Rating summary

Movie		2.0
Video		3.5
Audio		2.5
Extras		1.5
Overall		2.5

The Toolbox Murders Blu-ray Movie Review

An exploitation slasher without much exploitation and slashing.

Reviewed by Martin Liebman December 17, 2009

Dying's easy...this hurts worse.

Controversial then, tame and insipid now. 1978's The Toolbox Murders was apparently "vilified by critics, banned by censors, and treasured by splatter fans worldwide." So says the back of the box, but more than 30 years after its release, The Toolbox Murders suddenly looks rather goofy next to more hardcore and blood-splattering pictures like Saw or Hostel, two film series "splatter fans" might want to check out before killing nothing but 90 minutes with this movie. As for the critics' "vilification" of the film, well, that probably has more to do with the absolute lack of decent acting, production values, or a worthwhile story, never mind that gore is minimal and the "exploitation" angle revolves around a naked woman in a bathtub before getting killed with a nail gun. Besides, the film never answers that one important question that's bound to be on every viewers' mind: is the Toolbox Killer a Craftsman man, or does her prefer the comfortable blue grips of Kobalt?

Stop! Hammer time!

A California man is savagely butchering young and tainted women who reside in an apartment complex. He does the dastardly deed with an assortment of everyday tools, including an electric drill, a hammer, a screwdriver, and a nail gun. His killings aren't random; he's choosing his targets for a reason, and his butchery is, in his mind, justified. As the body count rises and the police seem at an impasse, a young girl named Laurie (Pamelyn Ferdin) finds herself a victim of the crazed killer's heinous ways -- but she's kidnapped, not killed. Meanwhile, building handyman Kent Kingsley (Wesley Eure) and Laurie's brother Joey (Nicolas Beauvy) find themselves cleaning up the bloody messes the killer's left behind and piecing together clues that ultimately lead to several shocking revelations.

That's the plot in a nutshell, and even at a mere 90-some minutes in length, The Toolbox Murders drags and drags and drags some more after a rapid-fire string of toolbox killings in the film's first act. Never mind that the kills are dull and the gore kept to a minimum; at least something of note was going on. Once Laurie is kidnapped, however, all bets are off; The Toolbox Murders descends into blabbering drivel as it attempts to cobble together some emotional payoff, an extensive backstory, and offer a few surprise revelations as to how several of the characters are interconnected. It's certainly not that a movie -- even one as cheap as this -- should shun character development and a basic plot structure, but the movie seems to forget that it's supposed to be a Horror/Exploitation film and not a chatty dullard of a picture, either. It's not even like the film merely lulls the viewer into a false sense of security that there won't be any more "gruesomeness," either; once the killings are done, they are, for all intents and purposes, done. A few more people are offed in the last few minutes, but not with a wrench or pair of pliers or even in some shocking or brutal manner. It's all dull and pointless, a film that tries for the best of both worlds -- shocking slasher and purposeful drama -- and fails miserably at both.

Adding insult to injury is The Toolbox Murders' poor acting and minimal production values. Every actor in the film delivers a moping, lifeless performance; in fact, the victims are probably the film's strongest players. All that's really required of them is to scream, run, bleed, show some skin, or any combination thereof. Each does so satisfactorily for a movie that's called The Toolbox Murders; little more can be expected of them. It's the remainder of the cast -- particularly the generally worthless police officers and the two young men that find their fates entwined once Laurie has been kidnapped -- that really slow the film down with their lackadaisical efforts. Still, it's hard to lay full blame here on any one aspect. A film like this is something of a catch 22; is the poor acting the result of a bad script that paints its primary characters as one-dimmensional nobodies, or can an on-the-cheap picture like The Toolbox Murders only cast moderately talented actors? It's probably more the former than the latter, the script's lack of a strong supporting structure and wayward jaunt away from "toolbox killings" and towards twisted faux drama seems the real fault here. Additionally, the film is rather basic in structure; the shoestring budget is obvious, and the sets, props, and musical score inspire little confidence. They're merely necessary background dressing and nothing more, and that would work fine in a better movie. However, The Toolbox Murders becomes so tedious that staring at walls, blankets, and window dressings proves more entertaining than anything else playing out on-screen.

