The Driller Killer (1979)

Country of Origin: USA
Year of Production: 1977 - 1978
Running Times: 84 mins (UK)     94 mins
Format: colour     16mm
Ratio:
Sound: mono

CREDITS

PRODUCTION
Production Company: Navaron Productions
Executive Producer: Rochelle Weisberg
Associate Producer: D.A. Metrov

SCRIPT
Script: Nicholas St. John

DIRECTION
Director: Abel Ferrara

PHOTOGRAPHY
Director of Photography: Ken Kelsch
Camera Operator: David Sperling
Assistant Camera: Dale Denning, Kalman Schissel
Gaffer: Ernie Jew

EDITING AND POST-PRODUCTION
Editor: Orlando Gallini

MUSIC
Music: Joe Delia

LOCATIONS
Locations: New York City, New York, USA

CAST
Jimmy Laine (real name: Abel Ferrara) (Reno Miller)
Carolyn Marz (Carol)
Baybi Day (Pamela)
Harry Schultz (Dalton Briggs)
Alan Wynroth (landlord)
Maria Helhoski (nun)
James O'Hara (man in church)
Richard Howorth (Stephen)
Louis Mascolo (knife victim)
Tommy Santora (attacker)
Rita Gooding, Chuck Saat (TV spot)
Gary Cohen (voice)
Janet Dailey, Joyce Finney (girls at audition)
Butch Morris (sidewalk begger)
Paul Fitze, John Fitze, Karl Metner, Chris Amato, Rich Bokun, Michael Canosa, Greg Schirria, Thomas Baeza (kids on street)
Frank Hazard, Jack MacIntyre (men waiting for bus)
John Coulakis (hallway derelict)
Lanny Taylor (rooftop derelict)
Peter Yellen (bus stop derelict)
Steve Cox (Empire State derelict)
Stephen Singer, Tim Constantine (street corner derelicts)
Anthony Picciano (sidewalk derelict)
Bobby De Frank (fire escape derelict)
Rhodney Montreal (Tony Coca-Cola)
Dickey Bittner (Ritchy)
Steve Brown (Steve)
Laurie Y. Taylor (Tony's girlfriend)
Trixie Sly (manager)
Andrea Childs, Hallie Coletta, Victoria Keiler, Claire Mailer, Paula Nichols (friends)

PLOT SUMMARY

Artist Reno Miller is slowly going mad – trying o finish his masterwork, he lives in a squalid flat with two young women, struggles to make ends meet and is distracted by a loathsome punk rock band practising in the downstairs apartment. He finally snaps and, armed with a battery powered drill, starts taking out his pent-up angers on the local low lifes and homeless.

CAPSULE REVIEW

A rarity – a film consigned to the British “video nasties” list that actually has a point. Sadly, it rather belabours that point and Ferrara’s worthy commentary on the horror of inner city urban life and the loneliness and stresses of being an artist tends to be watered down by too much tedious padding. The gore scenes – highlighted on a video sleeve that got it into so much trouble in the UK – are few and far between, the acting is only so-so but St John’s script and Ferrara’s gritty direction make it just about bearable.

AVAILABILITY

UK
Video Distributors: Vipco; Visual
DVD Distributors: Visual Films (VSLD 10081)

USA
Theatrical Distributors: Rochelle Films
Video Distributors: Magnum Video; Wizard Video
DVD Distributors: Cult Epics (DVD004)

CENSORSHIP HISTORY

Australia
Rating: R

Ireland
Rating: banned

Norway
Rating: banned

France
Rating: banned

UK
Rating: banned; 18
First video release, in the 1980s, cut then banned; later re-issued with cuts

USA
Rating: unrated

TIMELINE

1977
June
Day Unknown: USA - filming begins

1978
March
Day Unknown: USA - filming ends

1979
June
15: USA - theatrical release

1999
June
28: UK DVD release (Visual Films (VSLD 10081))

October
5: USA - DVD release (Cult Epics (DVD004))

2000
February
18: UK - television broadcast (on Film Four)

April
2: UK - television broadcast (on Channel Four)

POSTER TAGS

It will shatter you!

The Blood Runs In Rivers... And The Drill Keeps Tearing Through Flesh And Bone

There are those who kill violently!

There are those who kill violently!

ALTERNATIVE TITLES

Driller Killer

LINKS

FOOTAGE INCLUDED IN
Filmgore (1983)

SEE ALSO
Repulsion (1965)

REFERENCES

MAGAZINES

City Limits no.173 (25 - 31 January 1985) p.21 (UK)
review (by Kim Newman) - read the review in the Kim Newman Review Archive

Empire no.121 (July 1999) p.119 (UK)
illustrated review (by Kim Newman)

Film Comment vol.26 no.4 (July / August 1990) pp.40-42, 44, 46 (USA)
illustrated interview with Abel Ferrara (by Gavin Smith)

Scapegoat no.1 p.10 (UK)
review

Sight and Sound vol.9 no.6 (June 1999) p.59 (UK)
review (by Danny Leigh)

Sight and Sound vol.9 no.7 (July 1999) p.64 (UK)
letter (from Mark Kermode in response to above article)

Sight and Sound vol.9 no.8 (August 1999) p.62 (UK)
review of DVD release (by Geoffrey Macnab)

Sight and Sound vol.9 no.12 (December 1999) (UK)
note about video release

Total Film July 1999 p.102 (UK)
review (Simon Crook)

BOOKS

Hoffman's Guide to SF, Horror and Fantasy Movies 1991 - 1992 p.115
credits, review

The Seduction of the Gullible by John Martin p.69
credits, synopsis, review

KEYWORDS

artists, drills, gore, insanity, lesbianism, new york, power tools, rock-bands, showers

Last Updated: 15 October, 2008