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In the 1970s, a host of exploitation films from Italy and America were arguably at the cutting edge of horror cinema, from Dario Argento and Lucio Fulci to Tobe Hooper, and beyond. One of these movies was the Toolbox Murders (originally directed by Dennis Donnelly in 1978), which Hooper’s new film is loosely based on. However, as the film progresses, it becomes apparent that the ‘remake’ is more of a reverent accompanying piece to the original, in a similar manner that the new Texas Chainsaw Massacre is to its predecessor. There are major differences here from the original, budget and director aside, with Hooper altering the protagonist from a mere balaclava-wearing psychopath to a supernatural monster called Coffin Baby.
The film begins with characters Nell (Angela Bettis) and Steven (Brent Roam) moving into an old hotel in Hollywood and becoming acquainted with their new surroundings. Yet far from being an idyllic setting for the young couple, Nell is left there alone for much of the time whilst Steven is working and grows unhappy with her isolation and the ever-growing number of domestic problems. This isolation is replaced anxiety as she hears strange noises late at night and several residents in the hotel disappear, which in turn begins to put strain on their relationship. Meanwhile, Coffin Baby commences butchering people in the hotel with a variety of different tools, and the combination of tension and graphic slaughter begins to create a disturbing atmosphere of unease, which permeates throughout the movie.
As the body count grows steadily, so does Nell’s unexplainable fear of the building and she calls out the police to investigate several disturbances that prove to be false alarms. Of course, when the police depart, Coffin Baby gets back to work and eventually targets Nell, pursuing her relentlessly into the belly of the building. In a manner similar to Fulci’s haunted hotel in the Beyond, the building has many hidden and derelict floors, containing Coffin Baby’s lair, along with the decaying remains of many, many corpses. Upon discovery of this, Nell attempts to escape whilst Steven desperately searches for her in the ruins.
Hooper’s intended homage to original is certainly that, with the film itself having very much the feel of a 1970s horror flick. The dark and sinister atmosphere feels straight out of some of his earlier films, such as Texas Chainsaw Massacre or Deathtrap, whilst the killings themselves could be taken straight out of Driller Killer or Argento’s Trauma. He also cleverly interjects some humorous banter along the way to keep the viewer guessing about the next scene, and this gives Toolbox an unsettling feel throughout.
It’s also quite a brave movie to make, because although Tobe Hooper’s position as a great horror director was cemented years ago, with Toolbox he is presenting contemporary horror audiences with a piece that has the look and feel of an entirely different genre to the popularized Hollywood horror vibe that featured in films such as Scream, My Little Eye or Cabin Fever. It’s a film that, while perhaps not on the same level as some of his earlier work (but then again, not much is), is certainly worth checking out if you’re a fan of ‘70s horror, and if you’re not then this film may convince you that you should be.
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