Top Ten Tuesdays

[Demdike@Cult Labs]

Lucio Fulci Top 10.

Zombi 2
One on Top of the Other
City of the Living Dead
A Lizard in a Woman's Skin
The Black Cat*
Murder Rock
The New York Ripper
Don't Torture a Duckling
The Beyond
Contraband

[Prince_Vajda]

Top Ten "Lucio Fulci"

1. Contraband (1980)
2. The New York Ripper (1982)
3. City of the Living Dead (1980)
4. Don't Torture a Duckling (1972)
5. Zombie Flesh Eaters (1979)
6. A Cat in the Brain (1990)
7. The Beyond (1981)
8. Murder Rock (1984)
9. Touch of Death (1988)
10. The Black Cat (1981)

[Rik]

Top Ten Fulci in the order they pop into my head:

1. Zombi 2
2. The Beyond
3. City of the Living Dead
4. The House By The Cemetery
5. Contraband
6. The Black Cat
7. The New York Ripper
8. Don’t Torture a Duckling
9. Cat in the Brain
10. Lizard in a Woman’s Skin

[Nosferatu@Cult Labs]

LUCIO FULCI

1. The Beyond
2. City of the Living Dead
3. Zombie Flesh Eaters
4. Don't Torture a Duckling
5. House by the Cemetery
6. Lizard in a Woman's Skin
7. Perversion Story (a.k.a. One on Top of the Other)
8. The Psychic
9. Ænigma
10. Conspiracy of Torture (a.k.a. Beatrice Cenci)

I found this really hard, especially putting them in order, and would probably need to devote a couple of weeks of watching my Fulci films in order to come up with a top 10 I'm completely happy with. At the moment, this is the best I can do from memory.

[Demdike@Cult Labs]

I notice Beatrice Cenci is on a few lists. Is it actually available on an English and wallet friendly release?

[Nosferatu@Cult Labs]

Originally Posted by Demdike@Cult Labs

I notice Beatrice Cenci is on a few lists. Is it actually available on an English and wallet friendly release?

I have two copies: one the uncut German release and the other a double bill with Maria Bava's The Whip and the Body, from Midnight Choir – the latter cost me £8.23 back in 2009 but is now on Amazon for over £52!

After looking around, it would be a great addition to 88 Films' Italian Collection as it would probably sell very well.

[Rik]

That’s one Fulci film I’ve wanted to see but never have due to the high price of the DVD everywhere

[nosferatu42]

This was my review when i watched it and the cover of my dvd version which is English friendly for the film.(but not the extras)
There's one on ebay for about £20 at the moment, so depends how much you want to see it really.

Beatrice Cenci (1969) Lucio Fulci


Beatrice is from a rich family living in 16th century Italy, she and the rest of the family hate her tyrant father, ( he sets dogs on people, mistreats everyone, including his family and is a scheming evil bastard.)

Beatrice finds some comfort in the arms of a servant who is deeply besotted by her, but she tells him she must leave to get away from the family situation, she asks her father if she can go into a convent.

Being an evil twat he throws her into a cell in his castle and tells her she will stay there till his death, his reasoning being that it's basically the same as convent life anyway.

Eventually he releases her because he is celebrating the death of her two absent brothers with a debauched feast, upset she turns up to the party wearing a mourning dress, this annoys him and he sends her to her room telling her to change.
Later and drunk he comes up to her room and rapes her.

This starts a chain of events that leads to Beatrice plotting her fathers death with her servant boyfriend.

I'm not going to say much else about the story but thought i'd set the scene because i was unsure what to expect going in to the film.

This is unlike any other Fulci film i've seen, the budget is obviously high and it shows, the costumes are lavish and really set the tone of the film, the cinematography/lighting is great and the acting is also very good. ( although obviously the english version still suffers from synch problems. )

The lead actress Adrienne La Russa is good and very pretty and elicits a fair amount of sympathy (even though in some instances she comes across as being fairly manipulative.)

The storytelling is fractured, flickering back and forth in time without warning, so you have to pay attention but this makes the film more involving and builds up tension.

As to Fulci's trademark gore, there isn't much although an eye impalation foreshadows his later work, also there are torture scenes that although not bloody are pretty powerful in the context of the story.

I thought this was a very good film and i was surprised how much i liked it because I am not really one for historical films (this is based on a real life story), but i enjoyed the grim realism of it's execution.

Another aspect to the story is the Catholic church's corruption which shares themes with 'Don't torture a duckling', and even though there are torture scenes this never stoops to the level of 'Mark of the Devil' and is a far better film.

So definitely recommended as long as you are not after another Fulci gore fest.
8/10

[nosferatu42]

Shite the pictures didn't show when i copied the post...
This is the copy i have...

A1dzniyl1UL._SY445_.jpg

Also bear in mind i liked 'Four of the Apocalypse' which Dem didn't rate at all.

[Nosferatu@Cult Labs]

Originally Posted by nosferatu42

Shite the pictures didn't show when i copied the post...
This is the copy i have...

Attachment 201559

Also bear in mind i liked 'Four of the Apocalypse' which Dem didn't rate at all.

That's the German one I referred to above, in addition to the double bill with Whip and the Body. As it's been years since I saw it, I can't comment on the quality.