The Toolbox Murders (1978)

Following a series of grisly murders in a Los Angeles apartment building, a girl is abducted and her brother and Will from Land of the Lost play Hardy Boys to catch the killer.

CHARACTERS

• Mrs. Andrews (Faith McSwain)
• Debbie (Marciee Drake)
• Detective Mark Jamison (Tim Donnelly)
• Sgt. Cameron (Don Diamond)
• Vance Kingsley (Cameron Mitchell)
• Kent Kingsley (Wesley Eure)
• Dee Ann (Kelly Nichols)
• Laurie Ballard (Pamelyn Ferdin)
• Joey Ballard (Nicolas Beauvy)
• Joanne Ballard (Aneta Corsaut)

RATING: ★★★★★★★☆☆☆ 7/10

REVIEW: Not sure I've ever seen a movie that takes such a sharp tonal change midway through. The first half is among the most brutal and effective horror ever made. The second half is like a Hardy Boys mystery - with two teenage sleuths and long, long stretches of Cameron Mitchell just talking endlessly. From 10-star level sleazy terror to 4-star PG snoozefest - we'll give it the average of the two.

DOUBLE FEATURE - Toe Tags (2003) and The Toolbox Murders (1978)

Apartment Building Killing Spree 

SYNOPSIS

The film begins with a ride down the LA streets and flashback to a car crash that will figure into the story later. The arrival of the apartment repair man... or so it appears. Mrs. Andrews (Faith McSwain) is a bit annoyed that it took so long to get to the repairs. The man pulls out a drill and goes to work on Mrs. Andrews, In the same apartment complex, Debbie (Marciee Drake) returns home. For a moment Debbie believes there is someone in her shower, but it's a false alarm. The surprise caused her to get her blouse wet, so Debbie changes clothes. Debbie briefly steps into the hallway to get a package and that proves to be a big mistake. Debbie sees the killer approach. The killer knocks Debbie out and carries her to the stairwell. Debbie is murdered via one of the tools in his toolbox. Her dead body is carried back into her apartment. Her friend enters the room and finds her body. She realizes the killer is still in the room. She's murdered too. Hearing the racket, a couple enter the apartment and find the dead bodies. Sgt. Cameron (Don Diamond) interviews the tenants. The crime scene is photographed using an ancient camera. Detective Mark Jamison (Tim Donnelly) is the lead investigator. The officers speak with Vance Kingsley (Cameron Mitchell), the owner of the building.

Laurie Ballard (Pamelyn Ferdin) also lives in this apartment building. [Ferdin was the voice of Lucy on the Charlie Brown cartoons] Dee Ann (Kelly Nichols) takes a bath. [The music playing sounds like the Starland Vocal Band or something... and that soft rock background music actually makes this scene all the more effective.] The killer enters the apartment. Dee Ann is in the midst of masturbating when the killer enters the bathroom. Dee Ann makes a run for the front door but is blocked. The killer has a nail gun. Dee Ann runs to the bedroom. She offers to let the killer have his way with her if he'll spare her life. But she runs away, and is shot with a nail. Dee Ann stumbles and doesn't make it out of the room. She falls and is seemingly dead. The killer plants one in her forehead for good measure. An absolutely brutal and terrifying scene. One of the most effective murder scenes in horror movie history, in my humble opinion.

Laurie becomes the killer's next victim. But instead of being murdered, she's knocked out and abducted. Her brother Joey (Nicolas Beauvy) finds Laurie gone. Their mother, Joanne Ballard (Aneta Corsaut), returns home and is concerned about Laurie - given all that's gone down in this one apartment complex. Dee Ann is discovered dead; the neighbors are in a panic. Sgt. Cameron (Don Diamond) questions the tenants, but no good leads are forthcoming. Detective Mark Jamison is at the scene. The autopsy of Dee Ann reveals a long nail buried in her head. Joe is interviewed by Jamison. He isn't impressed with the detective's concern regarding Laurie's whereabouts.

Joey runs into Kent Kingsley (Wesley Eure), Vance's nephew. He's cleaning the crime scenes for his uncle. [I watched a lot of Land of the Lost - so it definitely feels weird seeing Wesley Eure in this movie.] Kent and Joey put clues together assessing the crime scenes. We find that Laurie is being held in Vance's place. So, the deal is that Vance lost his daughter in a car accident and Laurie is supposed to somehow be her replacement. It feels like Vance is talking to Laurie for half the movie. This goes on and on - and absolutely changes the entire tone of the film. Speaking of a tonal change - the Joey-Kent Hardy Boys team up also seems very incongruous with the first half of the film. Kent sets Joey on fire. So that happens. Goddammit - Vance is still talking to Laurie. Vance versus Kent. Kent wins. Laurie thinks she's been rescued by Kent. But no. Kent is actually the killer (Vance was just an abductor). He proceeds to rape Laure (offscreen). We don't see what happens next, but we are to understand Laurie kills Kent with the scissors by the bed. THE END