Review : Driller Killer, Abel Ferrara, 1979

DRILLER KILLER

Original Title : The Driller Killer

Directed by Abel Ferrara

With Abel Ferrara, Carolyn Marzn, Baybi Day, Harry Schultz, Alan Wynroth, Maria Helhoski, James O'Hara, Richard Howorth

Year : 1979

Country : USA

Length : 96 min

Rating : 6 / 10

SYNOPSIS

Reno is a young painter from New York who is confronted to a hard time in his life. His paintings don't sell, lack of inspiration, no money to pay the rent, and for not so long, his talents are messed because of the noise made by the rehearsals of a punk band that has just moved in the floor below. Overworked and slightly victim of the “Stendhal Syndrome”, he falls deeper and deeper into killing madness.

REVIEW

"A movie that overtake the horror limits. As terrifying as Texas Chainsaw Massacre."
This movie by Abel Ferrara (who also plays the Reno part), is the first film of this director (after "NINE LIVES OF A WET PUSSYCAT" that isn't known). Let's not bury our head in the sand, it's not a marvel technically speaking. The French version suffers with awful dubbing, the actors don't play very well and the special aren't very convincing. Let's add to that the choice of a bad punk band that is on screen a long part of the movie. Indeed, we're very far from the promising caption, quoted from we don't know who, and who is on the back of the jacket... Let's note that shot with such a low budget we couldn't expect better...

"And suddenly, blood pours..."
Nothing to add to that! It's true that blood pours in that movie, but unfortunately, we only see that... Blood and nothing but blood. No guts, no flying pieces of flesh, no torn member ... Indeed, a long running movie lacking of shocking gore material... We only note one scene: the one of the homeless who has his forehead pierced. It's such a pity from a serial killer who slaughters his victims with an electric drill.

What saves the honour of this movie is all the psychological study that can be made out of it. It's true that I still see no point in the last scene in the church, but the rising madness in Reno is well orchestrated. It even becomes disturbing. Being on edge, he doesn't see things like before. Even his two beautiful joint tenants don't interest him anymore. He only sees them as the cause of his failure. Murdering the homeless became a kind of therapy to him. Powerless facing his fate, he decides to escape his way. But Reno isn't out of troubles. A hard and long work on his last painting was giving him the hope to make it. But when presenting it to his potential buyer (the director of an art gallery), the verdict falls without appeal against the decision... This painting, even though very good technically speaking, totally lacks of creativity and is worth nothing. One more argument to add to his falling into madness and that became, at this moment, permanent. The reaction he has when his girlfriend let him down is there to witness about that.

We also appreciate all that make a movie of the 70's / 80's, the atmosphere, the settings, the clothes, the music, the dialogues... and some cult scenes like the one at the bus shelter, the piercing of the skull or even the small female erotic scenes between the beautiful Carolyn Marz and Baybi Day. A touch is also added in order that the viewer only sees the bad side of society. So, all the views about homeless were shot (alcohol, puking, houses made in cardboard...).

Even though the pure gore fans may not appreciate, I'm sure that the others will like this movie that is worth some attention. Let's note that, in France, he had to wait till 1988 to see it coming out in video. After that, Abel Ferrara did two classics: "BAD LIEUTENANT" and "KING OF NEW-YORK".

Note from Darquos : 6 on 10

Published on 2004-08-22