Also known in this country as “The Killer with the Drill”, “The Toolbox Murders” celebrated its premiere in 1978 – and thus in the same year as “Halloween”. But it didn’t even begin to garner the attention that was given to John Carpenter’s milestone slasher. And Germany is one of those countries in which the film has always had a particularly difficult time: Only in the German translation of the eponymous remained toolbox only the drilling machine before another tool conspired against him: the scissors. This is exactly what was scheduled in order to be able to publish the film by TV director Dennis Donnelly (“The A-Team”, “Charlie’s Angels”) in this country.
The unabridged version of “The Toolbox Murders” ended up on the index in Germany in 1983 and was even indexed again in the course of a re-examination in 2008. Even after a quarter of a century, during which the viewing habits of viewers changed and the audience became accustomed to ever more drastic depictions of violence, the authorities refused to release the uncut version. Yet After a good 40 years, “The Toolbox Murders” still received the blessing of the FSK and was released uncut from the age of 18. Finally.
From now on, the film may be available in stores completely uncut – and that’s exactly where it will end up soon. The distributor Colors of Entertainment has anyway already announced on Facebook last January, to publish the “rough slasher” for the first time including 4K scanning in the media book. However, there are no further details on this yet.
A series of murders has shaken Los Angeles: several women have already fallen victim to the brutal stranger, who always wears a ski mask and keeps his murder instruments in a tool box – but there is hardly a trace. Until one day, 15-year-old Laurie (Pamelyn Ferdin) disappears without a trace and her brother Joey (Nicolas Beauvy) decides to get to the bottom of the matter. Suspicion quickly falls on the strange Kingsley (Wesley Eure), but before Joey knows it, he too is in grave danger…
Cal Am Artists
Cult slasher: “The Toolbox Murders” is now unabridged assassinations
A young woman named Laurie on the run from a psychopathic killer? Yes, that was seen in two films in 1978 (once again: “Halloween”). And that’s not all: Like the Carpenter classic, they were made too Toolbox Murders rebooted in the 2000s by none other than cult director Tobe Hooper:
» “The Toolbox Murders” remake at Amazon*
» “Toolbox Murders” Double Feature Mediabook on Amazon*
The remake of the same name by the creators of “Poltergeist” and “Texas Chainsaw Massacre” had it much easier in Germany than the original, received FSK approval from the age of 18 and has been available unabridged as an HD remastered DVD since December 2021. the ones that are currently available for five slim euros. The Austrian label ’84 Entertainment has also released both films uncut in a double media book.
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