Driller Killer (1979)

Abel Ferrara week continues at tedsmovies.blogspot (more to come!) with the infamous New York art-sleaze director's 1979 debut, the aptly titled Driller Killer. This low-budget exploitation film follows struggling artist Reno Miller (played by a loathsome, swaggering Ferrara) as he descends into madness, spurred on by his annoying girlfriends, the obnoxious punk band next door, and some bad vibes from an old dude in a church that kisses his hand (hey, I can relate). Reno decides to vent his anger in the most logical fashion, by murdering members of New York's homeless population with a power drill. Reno soon becomes obsessed with "killing" with a "drill," eventually offing most of the rest of the cast. The end.

Driller Killer, while not a perfect, or even coherent, or even very watchable, film, remains, I assume, required viewing for fans of Ferrara's work. While extremely rough, Driller Killer provides glimpses of the glossy aesthetic of sleaze Ferrara would perfect in his later work. Driller Killer moves with a lunatic rhythm; it is fast, choppy, and loose, with raw, barely audible performances and sketchy plot machination. At best, Driller Killer is an idiot savante horror, at worst, a bad art school experiment. The film toes the line drunkenly, providing just enough exposition to remain in the category of narrative film, while interpolating bizarre, disparate imagery with little context. Without Ferrara's later work to validate his genius, Driller Killer would likely be unredeemable smut, however, in lieu of his later accomplishments, it can be enjoyed as the zany breeding ground of a singular gutter auteur.

This film is worth watching if for no other reason, than to watch Ferrara create a fairly developed model for Vincent Gallo's later Billy Brown. Ferrara's Reno Miller sounds, and looks, exceedingly similar to Gallo's neurotic, aggravating Brown, and was no doubt a large influence on Gallo's strange aesthetic. Ferrara's performance, though rough, contains a certain brutal charm, perhaps best personified by the scene in which he devours an extra-large pizza single-handedly (apparently murdering people with a drill has given him an insatiable appetite). It is a wonder to watch the gangly Ferrara stuff massive pizza slice after massive pizza slice into his gaunt head, a feat he does with enough relish and aplomb to convince us that perhaps he is eating these slices, and not just "acting."

One thing that astounded me about Driller Killer is the quantum leap in quality between it and Ferrara's next film, the much more focused Ms. 45. While Ms. 45 is no doubt a more professional production, it is impressive to see how fast Ferrara refined and controlled the raw skills displayed in Driller Killer.

Fear City (1984)

Fear City is a 1984 film directed by New York legend Abel Ferrara. Like many of his films, Fear City takes place in the seedy underbelly of New York City, specifically the libidinous pleasure centre that was pre-Giuliani Times Square. Tom Berenger, an ex-boxer, runs a mob-linked talent agency providing exotic dancers to various strip clubs. The star attraction of his roster is his ex-girlfriend Loretta, played by a sultry and often nude Melanie Griffith. Things go south for Berenger when a deranged Kung-Fu expert, with an apparent hatred of women working in the "entertainment"industry, begins killing dancers with various sharp implements, including curvy knives, razor blades, and even a large sword. Understandably, this freaks the dancers out and Berenger's business effectively comes to a stand-still, while also inflaming mob tensions. Berenger must confront his foremost demon, the bitter memory of killing an opponent in the ring, before he is able to find "The New York Knifer," save his business, and protect his love, the now drug-addled Griffith (she relapses after her lesbian lover is killed by the "Knifer").

This film is directed with the typical seedy panache of Ferrara, who transforms what could be a dreary, rote slasher film into something vibrant and visceral. Berenger delivers a broody, muscular yet effectively sensitive, performance - sitting somewhere between Brando's Stanley and Paul Newman's Cool Hand Luke. Griffith's strange combination of child-like naivete and unabashed sexuality work well in the role, yet she isn't required to do much more than wear slinky evening wear (something, however, she does quite well). Maria Conchita and Rae Dawn Chong also feature, Conchita in particular delivering a memorable turn as the sassy dancer Silver (sadly, both succumb to the fanatic "Knifer").

Like many of Ferrara's films, Fear City strikes a strange and occasionally uncomfortable balance between vaguely Feminist critique and brutal mysogynistic fantasy. The film overtly links the brutal violence inflicted by the "Knifer" to their oppressive circumstance in various smut parlours, yet delivers most of its thrills through either sexual or violent titillation. The film's climax, a high noon showdown between Berenger and the Knifer, suggests a possible redemption through masculinity and violence, however Ferrara adept direction and sultry visual style redeems the work from feeling prescriptive or simplistic. Fear City is a film about dark, dangerous worlds, and often dark, dangerous people; Ferrara's refusal to deliver simple, moralistic solutions is admirable, allowing us the greater pleasure of immersion into his vibrant, yet depraved milieu.