144 reviews
Livin' in the city ain't no big deal.
This early feature length effort from cult filmmaker Abel Ferrara is interesting, to say the least, if not for all tastes. While it might appeal to some slasher fans for its respectable body count and surprisingly decent gore, it does have more in common with "Taxi Driver" than, say, "Halloween". It's an incredibly gritty, crude, yet appreciably surreal urban drama about Reno Miller (played by Ferrara himself, using his acting pseudonym "Jimmy Laine"). Reno is a struggling young painter, who lives with two sexy female roommates, Carol (Carolyn Marz), and Pamela (Baybi Day). Renos' hold on reality is steadily slipping away. His mental state isn't helped by the fact that his landlord has let a punk band move into his building, and their constant rehearsals drive him nuts. Soon, he's out and about murdering the derelicts of NYC streets with a power drill.
This may be hard to stick with for some viewers. Admittedly, it's VERY thin on story. The acting, while amateurish, gets the job done, with Ferrara doing an amusing job in the lead role. "The Driller Killer" also is fascinating for the way it captures the punk scene of NYC in the late 1970s. The omnipresent music (score by Joe Delia, songs by Tony Coca Cola and the Roosters) is often insidiously catchy. The screenplay is by frequent Ferrara collaborator Nicholas St. John, who creates a fairly vivid portrait of one persons' mental decline. There is some memorable imagery here, such as Renos' painting of a buffalo. Use of various unsavoury NYC locations is excellent.
Worth a look for aficionados of 1970s cult cinema, but Ferrara didn't really hit paydirt until his next film, the great "Ms. 45".
Six out of 10.
This may be hard to stick with for some viewers. Admittedly, it's VERY thin on story. The acting, while amateurish, gets the job done, with Ferrara doing an amusing job in the lead role. "The Driller Killer" also is fascinating for the way it captures the punk scene of NYC in the late 1970s. The omnipresent music (score by Joe Delia, songs by Tony Coca Cola and the Roosters) is often insidiously catchy. The screenplay is by frequent Ferrara collaborator Nicholas St. John, who creates a fairly vivid portrait of one persons' mental decline. There is some memorable imagery here, such as Renos' painting of a buffalo. Use of various unsavoury NYC locations is excellent.
Worth a look for aficionados of 1970s cult cinema, but Ferrara didn't really hit paydirt until his next film, the great "Ms. 45".
Six out of 10.
- Hey_Sweden
- Jan 12, 2016
- Permalink
Prepare to DIY
"This film should be played LOUD," insists the pre-credits card at the beginning. And not simply to feel the full force of The Roosters, or the squeal of the titular murder weapon, but also because Abel Ferrara's zero-budget slasher is all about anger in need of expression.
Ferrara himself plays Reno, a struggling artist desperate to complete a painting that will earn him enough to pay the rent. He lives with a couple of girls, one of whom is kind of his girlfriend but neither of whom particularly likes him, and he's being driven mad by those damn Roosters downstairs. All his repressed rage and his inability to empathise with fellow humans is taking its toll. Then he sees his release: take it out on the New York homeless using a power drill and a Porto-Pak(TM).
Reno's disgust of transient men betrays a profound male anxiety: the inability to provide. Furthermore, his "masterpiece" is a painting of a bison – both a icon of masculine power as well as a symbol of hunter-gatherer sustenance. He barks impotently at his indifferent girlfriend, who later turns to their female flatmate for her physical satisfaction.
Moreover, Reno is unable to communicate with his artist peers. Even the members of the band who aren't musicians are full of extrovert self-expression. Reno, meanwhile, is a wholly internalised recluse, harbouring a growing loathing of other people.
Then there's Dalton Briggs (Harry Schlutz II), a gallery owner who, like a Roman emperor, holds the power to give a thumbs-up or down to Reno's future. In the deliberately theatrical Dalton scenes (a realist style is employed elsewhere) Ferrara scores with Clockwork Orange- style electronic classical music; and indeed there is a hint of Kubrickian absurdity in the juxtaposition between Briggs' high art pretensions and Reno's degenerate world.
That world, shot on location around Ferrara's own haunt, is at times as potent a snapshot of post-Vietnam New York's underbelly as Scorsese's Taxi Driver. The depiction of madness and desperation amongst the homeless is pretty broad, although it doesn't stray into the sort of farcical territory we would later see in J. Michael Muro's Street Trash.
The Driller Killer is one of the original "video nasties" – a select group of films banned from UK home video in the 1980s for fear of corrupting malleable minds. Apparently, the complaints were based solely on the poster, depicting the famous head drill victim. To be fair, the actual content here more than lives up to that marketing promise. This is a grotty and gory film, the cheapness of whose effects is offset by being shot mostly at night.
Smart directorial choices, neat editing, dark humour, and a unique setting elevate The Driller Killer above many of the slashers of the late-70s/early-80s period. It may not be the most fun – think of the intense grimness of Maniac or Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer – but it's surely one of the more memorable.
Ferrara himself plays Reno, a struggling artist desperate to complete a painting that will earn him enough to pay the rent. He lives with a couple of girls, one of whom is kind of his girlfriend but neither of whom particularly likes him, and he's being driven mad by those damn Roosters downstairs. All his repressed rage and his inability to empathise with fellow humans is taking its toll. Then he sees his release: take it out on the New York homeless using a power drill and a Porto-Pak(TM).
Reno's disgust of transient men betrays a profound male anxiety: the inability to provide. Furthermore, his "masterpiece" is a painting of a bison – both a icon of masculine power as well as a symbol of hunter-gatherer sustenance. He barks impotently at his indifferent girlfriend, who later turns to their female flatmate for her physical satisfaction.
Moreover, Reno is unable to communicate with his artist peers. Even the members of the band who aren't musicians are full of extrovert self-expression. Reno, meanwhile, is a wholly internalised recluse, harbouring a growing loathing of other people.
Then there's Dalton Briggs (Harry Schlutz II), a gallery owner who, like a Roman emperor, holds the power to give a thumbs-up or down to Reno's future. In the deliberately theatrical Dalton scenes (a realist style is employed elsewhere) Ferrara scores with Clockwork Orange- style electronic classical music; and indeed there is a hint of Kubrickian absurdity in the juxtaposition between Briggs' high art pretensions and Reno's degenerate world.
