A sack of oranges is prominently featured in a scene in
The Grifters where
Anjelica Huston and a mob boss (who was that guy) menacingly discuss a
con involving beating someone with a sack of oranges. Supposedly if done properly, it doesn't hurt, but leaves bruises all over the "victim"; however if done wrong it causes all kinds of
internal bleeding, blah, blah, blah
you die.
I've always wondered if that was true.