This classic cult horror features plenty of mystery, zombies and Glenn Miller Orchestra
Video Nasties Podcast
Looking at all 72 films from the Video Nasties List
-
Follow
Following
Already have a WordPress.com account? Log in now.
Video Nasties Podcast
%d bloggers like this:
March 11, 2014 at 2:47 pm
Hey Chris,
Few weeks ago went to Chicago and tracked down “Toolbox Murders”. I did my homework. Hope it’s not to verbose. I posted this February 25th on Facebook.
Watched (1978 the Blue Underground box says 1977?) “The Toolbox Murders”. This is a first viewing. Watched Tobe Hooper’s ’04 remake ages ago. Thought it was crap. The fact that people I like were involved made the experience worse.
This low budget movie starts off with quite a bang. In fact I think it has completely tainted my viewing. The killer with a toolbox starts killing woman in an apartment complex right away. During the third kill I wondered ,how the hell could they keep this pace. Well,they couldn’t. The killer ends his spree with a kidnapping of a teenage girl Laurie(Pamelyn Ferdin- 70’s kid actress in just about everything). Toss in Cameron Mitchell (Bava’s Blood & Black Lace), Wesley Eure (Will from Land Of The Lost), & Aneta Corseaut (Helen Crump from Andy Griffith Show!) and it’s a race against time to get young Laurie back. Actually,everyone is concerned just not shattered. The film really slows down when every acts too mellow about a guy who killed many woman with things found in a toolbox. Hey this girl is in serious danger. Wake up!
The Bad:
Killer is no mystery. The shape of the people it could be makes it pretty clear. Even though it’s clear,Blue Underground should not of added a picture on the back to make it crystal clear. There is another twist that I thought was pretty lame. It almost ruined the movie. The end was pointless. Some bits of dialog were odd time killers.
The Good:
Given it’s a really low budget horror,it looks pretty good. The people I mentioned above,can act. That always helps.
Like I said before,the movie starts at a quick pace. It doesn’t even give you time to judge it. The nail gun scene is pretty great stuff. Gorgeous actress Marianne Walter (aka porn star Kelly Nichols) gives a 100% in her performance. There’s a reason she’s on the poster art.
I believe the good out weight the bad. Perhaps nostalgia plays a part in this. Loved seeing faces from the past. Or is it so many of these actors gave it a little more then your average movie of this period. Or maybe it was just Marianne’s scene. I might just be a bit of a perv. It’s a watch.
P.S. Loved the “Dead & Buried” episode. Listened to it twice at work. I love it when it’s truly a good movie. Great stuff.