Tobe Hooper’s remake of “The Toolbox Murders” is yet another one of those remakes that has nothing really to do with the original film other than the killer has a fettish for power tools.

Director Tobe Hooper’s gory “retooling” of the late ’70s chiller centers on a young couple (Angela Bettis and Brent Roam) who move into an old run-down L.A. apartment complex, only to find out that the structure is under the influence of an evil supernatural force that uses all manner of home improvement equipment to commit a grisly massacre.

I liked this movie a lot. It’s not the greatest horror movie ever made, but it far surpasses what is being churned out by the Hollywood cookie cutter. “Toolbox Murders” delivers all the gritty chills and violence that movies like “Hostel” and “Saw” promise and then never deliver. Hooper uses a nice creepy locale (the now demolished Ambassador Hotel) and a lot of visual misdirection for some really cheap thrills. Also on tap, are quite a few messy deaths involving the aforementioned power tools. The cast is very solid, led by a really solid performance by Angela Bettis. Sheri Moon even pops up in a nice bit part and is actually quite good (not so over-the-top like her performances in Rob Zombie’s two films). My major complaint would be the “supernatural” aspect of the film. I can get behind that the Lusman Arms was built with Satanism and evil in mind. It would have been more interesting if the “supernatural” aspects had been more misdirection rather than the final explanation for the killer and his wicked ways. ‘Cause I don’t like that you never find out just why a supernatural being would have a power tool fettish. That makes it kinda silly … until he saws the top of someone’s head off with a hand-held circular saw. Now that, I like!

Bottom Line:
Somewhat flawed but definately worth checking out.

I watched Wes Craven’s “New Nightmare” last night and enjoyed it for the most part. I was interested in seeing it since it’s not a “sequel” to the original “A Nightmare on Elm Street” and has gotten more good praise than bad. The movie is set in the “real world” and follows actress Heather Langenkamp (Nancy from the original “Nightmare”) ten years after the making of the first film. She’s married, has a child and seems to be being stalked by a rabid “A Nightmare of Elm Street” fan. Of course, she starts see Freddy Kruger everywhere she goes and becomes convinced that he’s trying to kill her family so he can come out of the “movie” and into “real world.” It’s an interesting premise to turn the reality of Freddy Kruger in on itself and the movie does have some really good scenes and scares. I particularly like the sub-plot of Los Angeles having one earthquake after another for no real reason. It mirrors Heather’s unsettled mind. Yeah, it sounds silly, but it works. And it’s fun to see Robert Englund, Wes Craven and assorted other “Nightmare” alumni play themselves. What didn’t really work for me was the climax of the film. It’s ok and certainly doesn’t ruin the movie. I think that rooting the movie’s premise abd conclusion totally in Heather’s psychology would have made for a far more interesting conclusion.

Bottom Line:
Worth seeing for it’s clever reinvention of the “A Nightmare on Elm Street” story line.
(Hell, you might even like the ending more than I did.)