The Driller Killer (1979)

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

Fmovies: "The Driller Killer" follows Reno (Abel Ferrara), a struggling artist in late 1970s New York City. He lives with two female companions who are lovers, and the three struggle to pay their bills. As tensions rise within Reno, they are exacerbated by a no wave band incessantly practicing in his building, and he slowly loses his sanity. To cope with matters, he purchases a power drill and a battery pack, and begins drilling through the heads and torsos of anyone who crosses his path.

Often credited as Abel Ferrara's first proper film, "The Driller Killer" eluded me for years. It seems to be an extremely polarizing film, with people either lauding it or calling it the worst film they've ever seen. While it's not a grand slam masterpiece, I'd question anyone who called it the "worst film they'd ever seen." It is in an extremely similar vein as Joe Spinnell's 1980 New York psycho character study "Maniac," though slightly less gory; that said, it does depict some startlingly realistic murder scenes that are even enough to provoke a wince to this day.

The film captures the late-seventies sleazy side of Manhattan, a world long gone but nonetheless notorious. The cinematography is rather impressive, and there are multiple hallucinatory sequences that give the film an art-house feel to it. The script is straightforward, charting Reno's Dostoyevskyan descent into madness, but the film's gritty style gives it a bit more of a punch even when it is lulling in places. The acting is a mixed bag, though Ferrara's performance as the troubled Reno is compelling. The remainder of the cast are unknowns, and though they aren't standout performances, they are serviceable, especially given the type of film this is. I watched the pre-theatrical cut of the film so I am not sure how much it differs from the theatrical cut, but based on what I watched, the film had a bizarre and downbeat ending that was utterly appropriate to all that preceded it.

Overall, "The Driller Killer" is a solid psychothriller that has been either maligned or much-loved. I thought it was a rather good film; a nice blend of grimy slasher elements, scuzzy late-seventies New York aesthetics, and a psychological character study. It's not really a slasher film, though it does take on that role, especially in the last act. It's a gritty film, something I'd liken to other grindhouse thrillers like "The Last House on Dead End Street" or the aforementioned "Maniac." For what it is, it's very solid—well shot and sufficiently disturbing. 8/10.

......... 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

The Driller Killer fmovies. It has been said of Abel Ferrara that you will either be turned on by his artistic vision, or be left cold by it. I'm split down the middle when it come to his films, I've liked half the ones I've seen but disliked the other half; this one fits firmly in the 'like' side of the equation. The Driller Killer is another entry into the 'shock' cinema repertoire, which is topped by such classics as The Last House on the Left and The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. The Driller Killer hasn't gained itself as much fame or notoriety as those two, but don't let that fool you; it is still a very good movie.

The story follows an artist, who, through the pressures of his work and various things going on around him, is slowly driven insane. His insanity is brought about by lack of money and a punk rock band that has moved in upstairs. We are able to see the frustrations of our 'hero' increase throughout the movie, especially when the plot thickens and several other things in his life go awry. Because of this, we can see that there is a reason for the brutality that is later shown in the film, and therefore this movie can take credit for having a story behind it's violence, and not just having brutality for the sake of it.

The Driller Killer was originally banned as a "video nasty" because of the notoriety it gained for it's cover art, as opposed to it's content. This can be seen clearly by the fact that The Driller Killer isn't actually that gory. Of course, as the title suggests; this film features a drill being inserted into various places on the human anatomy; but unlike a lot of other movies of this ilk, the horror doesn't come as a result of the huge amounts of gore spurting from the wounds, but rather from the noise that the drill makes while being used, and the insanity of the main character. However, gorehounds will still find lots to like about this movie and the people without a strong stomach are probably best staying clear.

Overall, the Driller Killer is a creative and inventive insight into insanity. It's not a masterpiece like some movies that deal with a similar theme, such as Taxi Driver, but it a very good movie and recommended to fans of shock cinema.

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

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 slash 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")