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The Driller Killer (1979)
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Overview
User Rating:
Release Date:
15 June 1979 (USA) moreTagline:
It will shatter you! morePlot:
An artist slowly goes insane while struggling to pay his bills, work on his paintings, and care for his two female roommates, which leads him taking to the streets of New York after dark and randomly killing derelicts with a power drill. full summary | full synopsisNewsDesk:
(4 articles)
Whitaker, 50 Cent Attached to Another Jekyll (From OhMyGore. 15 May 2009, 2:26 PM, PDT)
Variety confirms our April 28th story: Another Jekyll in the works - with 50 Cent
(From Fangoria. 13 May 2009, 8:55 PM, PDT)
User Comments:
A hit for Abel Ferrara moreCast
(Cast overview, first billed only)| Abel Ferrara | ... | Reno Miller (as Jimmy Laine) | |
| Carolyn Marz | ... | Carol | |
| Baybi Day | ... | Pamela | |
| Harry Schultz | ... | Dalton Briggs | |
| Alan Wynroth | ... | Landlord | |
| Maria Helhoski | ... | Nun | |
| James O'Hara | ... | Man in Church | |
| Richard Howorth | ... | Stephen, Carol's Husband | |
| Louis Mascolo | ... | Knife Victim | |
| Tommy Santora | ... | Attacker | |
| Rita Gooding | ... | TV Spot | |
| Chuck Saaf | ... | TV Spot | |
| Gary Cohen | ... | Voice-over (voice) | |
| Janet Dailey | ... | Girl at Audition | |
| Joyce Finney | ... | Girl at Audition |
Additional Details
Parents Guide:
View content advisory for parentsRuntime:
96 min | UK:94 min (cut version) | UK:96 min (uncut version)Country:
USALanguage:
EnglishColor:
ColorAspect Ratio:
1.37 : 1 moreSound Mix:
MonoCertification:
New Zealand:R18 | Australia:MA (re-rating) (uncut) | Australia:R | Germany:(Banned) | Ireland:(Banned) | Netherlands:16 | Norway:18 (2004) | UK:18 (cut) | USA:Unrated | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | UK:18 (video re-rating) (uncut) (2002)Filming Locations:
New York City, New York, USAFun Stuff
Trivia:
Title is mentioned in the song "Nasty" by The Damned - a song about horror movies that were banned in the U.K. after the Video Recording Act of 1984. moreQuotes:
[Reno opens an envelope for the energy bill]Reno Miller: Holy Christ! What is this? They send us the bill to Madison Square Garden? What are they kidding me, man? How the hell are we supposed to pay this bill? What is this? The bill for three months?
Carol: That's the bill for one month.
Reno Miller: Christ, what have we got here? A refrigerator, a couple of lights?
[opens another envelope]
Reno Miller: Let's see here, telephone. Oh no! Houston, Texas?
Pamela: My mother.
Reno Miller: Look at this, L.A. $1.50... $2.75... $7.50.
Carol: Yeah, they're mine.
Reno Miller: You talked to L.A. one time for two hours and 10 minutes? What are you, out of your mind? Are you crazy? What's this? Philadelphia?
[...]
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Is there something during / at the end of the credits ?more
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It has been said of Abel Ferrara that you will either be turned on by his artistic vision, or be left cold by it. I'm split down the middle when it come to his films, I've liked half the ones I've seen but disliked the other half; this one fits firmly in the 'like' side of the equation. The Driller Killer is another entry into the 'shock' cinema repertoire, which is topped by such classics as The Last House on the Left and The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. The Driller Killer hasn't gained itself as much fame or notoriety as those two, but don't let that fool you; it is still a very good movie.
The story follows an artist, who, through the pressures of his work and various things going on around him, is slowly driven insane. His insanity is brought about by lack of money and a punk rock band that has moved in upstairs. We are able to see the frustrations of our 'hero' increase throughout the movie, especially when the plot thickens and several other things in his life go awry. Because of this, we can see that there is a reason for the brutality that is later shown in the film, and therefore this movie can take credit for having a story behind it's violence, and not just having brutality for the sake of it.
The Driller Killer was originally banned as a "video nasty" because of the notoriety it gained for it's cover art, as opposed to it's content. This can be seen clearly by the fact that The Driller Killer isn't actually that gory. Of course, as the title suggests; this film features a drill being inserted into various places on the human anatomy; but unlike a lot of other movies of this ilk, the horror doesn't come as a result of the huge amounts of gore spurting from the wounds, but rather from the noise that the drill makes while being used, and the insanity of the main character. However, gorehounds will still find lots to like about this movie and the people without a strong stomach are probably best staying clear.
Overall, the Driller Killer is a creative and inventive insight into insanity. It's not a masterpiece like some movies that deal with a similar theme, such as Taxi Driver, but it a very good movie and recommended to fans of shock cinema.