Review of The Driller Killer (1979) by Roger O — 25 Jan 2011

Nothing short of "Arthouse" genus and the best Slasher flick ever made. I say this because it's old and low budget and its director Abel Ferrara first movie and of course also starring as the main character of Reno Miller an artist that is slowly going mad under the pressure of paying Debts, Bills, Drinking and the girls he lives with. Personally I hated "A Nightmare on Elm Street" such a stupid movie and of course "Friday the 13th".

This movie is just creative it's more heavily metal rather then stupid put of music with creepy settings. And the killers are always mute retards with issues and always were masks and carry knifes for the gruesome killing. Although there are killings in this movie and very violent ones it's more cut always to heavy metal stuff rather then just the drill in the head.

Reno Miller is an artist living with two other girls and is trying to get his final painting done to impress the art community but is slowly struggling to do so because of everyday debts and is slowly losing it under pressure. People themselves start to piss him off with the band downstairs always playing away at midnight and the people subjecting to him saying everything he has done is wrong. So one day after a party and heavy drinking he picks up a drill and goes on a spree after dark killing innocent people.

After this so called "Massacre" he feels find and the pressure is off until the art committee reject his painting.

Personally I liked the styling of music when he chases the homeless man into the ally it plays more rock and roll type music with cut always to show the band in his building playing and the people cheering them on. And more close ups rather then pull backs and the gothic way of the film that we see.

Abel Ferrara after this would go on to make such classics as "Bad Lieutenant" and of course one of my all time favorites "King of New York" and this movie opens and paves the way to a lot of his trademarks in his films and his performances is one of the best I have seen in these kinds of movies, Same goes with "Carolyn Marz". So of course the other performances are just great no single flaw I tent to have seen.

The gothic and graphic style of the film associate with "special effects" in violence is indeed gruesome. This movie landed on the video nasty list because of this but was later removed but still banned because of the critical acclaim it was gathering. I don't think it was very successful with audiences back then but critics sure loved it with the 5-5 they were giving it.

So I close and say works amazingly better then your normal Slasher flick with more of a punk or metal feel to it.