The Thrill Killers

Ray Dennis Steckler was one of the more spirited low-budget schlock auters working during the 1960s, and "The Thrill Killers" bears his trademark style: dissonant camera work during the action scenes, authentic locations, and generally ridiculous plot developments (wouldn't you be a bit alarmed if some twitchy guy brought a bloody ax into your restaurant?). By today's standards, the decapitations and stabbings are in the campy vein of Herschell Gordon Lewis (and the 'hynosis' gimmick is pure William Castle), and the hipster slang is dated and laughable. Steckler, who plays the lead psycho, has some genuinely creepy moments, and Carolyn Brandt (Steckler's girlfriend) is fun to watch as an early victim. Even though "The Thrill Killers" is slow-moving and erratically paced, it's worth a look for those who enjoy low-budget cinema.

5/10

I may as well admit something right up front: I will never give a totally negative review to a Ray Dennis Steckler film. I LOVE Steckler's films! They're so corny and cheesy, full of good intentions and a lot of fun. Thrill Killers is no exception. Though it is, by far, Steckler's darkest and most serious film, it's still a wild and weird good time.

Steckler himself plays Mad Dog, a psychopath who roams the streets of L.A., killing at random and often for no reason whatsoever. Mad Dog's brother, in the meantime, has escaped from an insane asylum with a couple of buddies. Also in the meantime, sexy Liz Renay has an argument with her struggling actor husband and flees into the hills to see her sister, who runs a roadside diner. Still with me? The psychos and the sexpot all meet up at the diner, and of course, all hell breaks loose.

There's some really great stuff here: Carolyn Brandt is chased through an empty house by an ax-wielding maniac whilst the radio plays the story of Little Red Riding Hood. The world's phoniest looking decapitation is also here, as well as posters of Stecklers previous films plastered all over the walls of the diner. There's also a great chase scene, with Steckler making a run for it on horseback! But not before Liz punches him right in the face and knocks him on his bony butt in a scene that made me laugh out loud. It even has a happy ending.

This film is pure Steckler, which will attract as many people as it will repel. You either like his films or you don't...and I love them. This is one of his very best.

I only hired this film because there was a picture of someone chasing a girl with an axe on the cover. I like tacky, low budget films as they are often so poor they are funny but this was tedious and hard work to stay awake through.

Ray Steckler's attempt at something different then his usual kind of movie is pretty decent. I must admit though that I do like movies that involve psychotic characters. The story is very simple. Three psychopaths escape a mental hospital and cause havoc to a small community. The lead of the film however is a small time actor hoping to make it big. The crazies meet up with him and his wife in a small diner and hell breaks loose. There's actually a pretty good chase scene which isn't that common in these films. Although a lot of the acting is pretty cheesy, the mental patients are pretty convincing which makes this film worth a look.

Welcome to the world of Ray Dennis Steckler. Low budget shlock about three psychopaths and one of them's serial killer brother on the rampage in black-and-white 1960's Los Angeles.

This is most definitely Steckler's least incompetent film. Black and white cinematography is fantastic. Steckler applies creative film-making principles to a crazy low budget to make great entertainment, but also competent movie making. I really enjoyed the production music that he chose to use.

Steckler was also hanging around with Arch Hall Jr./Sr. (he appeared in and directed Wild Guitar) during these years. Hall Sr. even appears here in an unbilled cameo as himself: a drunken lout.

So I can't help but compare this film to the similar Arch Hall film "The Sadist." Similar plot device of maniacs keeping normal people at bay in a deserted shack out in the sticks, though that scenario takes up only a few scenes in this film, and takes up 95% of "The Sadist." This film is not quite as good as "The Sadist" but fans of that work should enjoy this trip as well.

Anyway, fans of Steckler's peculiar universe of film making should dig on this, though as others have stated this is most certainly his darkest film. Several genuinely scary scenes (in the DVD commentary track, Steckler brags about shooting these scenes in the daytime and still being able to scare the audience) and several exciting chase scenes for about the last 20 minutes of the movie, much better done than is usual for films of this budget level.

An enjoyable psychopathic killer film with a bit of late-period film noir atmosphere that comes off well. Just a bit of "Blast of Silence" maybe. Filmed in 1964, released in 1965. Available on DVD.