The Toolbox Murders

Well, welcome back to The Hysteria Continues, and this time we're going back to the sick, sick 70s.

We have one of the most notorious kind of roughy slasher, is it a slasher? Kind of proto-slasher type things from 1978, The Toolbox Murders.

Much maligned, much censored, and we'll see if we much like it.

So that is our main feature today, and Eric, that is your... choice i believe so you take all the blame so well

And you can see why I watched it in the first 20 minutes.

What I find unusual about...

What really struck me about The Toolbox Murders the first time I saw it was how weird the structure was to the film, with all of its money shots sort of stockpiled into the first 20 minutes or so.

And, you know, overall, it's not really a slasher film at all, because after those initial killings in the opening act, it's basically a, I suppose, a kidnap drama film.

We did.

And one of the ones that always stuck out to me was the toolbox murders.

yeah

looking and reading that and thinking this is going to be the most violent film ever

But, um, when it comes to, uh, Tobe Hooper post, like, uh, uh, the, the ones I need to revisit are, what was the one he did right before this? Uh, Spontaneous Combustion.

And, but, like, post-Invaders From Mars, uh, outside of The Toolbox Murders, I really missed a lot.

And, and I, I saw The Mangler when I was a kid, so I got to see it again when you guys put it back out.

Mm-hmm.

Yeah.

"Talking of gnarly New York City movies, would you consider Bill Lustig's 16 millimeter classic Maniac, with its great performance from Joe Spinell and ultra gory effects from Tom Savini? Staying in the same era, I would also love to hear your views on The Toolbox Murders.

Completely different in tone, I know, but still an interesting picture with a great first 20 minutes."

Far away in Carolina.

[laughs] Uh, so that's Eddie from Derby.

Now, Eddie, we have covered Maniac, and we've done a commentary for it as well for the 88 Films Blu-ray.

For The Toolbox Murders?

No, Maniac, I mean.