Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		3.5
Audio		4.0
Extras		3.5
Overall		3.0

The Toolbox Murders Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov March 2, 2018

Dennis Donnelly's "The Toolbox Murders" (1978) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of British label 88 Films. The supplemental features on the disc include an original trailer for the film; video interview with actress and makeup artist Kelly Nichols; video interview with critic David Del Valle; audio commentary featuring Justin Kerswell and Calum Waddell; and more. In English, with optional English subtitles for the main feature. Region-B "locked".

The sadistic killer

Dennis Donnelly's "The Toolbox Murders" was first released on Blu-ray in North America in 2010 by Blue Underground. For a detailed analysis of the film, please see my colleague Marty Liebman's review of the first release here.

The Toolbox Murders Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in an aspect ratio of 1.85:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Dennis Donnelly's The Toolbox Murders arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of 88 Films.

The release is sourced from a new 4K transfer of the film. Unfortunately, after performing some direct comparisons with the old North American release that Blue Underground produced in 2010, I have to say that I prefer the overall appearance of the old release. Here's why:

In terms of density both releases essentially offer the same type of consistency, with the older release actually having some surprisingly better looking well-lit footage. In fact, there are clear examples where grain exposure is better on the older release. Of course, you will notice the same native fluctuations where light and shadow are captured in some more awkward ways on both releases. Furthermore, the grading on the new transfer is such that it shifts the entire color balance of the film and basically introduces warmer primaries and nuances (LUT values will almost certainly reveal that the reds and whites are slightly off). Unfortunately, the shift also eliminates some existing details by destabilizing shadow definition. Typically, the most obvious examples occur during the indoor/darker footage (see screencapture #3). These are the type of anomalies that frequently pop up on 4K transfers graded by Italian labs, though I do not know where this transfer was color-graded. I also have some concerns about the framing as it appears that some minor zooming/cropping has been performed to move from 1.66:1 to 1.78:1. The good news is that image stability is excellent and the entire film looks very healthy. (Note: This is a Region-B "locked" Blu-ray release. Therefore, you must have a native Region-B or Region-Free player in order to access its content).

The Toolbox Murders Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There are two standard audio tracks on this Blu-ray release: English LPCM 2.0 and English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1. Optional English subtitles are provided for the main feature.

I viewed the film with the LPCM 2.0 track and thought that it was very nice. This film's original audio track, however, should be Mono, so perhaps it would it would have been better to offer a standard LPCM 1.0 track. Regardless, the overall quality is very good, though you should keep in mind that this film was shot with a modest budget and as such its original sound design is far from exceptional.

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

• Trailer - original U.S. theatrical trailer for The Toolbox Murders. In English, not subtitled. (3 min).

• Flesh and Blood: An Interview With Kelly Nichols - in this video interview, actress and makeup artist Kelly Nichols explains how many moons ago she started doing various men's magazines, and discusses some of the 'screamer' films she did as well as her involvement with The Toolbox Murders. In English, not subtitled. (32 min).

• Slashback Memories: David Del Valle Remembers Cameron Mitchell - in this video interview, critic David Del Valle discusses Cameron Mitchell's film career and contribution to The Toolbox Murders (with some great comments about his fondness of improvising). In English, not subtitled. (25 min).

• Commentary - in this new audio commentary, Justin Kerswell and Calum Waddell spend a great deal of time discussing the production history of The Toolbox Murders, the era in which the film emerged, some of the unusual Freudian overtones that emerge in the second half, some of the locations where the film was shot, etc.

• Leaflet - featuring Calum Waddel's essay "Tools of the Trade".

• Cover - reversible cover.

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

I have some reservations about the new 4K transfer that was done for The Toolbox Murders, which 88 Films recently used for their Blu-ray release of the film. To be honest, I prefer the old transfer that Blue Underground used for their release of the film back in 2010. It is not perfect, but I like its overall appearance better. This being said, this release has some very nice bonus features that should be of interest to fans of the film, so if you happen to be one of them you should probably consider adding it to your collection.