**_Effective low-budget slasher beat “Halloween” to theaters in 1978_**

At a Los Angeles apartment complex, four women are murdered by various tools and a girl is missing. Who’s the psycho doing the killing and WHY? Cameron Mitchell (Vance), Wesley Eure (Kent) and Nicholas Beauvy (Joey) head the cast.

"The Toolbox Murders” (1978) is an obscure early slasher that only cost $165,000, but it’s professionally made and doesn’t seem too low-budget. It beat the hailed “Halloween” to theaters by almost eight months and, in my opinion, is just as worthwhile if you appreciate slasher flicks.

It’s a sordid affair with a couple exploitive bits, but it explores interesting themes underneath the typical slasher plot. For instance, the opening features a minister on the radio preachin’ Mark 9:43-48 and later we learn that someone takes hyperbolic bits of the sermonizing literally to become a deranged “holy” crusader obsessed with purging society of sinners à la Marvel’s Foolkiller, a character that debuted three years before this flick was shot.

As interesting as that is, it’s augmented by other themes, like foolishly protecting a criminal relative, secret sexual sins, family conflict, traumatization and brave overcoming.

Pamelyn Ferdin is the female protagonist. Although playing a 15 year-old, she was 17 when hired and just turned 18 as shooting began. You might remember her as a child actor featured in several television shows from the mid-60s through the 70s, including the 1968 Star Trek episode “And the Children Shall Lead.” This was her final film before becoming a nurse.

Marciee Drake (Debbie) and Kelly Nichols (Dee Ann) also appear on the feminine front. The latter was a nude model at the time and had therefore no qualms about appearing naked.

The film runs 1 hour, 33 minutes, and was shot at Canoga Park, Los Angeles, with bits done in other parts of the L.A. area, like the closing scene shot at the parking lot of the mall in West Hills.

GRADE: B-