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The Driller Killer
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The Driller Killer (1979) More at IMDbPro »

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Overview

User Rating:
4.7/10   1,884 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
Up 1% in popularity this week. See rank & trends on IMDbPro.
Director:
Abel Ferrara
Writer:
Nicholas St. John (writer)
Contact:
View company contact information for The Driller Killer on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
15 June 1979 (USA) more
Genre:
Crime | Horror | Thriller more
Tagline:
It will shatter you! more
Plot:
An artist slowly goes insane while struggling to pay his bills, work on his paintings, and care for his two female roommates, which leads him taking to the streets of New York after dark and randomly killing derelicts with a power drill. full summary | add synopsis
User Comments:
Gritty, Controversial but Hollow more

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)
Abel Ferrara ... Reno Miller (as Jimmy Laine)
Carolyn Marz ... Carol
Baybi Day ... Pamela
Harry Schultz ... Dalton Briggs
Alan Wynroth ... Landlord
Maria Helhoski ... Nun
James O'Hara ... Man in Church
Richard Howorth ... Stephen, Carol's Husband
Louis Mascolo ... Knife Victim
Tommy Santora ... Attacker
Rita Gooding ... TV Spot
Chuck Saaf ... TV Spot
Gary Cohen ... Voice-over (voice)
Janet Dailey ... Girl at Audition
Joyce Finney ... Girl at Audition
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Create a character page for: ?

Additional Details

Also Known As:
Driller Killer (Australia)
more
Runtime:
96 min | UK:94 min (cut version) | UK:96 min (uncut version)
Country:
USA
Language:
English
Color:
Color
Aspect Ratio:
1.37 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Mono
Certification:
New Zealand:R18 | Australia:MA (re-rating) (uncut) | Australia:R | Germany:(Banned) | Ireland:(Banned) | Netherlands:16 | Norway:18 (2004) | UK:18 (cut) | USA:Unrated | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | UK:18 (video re-rating) (uncut) (2002)
Filming Locations:
New York City, New York, USA

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
Abel Ferrara claims that half of this movie was shot in 1978 and the other half was shot in 1979. This explains why the actors hair styles and looks in general change quite frequently during the movie. more
Quotes:
[Reno opens an envelope for the energy bill]
Reno Miller: Holy Christ! What is this? They send us the bill to Madison Square Garden? What are they kidding me, man? How the hell are we supposed to pay this bill? What is this? The bill for three months?
Carol: That's the bill for one month.
Reno Miller: Christ, what have we got here? A refrigerator, a couple of lights?
[opens another envelope]
Reno Miller: Let's see here, telephone. Oh no! Houston, Texas?
Pamela: My mother.
Reno Miller: Look at this, L.A. $1.50... $2.75... $7.50.
Carol: Yeah, they're mine.
Reno Miller: You talked to L.A. one time for two hours and 10 minutes? What are you, out of your mind? Are you crazy? What's this? Philadelphia?
[...]
more
Movie Connections:
Referenced in Fear in the Dark (1991) (TV) more

FAQ

Is there something during / at the end of the credits ?
more
10 out of 14 people found the following comment useful:-
Gritty, Controversial but Hollow, 5 April 2000
4/10
Author: Sampath Samaraweera from UK

It's hard to imagine how this film gained its notorious status(especially in the UK). It is poorly shot(reflecting its miniscule budget) and is really no more violent than any other horror film. True, when the disgruntled artist Reno(played by first-time director Abel Ferrara) first goes on a rampage armed with a drill and 'porto-pak', the film does manage to touch a raw nerve, but soon it descends to laboriously-paced repetition and struggles to hold attention.

Will be remembered as the debut feature of director Ferrara, who has since never been afraid to court controversy with films like Ms. 45 and Bad Lieutenant; and probably as one of the films that sparked off the 'Video Nasty' hysteria in the UK in the 1980's; but for little else.

4/10

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Message Boards

Discuss this movie with other users on IMDb message board for The Driller Killer (1979)
Recent Posts (updated daily)User
Bought this for £1 dallywhitty
Vastly Under Rated Movie peter_lumley
That's nearly 2 hrs of my life I want back!!! sassylee-1
What a pile of... Ditapantouf
Would this movie be better in black and white? StarsInSight
New Region 2 DVD (same disc new cover) dallywhitty
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