That world, shot on location around Ferrara's own haunt, is at times as potent a snapshot of post-Vietnam New York's underbelly as Scorsese's Taxi Driver. The depiction of madness and desperation amongst the homeless is pretty broad, although it doesn't stray into the sort of farcical territory we would later see in J. Michael Muro's Street Trash.
The Driller Killer is one of the original "video nasties" – a select group of films banned from UK home video in the 1980s for fear of corrupting malleable minds. Apparently, the complaints were based solely on the poster, depicting the famous head drill victim. To be fair, the actual content here more than lives up to that marketing promise. This is a grotty and gory film, the cheapness of whose effects is offset by being shot mostly at night.
Smart directorial choices, neat editing, dark humour, and a unique setting elevate The Driller Killer above many of the slashers of the late-70s/early-80s period. It may not be the most fun – think of the intense grimness of Maniac or Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer – but it's surely one of the more memorable.
Low budget psychotic romp and prototypical "video nasty"
A deliciously grimy and dirty debut from Abel Ferrara ('Bad Lieutenant'), 'Driller Killer' follows an artist (played by Ferrara himself) whose frustrated attempts to make ends meet and find creative satisfaction against a backdrop of urban decay and the interminable punk-rock cacophony of a band in the apartment above him eventually get the better of him and lead him to emotional breakdown and maniacal, grisly homicide.
The story of a city-dweller (New York, no less) who can't take it any more and snaps clearly owes much to 'Taxi Driver' but, in contrast, 'Driller Killer' is distinguished by an almost total lack of the psychological and technical finesse so characteristic of Scorsese's film and makes its point through a relentless inarticulate bludgeoning of the viewer which could be said to be an (ahem) acquired taste. Having said this, the film isn't as gory as its cult status on the list of "video nasties" compiled by the Director of Public Prosecutions in England in the early eighties would lead you to believe and in lacking both the searing transgression of films like 'Cannibal Holocaust' or the all-out gore of films like 'The Beyond' or 'Evil Dead' some may well be forgiven for wondering what all the fuss is about.
However, all things considered the film is an enjoyable psychotic romp (in a masochistic sort-of-way) and I have always found its limitations to be an indispensible part of its appeal as the low budget and technical bludgeoning are central to evoking a genuine sense of the stifling degeneration of New York at its nadir. What's more, the films depiction of the psychosis such milieus engender walks a perfect line between a partly distanced comic-book presentation and a crushingly claustrophobic and authentic sense of madness made manifest.
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Public domain movie. Watch it free here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HaQLbLJiA50
Watch short trailer here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f1Dn57QgvRw
Watch extended trailer here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TFobdamXZvo
The story of a city-dweller (New York, no less) who can't take it any more and snaps clearly owes much to 'Taxi Driver' but, in contrast, 'Driller Killer' is distinguished by an almost total lack of the psychological and technical finesse so characteristic of Scorsese's film and makes its point through a relentless inarticulate bludgeoning of the viewer which could be said to be an (ahem) acquired taste. Having said this, the film isn't as gory as its cult status on the list of "video nasties" compiled by the Director of Public Prosecutions in England in the early eighties would lead you to believe and in lacking both the searing transgression of films like 'Cannibal Holocaust' or the all-out gore of films like 'The Beyond' or 'Evil Dead' some may well be forgiven for wondering what all the fuss is about.
However, all things considered the film is an enjoyable psychotic romp (in a masochistic sort-of-way) and I have always found its limitations to be an indispensible part of its appeal as the low budget and technical bludgeoning are central to evoking a genuine sense of the stifling degeneration of New York at its nadir. What's more, the films depiction of the psychosis such milieus engender walks a perfect line between a partly distanced comic-book presentation and a crushingly claustrophobic and authentic sense of madness made manifest.
**************************
Public domain movie. Watch it free here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HaQLbLJiA50
Watch short trailer here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f1Dn57QgvRw
Watch extended trailer here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TFobdamXZvo
- RomanJamesHoffman
- Aug 22, 2012
- Permalink
Arthouse nasty
This is probably best looked at in the context of Ferrara's other work, rather than in the context of the rest of the British video nasties list, because it is actually a surprisingly good film. Rather than a mere body count movie, Ferrara's first movie is a Repulsion-style portrait of a man's descent into psychosis; a bleak yet darkly comic urban paranoia movie with actually far less graphic bloodletting than its detractors would have us believe. Despite the obvious low budget, the acting and cinematography are all perfectly competent in evoking the claustrophobically squalid milieu which leads to the breakdown of the protagonist (played by the director himself). The film's power lies in its accumulation of individual scenes and images, though unfortunately it fails to maintain the tense atmosphere, as interest begins to wane towards the end. This is an interesting and technically accomplished film from a first-time director, introducing the same distinct visual style and themes which have dominated his later films. As a piece of late-70's low-budget independent exploitation cinema, it is head and shoulders above the rest.
The thin line between trash-exploitation and art-house cinema
Despite of its reputation and the repulsive sounding title, Abel Ferrara's The Driller Killer is more of a social drama about life in the big city than it is a horror shocker. Ferrara himself stars as Reno, an unbalanced painter slowly going crazy due to financial troubles, the noisy punk-band next door, demanding employers and housemates, and non-stop images of the pauperized city. He buys a tool and unleashes his fury on the numerous homeless in the area. Driller Killer is truly grim and as much shocking as the classic film it's clearly inspired on (namely: Taxi Driver) but it lacks a fitting tone and a appropriate background drawing. The film opens with a very confusing sequence in which the protagonist is standing at an altar while being approached by an elderly man. This footage is extra since the 1999 re-release and it looks like Ferrara wanted to supply his film with some kind of spiritual depth. It leads nowhere, though. In fact, take out the killings and you're left with a somewhat boring urban portrait. Driller Killer was included in the infamous list of 'video-nasties' and therefore automatically received a controversial cult-status without people even seeing it. Although the substance matter doesn't belong amongst the other titles in the list, The Driller Killer often wanders on the thin border between trash-exploitation and art-house cinema, as it features voyeuristic elements (a gratuitous lesbian shower sequence) as well as sheer close-ups of blood-puddles and whirring drills.
