Retro Poster: "Don't Torture a Duckling" (1972)

Lucio Fulci's "Don't Torture a Duckling" was one of those movies that I saw once in it's entirety about 10 years ago and promptly pushed to the back of my mind. I had the chance to revisit it recently on Netflix and enjoyed myself thoroughly. Although not as violent and gory as Fulci's other movies, the film plays out more as a mystery with a few horror elements mixed in for good measure. Most notably, a gruesome scene in which a woman is beaten with chains by an angry mob is often the topic a conversation when discussing the movie. "Don't Torture a Duckling" takes place in a small rural village in Italy, where a psychotic child murderer is on the loose and the townspeople are reeling from the deaths. The movie is chock full of believable suspects and red herrings and even though the pacing slows at times, the film is well acted and suspenseful nonetheless. Check out the (only slightly laughable) English dubbed version on Netflix Instant Watch this weekend.