The Driller Killer – Arrow Video (Blu-ray/DVD Combo)

Theatrical Release Date: USA, 1979
Director: Abel Ferrara
Writer: Nicholas St. John
Cast: Abel Ferrara, Carolyn Marz, Baybi Day, Harry Schultz, Alan Wynroth, Maria Helhoski, James O'Hara, Richard Howorth

Release Date: November 28th, 2016 (UK), December 13th, 2016 (USA)
Approximate Running Times: 95 Minutes 52 Seconds (Theatrical Cut), 100 Minutes 59 Seconds (Pre-Release Version)
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC (Both Versions) & 1.37:1 Aspect Ratio / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC (Both Versions)
Rating: 18 (UK), NR, R (USA)
Sound: LPCM Mono English
Subtitles: English SDH
Region Coding: Region Free (Blu-ray), Region Free NTSC (DVD)
Retail Price: £24.99 (UK), $39.95 (USA)

"Ferrara plays struggling artist Reno, a man pushed to the edge by the economic realities of New York living in the late seventies and the No Wave band practising in the apartment below. His grip on reality soon begins to slip and he takes to stalking the streets with his power tool in search of prey..." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 4.25/5

Here’s the information provided about this release's transfer, "The restoration has been approved by director Abel Ferrara and director of photography Ken Kelsch.

The original 16mm AB camera negative was scanned in 4K resolution on a pin-registered Arriscan at OCN Digital. Portions of the original negative have been lost, so a 35mm print was sourced for these sections. The original mono soundtrack was transferred from the 35mm optical negative.

Film grading and restoration was completed at Deluxe Restoration, London. Thousands of instances of dirt, debris and light scratches were removed through a combination of digital restoration tools. Some instances of damage remain, in keeping with the condition of the original materials."

The Driller Killer comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 45.3 GB

Feature: 19.1 GB (Theatrical Cut), 20.1 GB (Pre-Release Version)

This release comes with two versions of the film, and there are also two aspect ratios, 1.37:1 and 1.85:1, offered for each version. For this release, a brand new 4K master was created from the film’s original camera negative, and the end result is easily the best this film has ever looked on home video. The grain remains intact, and there are no issues with compression.

Audio: 4/5

This release comes with one audio option, a LPCM mono mix in English, and included with this release are removable English SDH subtitles. The audio is in very good shape. Dialogue comes through clearly, everything sounds balanced and, range wise, this track sounds good considering the limitations of its source.

Extras:

Extras for this release include a theatrical trailer (32 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles), an interview with director Abel Ferrara titled Laine and Abel: An Interview with The Driller Killer (17 minutes 31 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), a visual essay guide to the films and career of Ferrara by Alexandra Heller-Nicholas, author of Cultographies: Ms. 45 titled Willing and Abel: Ferraraology 101 (34 minutes 19 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), Abel Ferrara's documentary about the New York location that has played a key role in his life and work titled Mulberry St. (87 minutes 52 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an audio commentary with Abel Ferrara and Brad Stevens author of Abel Ferrara: The Moral Vision, reversible cover art and a twenty-eight page booklet (limited to first pressing) with cast and crew information for  The Driller Killer, an essay titled All Around, In the City written by Michael Pattison, crew information for Mulberry St., an essay titled The Memory of Reality written by Brad Stevens and information about the restoration.

Included with this release is a DVD that has the same content as the Blu-Ray included as part of this combo release.

Summary:

Abel Ferrara is not a conventional filmmaker by any means. His films are gritty depictions of New York City in its rawest form. He is virtually a one-man show as he has not only directed but written, acted, and edited many of his films, including The Driller Killer, a film which first gained notoriety as a video nasty in England in the early 1980’s. Despite obtaining the video nasty tag, this film is surprisingly tame when it comes to violent content.

Nothing about The Driller Killer is polished, and in fact, it is this "rough around the edges" look that makes what is going on in The Driller Killer so engrossing. The narrative is average at best, and it even feels padded with scenes that include a punk rock band. Abel Ferrara’s direction does manage to deliver some really impressive shots despite budget limitations and time constraints.

Acting wise, none of the performers really stood out or caught my attention, except Abel Ferrara in the role of the protagnoist Reno Miller, under the pseudonym Jimmy Laine. His intensity can be felt throughout, and even in his character's lowest moments, he manages to gain just a little of my sympathy. Needless to say, he is all in on his character.

There is something fascinating about The Driller Killer, despite its flaws. There are a few similarities between Martin Scorsese’s Taxi Driver and The Driller Killer, most notably in how one of the scenes is edited. Of course, The Driller Killer is an interesting cult film oddity that opens with an appropriate message that says that this film should be played loud, and of course they are right. Ultimately, The Driller Killer is a tale about a man who fears becoming what he most despises, which drives him to murder.

The Driller Killer gets an exceptional release from Arrow Video that comes with a strong audio/video presentation, two versions of the film, and a wealth of informative extras, highly recommended.

Written by Michael Den Boer