Abel Ferrara without a doubt is one of the most remarkable directors in American cinema history. I'm a huge fan of most of his films like 'The Addiction', 'Bad Lieutenant' and 'The Funeral' It's not that I didn't like 'the Driller Killer', I just think that the poor production values really show off and that Ferrara did not yet had the professionalism and talent to make up for it by adding the trademarks that made his later films so brilliant. If you're interested by the repertoire of this often discussed director, you better don't start by watching Driller Killer. You're appreciate it a lot more after seeing some of his 90's films.
Abel Ferrara without a doubt is one of the most remarkable directors in American cinema history. I'm a huge fan of most of his films like 'The Addiction', 'Bad Lieutenant' and 'The Funeral' It's not that I didn't like 'the Driller Killer', I just think that the poor production values really show off and that Ferrara did not yet had the professionalism and talent to make up for it by adding the trademarks that made his later films so brilliant. If you're interested by the repertoire of this often discussed director, you better don't start by watching Driller Killer. You're appreciate it a lot more after seeing some of his 90's films.
Gritty, Controversial but Hollow
It's hard to imagine how this film gained its notorious status(especially in the UK). It is poorly shot(reflecting its miniscule budget) and is really no more violent than any other horror film. True, when the disgruntled artist Reno(played by first-time director Abel Ferrara) first goes on a rampage armed with a drill and 'porto-pak', the film does manage to touch a raw nerve, but soon it descends to laboriously-paced repetition and struggles to hold attention.
Will be remembered as the debut feature of director Ferrara, who has since never been afraid to court controversy with films like Ms. 45 and Bad Lieutenant; and probably as one of the films that sparked off the 'Video Nasty' hysteria in the UK in the 1980's; but for little else.
4/10
Will be remembered as the debut feature of director Ferrara, who has since never been afraid to court controversy with films like Ms. 45 and Bad Lieutenant; and probably as one of the films that sparked off the 'Video Nasty' hysteria in the UK in the 1980's; but for little else.
4/10
Good video nasty!...
I thought that The Driller Killer was a good film. It was one of the Video Nasties that were banned in Britain in the 1980's. It is about an artist Reno Miller (Abel Ferrara), who lives in In New York, and shares a flat with his girlfriend Carol (Carolyn Marz), who left her husband Stephen, and their roommate Pamela (Baybi Day). Reno is having difficulties trying to pay to pay his bills his two female friends try to help him out. Later on When a punk band moves to his building playing music day and night, this is stopping Reno from being able to sleep and it drives him insane, his art dealer is demands that he completes his painting for him as soon as possible. But when the dealer laughs at his canvas he has painted he snaps, and begins taking it out on the people responsible, he goes through the streets with a driller machine killing people on the streets. This is a very gory film with strong violence at times, but is a good film to watch.
- MovieGuy01
- Oct 7, 2009
- Permalink
If u remove the sadisitic violence, this movie is a good character study, showcasing an artist's slow descent into madness.
I first saw this in the early 90s on a vhs.
Revisited the 101 mins uncut version recently.
Imagine u have to share an apartment with ur girlfriend n her drug addicted lesbian friend.
Imagine u live in a neighborhood full of derelicts.
Imagine ur girlfriend n her lesbian friend makes huge telephone calls n u r unable to pay the bills.
Imagine u r unable to pay the rent n ur landlord gives u a skinned rabbit for dinner.
Imagine u have neighbors in the form of a band called Roosters n its lead member named Tony Coco Cola and the group constantly play loud music while u r trying to concentrate on ur living aka paintings.
Imagine seeing huge electricity bills.
Imagine the art gallery owner mocks ur painting n refuse to buy the piece or bail u out.
Imagine if ur girlfriend leaves u for her bald ex husband.
Imagine ur girlfriend has a nasty habit of reading sadistic news from the newspapers.
News : "A lady gave her poodle a bath and being late for a beauty parlor appointment placed the dog in a microwave oven to dry it off.
When she turned the oven on, the poodle exploded."
Imagine ur girlfriend is persuading u to listen to the same band which constantly plays in the apartment next to u but this time in a club.
Ur reaction : "I hear em play day n nite."
Ur girlfriend's answer : "It's nothing like hearing em in a club."
U babbling, "Yeah, at least in a club, one can walk out."
Just imagine the plight of the lead character, Reno Miller in this movie going thru all the above mentioned stress.
Ok, i get it. Reno Miller is lucky not to go thru this pandemic lockdown too.
Revisited the 101 mins uncut version recently.
Imagine u have to share an apartment with ur girlfriend n her drug addicted lesbian friend.
Imagine u live in a neighborhood full of derelicts.
Imagine ur girlfriend n her lesbian friend makes huge telephone calls n u r unable to pay the bills.
Imagine u r unable to pay the rent n ur landlord gives u a skinned rabbit for dinner.
Imagine u have neighbors in the form of a band called Roosters n its lead member named Tony Coco Cola and the group constantly play loud music while u r trying to concentrate on ur living aka paintings.
Imagine seeing huge electricity bills.
Imagine the art gallery owner mocks ur painting n refuse to buy the piece or bail u out.
Imagine if ur girlfriend leaves u for her bald ex husband.
Imagine ur girlfriend has a nasty habit of reading sadistic news from the newspapers.
News : "A lady gave her poodle a bath and being late for a beauty parlor appointment placed the dog in a microwave oven to dry it off.
When she turned the oven on, the poodle exploded."
Imagine ur girlfriend is persuading u to listen to the same band which constantly plays in the apartment next to u but this time in a club.
Ur reaction : "I hear em play day n nite."
Ur girlfriend's answer : "It's nothing like hearing em in a club."
U babbling, "Yeah, at least in a club, one can walk out."
Just imagine the plight of the lead character, Reno Miller in this movie going thru all the above mentioned stress.
Ok, i get it. Reno Miller is lucky not to go thru this pandemic lockdown too.
