The Toolbox Murders (1978)

toolbox-murdersCameron Mitchell has a really big head. He also has a ski mask, a few mental problems, and a toolbox full of nice things like a hammer, a drill and a nail gun that he uses to snuff out single women in a cozy California apartment complex. One of the classic slashers of the 70s, this has aged well and still has some terrific “yell at the screen” moments. This gets going right from the start with its splatter-iffic opening scenes of the masked Mitchell going on a stealthy spree from apartment to apartment in the middle of the night. Much of the film after that is taken up by the police investigation of the murders before the creepazoid ending.

The makers claim that this is based on a true story, but no one’s ever found any murder cases that parallel the film very well, so general consensus is that this “true story” business is a big ol’ lie.