Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		4.0
Audio		5.0
Extras		5.0
Overall		4.0

The Toolbox Murders 4K Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov January 17, 2022

Dennis Donnelly's "The Toolbox Murders" (1978) arrives on 4K Blu-ray/Blu-ray courtesy of Blue Underground. The supplemental features on the release include exclusive new programs with director Dennis Donnelly, star Wesley Eure, actress Kelly Nichols, and film historian David Del Valle; exclusive new audio commentary by critics Troy Howarth and Nathaniel Thompson; vintage promotional materials for the film; and more. In English, with optional English SDH, Spanish, and French subtitles for the main feature. Region-Free.

He nailed her

In the United States, The Toolbox Murders was first released on Blu-ray by Blue Underground in 2010. More recently, we covered a Region-B release of the film from British label 88 Films as well. For an in-depth analysis of the film and its technical presentation, please see our reviews of these releases here and here.

The Toolbox Murders 4K Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Blue Underground's release of The Toolbox Murder is a 4K Blu-ray/Blu-ray combo pack. The 4K Blu-ray and Blu-ray offer presentations of the recent 4K restoration of the film.

Two sets of screencaptures are included with this review. Please note that the screencaptures from the 4K Blu-ray are downscaled to 1080p. Therefore, they do not accurately reflect the quality of the 4K content on the 4K Blu-ray disc, including the actual color values of this content. Screencaptures: 1-19 are from the 4K Blu-ray.
Screencaptures: 23-35 are from the Blu-ray.

Blue Underground released The Toolbox Murders on Blu-ray over a decade ago, but more recently British label 88 Films had a Region-B release as well. (You can see our reviews of these releases here and here). This new 4K Blu-ray/Blu-ray release is sourced from a brand new 4K master that was prepared exclusively on behalf of Blue Underground.

I viewed the entire film in 4K with Dolby Vision enabled and then did some direct comparisons with the 1080p presentation. I think that in native 4K the film has a pretty strong organic appearance, but the new 4K restoration isn't one of those dramatic makeovers that usually materialize when restoration work is done right. Why is that? Well, I think that for the most part the old master that the folks at Blue Underground worked with to produce the original Blu-ray release was quite strong. It was healthy as well. However, as soon as you begin paying close attention to smaller details and nuances, which is what anyone purchasing a 4K Blu-ray release should be doing, the upgrade in quality becomes quite easy to appreciate. For example, plenty of daylight footage boasts superior highlights that have positive effect on the perception of depth. Also, during darker footage shadow definition is improved, so there is a positive effect there as well. Grain exposure is superior, so density levels better throughout the entire film. Some of the most meaningful improvements are in the area of color reproduction where there are new and different ranges of proper nuances that have an additional positive effect on the perception of depth. (For reference, the overall color balance is much different than the one seen on the Region-B release). Image stability is excellent. The entire film looks very healthy, too.

I did some random comparisons with the 1080p presentation and my impression is that the entire encode should have been better optimized. In quite a few areas, but primarily in darker footage, I spotted compression artifacts of the kind that could evolve into macroblocking. While the shaky camera movement can hide most of it, I think that trained eyes will spot it rather easily. You can see an example of the issue on the left side of screencapture #24. Also, I much prefer the manner in which highlights are handled in native 4K where all nuances come together a lot better. My score for the Blu-ray release is 3.75/5.00.

Note: The 4K Blu-ray release is Region-Free. The Blu-ray release is Region-Free as well.

The Toolbox Murders 4K Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There are three standard audio tracks on this release: English Dolby Atmos, English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 and English DTS-HD Master Audio 1.0. Optional English SDH, Spanish, and French subtitles for the main feature.

I viewed the entire film with the Dolby Atmos track, which was created exclusively for this release. The main difference that I could identify without actually performing direct comparisons during key sequences was a wider, fuller sound. The difference isn't dramatic, but it was what immediately made an impression on me. I could be wrong, but I am assuming that this would be the most obvious improvement that other viewers will identify as well. I did not encounter any technical issues to report in our review.

