Cameron Mitchell is a deranged apartment manager who has a problem with "dirty" women, so to fix the problem, he takes toolbox in hand and kills them in various gory ways. He also has a fixation on the neighbors 15 year old daughter, who reminds him of his own dead child,and kidnaps her. Meanwhile his twisted nephew has plans of his own for the girl.
TOOLBOX MURDERS is a nasty movie. Cameron Mitchell is no wise cracking Freddy Kruger or a supernatural boogeyman ala Jason or Micheal Myers. He cries and tries to explain why he is killing to the kidnapped Pamela Ferdin. Which makes it more realistic and scary. (oh yeah-the Camster sings 'I Feel Like a Motherless Child' too!) The soft country music that plays in the background during the slaughter adds to the unease.
Pamela Ferdin really-I mean REALLY looks terrified ! It was unsettling to see her in such a role-I saw so much of her when she was young (the 1970's TV version of Lassie, Gunsmoke, Star Trek,etc) it was kinda like seeing Shirley Temple being abused.
Wesley Eure, who plays the perverted nephew, used to be a star of the old LAND OF THE LOST show! Yikes!
Oh-and for you pervs out there-don't miss the bathtub scene with 70's-80's pornstar Kelly Nichols!
Overall-a disturbing film. The 70's was the era of John Wayne Gacy, Ted Bundy, the Hillside Stranglers, etc. ..so I suppose it reflects the time. Oh-and no-it was not based on a true story. The real Toolbox Killers were arrested in 1979,a year after this film was made.
