The Driller Killer
Directed By Abel Ferrara
Released: 1979
Starring: Abel Ferrara, Carolyn Marz, Baybi Day, Harry Schultz, and Alan Wynroth
Running Time: 96 minutes
DVD Studio: Cult Epics

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Reno Miller (played by Abel Ferrara) is a sensitive artist trying to get by in New York City. No one around him, not even his girlfriend Carol (Carolyn Marz), knows that Reno is starting to lose his mind. Armed with a large drill and a portable battery (called a “Porto-Pack”), he heads out onto the seedy streets at night murdering homeless people. Things only get worse (yes, even worse) after his art dealer passes on buying Reno’s latest masterpiece and Carol leaves him for her estranged husband. Now, Reno is mad.

Smear on some white pancake makeup, throw back a fistful of uppers, and most importantly: “play this film loud”! Before directing his cult masterpiece, Ms. 45, director and actor Abel Ferrara made this nihilistic vomit-poem for his beloved New York City. The Driller Killer is a trash cinema classic with a big chip on its shoulder. Thanks to this film’s infamous censorship problems in England (making the Video Nasty list), most viewers are under-whelmed (to say the least) when they catch a glimpse of The Driller Killer.

The major problem with the film is pacing. It runs about 10 minutes too long with the seemingly endless rehearsal footage of Tony Coca Cola and The Roosters (the punk band that moves in next door to Reno). And I actually like the band (for some reason) but it’s just too much. However, the high body count, Reno’s hellish hallucinations, the bristling soundtrack, and the sheer delusional nature of the whole film more than make up for the slow pace.

This disgusting heap of a film fearlessly revels in its excesses with its exploitative footage of New York’s homeless (you guys all signed release forms, right?), a gratuitous lesbian shower scene, and even a pointless animal carcass dissection. But you know what? It couldn’t have happened any other way. Bloody, offensive, overlong, overrated, and sometimes even genuinely funny, I love The Driller Killer as much as it can be loved which is completely and not at all.

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Quotes

“No, no, no, no, this isn’t right. This is nothing! This is shit!”

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DVD Stuff

Cult Epics does a superb job with their restoration of The Driller Killer. The film looks excellent in its non-anamorphic widescreen presentation. Colors are rich and there is very little grain and almost no scratches to be found. The mono audio is serviceable with clear dialogue and loud but not blown out music. The feature audio commentary with Abel Ferrara is odd and rambling. The guy creeps me out. Also in the extras is an excellent trailer for the film (which looks like the full frame bargain DVDs of this film I've seen) as well as the “Porto-Pack” commercial seen in the movie with no sound.