By Geno McGahee
Well before Jason took Manhattan, there was a driller killer in the big apple. I have owned this movie for quite a while but never really had any inclination to watch it. I thought that it was going to be a slasher sort of film without any mystery and I like mystery. This was not a whodunit, but as I sat there, it just looked over to me and I felt bad. It sat there so long without a viewing. So, I decided to give it a full watch and there is something special about DRILLER KILLER. I now understand why it has the cult following it does. I also understand why the reviews are so hot and cold. You either love it or hate it. It is strange enough to be entertaining and if it’s entertaining, it’s good.
Over the course of film, the killers chose a weapon to be identified by. We had the TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE, SLEDGEHAMMER, THE NAILGUN MASSACRE and AXE, and even those that didn’t express the identity of the killing weapon had a definite choice. This is a difficult thing to decide when making a horror movie because the weapon can be as important as the killer. THE TEXAS SCREWDRIVER MASSACRE doesn’t have the same ring to it as the chainsaw does. So, DRILLER KILLER sounds rather awesome and it rhymes, but a drill as a killing weapon?
Reno Miller (Abel Ferrara) is an artist and he is dedicated to his craft. He also sounds like John Travolta, but it may just be a New York thing. Reno lives in an apartment with a group of people and things are not going well. He is working on one big painting job but not bringing any real money. The bills are piling up and so are the shutoff notices. He’s hurting in a bad way. He tries to get more money from the purchaser of the piece, but he will not give anymore. When confronted by his girlfriend, he goes crazy and rips up some cash to show her that it’s not about the money. It’s about the art.
Over time, Reno begins to go mad. He has strange visions and the noise of the city surrounds him and overwhelms him. He grabs his drill and begins killing people, mostly homeless, with it. One poor guy was sleeping and minding his own business when the drill was pushed right through his head. Reno should be ashamed of himself. The best kill was at the bus stop. As the guy leaned against the plastic wall, Reno drilled him from behind and the death scene went on for a very long time, which wasn’t enough time if you ask me. The poor guy was convulsing and shaking until he finally dropped. I would have never suspected a drill could be such a great killing weapon. I use my drill at the house and if I was going to kill somebody, it would not be an item I reached for. After this, I may second guess that. I wonder if there has ever been a case of a real driller killer.
The murders continue and the last half of this movie is when it really kicks into gear and the fun factors in. Reno is so eccentric and interesting that he becomes that much more fun to watch while carrying a drill and going on a rampage. The only complaint I have with the last half is the very ending where I felt sort of ripped off. I got drilled.
DRILLER KILLER is unique. Remarkably, Ferrara not only starred in this but also directed it. He went on to direct films such as KING OF NEW YORK, BAD LIEUTENANT, BODY SNATCHERS, THE FUNERAL and shows like MIAMI VICE. Even if you weren’t a fan of DRILLER KILLER, you have to admire how well the city was captured. This was gritty and told an interesting story with the great setting of New York City. DRILLER KILLER doesn’t really classify as a horror film as much as it is a crime drama, but it has enough elements of a horror film to land in that slasher gray area. I understand why there are mixed reviews for this title. It’s an odd flick.
In the end, I do recommend DRILLER KILLER. It’s not going to scare you, but it’s amusing and interesting. The murders are fun and the overacting is superb. Ferrara does a great job with the eccentric character, making him fun to watch, especially when he’s going crazy. If you have a night free and are looking for something different, this is your movie.
Rating: 6.5/10
