The Driller Killer (1979)

The Driller Killer (1979)

Directed by: Abel Ferrara
Screenplay by: Nicholas St. John

Genre: Crime | Horror | Thriller
Running Time: 96 Minutes
MPAA Rating: Not Rated
Viewed: Owned DVD

It will shatter you!

[IMDb]

Comments: There are parts of The Driller Killer that are truly wonderful. Most of the awesome scenes have to do with the killing, including the homeless man that gets a drill through the skull (which, considering the budget, looks amazing and is pictured on the poster). The ending is excellent as well, and is much better than anything else in the film. On the other hand, the first half of the film is incredibly boring, random, and so darkly shot you can't see half of what's going on (actually, the whole film is shot like that). Granted, I watched the public domain version of the film, and not the kick-ass DVD that Cult Epics put out. Anyway, director/actor Abel Ferrara can't seem to decide whether he wants to make an "artsy" film or a horror film, and therein lies the problem. The horror (well, more violence than true "horror") is the bright spot; unfortunately we are subject to listening to some shitty band for half the movie while Ferrara paints (the band makes me want to kill someone as well). The Driller Killer's cult status is mainly derived from the fact it was on the Video Nasties list, which is a shame. The pieces are in place, and if it was crafted a bit more deftly, then The Driller Killer could have been a true cult classic.