1. Don't Torture A Duckling (1972)
Thankfully, this film is not part of the Don't! cycle of crappy horror films, it is an elegant, mysterious, inventive and original Giallo that represents Lucio Fulci's finest directorial hour. Yes, Zombie Flesh Eaters is entertaining, but if you want something special, something with finesse, try Don't Torture A Duckling. Turning the Giallo convention on its head - this time it is small boys rather than young women who are being killed. Local witch - Florinda Balkan - giving another outstanding performance - is blamed for the murders and she endures a nightmarish death at the hands of local peasants who whip her to death with giant chains in an agonising to watch sequence. Ding dong the witch is dead but the murders continue and it is up to a nosy reporter and a glamorous young local woman to find out who the real culprit is. In the end sequences, Don't Torture A Duckling boasts the funniest ever death by falling off a cliff sequence - it just goes on and on and on. Genuinely suspenseful, horrific, daring in its main topic, and beautifully shot, Don't Torture a Duckling is the apex of Fulci's career. He doesn't deserve to be known solely as 'The Godfather of Gore'. Watching this film, there is a true artist at work - one who is able to handle complex themes deftly and produce a masterpiece. I place this film at number one as a true showcase of Fulci's talents and if you haven't seen it yet, I urge you to buy the DVD, you will be pleasantly surprised.