The Toolbox Murders 4K Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

4K BLU-RAY DISC

• Commentary One - in this exclusive new audio commentary, critics Troy Howarth and Nathaniel Thompson dissect The Toolbox Murders and in the process offer plenty of interesting observations addressing its stylistic appearance (and particularly its giallo/slasher roots), Gary Graver's work throughout the film, the connection between The Toolbox Murders and The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, the film's budget and some of the locations where parts of it were shot, etc. Also, there is plenty of interesting information about the careers of some of the people that made the film.

• Commentary Two - this archival audio commentary was recorded by producer Tony DiDio, director of photography Gary Graver and star Pamelyn Ferdin. It has appeared on other home video releases of The Toolbox Murders from Blue Underground, including the label's previous Blu-ray release.

• Promotional Materials -
  
  1. Theatrical trailer
  2. TV spot
  3. Two radio spots

BLU-RAY DISC

• Commentary One - in this exclusive new audio commentary, critics Troy Howarth and Nathaniel Thompson dissect The Toolbox Murders and in the process offer plenty of interesting observations addressing its stylistic appearance (and particularly its giallo/slasher roots), Gary Graver's work throughout the film, the connection between The Toolbox Murders and The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, the film's budget and some of the locations where parts of it were shot, etc. Also, there is plenty of interesting information about the careers of some of the people that made the film.

• Commentary Two - this archival audio commentary was recorded by producer Tony DiDio, director of photography Gary Graver and star Pamelyn Ferdin. It has appeared on other home video releases of The Toolbox Murders from Blue Underground, including the label's previous Blu-ray release.

• Featurettes -
  
  1. Drill Sergeant - in this exclusive new program, director Dennis Donnelly discusses the evolution of his career, and specifically his early TV work, and how he was approached by producer Tony DiDio and offered to do The Toolbox Murders. Also, there are plenty of interesting comments about the shooting process and the how some of the most disturbing material was lensed, as well as some of the troubles with the female talent. In English, not subtitled. (21 min).
  
  2. Tools of the Trade - in this exclusive new program, star Wesley Eure recalls how he became involved with The Toolbox Murders and how excited he was to play his 'nasty' character. Towards the end of the program, there are some quite interesting comments about the film's reception and cult status, as well as a 'surprising' screening years after it was completed. In English, not subtitled. (27 min).
  
  3. Flesh and Blood - in this recent program, actress Kelly Nichols discusses her work as a model, make-up artist, and adult performer, as well as her involvement with The Toolbox Murders. Mrs. Nichols also explains why some of the big adult directors secretly wanted to be in Hollywood and why plenty of their films are a lot better than they are given credit for. In English, not subtitled. (32 min).
  
  4. Slashback Memories - om this recent program, film historian David Del Valle discusses the life, acting style, and legacy of Cameron Mitchell. There are some particularly interesting comments about the actor's troubles with the IRS, which essentially kick-started his foray into genre films, as well as his tendency to ad lib. In English, not subtitled. (25 min).
  
  5. I Got Nailed in The Toolbox Murders - in this archival program, Kelly Nichols a.k.a. Marianne Walter recalls how she was offered the part of Dee Ann in The Toolbox Murders as well as her 'improvisation' in the tub scene. In English, not subtitled. (9 min).
  
  6. They Know I Have Been Sad - this new video essay was created by critic Amanda Reyes and filmmaker Chris O'Neil. In English, not subtitled. (20 min).

• Promotional Materials -
  
  1. Theatrical trailer
  2. TV spot
  3. Two radio spots

• Poster and Still Gallery - a large collection of archival posters from around the world, advertising materials, German lobby cards, black-and-white and color stills, and VHS/DVD/Blu-ray covers. The material was compiled by Gregory Chick.

• Cover - an embossed slipcover. First pressing only.

The Toolbox Murders 4K Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

This 4K Blu-ray release offers another definitive upgrade for a popular genre film. I personally am not a fan of The Toolbox Murders because the violence that is supposed to produce all the excitement in it actually annoys me quite a bit, but I could not be happier that Blue Underground continues to treat smaller genre films as if they are grand classics. So, if you enjoy The Toolbox Murders you should consider upgrading because the new 4K makeover is excellent and the release has a solid selection of exclusive new and archival bonus features. If you reside outside of North American and would like to add the release to your library, you will be pleased to know that the 4K Blu-ray and Blu-ray discs are Region-Free. RECOMMENDED.