- Fella_shibby
- May 22, 2021
- Permalink
NY PUNK ROCK SCENE
Yes, drills kill in this low budget early outing from self-starring Abel Ferrara, famously going on to "Ms. 45," "Bad Lieutenant", "King of New York" etc. But for me the uniqueness of this project is its accurate portrayal of New York's punk rock scene during the NYC bankruptcy, when the filthy streets were indeed home to thousands of homeless potential drill victims. Several band numbers interrupt the killing, which will annoy viewers who aren't punk rock fans, but do convey the flavor of the milieu that most famously bred "The Ramones."
Art, Love, Punk Wave, Insanity, Rejection and Death
In New York, the painter Reno Miller (Abel Ferrara) shares a loft with his girlfriend Carol (Carolyn Marz), who left her husband Stephen, and their roommate Pamela (Baybi Day). Reno is having difficulties to pay his bills, while is obsessed painting his masterpiece, a buffalo with a hypnotic eye. When a punk band moves to his building playing day and night, Reno cannot sleep and drives insane, going to the streets with a driller, killing homeless derelicts. When the art dealer calls his painting a mockery, and Carol returns to her husband, leaving him alone, Reno goes totally mad.
"The Driller Killer" is polemic, forbidden in England in the 80's, but it is a good low budget slasher movie. The red color very alive prevails in most of the scenes, and together with the nervous camera, provoke a sort of discomfort sensation in the viewer. The characters and the insanity process of Reno are very well constructed, and the story also captures the punk wave of that moment in New York. There is a good and worth explanation for the church scene in the beginning of the movie in IMDb Message Board written by SyZombieLoserKid. Although indicated for specific audiences, "The Driller Killer" is a good film. My vote is seven.
Title (Brazil): "O Assassino da Furadeira" ("The Driller Killer")
Note: On 26 September 2022, I saw this film again.
"The Driller Killer" is polemic, forbidden in England in the 80's, but it is a good low budget slasher movie. The red color very alive prevails in most of the scenes, and together with the nervous camera, provoke a sort of discomfort sensation in the viewer. The characters and the insanity process of Reno are very well constructed, and the story also captures the punk wave of that moment in New York. There is a good and worth explanation for the church scene in the beginning of the movie in IMDb Message Board written by SyZombieLoserKid. Although indicated for specific audiences, "The Driller Killer" is a good film. My vote is seven.
Title (Brazil): "O Assassino da Furadeira" ("The Driller Killer")
Note: On 26 September 2022, I saw this film again.
- claudio_carvalho
- Sep 9, 2006
- Permalink
Odd combination of good and bad
Driller Killer
Driller Killer has, without question, the best director's commentary of any DVD i have ever seen. Although Driller Killer is a far cry from his second film "Ms. 45" it is a classic. Reno can't seem to buy a thrill. Despite the fact that he lives with two bombshells he can't get his painting finished to collect for the rent. His agent's reaction to his finished painting is absolutely priceless. What's worse is that his landlord has allowed a punk band to move in upstairs, adding insult to injury. The band, Tony Coca Cola and the Roosters, play "The Grand Street Stomp" a guitar riff that has a great driving force. This film really documents the village punk circuit at the end of the 1970's. Conventions are borrowed from Polanski's "Repulsion" and Cassavetes' "Shadows". The hand-held mingling with the street people of the period shows how filthy NYC was at the time. Lots of fun. Driller Killer was meant to be listened to loud!
- ashleyallinson
- Feb 7, 2005
- Permalink
one of the most unusual New York movies ever, and really mistitled: it's a punk rock movie, not a horror, at least not entirely
The Driller Killer is sloppy and weird, a piece of sorta trash found on the street and put up into the grindhouses made to look like something it's not. But hey, can you blame it based on the title? It sounds like it'll be glorious trash, but that's what I mean by the 'sorta'. It takes a pretty frank look at the Bowery scene, both the bums and the punks equally, and how it drives an already eccentric painter off the hinges. It definitely wears its low-budget on its sleeve, as if to say "I GOT NO CHOICE!" and its protagonist's downward spiral should make even less sense than Travis Bickle's, but the visceral effect is uglier, cruder, perhaps even more sensationalized than Scorsese could get. That said, Scorsese is still the better director in this case.
But hey again, it's Abel Ferrara's first feature as director, and he takes his camera's eye on to the streets like he's a documentary director brought in to the realm of schlock and told to just go-go-go. He also plays the title character, Reno Miller, who makes a painting of a buffalo and keeps staring at the eyeball of the beast, as it seems to be as empty and black as he might be. Perhaps he's driven to kill by a misguided libido- we never see how he might be sexually, and the image of the drill first going into a door is shot fetish-like, with an extreme close-up of the drill-bit pounding into the wood- and the drill makes up for his phallus. He could just be schizophrenic, as he later seems kind of shocked that he even did the crimes (at least at first). Or he's just bored, or driven mad by all of that lousy, noisy punk rock going on downstairs.
It could be all of those things, or none of them. Along with the very loose 'plot', the lack of anything of an explanation makes things a little frustrating for a first-time viewer. I suppose if I come back to the film again it will be a little clearer, or I'll just be expecting the next set-piece too much to care. It's really how gritty and grungy everything is that gives it its appeal. This isn't a horror film in the sense of the big build up to anticipation (although in a few instances, such as with the annoying guy at the bus-stop, Ferrara gets to have a little brilliant set-piece as he sneaks up behind him and drills into his back through the glass), and its gore/blood factor, which is high, is what really gets it into the genre category. Ironically it's never the human killings, but rather the image of a dead and skinned rabbit- and Reno's predilection to hammer away at the poor bunny's skull- that sticks with the audience after it ends.
