It’s always fun to see where acclaimed film directors got their start.
For example, before director Abel Ferrara created his classic crime dramas "King of New York" and "Bad Lieutenant," he was cutting his filmmaking teeth with a gritty horror film called "The Driller Killer."
Much like his later films, "The Driller Killer" is a character study instead of a film with a three-act structure. While it doesn’t work nearly as well as his later work, it still manages to be effective.
The first thing on screen in the 1979 horror film "The Driller Killer" is the statement "this film should be played loud."
From there, we’re introduced to the lead character, Reno Miller (played by Ferrara, under the pseudonym Jimmy Laine), a starving artist in New York City.
He lives in an apartment with his girlfriend Carol (Carolyn Marz) and their friend Pamela (Baybi Day), who is practically brain dead from years of heroin abuse.
But their living situation is far from perfect since their utility bills are out-of-control.
Reno is currently working on a painting for a gallery owner (Harry Schultz), so he attempts to get another advance to pay his bills.
Unfortunately, he is denied this request unless he can complete the painting in a week.
Reno starts trying to work on the painting, but a loud punk band has moved into the apartment next door and constantly distracts him from his work.
Eventually, all the stress in Reno’s life begins to culminate and causes him to go over the edge.
He winds up picking up an electric drill with a portable power pack and takes to the streets with a violent killing spree.
Despite the fact that there’s really not much of a plot to the story, and the film is very uneven in its pacing, "The Driller Killer" still manages to be an effective thriller in parts.
What really makes the film is the way Ferrara handles Reno’s gradual mental breakdown, complete with scenes that feature a soundtrack that lives up the opening title claim.
Another interesting thing about "The Driller Killer" is it has slipped into the public domain, meaning the copyright has expired, which is odd for a film made only 30 years ago.
However, that also means the film can be downloaded for free from various sources.
A version that appears on YouTube is very low quality and features sound that doesn’t sync up with the picture.
Fortunately, a high quality version is online at the Internet Archive and can be accessed at www.archive.org/details/DrillerKillerUncut1979.
While it might not be a perfect film, "The Driller Killer" is still an intriguing psychological examination of a killer from a great director who was just getting his start.
Add that with the fact the film can be obtained for free and there’s really no reason not to give it a shot.
Grade: B
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