The Driller Killer

If “Driller Killer” sounds like a lame title for a movie it’s because it’s a lame movie for a title. It’s all about Reno, an artist who is struggling to pay his bills. He’s cracking under the pressure of responsibility and people in his life continually giving him crap. He flips his lid and goes on a killing spree with a power drill.

This isn’t strictly a slasher. The focus is more on what leads this guy to lose his mind than a Jason-style run-from-the-killer kind of thing. If only the psychology here had been worth committing to film. The movie has weak characters portrayed by amateur actors, weaker dialogue, and scenes that are weaker still.

So many of the scenes feel completely pointless. What’s with the weird old man in the church and Reno’s reaction to him? Pointless. What’s the point of the lesbian shower scene? I guess to get some bared breasts in the picture so maybe some guys would want to sit through the movie in hopes of seeing more. Why does the landlord, who is riding Reno to pay his rent, give him a gift of a dead rabbit? There’s no setup to this action, it just seems like a random way to justify butchering some meat on film.

The movie prominently features a band that plays frequently throughout. We hear a lot of their music played loudly, and they suck eggs. A lot of these scenes seem like little more than excuses to overwhelm the viewer with noise and/or fill time. If the plot had managed to get any semblance of emotional investment out of me it was thrown out the window with the extended musical moments.

I don’t mind some campy low-budget flicks if they are fun. This one isn’t. It’s dull, tedious, and, worse than that, annoying. If I weren’t wanting to write a review of it I doubt I would have sat through the whole thing. The impact of the ending, by the way, was lost on me since it wasn’t worth putting up with the rest of the movie.

I will say that despite my dislike the movie does have a following. I don't like to be harsh with people that like things I don't. If we all liked the same stuff it would be a boring world, and I have to admit I love some stuff that probably doesn't deserve it. But this is one of those movies with fans who frequently and loudly claim that critics like myself aren't intelligent enough to understand the film (fans who often don't seem to know the difference between “your” and “you're” I might add). I mean I don't run around claiming some kind of mental superiority over people who don't read Lewis (and I'm not talking about the Narnia series here), Boethius, or Milton as I do so don't expect me to take your denigration of me over this film seriously.

The point is.... Sith spit, what was my point? Oh yes, the point is some people do get something out of the movie, and just because my personal experience with them has largely shown them to be arrogant pseudo-intellectuals doesn't mean there might not be some artistic merit in this movie for some viewers. So I won't think ill of you if you feel like you need some other opinions or decide you want to pop this waste of time into the DVD player for a couple of hours of movie watching.

MORALITY:

This is definitely for mature audiences. It features plenty of bloody murder, very strong language, a couple of nude scenes, and lots of sexuality. There’s some graphic violence against dead animals.

SPIRITUALITY:

I mentioned a scene in a church. I never did get the point of it. It feels to me like an attempt to gain credence through the suggestion that there is a spiritual element here. If there is it is lost on me.

FINAL THOUGHTS:

Avoid this thing! If you go spending money on the pricey DVD editions I'm going to seriously question your taste in movies.

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