The 'artifact' nature of the film, of the punk rock scene that no longer exists, is also fascinating, if at times a little tiresome to watch (it depends on what music is playing really, some of it is good in that dirt-cheap way of The Germs). And sure, the acting is on the low-budget side. But there's something about the Driller Killer that works, almost in spite of itself. It's a weird combination of fetish and religious repression, traditional horror and the surreal horror of something like Repulsion, and every so often it can be very funny, in a very demented sort of way. It's the kind of cult film that earns its reputation not by being outrageous, but by the nature of its making, and its peculiar leading man acting alongside the women around him. 7.5/10
But hey again, it's Abel Ferrara's first feature as director, and he takes his camera's eye on to the streets like he's a documentary director brought in to the realm of schlock and told to just go-go-go. He also plays the title character, Reno Miller, who makes a painting of a buffalo and keeps staring at the eyeball of the beast, as it seems to be as empty and black as he might be. Perhaps he's driven to kill by a misguided libido- we never see how he might be sexually, and the image of the drill first going into a door is shot fetish-like, with an extreme close-up of the drill-bit pounding into the wood- and the drill makes up for his phallus. He could just be schizophrenic, as he later seems kind of shocked that he even did the crimes (at least at first). Or he's just bored, or driven mad by all of that lousy, noisy punk rock going on downstairs.
It could be all of those things, or none of them. Along with the very loose 'plot', the lack of anything of an explanation makes things a little frustrating for a first-time viewer. I suppose if I come back to the film again it will be a little clearer, or I'll just be expecting the next set-piece too much to care. It's really how gritty and grungy everything is that gives it its appeal. This isn't a horror film in the sense of the big build up to anticipation (although in a few instances, such as with the annoying guy at the bus-stop, Ferrara gets to have a little brilliant set-piece as he sneaks up behind him and drills into his back through the glass), and its gore/blood factor, which is high, is what really gets it into the genre category. Ironically it's never the human killings, but rather the image of a dead and skinned rabbit- and Reno's predilection to hammer away at the poor bunny's skull- that sticks with the audience after it ends.
The 'artifact' nature of the film, of the punk rock scene that no longer exists, is also fascinating, if at times a little tiresome to watch (it depends on what music is playing really, some of it is good in that dirt-cheap way of The Germs). And sure, the acting is on the low-budget side. But there's something about the Driller Killer that works, almost in spite of itself. It's a weird combination of fetish and religious repression, traditional horror and the surreal horror of something like Repulsion, and every so often it can be very funny, in a very demented sort of way. It's the kind of cult film that earns its reputation not by being outrageous, but by the nature of its making, and its peculiar leading man acting alongside the women around him. 7.5/10
- Quinoa1984
- Jul 25, 2010
- Permalink
Boring uninspired piece of garbage
This little clunker actually proves that with the right cover artwork at the right time you too can have a career in film making ... Driller Killler was one of the original videos that caused Britain to loose its sanity again and created the video nasty craze ... You either know what that is or you don't, but it caused ripples worldwide and catapulted a few great films and a lot more awful films into the spotlite ... Of course the idiots that created this silly unthoughtout farce would turn in their grave if they realised that their pointless interfering caused the exact opposite effect that they wanted it to ... Spin faster and suffer you idiots :)) ... Everyone wanted to see the films after these fools started promoting them ... Driller Killer was there much more due to its eye catching cover than any content ... Amateur ( nothing wrong with that ) but unexciting and not of any interest to most people, it launched the career of Abel Ferrara, who continues to churn out mediocre trash to this day
- boydwalters
- Jun 17, 2017
- Permalink
Unfairly maligned punk rock psychodrama.
Abel Ferrara's 'The Driller Killer' is generally best know for igniting the "video nasty" debate back in the 1980s in Britain and little else. Which is a shame because it is a fascinating low budget psychodrama. The horror or slasher tag it is usually given is quite misleading and will no doubt disappoint hard core horror fans expecting quite a different kind of movie. Sure it does eventually lead to a violent climax but it is closer to being a character study of a man driven to insanity by his squalid, and increasingly anarchic urban environment. Almost like a bargain basement 'Taxi Driver' with some CBGBs era atmosphere thrown in. Along with Uli Lommel's little seen 'Blank Generation' there are very few other films that successfully document the mid 70s NYC punk scene of The Ramones, Patti Smith, Richard Hell, The Cramps et al, and 'The Driller Killer' is worth viewing for this reason alone.
Ferrara himself plays the lead character, tortured scumbag artist Reno. In his later, more sophisticated, and yes, better movies this role would no doubt have been played by someone like Keitel, Walken, Hopper or Gallo. Ferrara doesn't have the acting chops these guys have and so the movie suffers somewhat, but even so, his performance is crude but effective. Unknowns Carolyn Marz and Baybi Day as his girlfriend and his girlfriend's girlfriend respectively are both more than adequate, and The Roosters may be second rate but help lend some authentic punk rock feel to this underrated slice of urban nihilism. While by no means my favourite Abel Ferrara movie, this movie doesn't deserve to be dismissed. I like it.
Ferrara himself plays the lead character, tortured scumbag artist Reno. In his later, more sophisticated, and yes, better movies this role would no doubt have been played by someone like Keitel, Walken, Hopper or Gallo. Ferrara doesn't have the acting chops these guys have and so the movie suffers somewhat, but even so, his performance is crude but effective. Unknowns Carolyn Marz and Baybi Day as his girlfriend and his girlfriend's girlfriend respectively are both more than adequate, and The Roosters may be second rate but help lend some authentic punk rock feel to this underrated slice of urban nihilism. While by no means my favourite Abel Ferrara movie, this movie doesn't deserve to be dismissed. I like it.
Driller Killer
- Scarecrow-88
- Nov 11, 2008
- Permalink
Painting and power tools don't mix
Driller Killer was one of the first movies to be included on Britain's "video nasties" list that seemed to draw more interest to films that otherwise would have gone unnoticed without all the public attention to the so-called extreme content. So, with a reputation preceding itself I am amazed at what was considered so offensive that it must be banned from viewing.
Abel Ferrara directs and stars (billed here as Jimmy Laine) as emotionally unstable artist Reno Miller who is struggling financially and in turn is supported by his live-in girlfriend Carol and her roommate and sometimes lover Pamela until his "masterpiece" is completed. Reno's greatest work ever is a painting of a buffalo. Yeah, you heard me right, a buffalo! He is given one week to show this mind blowing piece of work to impress his fey art dealer Dalton. The pressure becomes too much to handle and Reno is given his outlet thanks to the port-o-pack that allows himself to become a wino whacking vigilante. The situation becomes even worse when the most god-awful band on earth, the Roosters, move into a unit underneath Reno and constantly practice what they consider "music". When the buffalo painting is finally done, through no changes viewed during the movie, Reno presents it to Dalton who promptly labels it trash. I agree. Reno, not surprisingly, doesn't take it well. The ending just plain sucks.
