The Toolbox Murders is a slasher-esque film and Video Nasty released in 1978.Set in California in 1967, the film follows Vance Kingsley, an apartment complex owner who, several months prior to the events of the film, lost his teenage daughter Kathy in a car wreck, a tragedy which sent him spiraling into seclusion and a deep depression, which eventually led to religious mania. Convinced that God took his daughter due to her purity, and that it is ultimately a Crapsack World, Vance dons a trenchcoat, leather gloves and a ski mask and embarks on a killing spree through his apartments, gruesomely murdering female tenants who he views as "unsavory" and deserving of punishment with the assorted nasty contents of a toolbox, such as a drill, hammer, screwdriver and nail gun.Midway through his rampage, Vance becomes enamored with fifteen year-old Laurie Ballard, a reserved and studious girl who lives in an apartment with her mother Joanne, and older brother Joey. Soon enough, Vance abducts Laurie, and holds her captive in his daughter's old bedroom, which resembles a little girl's. As Vance grows increasingly psychotic, and comes to believe Laurie really is his dead daughter, Joey begins to search for his sister, after the police prove unreliable in both their investigation of the murders, and Laurie's disappearance. Helping Joey out is Vance's somewhat odd nephew, Kent, who has been hired by his uncle to help with all the repairs and clean up needed around the apartments in the aftermath of Vance's nightly forays.The film had a remake, simply titled Toolbox Murders and directed by Tobe Hooper of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre fame, in 2004. Besides being set in an apartment complex and having an antagonist who kills with the contents of a toolbox, it was largely In Name Only, and went as far as featuring supernatural elements. After simmering in Development Hell for several years, a sequel, tentively titled TBK: The Toolbox Murders, began production in 2011.As a point of trivia, Stephen King has mentioned the original is one of his favorite horror films.
The original film provides examples of the following tropes:
Afraid of Blood: Vance claims to be when he first introduces himself to Detective Jamison.
Cat Scare: Some dark clothing hanging in the shower, behind a translucent curtain, plus an actual cat yowling and hopping out as Joey and Kent stop by Vance's garage.
Caught with Your Pants Down: In the film's most infamous sequence, Vance walks in on Dee Ann masturbating in the tub.
Chase Scene: Vance going after the naked Dee Ann in her apartment.
Chekhov's Gun: Kent stabs Vance with the knife he had earlier used to make a sandwich, while Laurie kills Kent with the pair of scissors he used to cut her bonds.
The Coroner: He has the responsibility of plucking the nails deeply embedded in Dee Ann out.
Dead Person Impersonation: Laurie tries to manipulate Vance by pretending to be Kathy, but it doesn't really do any good.
Death By Falling Over: The death of Vance's daughter, Kathy. She apparently crashed her car, but from what we're shown, it just looks like she fell out of a stationary one and cracked her head on the pavement.
Death by Sex: If masturbation and rape count, Dee Ann and Kent.
Eureka Moment: Joey concludes Vance is the killer when he realizes he would know the area, the habits of the tenants, and would have no trouble getting inside their apartments.
Evil vs. Evil: By the end, Vance and Kent turn on each other. Kent wins, stabbing Vance in the gut.
Fanservice: We see Deborah's breasts, and Dee Ann masturbating.
Fan Disservice: Dee Ann is still naked when Vance attacks her.
Halfway Plot Switch: It starts off slasher-esque, then becomes a thriller and character study of sorts, showcasing Vance's mental decline while Joey searches for him.
Hope Spot: Kent sneaks into Vance's yard, looks in the window of the room where Kathy is being held, but seemingly fails to spot her. It eventually turns out he knew what Vance was doing, anyway.
Missing White Woman Syndrome: Averted. The police don't initially suspect Laurie was kidnapped, or that her disappearance really had anything to do with the murders.
Motive Rant: Vance explains to Laurie that he views the women he murders as filthy degenerates who deserve punishment for their transgressions, also telling her that he is ultimately making the world a better place by killing them.
What Do You Mean, It's Not Awesome?: While generic radio music plays over most of the murders, a creepy suspenseful score is used for several completely mundane scenes.
What Do You Mean, It's Not Symbolic?: Seemingly promiscuous women are violently murdered with extremely phallic makeshift weaponry. In order, they're drilled, hammered, screwed and nailed.
What Happened to the Mouse?: They set something up between Joanne and Detective Jamison, but it doesn't go anywhere.
Alien Geometries: Possibly. According to Johnny, the building's design (at least the in regards to the secret portion of it) is somewhat impossible, or just really Mind Screwy.
The Cavalry: After discovering Coffin Baby is not dead, Officers Stone and Clark track him down and burst into Nell's apartment Just in Time to shoot him out the window.
Chase Scene: The last third or so is just one long one.
Evil Elevator: It's kind of a piece of crap, and crushes Hudson's body when Nell heads to the top floor after Coffin Baby drags him through the maintenance hatch.
The Man They Couldn't Hang: Coffin Baby is shot out a window, and is hung by a lamp cord that got wrapped around his neck while struggling with Nell. He proceeds to nonchalantly free himself.
Meganekko: Whenever Nell wears her glasses, it's very cute.
Mind Screw: More and more questions are raised as the film progresses.
Mirror Scare: It looks like they're setting this up, only for Coffin Baby to come crashing through a window instead.
Missing Rooms: All apartments ending with the number four.
Room Full of Crazy: One of Coffin Baby's secret rooms is plastered with old newspapers, and even includes false windows showcasing images of Hollywood circa the 1930's.
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