In the world of Italian Horror cinema, there are many impactful filmmakers, but none, perhaps more so than Mario Bava, Dario Argento, and Lucio Fulci. Recalled by fans for films ranging from 1979’s Zombie and 1980’s City of the Living Dead to 1981’s The House by The Cemetery and 1982’s The New York Ripper, Lucio Fulci was far more complex than the moniker of Godfather of Gore.
Naming just a few of his works, it should also be mentioned that while Dario Argento is famous for his brand of Giallo film, as seen with 1970’s The Bird With the Crystal Plumage and 1975’s Deep Red, Lucio Fulci was also a master of the genre with early films like 1971’s A Lizard in a Woman’s Skin and 1972’s Don’t Torture a Duckling. Directed and co-written by Fulci, it could be argued that Don’t Torture a Duckling is the best Giallo-styled film of the ‘70s era to emerge from Italy.
A bold statement considering the enormous amount of Giallo films that popped up during the decade-long movement, Don’t Torture a Duckling (known in Italian as Non si sevizia un paperino) has all the elements to capture a mood – murder and sexuality, all cloaked in mystery. Looking at the plot briefly, you have three young boys in a small Italian village who are up to no good. This is when they quickly go missing, and the village locals and authorities search for answers about who, what, when, and how this tragedy happened.
Presenting a couple of villainous options, there is sexually charged and twisted Patrizia (portrayed by Barbara Bouchet, who was known for many roles and a famous model), who is hiding out at her father’s house, La Magiara (played by Florinda Bolkan who was also in A Lizard in a Woman’s Skin) who lives in the hills, and Giuseppe Barra (played by Vito Passeri who had a number of small roles in many films) who is the village fool with a very shady motive. All are viable culprits. However, the story is far more involved and sinister than anyone may expect.
A compelling plot that keeps you enthralled trying to figure out who is responsible for the murders, it is largely Fulci filming style that creates the unease mood, which also presents the content of the story in a very artistic manner. Something signature to Fulci, somehow he could always find a way to present even the most violent scenes in a fashion that was simply something your eyes could never unsee. Altogether, there are plenty of disturbing moments sprinkled throughout Don’t Torture a Duckling, but perhaps what makes them even more effective is the tragedy lurking in the backdrop that makes for a serious Drama.
At this point, over half of a century after the film’s initial release in September 1972, practically all Lucio Fulci fans know this deranged little gem. Never actually released theatrically in the USA, it never actually officially arrived in the market until 1999 when Anchor Bay opted to include it uncut as part of their Luci Fulci Collection. From there, it re-emerged as a standalone DVD in 2007 through Blue Underground before Arrow Video released it as a Blu-ray in 2017. Each option is out there, but in 2025, Arrow Video is upping the ante with the first-ever 4K restoration of Don’t Torture a Duckling to hit home media.
Packaged as a Limited Edition release featuring a single disc, it will arrive on March 25, 2025, and with it, plenty of intrigues to offer. To begin with, the brand new 4K restoration is from the original 2-perf Techniscope camera negative, and this makes a world of difference, even over the 2017 2K transfer. To explain it further, the colors are balanced and rich, and the imagery is bright with the right amount of contrast.
This is really a new clarity you need to see for yourself. Beyond the obvious, the new release also features a list of special features that were a part of the 2017 Blu-ray, such as a rare 1988 audio interview with Lucio Fulci, plus interviews with Barbara Bouchet and Florinda Bolkan. You also get a really comprehensive collector booklet featuring writing about the film by Barry Forshaw and Howard Hughes and new reversible art, this time crafted by Ilan Sheady.
Altogether, Arrow Video is doing some great things in the way of putting together products fans want, and Don’t Torture a Duckling is another extension of this. Highly recommended as an addition to any Lucio Fulci fan’s collection, Cryptic Rock Gives the 4K Ultra HD Limited Edition release of Don’t Torture a Duckling 5 out of 5 stars.
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