Abel Ferrara's very dark and dirty view of the seedier side of New York City would shape his future works, King of New York and the even darker Bad Leuitenent. In one attack scene he has a 4" drillbit that looks like it's about 3/16 diameter at the most. This would certainly maim someone badly but killing them is stretching things. The Roosters' music is so nauseating and yet it's played nonstop throughout the movie. Driller Killer also suffers from serious editing problems as scenes that have nothing to do with advancing the plot are given way to much screen time. Do I really need to see Reno stuffing his mouth with pizza? The movie redeems itself by the sheer amount of deadbeat bums and assorted crazies that Reno elects to join into the extra bodily orifices club, free of charge! All in all too much filler and not enough driller.
Abel Ferrara directs and stars (billed here as Jimmy Laine) as emotionally unstable artist Reno Miller who is struggling financially and in turn is supported by his live-in girlfriend Carol and her roommate and sometimes lover Pamela until his "masterpiece" is completed. Reno's greatest work ever is a painting of a buffalo. Yeah, you heard me right, a buffalo! He is given one week to show this mind blowing piece of work to impress his fey art dealer Dalton. The pressure becomes too much to handle and Reno is given his outlet thanks to the port-o-pack that allows himself to become a wino whacking vigilante. The situation becomes even worse when the most god-awful band on earth, the Roosters, move into a unit underneath Reno and constantly practice what they consider "music". When the buffalo painting is finally done, through no changes viewed during the movie, Reno presents it to Dalton who promptly labels it trash. I agree. Reno, not surprisingly, doesn't take it well. The ending just plain sucks.
Abel Ferrara's very dark and dirty view of the seedier side of New York City would shape his future works, King of New York and the even darker Bad Leuitenent. In one attack scene he has a 4" drillbit that looks like it's about 3/16 diameter at the most. This would certainly maim someone badly but killing them is stretching things. The Roosters' music is so nauseating and yet it's played nonstop throughout the movie. Driller Killer also suffers from serious editing problems as scenes that have nothing to do with advancing the plot are given way to much screen time. Do I really need to see Reno stuffing his mouth with pizza? The movie redeems itself by the sheer amount of deadbeat bums and assorted crazies that Reno elects to join into the extra bodily orifices club, free of charge! All in all too much filler and not enough driller.
The Driller Killer
Abel Ferrera who directed this film also plays the main character Reno Miller who is a struggling artist with two female roommates (Carolyn Marz & Baybi Day). You can tell quite early he is unstable. After Ferrera completes his descent into madness, with his power drill in tow he starts knocking off derelicts in the NYC streets late at night.
The couple good things about the film were that Ferrera did do a good job in showing a dirty, grimy, scummy side of life. The film actually always leaves you in that setting. The other was the music by The Roosters (which perform their music next door to his apartment). The music alone brings my mark up one point. Yes, that is how much I didn't enjoy this movie. Without the music it would have been 2/10.
I wouldn't really suggest this movie to anyone as I did find the opening 20 minutes confusing, but once my mind got into Ferrera's way of telling this story it clicked better, but it didn't help improve the story. I also found it as scary as a warm summer day. I certainly will see Ferrera's other work after this one, but I do hope they get much better than this one.
The couple good things about the film were that Ferrera did do a good job in showing a dirty, grimy, scummy side of life. The film actually always leaves you in that setting. The other was the music by The Roosters (which perform their music next door to his apartment). The music alone brings my mark up one point. Yes, that is how much I didn't enjoy this movie. Without the music it would have been 2/10.
I wouldn't really suggest this movie to anyone as I did find the opening 20 minutes confusing, but once my mind got into Ferrera's way of telling this story it clicked better, but it didn't help improve the story. I also found it as scary as a warm summer day. I certainly will see Ferrera's other work after this one, but I do hope they get much better than this one.
- ryan-10075
- Aug 14, 2018
- Permalink
Kill to Drill
I'm someone who's not familiar with the British video nasties list or whatever that is. 'The Driller Killer' is not that nasty. Compared to it's slasher genre contemporaries 'The Driller Killer' is rather low with spurting blood and cut off limbs. It is Abel Ferrara's feature debut, although uneven and the low budged shines through in each frame, it shows his raw talent as a filmmaker. Ferrara himself plays the lead (not a bad job, actually) as a artist starting to lose his grip. Having hard time with finishing his painting, low on many and a fear to turn into a bum finally drives him into killing spree. Intriguing premise that is dragged down with uneven script and directing.
'The Driller Killer' is not gory enough to attract regular slasher fans, or deep enough to gain much appreciation from art-house crowd, but it definitely pleases hardcore Ferrara fans.
Plus, it features cool backdrop into 1970' New York punk scene.
'The Driller Killer' is not gory enough to attract regular slasher fans, or deep enough to gain much appreciation from art-house crowd, but it definitely pleases hardcore Ferrara fans.
Plus, it features cool backdrop into 1970' New York punk scene.
One of the worst films I've ever seen, if not THE worst!
I'm sure some cult enthusiast will attack me and say, "Whuddya mean, man! This movie was freakin' awesome! You are totally uncool!" Even cult films should have a certain degree of merit. Come on, "The Driller Killer" makes any Troma Film look like "Casablanca." At least the Troma films have originality. And I myself am not a big fan of the Troma films (see my review for "Tromeo and Juliet"), so I'm not just spouting out a bunch of propaganda. "The Driller Killer" is not only bad because it's...well...bad...but because it's BORING! The "Jack Frost" films are "bad" in an aesthetic sense, but at least they make pretty good entertainment.
I look back at a film I did in high school for my TV production class, and I cringe at how horrible it is. I look at this piece of garbage, and my film doesn't look that bad in comparison. Besides, I didn't release my film and spread the agony onto others. At least the lighting for my film wasn't bad. All I used was available light from my house and a pair of studio lights. Abel Ferrara must have not used any light at all! He didn't even bother to find good available light! There are certain scenes where the characters float by like silhouettes! Now if I wanna see a film, I wanna be able to SEE THE FILM!
