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Toolbox
Murders, The (2003)
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Just when 1977’s dreadful Texas Chainsaw inspired Toolbox Murders was fading away to oblivion a couple of events occur that suddenly elevate the film to a status it never deserved.
The earlier late 70’s effort, grisly though it was – was a highly tedious and totally non-scary piece of sleazoid cinema devoid of any merit at all other than its rather wonderful title which was easily its strongest feature. The film itself was the dregs with perhaps the most horrifying memory being that of the excruciating Country and Western songs that were sprinkled liberally through the turgid proceedings. OK there was some gore, but not that much and really rather unmemorable. What has suddenly sprung this piece of trash from the garbage pail of history is the fact that Tobe “Chainsaw” Hooper himself announced that he was filming a remake with May star Angela Bettis in the lead role. The fact that Hooper, the man whose film’s outrageous success had inspired the Toolbox Murders was now about to return the compliment ten fold by remaking the largely forgotten Toolbox film was enough to get the horror community buzzing about its prospects and inevitably the question being asked “will Tobe Hooper recapture his long lost form” with this remake that is potentially right up his alley? The other event that sort of shot The original Toolbox Murders into the limelight once again was the fact that a fledgling but already fairly prominent DVD label BLUE UNDERGROUND were to release the film in all its uncut glory with extras and a commentary track as their very first outing! All of sudden advertisements for the Toolbox Murders were spotted in all horror-zines which helped people draw up the albeit misguided conclusion that the original Toolbox Murders was some sort of Cult Classic that had been long lost and now the world would be able to re-discover this lost classic courtesy of the DVD release and also Tobe Hooper’s upcoming remake. Tobe Hooper’s interpretation of this z-grade slasher trash starts off in similar vein with a couple of grim death scenes to get the ball rolling rather well. As an ageing rather decrepit apartment block sorely due for renovation finally gets some work done on but at the same time a bloody trail of corpses starts to mount as a shadowy handyman gets to work using the contents of his toolbox to devastating effect. As it happens in these sorts of films, nobody seems to realize that there is a prowler on the loose and that various inhabitants have suddenly disappeared. Angela Bettis is the mousy, polite new inhabitant who slowly starts catching on that all is not what it seems in the wretched apartment complex. Eventually using her canny intuition she starts piecing together a puzzle that is to lead her to the most terrifying disclosure. Is the film a successful remake? Is it better or worse than the original version? Is Tobe Hooper back to his superlative best? These are some relevant questions that ought to be dealt with straight up. The film is indeed a successful remake in that it is a far superior, tighter and more “cinematic” experience then the turgid original – but having said that, it really doesn’t take much to improve upon the dismal original. Though this new version is a considerable improvement on the 1977 version, this really isn’t much to crow about as the first Toolbox absolutely stank. Tobe Hooper’s version has tinkered with the plot to significant effect by introducing a totally different second half scenario to the original which is part of the reason for the vast improvement. And finally, is the film a return to top form for Tobe Hooper – I am afraid the answer to that one is a fairly emphatic “not yet”! Though this film has to be considered a step up from some of the straight to Video garbage that poor Hooper has been churning out of late….trouble is, this film might end up suffering the same fate. Sadly this new version of The Toolbox Murders is a pretty unmemorable effort on the whole and there must be serious doubts as to whether this will be the one to revive Tobe Hooper’s fortunes. Angela Bettis strives hard but has little scope to excel while most others are just bit players. The film was somewhat cursed when screened at the Sitges Film Festival 2003 in that the day it was due to be shown to a fairly packed audience at the main auditorium later at night, suddenly Mr. Hooper’s corner realize that their hi-def transfer of it is absolutely blank…….nothing at all to be seen on the tape at all. So there were a series of frantic meetings outside to try to work out the best possible alternative………with six hours to go, it was hardly possible to have a new print sent out from California to Barcelona at this stage in life. So a sheepish Mr. Hooper had to show his film blown up on a huge screen off a regular VHS copy! Needless to say the results were drastically compromised and what we saw was a fuzzy version with washed out colours and the sound too was not that hot either. Anyway, the diehards couldn’t miss the latest Tobe Hooper film especially as it was a potential winner from the old master. Funny how The Texas Chainsaw Massacre was remade in 2003 and despite all the odds turned out to be a sterling remake if not anywhere near the classic status of the original. Yet it was a terrific and nasty terror-ride and must be considered one of the best yet horror remakes. Meanwhile Toolbox Murders gets a makeover from the master himself and turns out to be a watch-able yet quite unexceptional film.
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