Don't Torture A Duckling (1972)

A child killer is ruuning amok in a sleepy rural village.
Some people would have you believe that Fulci was nothing more than a hack director without an original thought but they're wrong and this is one of the films that proves it beyond a doubt. Seen by many fans as his masterpiece, this is a pearler of a giallo with much to be said against the ruthless economic urban development of the towns and cities against the forgotten, archaic villages where superstition is still rife. There are two main scenes of note: Barbara Bouchet, fully nude, invites a young (12ish) boy to bed with her. Quite what the character's motives are never fully revealed but it seems to be she does like to tease. The other scene is the murder by the villagers of a local 'witch' whom they suspect of the killing. Done in slow motion to a choice soundtrack, this is an horrific but highly stylish moment that encapsulates the fear and mistrust at the heart of the film. While the killer's identity can be easily guessed, despite the plethora of red herring thrown in our face from Fulci, the ending is still fulfilling, irrespective of the final 'special effects'.