The Driller Killer

[ShankS]

did search nothing substancial found.....so

is this worth a purchase? found the special edition 2 disc Uncut R1 version. I'm attracted to the synopsis...frustrated New York artist who embarks on a killer crazy rampage with a power drill
The se version contains widescreen and full screen transfers, and the 2nd disc contains three short films by the director.


:)

[urgeok]

saw it years ago .. it has a quality.
I'd buy it if i saw it ...

[42ndStreetFreak]

If that description is all that has made you want to watch the film...I would prepared to be let down.

But it is essential viewing from a history point of view and if you are a Grindhouse/Ferrara fan.

A film i have found more satisfying on subsequent viewings, once I knew that it's NOT a full stop gore fest.

But it captures perfectly that wonderful New York vibe of a scene that was about to implode because of the drugs and AIDS crisis.

But Ferrara himself is such a unique individual, both as a director and an actor, I found much of this fascinating.
And it really captures the grimy feel of latter day Grindhouse flicks (like "Maniac") that still had that extreme sensibility and off-the-wall style...but had a far more bitter and bleak atmosphere as places like 42nd Street drowned in their own shit.

It' still a very violent and pretty gory film, but these scenes are spread out andLONG in coming...

To "Driller" virgins like yourself I would say view it as an extreme, grimy drama about fringe charactersa during a certain time and place that would never be seen again , and NOT as just a 'horror' film...You may enjoy it more.
Or not.

[slasherman]

Overrated by many...if you have seen "The Maniac" you know what to expect...but this is not as good as "The Maniac"...I was very dissapointed of this movie...

[ShankS]

It's not just that brief bit that got me interested, I read a short review of it ages ago and searched here, but as said nothing came up. Iam a gore fan, but it's not just these scenes that catch my attention, I need some sustenance from a film otherwise it's not worth watching.



:)

[urgeok]

Originally posted by ShankS
It's not just that brief bit that got me interested, I read a short review of it ages ago and searched here, but as said nothing came up. Iam a gore fan, but it's not just these scenes that catch my attention, I need some sustenance from a film otherwise it's not worth watching.



:)

I liked the lead actor .... his performance made the film worth watching

[ShankS]

Originally posted by urgeok
I liked the lead actor .... his performance made the film worth watching

cool. This one's going on my list of next buys, in a couple of weeks.


:)

[urgeok]

Originally posted by ShankS
cool. This one's going on my list of next buys, in a couple of weeks.


:)

i have an ancient beta copy :)

[ShankS]

ha ha the trust old betamax.

[urgeok]

without looking it up - i remember the actors name was something like Denny Lane (I may be mixing this up with The Wings member) but I had the impression he was a musician for real ... he just seemed like it.

I should look it up .. been close to 20 years since i saw this film last.

[42ndStreetFreak]

The lead actor was Abel Ferrara!
Using his Jimmy Laine pseudonym.

And the lead character was an artist, not a musician, though Ferrara has been known to compose and sing now and again...like on the end credit song of "Bad Lt."

[zwoti]

Originally posted by ShankS
did search nothing substancial found.....so

is this worth a purchase? found the special edition 2 disc Uncut R1 version. I'm attracted to the synopsis...frustrated New York artist who embarks on a killer crazy rampage with a power drill
The se version contains widescreen and full screen transfers, and the 2nd disc contains three short films by the director.


:)

well i stuck with the uncut r2 version with a mental commentary by abel ferrara

[42ndStreetFreak]

The 2 disc release also has the commentary. And yes, it's delightfully mental!

[The_Return]

Im off to watch this now...

[filmmaker2]

I've never seen it but it sounds intriguing.

Whew! What a title, though!

[The_Return]

It was an odd film...I wrote a mini-review in Last Seen Movie if anyone's interested.

EDIT - I might as well post it here, too


I'm not really sure what I thought of this. A strange film, that goes without saying, but did I like it? Ferrara does a good job on both sides of the camera, but his acting really grabbed me. Essentially this is more of a character study than a horror film, and Ferrara's performance was very convincing and believable. I liked the score, fit very well with the dark, depressing feel of the film. This is without question a very depressing film, I found myself feeling sorry for the main character. His decent into madness was brilliantly captured, carried by Ferrara's performance. By the time we actually got to them, the "Driller Killer" scenes almost looked out of place. They were very well done however, the attitude he had toward killing was very distressing and well portrayed. It wasn't very well paced though, I checked my watch lot more often than I should have. All in all this is a dark and depressing film, but Ferrara's performance makes it worth watching. One word of warning: Don't go in to it looking for a gorefest. Though there are a few very good gory moments, that's not what the film is about.

6/10

[Nyarlathotep]

much to enjoy from this film, just don't expect a horror film