The Driller Killer
A banned video nasty caught up in UK censorship laws.
The Driller Killer (sometimes shortened to *Driller Killer*) is a 1979 American black comedy slasher. Abel Ferrara directed, edited, and starred in it, with a script by Nicholas St. John. This was Ferrara’s first mainstream feature; his previous film, from 1976, was the pornographic *9 Lives of a Wet Pussy*. The story follows Reno Miller (played by Ferrara under the pseudonym Jimmy Laine), a struggling New York City artist who goes insane from stress and murders homeless people with a power drill.
In the United Kingdom, the film ended up on a list of "video nasties" banned under the Video Recordings Act 1984, thanks to the graphic cover art of its 1982 VHS release. An edited version was released on video in the UK in 1998, and later received an 18 certificate for video in 1999; the BBFC approved a fully uncut version in 2002.
Because proper copyright registration was never filed when it first came out, *The Driller Killer* is in the public domain.
**Plot**
Artist Reno Miller and his girlfriend Carol enter a Catholic church to approach his estranged, homeless father. The man grabs Reno’s hand, which makes Reno and Carol flee. Unbeknownst to Reno, his father slips him a piece of paper asking for a meeting, but Reno denies knowing the homeless man.
Back at his apartment, Reno gets electricity and phone bills he can’t pay, along with his monthly rent. He lives with Carol (a former flight attendant) and her drug-addicted lesbian lover, Pamela, in a Union Square neighborhood full of derelicts. Reno visits Dalton, an art gallery owner, and says he’s working on a masterpiece. He asks for a week’s extension and a $500 loan for rent. Dalton refuses, saying he’s already lent Reno enough, but agrees to buy a satisfactory painting for the agreed amount if Reno finishes it in a week.
The next day, a rock band called the Roosters starts practicing in a nearby apartment, unnerving and frustrating Reno. At 2:00 a.m., agitated by the music while painting, Reno has a vision of his own blood-soaked image. He goes for a walk, sees an elderly homeless man sleeping in an alley, grabs him, and rants. He ducks into the alley with the man; they see teenage gang members chasing another homeless person. Once the gang is gone, Reno drops the man and walks away, vowing he won’t end up like a derelict.
The following day, Reno complains to his landlord about the Roosters.
Quick Facts
- Director
- Abel Ferrara
- Writer
- Nicholas St. John
- Producer
- Rochelle Weisberg
- Starring
- Abel Ferrara / Carolyn Marz / Baybi Day / Harry Schultz / Alan Wynroth
- Music
- Joe Delia
- Editing
- Bonnie Constant / Michael Constant / Orlando Gallini / Abel Ferrara
- Cinematography
- Ken Kelsch
- Production Companies
- Navaron Films
- Distributor
- Rochelle Films
- Released
- 15 June 1979
- Runtime
- 96 minutes (theatrical cut) / 101 minutes (pre-release cut)
- Country
- United States
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
In the United Kingdom, the graphic cover art of its 1982 VHS release landed it on a list of 'video nasties' banned under the Video Recordings Act 1984. While some have claimed the film was almost single-handedly responsible for that Act, this is an exaggeration; the Act was a response to a broader moral panic over multiple video nasties. An edited version was released on video in 1998, then granted an 18 certificate and released again in 1999, and a full uncut version was approved by the BBFC in 2002. Due to a lack of proper copyright registration on its initial release, the film is in the public domain.
Reader's Guide
The Driller Killer is significant as a landmark in the 'video nasty' moral panic that reshaped UK home video regulation. Its banning, driven almost entirely by its cover art rather than its content, led directly to the Video Recordings Act 1984, which required all videos to be classified. The film itself is a low-budget psychodrama that showcases early elements of Abel Ferrara's style, including Catholic imagery and urban grit. Reviewers noted the film was not very violent and is more of a psychodrama; it holds a 64% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes. In 2016, Arrow Video remastered the film on Blu-Ray, discovering a pre-release version five minutes longer than any previous release, which Ferrara confirmed he had intentionally shortened. The film's public domain status has allowed wide distribution, and a remake was reported in 2007 by British filmmaker Andrew Jones, titled Driller Killer Red, though the article does not confirm its completion.
Did You Know?
- The Driller Killer was Abel Ferrara's first mainstream feature film, following his 1976 pornographic film 9 Lives of a Wet Pussy.
- The film's UK VHS cover art, depicting a victim being drilled through the forehead, contributed to its notoriety as a 'video nasty'.
- Contrary to some claims, The Driller Killer was not almost single-handedly responsible for the Video Recordings Act 1984; the Act was a response to a broader moral panic over multiple video nasties.
More in Video nasties 1-24
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