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IMDbPro

The Driller Killer

  • 19791979
  • Not RatedNot Rated
  • 1h 36m
IMDb RATING
5.1/10
7.9K
YOUR RATING
Abel Ferrara in The Driller Killer (1979)
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.
Play trailer0:33
1 Video
74 Photos
DramaHorrorThriller
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... Read allAn 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.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.
IMDb RATING
5.1/10
7.9K
YOUR RATING
    • Abel Ferrara
    • Nicholas St. John(screenplay)
  • Stars
    • Abel Ferrara
    • Carolyn Marz
    • Baybi Day
    • Abel Ferrara
    • Nicholas St. John(screenplay)
  • Stars
    • Abel Ferrara
    • Carolyn Marz
    • Baybi Day
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 141User reviews
    • 93Critic reviews
    • 66Metascore
  • See more at IMDbPro
  • Videos1

    Trailer
    Trailer 0:33
    Watch Trailer

    Photos74

    The Driller Killer (1979)
    The Driller Killer (1979)
    The Driller Killer (1979)
    The Driller Killer (1979)
    The Driller Killer (1979)
    The Driller Killer (1979)
    Maria Helhoski in The Driller Killer (1979)
    Abel Ferrara and Carolyn Marz in The Driller Killer (1979)
    Baybi Day in The Driller Killer (1979)
    Baybi Day in The Driller Killer (1979)
    Abel Ferrara in The Driller Killer (1979)
    Carolyn Marz in The Driller Killer (1979)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Abel Ferrara
    Abel Ferrara
    • Reno Miller
    • (as Jimmy Laine)
    Carolyn Marz
    • Carol Slaughter
    Baybi Day
    • Pamela
    Harry Schultz
    • Dalton Briggs
    Alan Wynroth
    • Al the Landlord
    Maria Helhoski
    • The Nun
    James O'Hara
    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
    Butch Morris
    • Sidewalk Begger
    Paul Fitze
    • Kid on Street
    John Fitze
    • Kid on Street
      • Abel Ferrara
      • Nicholas St. John(screenplay)
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Could have easily escaped the UK's "video nasty" list if the original pre-VRA video cover wasn't so graphic. it featured a very bloody close-up of a drill boring into a man's head with lots of blood. The video cover was featured in video catalogs and received many complaints.
    • Goofs
      When the Driller Killer drills into a homeless man's head, he does not drill far enough to cause death, as evidenced by the depth of blood on the drill-bit.
    • Quotes

      Dalton Briggs: No, no, no, no. This isn't right. This is nothing. This is shit! Where's the impact? It's just a goddamn Buffalo!

    • Crazy credits
      Movie opens with message "THIS FILM SHOULD BE PLAYED LOUD."
    • Alternate versions
      The film has had a rough time in the UK. Before 1984, when videos were not subject to censorship in Britain, it was released with the killings intact, although a minute of non-violent footage was missing from this version. It then got a reputation as one of the most notorious of the "video nasties", a media-fueled hysteria which led to the UK adopting some of the most stringent video censorship in the Western world. This reputation arose largely because of the video cover, which showed the infamous drill-in-the-forehead scene. After 1984, it became illegal to release a video without a BBFC video certificate, and the films' reputation was such that no-one even bothered trying until 1999, when a version omitting 54 secs from the head-drilling scene and 2 earlier murders was approved for an 18 certificate. The full uncut version was finally passed by the BBFC in November 2002.
    • Connections
      Featured in Filmgore (1983)
    • Soundtracks
      Invention in Bb; Arioso
      Composed by Johann Sebastian Bach (as J. S. Bach)

      Performed by Joe Delia (as Joseph Delia)

    User reviews141

    Review
    Review
    Featured review
    It's not THAT bad...
    Actually, I think it's excellent. The only reason I'm contributing a review is because there are so many negative ones here, and I think it's because it's been miscategorized. One reviewer here said you'd be better off watching "The Evil Dead". But Abel Ferrara didn't aspire to make a horror movie. Instead, he made a disturbing personal statement. I'm seeing this problem a lot of people have with trying to place films into tidy genres. I'm making up this term on the spot: The Blockbuster Syndrome. This should be avoided; it's what made Hollywood so boring.

    It has an exploitive title and a reputation as a slasher film, so it hasn't found the right crowd. Psychotic 16-year old boys, its most likely audience, will be disappointed for it not being gory enough, and intellectuals will avoid it because it seems lowbrow. But get over it. There's a great Punk Rock atmosphere, Ferarra throws himself into his role, and those are some cool surrealist paintings. More importantly, it's an honest and troubling portrait of an artist who's driven over the edge by his own fear of failure, loud neighbors, getting dumped by his girlfriend, and all the other stress of the big city. Unable to channel these frustrations through his paintings, he turns to killing innocent derilects (In the opening scene it's suggested that is father is homeless, and he's afraid of ending up the same way). And then there's the ambiguous and haunting ending, which will stick with you for a while. Yes, it's technically lacking. But filmmakers are more than technicians. I would rate this alongside Taxi Driver as a brutal portrayal of alienation.
    helpful•7
    1
    • stexe
    • Jan 4, 2004

    FAQ2

    • Is there something during / at the end of the credits ?
    • What are the differences between the British BBFC 18 DVD and the uncut version?

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • June 15, 1979 (United States)
      • United States
      • English
    • Also known as
    • Filming locations
      • New York City, New York, USA
    • Production company
      • Navaron Films
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • 1 hour 36 minutes
      • Color
      • Mono

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