THE TOOLBOX MURDERS (1977)
Director: Dennis Donnelly
Blue Underground

Impressed by the theatrical longevity of THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE, producer Tony DiDio set out to make a similar exploitation film (based on "true" incidents) that would have an impact on the gross-hungry audiences of the late 70s. Hence, THE TOOLBOX MURDERS was made and its star was the lovable Cameron Mitchell, the late character who has starred in as many bad pictures and TV programs as John Carradine.

Mitchell plays Vance, the super of a California apartment complex who at night, sports a ski mask, grabs a toolbox, and murders unsuspecting female tenants. These murders occur during the first 30 minutes are so, and they are very bloody and unsettling. Vance uses a power drill, a hammer, a screwdriver and nastiest yet, a powerful nail gun. He uses the nail gun on a beautiful redhead who he catches masturbating in her bubble bath. Mitchell's Vance character does the killing in a nonchalant manner, humming tunes underneath his breath while fluffy radio music plays in the background--making the proceedings all the more disturbing.

The reason that Vance does all of this is that he's still agonizing over his late teenage daughter, who died in an automobile accident. To alleviate his pain, he kidnaps a 15-year-old living in the complex (played by 18 year-old Pamelyn Ferdin, the original voice of Lucy in the "Charlie Brown" animated specials, and a guest star in nearly every 60s and 70s TV show). Vance keeps her tied up in a bed, thinking that she's really his daughter. This gives Mitchell a chance to improvise (or overact depending on how you look at it), sucking on lollipops and crooning his rendition of "Sometimes I Feel Like a Motherless Child." As the murders are limited to the beginning of the film, the rest deals with finding the missing Ferdin. On the case is a useless detective (Tim Donnelly, the director's brother) as well as her brother (Nicolas Beauvy) and Vance's nephew (Wesley Eure from TV's "Land of the Lost").

The film concludes with more ranting and raving from Mitchell, the questionable sanity of another character, tales of incest, implied rape, and a sicko twist ending. THE TOOLBOX MURDERS is a clumsily directed sleaze gem (the only feature of Donnelly who otherwise worked in television) that is totally misogynistic and unrelentless but is much aided by Mitchell's hammy performance, as well Ferdin's believable and sympathetic one. The casting of former child actors--that many of us grew up watching on Saturday morning TV-- is so unusual, that it's almost taboo to see them appear in something like this!

The film is presented in an Anamorphic transfer, letterboxed at 1.66:1, but it actually looks closer to 1.85:1. Blue Underground's transfer put previous murky video versions to shame. You wouldn't think that THE TOOLBOX MURDERS could ever look this good! Taken from the original negative, this is by far the most impressive the film has ever looked. The colors are beautifully rich and detail is sharp throughout. The source negative used is in pristine condition. The audio consists of a Dolby Digital Mono track that is equally impressive.

The DVD of TOOLBOX MURDERS has a nice assortment of extras. First off is an audio commentary with producer Tony DiDio, director of photography Gary Graver and star Pamelyn Ferdin. The commentary proves that making exploitation films can be a happy experience. The three participants share their memorable thoughts on making the film, and a lot of fun stories about the late Cameron Mitchell also pop up. Ferdin (who still sounds like "Lucy") had never seen the film before in its entirety, and goes on to say how fans are constantly asking her about it. Veteran cameraman Graver also gets to talk a bit about working with Orson Welles and Al Adamson (TOOLBOX MURDERS was actually co-billed with Al's SUNSEST COVE).

Other extras include "I Got Nailed In THE TOOLBOX MURDERS," which is an 8-minute interview with actress Marianne Walter (aka Kelly Nichols), who suffers the most memorable death scene in the film. She starts by saying how her nail gun assault is Steven King's favorite death scene in a slasher movie, how she got the role, working with Cameron Mitchell, and what she thinks of the film (In the 80s, Walter starred in adult films, and is now a Hollywood makeup artist). Also included is the theatrical trailer (where the noise heard from the nail gun sounds very much like the automatic doors on the "Starship Enterprise"!), a TV spot, radio spots, a poster & still gallery, and a well-written Cameron Mitchell bio featuring quotes from the actor himself. (George R. Reis)

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