Toolbox Murders, the

 

 

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The Toolbox Murders is an preety low budget slasher, which in my opinion, is very entertaining and delivers the goods. I really enjoyed it. It may be contraversial, sadistic, and the direct opposite of Oscar worthy material, but If you enjoy violence, beautiful women and cinematic savegrey... this is the film for you. I do not own the DVD, but since it was released by Blue Underground, im sure its immaculate. Find a copy, and enjoy.

Most of the controversy surrounding "The Toolbox Murders" revolved around charges of misogyny rather than extreme gore. To that end, the infamous "nail gun scene"--which was featured on "60 Minutes" and "Donahue" as an example of violence against women in film--is unsettling for its blend of eroticism and cold brutality, making the movie flirt with a snuff mentality. It's also one of the more groundbreaking scenes in splatter movies and the most effective scene in "The Toolbox Murders." Otherwise, the movie isn't any different from a whole host of other gore movies. It's better than most, with OK performances and a fair amount of technical proficiency for what it is, but there are few moments that are going to make much impact on today's jaded horror fans. Most of the murders occur in the first half of the movie, and while they're bloody, there have been more graphic scenes on "ER." In the movie's second half it pretends to be a mystery, even though you know who the murderer is within the first five minutes.

The DVD includes an 8-minute interview with Marianne Walter, who played the victim in the nail gun scene and who later, under the name Kelly Nichols, became "an adult film actress." (First the nail gun scene and then a porn star--Ms. Walter was just giving the feminists fits!) The commentary, by producer Tony Didio, director of photography Gary Graver and a VERY PERKY Pamelyn Ferdin, has some enlightening moments, but it gets redundant after about 30 minutes.

Ultimately, though, about the scariest thing in "The Toolbox Murders" is star Cameron Mitchell's facelift.

"The ToolBox Murders" is one of those films that has gained most of its notoriety because of it's title. The question for anyone new to watching it is, does it live up to the promise? Well the answer is yes, but only for the first 20 minutes. Pretty much as soon as the film starts, the viewer is treated to several murders featuring hammers, drills and screwdrivers, all in quick succession, and all of women. After a brief pause for breath, the film plays its trump card, the scene in which a woman is interrupted while taking a bath to be chased naked around her apartment by the killer, who this time is wielding a nail gun. This scene is by far the nastiest in the movie, even though the special effects are achieved very cheaply. Actually, goremongers may be upset to learn that most of the gore in the movie is delivered in a very cheap and poorly filmed way. The editing of the first batch of murders is terrible...it seems that only the nail gun murder had any kind of story boarding or professional editing done on it!
Sadly, there is worse to come, for after this eye-popping first half hour, the film grinds to a virtual standstill, as it is at this point that the murderer is revealed and the killings all but stop as the action turns to the detectives trying to solve the case, along with depicting the prolonged plight of a young girl who the murderer has kidnapped and is keeping bound and gagged at his home. This remainding section of the film just drags on and on, despite some laughs on offer from Cameron Mitchel as he pours his heart out to the terrified girl.
On that note, the rest of the acting talent on offer throughout the movie is also rock bottom bad, especially in some of the minor roles where performances reach almost H.G. Lewis standards! About the only exception to this is Pamelyn Ferdin as the unlucky final victim, who does manage to wring some believeability out of her plight, despite having to share screen time with Cameron Mitchell singing "Sometimes I Feel Like a Motherless Child."...oh dear.
The DVD edition of the movie presents a great picture considering the quality of the film is pretty ropey at best. And there are some nice extras, including an interview with Kelly Nicholls, who suffered the nail gun murder. Its surprising that a film this poor has enough of an audience to deserve such a good DVD makeover, as it's strong points are few and far between. Strangely, all the murders are set to twee country music that seems to be playing out of every record player in the apartment block, something I have not often seen before. In fact, during the nail gun murder, this lends an almost surreal touch to the unfolding horror, leaving me to wonder if the effect was intentional or just decided on at random. That, and the seriously downbeat ending (quite effective in my opinion, at least for anyone who hasn't switched off before that time), are probably the only original touches to the movie which sadly fails in all other respects to come close to the style and quality of the countless better films it so obviously is trying to copy.

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3.0 out of 5 stars A snoozer
What? Only one review for the ultra sleazy 1978 film "The Toolbox Murders"? There must be some mistake because a lack of fulsome praise for this piece of junk is most... Read more

Published on Dec 29 2003 by Jeffrey Leach

4.0 out of 5 stars Good for what it is...
First of all, this is a very good transfer. Blue Underground really goes all out when it comes to restoration. Read more

Published on Dec 21 2003 by El Smoksta

5.0 out of 5 stars A long lost exploitation gem
I thought for a long while about getting this dvd only hearing brief reviews I finally got it today it was everything I hoped for. Read more

Published on Dec 17 2003 by Metalguts

1.0 out of 5 stars Ok new thought about this movie... IT SUCKS!!! DAMMIT!!!
You know about this movie... It sucks. Some stupid guy wearing a Ski mask killing Beautiful, attractive, super sexy women with his tools and they are [a drill. a hammer. Read more

Published on Nov 12 2003

2.0 out of 5 stars Not the worst, though I wouldn't call it good.
I find it funny how reviewers can give movies that are clearly low budget, have bad acting, and bad plot lines, 5 stars. That said, I admit I like trash. Read more

Published on Oct 7 2003 by Daniel L Scandalis

1.0 out of 5 stars I feel like a motherless child...
Ooooh, dear sweet God this movie is bad. Bad, bad, bad. The killer is a dork with a ski mask and a toolbox, and he hums when he's walking from one murder to the next. Read more

Published on Sep 7 2003 by Holly Apollyon

5.0 out of 5 stars Super gnarly slice of horror heaven
This film, which became widely known because of the nail gun scene, is a truly great post-Texas Chainsaw Massacre, pre-Friday The 13th slasher movie with a bit of exploitation... Read more

Published on Jun 27 2003 by Trevor Bather

3.0 out of 5 stars 3 Stars sounds fair.
Bit by bit by bit, he carved a nightmare! In a quiet Los Angeles apartment complex, a deranged handyman savagely murders "immoral" women with the tools of his trade: claw-hammers,... Read more

Published on Jun 15 2003 by Tom Servo

1.0 out of 5 stars Fast forward review
For sex sleaze fans, we got one star here for the can't miss nail gun scene, with an attractive young nude girl scrambling around showing all her goodies before getting . . . Read more

Published on Jun 1 2003

3.0 out of 5 stars Great Presentation!
Blue Underground deserves full marks for their excellent transfer of this low-budget thriller, one of the darkest and crudiest looking of its era. Read more

Published on May 9 2003 by John Charles

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