Ferrara had no sense of structure in making the film, other than his recurrent use of the color red. Other than that, it's simply a sadistic excuse to show graphic violence with no reason behind it. OK, so he gets ticked off at a rock band downstairs that's making a ton of noise, so you'd expect he'd kill the rock band, right? Wrong. He kills everyone who doesn't deserve to die. OK, so the message is he goes insane. And then what? Even a horror flick needs to contain some good nature to it, though most horror flicks are sadistic in their own way. Obviously, Ferrara must've had a really bad day and used this film to take out his aggression. I would've suggested punching a hole in the wall, but anyway. There's not a shred of sympathy in his character (one of the rules in screenwriting is you must start with a sympathetic character--he or she doesn't have to be perfectly sympathetic, but must have SOMETHING for the audience to sympathize with). How can I sympathize with him drilling into an innocent homeless man? And why, on God's green earth, DID HE NOT KILL THE FRIGGIN' BAND???!!!! Give us something, dammit!!
Ever since I saw "Bad Lieutenant," a fine piece of cinema, I've been curious about Ferrara's work. "King of New York" didn't impress me much, but signs of directorial genius were there. I cannot, and I repeat, cannot believe the same guy who directed "Bad LT" directed this horrendous piece of crap! Not only that, but the S.O.B. can't act either! Yes, Ferrara also stars in the film (with the alias Jimmy Laine). People like Spike Lee and Sydney Pollack have proven their talents both behind and in front of the camera. Ferrara is not in the same league. And top it off (DVD buyer or renter beware), Ferrara's commentary deserves the Razzie for Worst DVD Commentary Ever, if there were such an award. I can't even consider it a commentary. The last person I'd expect such shallow gibberish from is a director himself, especially the director of "Bad Lieutenant." At first I found it slightly amusing, imagining Ferrara as a brain-dead stoner who rambles on about a bunch of B.S. and you simply laugh at him, rather than with him. But after a while, it really started to get tedious. I mean, tell some freakin' stories about what happened on the set! I know it's a terrible film and he can't possible say anything meritorious about each scene, but would it kill to tell some stories? But instead he sounds like a cross between a 10-year-old and a drunken moron. All he does is ramble on about how hot he thinks one of the actresses is and spout out cheesy phrases like "Whoopsy-daisy" (anybody who listened to the commentary is probably nodding confidently right now, he says that damn phrase like 50 times!).
There is a gratuitous lesbian shower scene (BTW, the whole lesbian subplot is simply thrown in for a cheap eye-opener and makes absolutely no sense), but that does not make "The Driller Killer" even slightly worth renting. You're better off renting "Showgirls" instead. Usually I can find at least one slightly redeeming quality in a film, but this is a definite exception. One of the few films that actually deserves the rock-bottom vote of...
My score: 1 (out of 10)
I look back at a film I did in high school for my TV production class, and I cringe at how horrible it is. I look at this piece of garbage, and my film doesn't look that bad in comparison. Besides, I didn't release my film and spread the agony onto others. At least the lighting for my film wasn't bad. All I used was available light from my house and a pair of studio lights. Abel Ferrara must have not used any light at all! He didn't even bother to find good available light! There are certain scenes where the characters float by like silhouettes! Now if I wanna see a film, I wanna be able to SEE THE FILM!
Ferrara had no sense of structure in making the film, other than his recurrent use of the color red. Other than that, it's simply a sadistic excuse to show graphic violence with no reason behind it. OK, so he gets ticked off at a rock band downstairs that's making a ton of noise, so you'd expect he'd kill the rock band, right? Wrong. He kills everyone who doesn't deserve to die. OK, so the message is he goes insane. And then what? Even a horror flick needs to contain some good nature to it, though most horror flicks are sadistic in their own way. Obviously, Ferrara must've had a really bad day and used this film to take out his aggression. I would've suggested punching a hole in the wall, but anyway. There's not a shred of sympathy in his character (one of the rules in screenwriting is you must start with a sympathetic character--he or she doesn't have to be perfectly sympathetic, but must have SOMETHING for the audience to sympathize with). How can I sympathize with him drilling into an innocent homeless man? And why, on God's green earth, DID HE NOT KILL THE FRIGGIN' BAND???!!!! Give us something, dammit!!
Ever since I saw "Bad Lieutenant," a fine piece of cinema, I've been curious about Ferrara's work. "King of New York" didn't impress me much, but signs of directorial genius were there. I cannot, and I repeat, cannot believe the same guy who directed "Bad LT" directed this horrendous piece of crap! Not only that, but the S.O.B. can't act either! Yes, Ferrara also stars in the film (with the alias Jimmy Laine). People like Spike Lee and Sydney Pollack have proven their talents both behind and in front of the camera. Ferrara is not in the same league. And top it off (DVD buyer or renter beware), Ferrara's commentary deserves the Razzie for Worst DVD Commentary Ever, if there were such an award. I can't even consider it a commentary. The last person I'd expect such shallow gibberish from is a director himself, especially the director of "Bad Lieutenant." At first I found it slightly amusing, imagining Ferrara as a brain-dead stoner who rambles on about a bunch of B.S. and you simply laugh at him, rather than with him. But after a while, it really started to get tedious. I mean, tell some freakin' stories about what happened on the set! I know it's a terrible film and he can't possible say anything meritorious about each scene, but would it kill to tell some stories? But instead he sounds like a cross between a 10-year-old and a drunken moron. All he does is ramble on about how hot he thinks one of the actresses is and spout out cheesy phrases like "Whoopsy-daisy" (anybody who listened to the commentary is probably nodding confidently right now, he says that damn phrase like 50 times!).
There is a gratuitous lesbian shower scene (BTW, the whole lesbian subplot is simply thrown in for a cheap eye-opener and makes absolutely no sense), but that does not make "The Driller Killer" even slightly worth renting. You're better off renting "Showgirls" instead. Usually I can find at least one slightly redeeming quality in a film, but this is a definite exception. One of the few films that actually deserves the rock-bottom vote of...
My score: 1 (out of 10)
- mattymatt4ever
- Jan 5, 2003
- Permalink
I Can Certainly Relate To This .......
