The Toolbox Murders

It's a safe bet that movies in the subgenre of gory horror films known as “gorno” that have become popular in the last decade or so (the Saw series, for example) owe at least a partial debt to director Dennis Donnelly's 1978 film The Toolbox Murders. Variously described on the box art as an “exploitation classic,” a “notorious sickie,” and an “epic of violence and depravity,” the film stars Cameron Mitchell as Vance Kingsley, a fellow with female issues who deals with his problems by offing pretty (and often naked, of course) young women with drills, hammers, screwdrivers, and even a nail gun—four victims in the first half-hour, in fact (the fake blood flows freely, but these scenes, while definitely unpleasant, are not especially graphic by today's standards). The cops are clueless, but after the villain kidnaps 15-year-old Laurie (Pamelyn Ferdin), her brother (Nicolas Beauvy) and one of his pals (Wesley Eure) become involved in the case, eventually leading to a dénouement with a particularly vile twist. Most of this is handled with over-the-top cheesiness and camp, although it's hard to say if the hilarity of scenes like the one in which the killer sings “Sometimes I Feel Like a Motherless Child” to a victim is actually intentional or merely the result of a lame script and terrible acting. Anyway you slice or slash it, however, the appeal of The Toolbox Murders is unlikely to extend much beyond genre fans. Blu-ray extras include audio commentary and an interview with costar Marianne Walter. Optional. (S. Graham)