The Toolbox Murders
Encyclopedia
The Toolbox Murders is a 1978
slasher film
starring Cameron Mitchell
, Tim Donnelly
, Pamelyn Ferdin
, and Wesley Eure
. It is notorious for its reputation as a video nasty
due to its violent murder scenes in the film's first act. The film was marketed as being based on a true story, though it has no connection to any real-life murders.
, a screwdriver
, and a drill
. Meanwhile, 15 year old Laurie Ballard is kidnapped. Detective Jamison (Donnelly
), investigates the murders, and stumbles onto a connection between them and the kidnapping.
by Cal-Am Artists in March 1978.
The film was released on VHS
by VCI Entertainment and, later, Video Treasures in the 1980s.
The film was one of the video nasties of the 1980s and was banned in the UK from 1982-2000 by the BBFC.
The film was released as a special edition DVD
by Blue Underground
in 2003.
The film was released as a special edition Blu-ray by Blue Underground
in 2010.
developed a remake
with producer DiDio in the late 1990s/early 2000s. The film was eventually remade in 2004
by Tobe Hooper
.
1978 in film
The year 1978 in film involved some significant events.-Events:* February 1 - Bob Dylan's film Renaldo and Clara, a documentary of the "Rolling Thunder Revue" tour premieres in Los Angeles, California....
slasher film
Slasher film
A slasher film is a type of horror film typically involving a psychopathic killer stalking and killing a sequence of victims in a graphically violent manner, often with a cutting tool such as a knife or axe...
starring Cameron Mitchell
Cameron Mitchell (actor)
Cameron Mitchell was an American film, television and Broadway actor with close ties to one of Canada's most successful families, and considered, by Lee Strasberg, to be one of the founding members of The Actor's Studio in New York City.-Early life and career:Born Cameron MacDowell Mitzel in...
, Tim Donnelly
Tim Donnelly
Timothy David Donnelly , not to be confused with California Republican politician Tim Donnelly, is an American actor and director, and is the younger brother of Jack Webb stock director Dennis Donnelly....
, Pamelyn Ferdin
Pamelyn Ferdin
Pamelyn Ferdin is a former American television and film child actor, active both in live action and as a voice actress in the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s and has since appeared in several voice acting roles as late as 2009...
, and Wesley Eure
Wesley Eure
Wesley Eure is an American actor.Eure came to prominence when he appeared in two long running television series in the 1970s, Days of our Lives and Land of the Lost. For several years, he appeared in both shows simultaneously...
. It is notorious for its reputation as a video nasty
Video nasty
"Video nasty" was a colloquial term coined in the United Kingdom by 1982 which originally applied to a number of films distributed on video cassette that were criticized for their violent content by the press, commentators such as Mary Whitehouse and various religious organizations.While violence...
due to its violent murder scenes in the film's first act. The film was marketed as being based on a true story, though it has no connection to any real-life murders.
Plot
In a small apartment complex, somebody in a ski mask has been murdering women with tools, such as a nail gunNail gun
A nail gun, nailgun or nailer is a type of tool used to drive nails into wood or some other kind of material. It is usually driven by electromagnetism, compressed air , highly flammable gases such as butane or propane, or, for powder-actuated tools, a small explosive charge...
, a screwdriver
Screwdriver
A screwdriver is a tool for driving screws and often rotating other machine elements with the mating drive system. The screwdriver is made up of a head or tip, which engages with a screw, a mechanism to apply torque by rotating the tip, and some way to position and support the screwdriver...
, and a drill
Drill
A drill or drill motor is a tool fitted with a cutting tool attachment or driving tool attachment, usually a drill bit or driver bit, used for drilling holes in various materials or fastening various materials together with the use of fasteners. The attachment is gripped by a chuck at one end of...
. Meanwhile, 15 year old Laurie Ballard is kidnapped. Detective Jamison (Donnelly
Tim Donnelly
Timothy David Donnelly , not to be confused with California Republican politician Tim Donnelly, is an American actor and director, and is the younger brother of Jack Webb stock director Dennis Donnelly....
), investigates the murders, and stumbles onto a connection between them and the kidnapping.
Reception
Reviews for the film have been mixed to negative. Toolbox Murders currently holds a 0% "rotten" rating on the movie review website rotten tomatoes with an average score of 2.2/10 based on 5 reviews. However, the film has a more mixed review of 5.0/10 on the user review website IMDb, indicating mixed reaction.Release
The film was released theatrically in the United StatesUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
by Cal-Am Artists in March 1978.
The film was released on VHS
VHS
The Video Home System is a consumer-level analog recording videocassette standard developed by Victor Company of Japan ....
by VCI Entertainment and, later, Video Treasures in the 1980s.
The film was one of the video nasties of the 1980s and was banned in the UK from 1982-2000 by the BBFC.
The film was released as a special edition DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
by Blue Underground
Blue Underground
Blue Underground is an American company specializing in releasing authoritative editions of cult and exploitation movies on Blu-ray Disc and DVD....
in 2003.
The film was released as a special edition Blu-ray by Blue Underground
Blue Underground
Blue Underground is an American company specializing in releasing authoritative editions of cult and exploitation movies on Blu-ray Disc and DVD....
in 2010.
Remake
Independent director Jim Van BebberJim Van Bebber
Jim Van Bebber is an American film director. Van Bebber attended Wright State University where he studied cinema. Instead of using a bank loan to pay for a second year of college, he used the money to finance Deadbeat at Dawn, and founded the indie film company Asmodeus Productions with several...
developed a remake
Remake
A remake is a piece of media based primarily on an earlier work of the same medium.-Film:The term "remake" is generally used in reference to a movie which uses an earlier movie as the main source material, rather than in reference to a second, later movie based on the same source...
with producer DiDio in the late 1990s/early 2000s. The film was eventually remade in 2004
2004 in film
The year 2004 in film involved some significant events. Major releases of sequels took place. It included blockbuster films like Shrek 2, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, The Passion of the Christ, Meet the Fockers, Blade: Trinity, Spider-Man 2, Alien vs. Predator, Kill Bill Vol...
by Tobe Hooper
Tobe Hooper
Tobe Hooper is an American film director and screenwriter, best known for his work in the horror film genre. His works include the cult classic The Texas Chain Saw Massacre , along with its first sequel, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 ; the three-time Emmy-nominated Stephen King film adaptation...
.