......... But before everyone phones the police to have me locked up in an asylum let me please explain that I had the " Neighbours from hell " living below me for over three years . Music would be turned on FULL BLAST below my bedroom at any time of the day or night . The music might get turned on at three in the morning and turned off at midday , it might get turned on at midday and turned off at three in the morning , I would never know when the music was going to get turned on when it wasn`t being played and conversely when it was being played - And let me repeat it was FULL BLAST - I`d never know when it was going to be turned off . My life was a waking nightmare , a living hell . My landlords said " Oh nothing we can do , you`d better call the police " which is a euphemism for " We`re not going to do anything because we`re money grabbing parasites who are only interested in the rent - and don`t forget to pay yours before the end of the month Mr Robertson " . I phoned the police but seeing as the neighbours turned their music off everytime they saw the police van driving up the road this was a waste of time - Not that the police seemed all that bothered about my trauma . And it was a trauma , so any film that deals with a man who has to put up with speed addicted freaks playing the theme to PETER GUNN at two O`clock in the morning is my type of movie . The only real difference between the character seen here and me is that I didn`t kill anyone , I do confess I certainly wanted to but didn`t . Oh and in this film the freaks making their neighbour`s life a misery seem to take far less drugs than the ones who lived below me .
There`s actually a very good story trying to get out of this movie , but DRILLER KILLER is heavily weighed back by the technical aspects . The acting , despite not being the worst I`ve ever seen isn`t all that good while aspects like cinematography and sound are very very poor indeed . To tell the truth it`s an almost unwatchable movie , not due to the graphic violence but due to the very poor production values
But DRILLER KILLER isn`t a total flop . It feels more like guerilla film making than a video nasty , and it`s certainly better than garbage like I SPIT ON YOUR GRAVE and NIGHT OF THE DEMON . And I can`t help feeling if it`d had a slightly more polished feel and a higher budget it`d be compared to the early works of Martin Scorsese
There`s actually a very good story trying to get out of this movie , but DRILLER KILLER is heavily weighed back by the technical aspects . The acting , despite not being the worst I`ve ever seen isn`t all that good while aspects like cinematography and sound are very very poor indeed . To tell the truth it`s an almost unwatchable movie , not due to the graphic violence but due to the very poor production values
But DRILLER KILLER isn`t a total flop . It feels more like guerilla film making than a video nasty , and it`s certainly better than garbage like I SPIT ON YOUR GRAVE and NIGHT OF THE DEMON . And I can`t help feeling if it`d had a slightly more polished feel and a higher budget it`d be compared to the early works of Martin Scorsese
- Theo Robertson
- Apr 9, 2003
- Permalink
I like bad horror, but this was too bad even for me
I mean, I love horror, even bad horror, but this went beyond bad. It's not exploitation - the murders aren't well-filmed, and not particularly numerous. It's not artsy - or at least if it is, it failed to convey that fact to me in any rational way. Actually it's really really dull.
I'd say the protagonist was unsympathetic, but I found zero people in the entire movie to sympathize with or fear for. In fact the film goes out of its way to present us with pretentious asses, poseurs, half-drugged zombies, slatterns, and worse. It's like it was trying to put me off. There was also a lot of bottom-feeding garage rock music which I guess I wasn't the target audience for. But wow that band was bad.
The protagonist is supposedly an artist hoping for his big break when he finally sells his giant buffalo picture which I was uninspired by. To my amusement, at least one other character in the movie agrees with me at length.
A dull movie about dull-but-irritating characters getting killed in fairly dull ways. I expected more from a film named Driller Killer. No idea why this made it to the video nasty list - now at least I can blame the British censors for making this terrible flick famous.
If you want to see a bad horror movie that's FUN to watch, see Mother's Day (1980) or Luther the Geek (1989) or Dr. Giggles (1992). Those are rollicking barrels of laughs. Avoid Driller Killer at all costs.
I'd say the protagonist was unsympathetic, but I found zero people in the entire movie to sympathize with or fear for. In fact the film goes out of its way to present us with pretentious asses, poseurs, half-drugged zombies, slatterns, and worse. It's like it was trying to put me off. There was also a lot of bottom-feeding garage rock music which I guess I wasn't the target audience for. But wow that band was bad.
The protagonist is supposedly an artist hoping for his big break when he finally sells his giant buffalo picture which I was uninspired by. To my amusement, at least one other character in the movie agrees with me at length.
A dull movie about dull-but-irritating characters getting killed in fairly dull ways. I expected more from a film named Driller Killer. No idea why this made it to the video nasty list - now at least I can blame the British censors for making this terrible flick famous.
If you want to see a bad horror movie that's FUN to watch, see Mother's Day (1980) or Luther the Geek (1989) or Dr. Giggles (1992). Those are rollicking barrels of laughs. Avoid Driller Killer at all costs.
- sandy-31776
- Jan 25, 2021
- Permalink
The eye of the Buffalo.
I love that Buffalo painting. Love the high-pitched noises and experimental sounds. Love Reno. Love Tony Coca Cola & The Roosters. Love the squalid late 70's NYC setting. Love the pizza eating scene. Love the dialogue. Love practically everything about Driller Killer.
Especially that Buffalo eye.
Especially that Buffalo eye.
Arty trash or trashy art
- BandSAboutMovies
- Nov 5, 2018
- Permalink
I like bad horror movies but jeeeez
My most watched genre is horror, I'm a giant fan of all things horror related and I especially like the old video nasty stuff and the typical "so good it's bad" horror movies
This however is just plain bad like nothing even funny bad just dull and slow. A huge chunk of the film is dedicated to listening to the worst punk band I've ever heard and when the kills finally do come they're boring and uninventive at the absolute best, shoddy and nonsensical at the worst.
Gutted as I really expected to enjoy this movie.
This however is just plain bad like nothing even funny bad just dull and slow. A huge chunk of the film is dedicated to listening to the worst punk band I've ever heard and when the kills finally do come they're boring and uninventive at the absolute best, shoddy and nonsensical at the worst.
Gutted as I really expected to enjoy this movie.
- axdaveyyhim
- Apr 20, 2021
- Permalink