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Don't Torture a Duckling

Posted: Fri May 12, 2017 10:39 am
by domino harvey
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From Lucio Fulci, the godfather of gore (The Psychic, The Beyond), comes one of the most powerful and unsettling giallo thrillers ever produced: his 1972 masterpiece Don’t Torture a Duckling.

When the sleepy rural village of Accendura is rocked by a series of murders of young boys, the superstitious locals are quick to apportion blame, with the suspects including the local “witch”, Maciara (Florinda Bolkan, A Lizard in a Woman’s Skin). With the bodies piling up and the community gripped by panic and a thirst for bloody vengeance, two outsiders – city journalist Andrea (Tomas Milian, The Four of the Apocalypse) and spoilt rich girl Patrizia (Barbara Bouchet, The Red Queen Kills Seven Times) – team up to crack the case. But before the mystery is solved, more blood will have been spilled, and not all of it belonging to innocents...

Deemed shocking at the time for its brutal violence, depiction of the Catholic Church and themes of child murder and paedophilia, Don’t Torture a Duckling is widely regarded today as Fulci's greatest film, rivalling the best of his close rival Dario Argento. Arrow Video is proud to present this uniquely chilling film in its UK high definition debut.

High Definition Blu-ray (1080p) and Standard Definition DVD presentations
Original mono Italian and English soundtracks (lossless on the Blu-ray Disc)
English subtitles for the Italian soundtrack
Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing for the English soundtrack
New audio commentary by Troy Howarth, author of So Deadly, So Perverse: 50 Years of Italian Giallo Films
The Blood of Innocents, a new video discussion with Mikel J. Koven, author of La Dolce Morte: Vernacular Cinema and the Italian Giallo Film
Every (Wo)man Their Own Hell, a new video essay by critic Kat Ellinger
Interviews with co-writer/director Lucio Fulci, actor Florinda Bolkan, cinematographer Sergio D Offizi, assistant editor Bruno Micheli and assistant makeup artist Maurizio Trani
Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Timothy Pittides
FIRST PRESSING ONLY: Collector s booklet with new writing on the film by Barry Forshaw and Howard Hughes

Re: Don't Torture a Duckling

Posted: Fri May 12, 2017 11:58 am
by What A Disgrace
The one Fulci film I always wanted to see. And now that I've discovered I actually like Fulci, I'm more excited.

Re: Don't Torture a Duckling

Posted: Fri May 12, 2017 11:42 pm
by Morbii
It's a good one, so you shouldn't be disappointed!

Arrow continues to deliver..

Re: Don't Torture a Duckling

Posted: Sun May 14, 2017 12:43 pm
by M Sanderson
What about the transfer?

No details?

Big restoration?

Will it be as good as the recent European release?

Re: Don't Torture a Duckling

Posted: Fri May 19, 2017 1:03 pm
by colinr0380
This is great news and does make me hope that we'll see some more 'early Fulci' such as Perversion Story (which a certain Mr Mackenzie did a detailed comparison of the DVD versions of on his blog a number of years ago!). Or maybe even The Psychic!

Re: Don't Torture a Duckling

Posted: Mon Jun 05, 2017 5:01 am
by M Sanderson
Yes the Fulci thrillers are essential.

So, I would argue, is Beatrice Cenci/ Conspiracy of Torture, the 1969 historical drama with horrific aspects and, I'd argue, Panic Theatre aesthetics.

How was the German Blu ray of Don't Torture a Duckling? How will Arrow's transfer differ from that one? Lizard, we know, is already easily available in very good shape and it'd be great if Perversion Story turned up.

Re: Don't Torture a Duckling

Posted: Thu Jun 08, 2017 5:35 am
by M Sanderson
Was reading in the Facebook announcement page. Arrow responded that it's the same as the German transfer. Different encode, of course.

Think I heard this was a very good restoration. Though I can't remember where.

What do we know about the German release of this great Italian thriller?

Re: Don't Torture a Duckling

Posted: Thu Jun 08, 2017 5:38 am
by Altair

Re: Don't Torture a Duckling

Posted: Fri Sep 15, 2017 9:25 am
by Banasa