*Get "The Toolbox Murders" on Amazon here*
*Get "The Toolbox Murders" wall decor on Amazon here*
*Get "Toolbox Murders" (2004) on Amazon here*
*Get Going to Pieces: The Rise and Fall of the Slasher Film, 1978-1986 by Adam Rockoff on Amazon here*
This infamous little slasher flick with the infamous little title is full of blood, violence, and nudity. It is everything you expect from something of this ilk.
Supposedly based on a true story, four women in an apartment building are brutally murdered by items normally found in a toolbox. The killer (and the film makers do not hide this fact) is Vance (Cameron Mitchell), the building owner. Vance is a religious nut who recently lost his daughter in a car accident and begins punishing "sinful" women. The last third of the film sees the deaths of two major characters, and wraps things up nicely with the end credits crawl describing what happened to the "survivors" of this "real life" crime spree.
Although rated (R), this is some very violent stuff. The first half hour, when the majority of the crimes take place, is unpleasant. One of the first murders includes the now infamous killing of a model taking a bath. The blood flows freely, and the murders are punctuated by some truly bizarre country and love tunes. The film makers build up a subplot between Laurie (Pamelyn Ferdin) and Joey's (Nicolas Beauvy) mom (Aneta Corsaut) and the standard driven police detective that never pans out. Ferdin and Eure were mainstays on television in the 1970's and they do well, considering the material. Donnelly's direction is pretty basic, a camera shadow can be seen here and there. Gary Graver, the cinematographer, is better known as Orson Welles' cameraman later in the great director's career. Graver seems to have made a career of this kind of film, his involvement usually sets you up for what to expect.
I cannot explain why I am recommending this film. Genre fans might appreciate the gore effects, and the reputation this film now celebrates. This is a serial killer film before the term "serial killer" was coined. The events are watchable, however. "The Toolbox Murders" is not "Scream" or "Urban Legends," this is the type of film that no more motive than to scare and disgust its viewer. If that is all they wanted to do, they succeeded.
Stats:
(1978) 93 min. (8/10)
-Directed by Dennis Donnelly
-Screenplay by Neva Friedenn & Robert Easter and Ann Kindberg, Story by Robert Easter
-Cast: Cameron Mitchell, Pamelyn Ferdin, Wesley Eure, Nicolas Beauvy, Tim Donnelly, Aneta Corsaut, Faith McSwain, Marciee Drake, Evelyn Guerrero, Victoria Perry, Don Diamond, Kelly Nichols, Kathleen O'Malley
(R)
Media Viewed: Home Video
