The Toolbox Murders 4K/UHD Review (Blue Underground)

The Toolbox Murders is a 1978 slasher film directed by Dennis Donnelly (Emergency!, Adam-12, Hawaii Five-O, Charlie’s Angels, and The A-Team). It was written by Ann Kindberg (The Shield, The Haunting of Hill House, You, and Grey’s Anatomy), Neva Friedenn (Supervan, Out for Blood, Sworn to Justice, and Blackbelt), and Robert Easter (Out for Blood, Red Sun Rising, and Kiss Toledo Goodbye). It was remade in 2004 and it was followed by a sequel in 2013. In a quiet apartment complex in Los Angeles, a blood thirsty handyman goes on a killing spree, savagely murdering ‘immoral’ women with the tools of his trade which includes claw-hammers, screwdrivers, power drills and even a deadly nail gun!!!!The Toolbox Murders is one of the best slashers in the 70’s. The look of the deranged psychopath is iconic here and it’s been copied so many times over the years. It features all kinds of unlucky people getting slaughtered including some beautiful woman. It’s a nasty slasher that has no boundaries and it just feels very sleazy at times which really works in it’s favor. Veteran character actor Cameron Mitchell (Blood and Black Lace, Jack-O, Memorial Valley Massacre, Action U.S.A., Trapped Alive, and From a Whisper to a Scream) gives one of his greatest performances as apartment owner Vance Kingsley. This one is loaded with suspense and twists which always makes it interesting on each revisit. This is one of my favorites from those grindhouse days, nothing was watered down back then and this one is proof of that since it does whatever it wants when it comes to it’s violence. This needs to be in your horror collection ASAP, HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!!! This 2160p (1.66:1) transfer with Dolby Vision and HDR10 looks amazing in 4K! This is one of the biggest and best home video upgrades of the year. Blue Underground blows away every past and older release when it comes to The Toolbox Murders. This is the highest quality that I’ve ever seen this film and I’ve watched on almost every possible format over the years. The audio options includes English: Dolby Atmos, English: Dolby TrueHD 7.1, English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1, and English: DTS-HD Master Audio Mono on this UHD. It sounds even better than it looks here on this brand new home video release! It’s a major improvement compared to the past. The dialogue is crystal clear, all the chaos is elevated, and the music has a killer boost. It also includes English SDH, French, and Spanish subtitles. It has a slipcover and a blu ray disc which includes most of the actual extras located on the release. As far as the UHD goes, It has a brand new exclusive “Audio Commentary” with critics Troy Howarth and Nathaniel Thompson. It has the archive “Audio Commentary” # 2 with producer Tony DiDio, director of photography Gary Graver and star Pamelyn Ferdin. It has a “Theatrical trailer”, TV spot, and 2 “Radio Spots”. The rest of the special features are located on the blu ray disc that’s included with the 4K. It has a “Poster and Still Gallery” which has all kinds of stuff relating to this movie, it’s very cool and every fan will appreciate this one. “Drill Sergeant” is a exclusive new 21 minute interview with director Dennis Donnelly. “Tools of the Trade” is a exclusive new 27 minute interview with star Wesley Eure. “Flesh and Blood” is a new 32 minute interview with actress Kelly Nichols. “Slashback Memories” 25 minute new interview with film historian David Del Valle. Cameron Mitchell fans definitely need to check this one out. “I Got Nailed in The Toolbox Murders” is an archive 9 minute interview with actress Kelly Nichols. “They Know I Have Been Sad” is a new 20 minute  video essay was created by critic Amanda Reyes and filmmaker Chris O’Neil. This 4K release is loaded with all kinds of extras. This is one of my personal favorite home video releases of the year so far. It’s available everywhere right now, CHECK IT OUT!!!!