Driller Killer is a very effective exercise in nihilism and conveys a realistic feeling of the sleaze and hopelessness in the Big Apple at the end of the 70s and dawn of the 80s. This horror movie was directed by and stars Abel Ferrara. It is notable for being one of the first video nasties in the United Kingdom. In 1982, the UK distributors took out full page advertisements in a number of movie magazines depicting the video's violently explicit cover. This resulted in a large number of complaints to the Advertising Standards Agency.
Soon, due to the release of other graphic horror movies such as Cannibal Holocaust, a large campaign to curb violent movies, blaming them for the rate of youth crime, was underway in the UK. Ultimately, Driller Killer was banned under the Video Recordings Act of 1984. It also gained notoriety for being banned in Germany. The movie was not officially released uncut in the UK until 2002.
This film is available online as a free download.