The Toolbox Murders Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The Toolbox Murders slices into Blu-ray with a decent 1080p, 1.66:1-framed transfer that places vertical black bars on either side of a 1.78:1 display. Black levels can overpower the image, devouring details both near and far, particularly during the film's opening title sequence. Otherwise, details can appear both strong and poor; textured exterior walls as seen during the killing spree in the film's opening act offer a strongly-realized and palpable roughness, but fine detail elsewhere in the film can also appear soft and completely indistinct. Nevertheless, the image is fairly sharp and fine object detail appears steady if not somewhat lacking in a general sense, the quantity of sharply-rendered scenes outnumbering those fuzzier shots. Colors are generally dull and reserved. Flesh tones can sometimes take on a somewhat ghastly look, but there's never a strong push towards the red end of the spectrum. Finally, The Toolbox Murders delivers copious amounts of noise that spikes frequently but occasionally smooths out; viewers preferring smooth and noise-free Blu-ray discs need be forewarned. Overall, this transfer is not without issues but is one that seems generally faithful to the source material, making for another overall solid outing from Blue Underground.

The Toolbox Murders Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The Toolbox Murders cuts into Blu-ray with an adequate but not at all memorable DTS-HD MA 7.1 lossless soundtrack. This one lacks much in the way of definition; it's loud but comes across as rather harsh, whether through random sound effects or the musical numbers throughout. The mix lacks a sense of space and a realistic tone, but for a movie that's over 30 years old, the cramped and minimalist approach isn't necessarily unexpected or disappointing. What is somewhat disheartening is the complete lack of force behind the power tools; an electric drill, for instance, buzzes with absolutely no sense of power and, by extension, seems more like a toy than a deadly weapon. Ambience is limited to the front of the soundstage and, generally, trapped up the middle. Additionally, louder background information -- passing traffic, a blowing breeze, or chirping birds -- often competes with dialogue. Also hindering the presentation and complicating the previous observation is sometimes muddled and indistinct dialogue reproduction. It may sound like The Toolbox Murders delivers a barely-coherent soundtrack. That's not true; it's cramped, limited in range, and not at all aurally stimulating, but it's also unfair to expect Terminator Salvation from a low budget Slasher film that's over 30 years old. For what it is, Blue Underground's audio presentation is suitably adequate and performs its modest tasks well enough.

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

The Toolbox Murders contains several extras that come up short on the measuring tape. The collection is headlined by a commentary track with Producer Tony DiDio, Director of Photography Gary Graver, and Star Pamelyn Ferdin. Discussions include the Horror movie market as it was in the late 1970s, the participants' involvement in the film and how they became attached to the project, recollections on shooting locations, casting the additional roles and the choice of Dennis Donnelly as film's director, the film's levity that contrast with the Horror elements, the film's status as a cult classic, the controversy surrounding the film's defining bathtub scene, and much more. I Got Nailed in 'The Toolbox Murders' -- Interview With Star Marianne Walter (480p, 8:06) features the film's most famous victim recalling her part in the movie. Also included is the film's theatrical trailer (480p, 2:19), TV spot (480p, 0:32), and radio advertisements (1080p, 0:31 & 0:30).

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

For a movie that's been "banned," and "vilified," The Toolbox Murders is surprisingly tame. In fact, there was probably more blood shed during the Danzig vs. Miller fight at UFC 100 than there was in the entirety of The Toolbox Murders. A slasher film without much gore and a confused structure after the initial string of kills, this "exploitation classic" film will probably disappoint viewers looking for something more akin to The New York Ripper, a film that has more appeal and violence, not to mention the look and feel of classic exploitation cinema. The Toolbox Murders is disappointing dreck from start to finish, but Blue Underground has nevertheless provided a decent Blu-ray release. Sporting a solid 1080p transfer, a passable lossless soundtrack, and a few extras, fans of the film and Blue Underground collectors will want to pick this one up, but newcomers are encouraged to rent first.