid-murderer/burglar'. Sad times when you become a freak in a building full of hookers, pimps and drug addicts...

"Call Girl" had a nice twist. I won't give it away.

"The Professor's Wife" I felt was clumsy and pointless. I think they would have noticed their mistake earlier, no?

"Haunted Dog" was very similar to "The Hitch-Hiker" short in "Creepshow 2" when the woman is haunted by the hitch-hiker she ran over... Thanks for the ride, lady! and Thanks for the good dog are much too similar phrases... The only saving grace for this short was how much I liked the dick-head doctor! Hilarious!

I enjoyed spotting the interlinking characters and watching the other stories happening around each other, although I found some of the story telling to be lazy and the absence of The Creep just ruined it for me! There was a small face-melting hint at the end with the hot dog vendor, but it just wasn't the same.

All in all, not the best, but frankly I've seen worse so no booby prize either!

[Picture: Creepy Film Productions]

Hani