The Toolbox Murders (1978) was released on 4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray by Blue Underground on January 18th 2022. Special features
New 4K 16-Bit Restoration from the uncut original negative
Ultra HD Blu-ray (2160p) and HD Blu-ray (1080p) Widescreen 1.66:1 Feature Presentations
Audio: English: Dolby Atmos; English: 5.1 DTS-HD; English: 1.0 DTS-HD
Subtitles: English SDH, Français, Español
Audio Commentary #1 with Producer Tony DiDio, Director of Photography Gary Graver and Star Pamelyn Ferdin
New! Audio Commentary #2 with Film Historians Troy Howarth and Nathaniel Thompson
New! Drill Sergeant – Interview with Director Dennis Donnelly
New! Tools Of The Trade – Interview with Star Wesley Eure
New! Flesh And Blood – Interview with Actress Kelly Nichols
I Got Nailed In The Toolbox Murders – Interview with Actress Marianne Walter
New! Slashback Memories – David Del Valle Remembers Cameron Mitchell
New! ‘They Know I Have Been Sad’ – Video Essay by Film Historian Amanda Reyes and Filmmaker Chris O’Neill
Theatrical Trailer
TV Spot
Radio Spots
New! Poster & Still Gallery
Limited Edition embossed slipcover (First Pressing Only)
Region free
Here is our previous coverage of the movie.
‘Bit by bit… by bit he carved a nightmare!’
The Toolbox Murders is a 1978 American slasher horror film about a ski-masked maniac who kills apartment complex tenants.
Directed by Dennis Donnelly from a screenplay written by Robert Easter and Ann N. Kindberg. The Cal-Am Productions movie stars Cameron Mitchell (The Demon; Nightmare in Wax; Blood and Black Lace) Tim Donnelly, Pamelyn Ferdin and Wesley Eure.
The film was marketed as being based on a true story, though it has no connection to any real-life murders.
It was loosely remade by Tobe Hooper as Toolbox Murders in 2004, which was ironic because producer Tony Didio had been inspired to make the 1978 film by a financially successful re-release of The Texas Chain Saw Massacre in 1977.
Plot:
In a small apartment complex, somebody in a ski mask is murdering women with tools, such as a nail gun, a screwdriver and a drill. Meanwhile, a tenant’s daughter, fifteen-year-old Laurie Ballard, is kidnapped. Detective Jamison investigates the murders and stumbles onto a connection between them and the kidnapping…
Review:
How times change. When The Toolbox Murders first appeared back in 1978, it was generally considered to be a numbingly bad experience, particularly by British fans who invariably had to sit through a heavily censored print whilst waiting for top-of-the-bill Zombie Flesh Eaters to unspool at their local fleapit.
Even the uncut bootleg which floated around during the heyday of horror VHS tape trading seemed more of an obligation than a pleasure – something to own but never actually watch. Now, a new generation of gore-pups hail this film as a sleaze classic, and it’s available as a luxurious special edition Blu-ray. Bizarre.
Granted, for the first twenty minutes or so of the movie, this is a gloriously offensive slasher movie of the type which we’ll never see again. Pretty much devoid of any story of characterisation, the film simply parades several sadistic (i.e. slow and painful) murders, never stinting on blood or gratuitous flesh reveals.
Even the film’s biggest detractors remember the appearance of skin flick starlet Kelly Nichols, who plays with herself in the bath before being terrorised by the ski-masked murderer and shot with a nail gun. Such a scene is probably more shocking today than it was back then!
However, shortly after this, it all goes downhill rapidly, as a story is introduced and bad acting replaces bad taste. Little else happens in the film, other than drooling killer Cameron Mitchell kidnapping a wholesome young girl (Pamelyn Ferdin) and generally whining like a dingo for what feels like days. This is dull, dull stuff.
That said, the Blue Underground Blu-ray is impressive enough to make it a worthy purchase just for those opening moments of mayhem and the supplementary features.
David Flint, MOVIES & MANIA
Buy Blu-ray: Amazon.co.uk | Amazon.com
Other reviews:
“The Toolbox Murders is a clumsily directed sleaze gem (the only feature of Donnelly who otherwise worked in television) that is totally misogynistic and relentless but is much aided by Mitchell’s hammy performance, as well Ferdin’s believable and sympathetic one.” DVD Drive-In
“Not a great film by any means, but the entertainment value of Mitchell’s mad performing and the brutal murders early on in the film more than make up for any shortcomings it might have. I was thoroughly entertained from start to finish – which makes it a worthwhile purchase in my opinion.” Digital Retribution
Buy The Toolbox Murders poster (image at top) from Amazon.com
Release:
The Toolbox Murders was released theatrically in the United States by Cal-Am Artists in March 1978.
The film was released on VHS by VCI Entertainment and, later, Video Treasures in the 1980s.
In the repressive UK, the film was one of the so-called 1980s ‘video nasties’ and was completely banned from 1982 to 2000 by the BBFC censors despite them previously granting it a cinema release, albeit in a cut version. It was released later on DVD by VIPCO in 2000 with 1 minute 46 seconds of cuts.
In the US, the film was released as a Special Edition DVD by Blue Underground in 2003, and on Blu-ray in 2010. A 4K release arrived in 2022.
Cast and characters:
Cameron Mitchell … Vance Kingsley
Pamelyn Ferdin … Laurie Ballard
Wesley Eure … Kent Kingsley
Nicholas Beauvy … Joey Ballard
Tim Donnelly … Detective Lieutenant Mark Jamison
Aneta Corsaut … Joanne Ballard
Faith McSwain … Mrs Andrews
Marciee Drake … Deborah
Evelyn Guerrero … Maria
Victoria Perry … Woman in Apartment
Robert Bartlett … Man in Apartment
Betty Cole … John’s Wife
John Hawker … John
Don Diamond … Sergeant Cameron
Alisa Powell … Girlfriend
Kelly Nichols … Dee Ann DeVore
Robert Forward … Screamer Man
Kathleen O’Malley … Screamer Woman
Gil Galvano … Man
James Nolan … Al
George Deaton … Preacher
Technical details:
1 hour 33 minutes
Audio: Mono
Aspect ratio: 1.85: 1
