The Toolbox Murders

From the opening scene, in which an unseen assailant drives around, listening to some fundamentalist idiot spouting off about the world's 'evil' on the radio, you almost know where "The Toolbox Murders" is headed. Unfortunately, after several effective, gruesome deaths (which all take place in the first 15 minutes of the film), the movie becomes another one of those "God-made-me-do-it" cheese-fests, where the killer justifies his madness by citing his strict religious upbringing (which might be THE most tired cliche in the Mad Slasher Handbook). The film is redeemed by the crude innovation of the murders, the long "bathtub" scene, and some funny bad acting by a cast of nobodies. Timothy Donnelly ("Parts: The Clonus Horror") is hilarious as a would-be tough-guy police detective, and Aneta Corseaut (Steve McQueen's girlfriend in "The Blob"!) seems embarrassed beyond belief as the mother of one of the victims. Don't go out of your way to see "The Toolbox Murders" unless you're a slasher enthusiast. 1.5 stars out of 5.