The Thrill Killers

source: The Thrill Killers

I saw this as THE MANIACS ARE LOOSE at the Northgate Theater in Seattle in the 90s. This presentation featured two maniacs who ran up and down the aisles with glow-in-the-dark masks, and little hatchets, at the appropriate moment. The movie was typical Steckler a lot of MOS and gratuitous sadism and violence. Oh those low budget production values. I have THE HOUSE ON HAUNTED HILL with Emergo in my bag as well. I was in the theater in 1959 when Vincent Price sent his articulated skeleton out into the audience and I screamed as much as anyone else. That was class. Steckler always reeked of desperation but I do have a soft spot for him and his films especially THE INCREDIBLY STRANGE CREATURES... etc.

Ray Dennis Steckler is reputedly one of the worst horror/cult directors of all times. He maybe stands just one small step higher on the ladder than, say, Al Adamson or Ted V. Mikels. Well, his professional skills are indeed inept and raw-around-the-edges, to say the least, but his imagination and courage to shock and offend are definitely praiseworthy! This "The Thrill Killers", for instance, is one majorly bonkers and insanely entertaining wild ride from start to finish, chock-full of crazed characters, unconventional plot twists and extremely graphic - for 1964, at least - violence. In Hollywood, there's a cold and relentless serial killer on the loose. And also, three criminally insane mental patients escaped from a nearby asylum. The beautiful wife of talentless and enterally struggling actor Joe Saxon flees from her husband. Joe chases after her, and he brings along a movie producer because he just knows that he will make it in the film industry soon. All the aforementioned people meet in the roadside diner of Joe's sister-in-law, which is unsubtly decorated with posters of Steckler's previous cult-film "The Incredible Strange Creatures Who Stopped Living and Became Messed-up Zombies?!?". Long live randomness! I'm quite certain Ray Dennis Steckler didn't work from a script, but improvised everything on the spot. How else would you explain the total lack of traditional narrative structure, the constant introducing (and eliminating) of fresh characters, and the non-stop spitfire of illogical twists and utterly random situations. Whether or not this film had a script, I can only applaud it for its sheer entertainment value! Also, all the villains are genuinely menacing despite their obviously limited acting skills. The three lunatics are terrific, and particularly Steckler himself (under the pseudonym Cash Flagg) - as the emotionless and motiveless psychopath Mad Dog - depicts an unforgettable horror monster. Last but not least, "The Thill Killers" features a handful of murders, notably the axe-slashings, that undoubtedly must have been quite unseen and shocking in 1964.

The set-up for this one is simple enough: three violently insane goons escape from a mental institution, and go on a rampage, terrorizing people like unsuccessful actor Joe Saxon (Joseph Bardo) and his wife Liz (moll turned * turned actress Liz Renay). While this is going on, a sole psychopath (played by director / writer / producer Ray Dennis Steckler, using his "Cash Flagg" pseudonym) is busy racking up his own body count. "The Thrill Killers" is an above average sleazy-B; if you measure it against other flicks in the Steckler filmography, you too may think that it's better than expected. It benefits from some decent performances. Gary Kent, Herb Robins (later, the writer / director of "The Worm Eaters"), and Keith O'Brien are a hoot as the creeps; O'Brien is so looney he thinks nothing of bringing a murder weapon that he's recently used into a public place. Steckler himself is likewise amusing. His other cast members include his then-wife Carolyn Brandt, Laura Benedict as sassy diner owner Linda, Ron Burr as the ill-fated Ron, Atlas King as early victim Dennis Kesdekian, and Titus Moede in dual roles (including a hilarious Hollywood sycophant at the party). Producers Arch Hall Sr. and George J. Morgan play themselves, and B-movie perennial Renay's own daughter Brenda has a bit at the party. Coleman Francis is the narrator. "The Thrill Killers" does show that Steckler was capable of some competence now and again. It wastes little time getting going, wraps up in a tidy 70 minutes, and gives us an action-packed, exciting finale wherein "Cash Flagg" runs the cops a merry chase. It moves along to a jaunty jazz score by Andre Brummer, and features excellent cinematography by Joseph V. Mascelli. That scene where Flagg is in a hotel room with his next victim is a perfect example of this. Well worth a viewing for fans of vintage exploitation. Seven out of 10.

Three homicidal maniacs embark on a murderous spree after escaping from an asylum. Meanwhile, one loony's equally unhinged brother (a creepy portrayal by director Ray Dennis Steckler) goes on a lethal rampage of his own. Steckler, who also co-wrote the compact script with Gene Pollack, keeps the enjoyably lurid story moving along at a brisk pace, ably crafts an on the money gritty'n'pulpy tone, generates a good deal of tension, and stages the fights and chases with aplomb. The moments of brutal violence pack a fierce punch. Moreover, the game cast give it their proverbial all: Gary Kent, Herb Robbins, and Keith O'Brien have a field day as the three wackos, Carolyn Brandt and Ron Burr are appealing as a pair of imperiled newlyweds, Liz Renay really gets put through the ringer, and Joseph Bardo cuts a properly stalwart figure as struggling actor Joe Saxon. Andre Brummer's groovy bebop jazz score hits the swinging spot. Joseph V. Mascelli's crisp black and white cinematography provides a stark noir look. The tight 71 minute running time ensures that this movie never becomes dull or overstays its welcome. A real funky blast.

This is Ray Dennis Steckler's foray into films about maniacal serial killers. Like many other writers/directors/producers of crap films in the 1960s, this is his attempt to make a film about a group of people who are being terrorized by some maniac or maniacs. Surprisingly, Steckler's THE THRILL KILLERS as well as Arch Hall, Sr.'s THE SADIST and Al Adamson's HELL'S BLOODY DEVILS are all similar plot-wise and all of these films are significantly better than the usual crappy monster films the guys were known for making. Believe me, EEGAH!, THE INCREDIBLY STRANGE CREATURES WHO STOPPED LIVING AND BECAME MIXED UP ZOMBIES and Dracula VS. FRANKENSTEIN are terrible films--the sort of thing these three men were infamous for creating. Here, though, without the silly monsters they seemed more in their element and all three should have probably done more maniacal killer films. Like many of Sreckler's films, he is one of the stars in the film, though he appears in his alter-ego, 'Cash Flagg'. Additionally, Arch Hall, Sr. also appears in this film in a bit part, as both Arch Junior and Senior were friends of Steckler and occasionally appeared in each other's films. You'll also see Steckler in Hall's WILD GUITAR--another surprisingly watchable minuscule budget film. The film begins with some absolutely horrible narration that not only is laughably bad but makes the film look and sound like crap. Fortunately, after the first 5-10 minutes of the film, it does get a lot better--it couldn't get a lot worse! It's very preachy and nonsensical and does a lot to derail the momentum of the film. Additionally, many of the early scenes with Cash Flagg really seem irrelevant--like they were slapped onto the film to pad it. Well, when I watched an interview with Steckler shortly before his death, he indicated this is EXACTLY why some of these scenes were added--the film was too short and he was padding it to feature-length (you can see this interview in the special features on the DVD). Later, however, the film heats up when three maniacs escape from a hospital for the criminally insane. They do some killings that are high on tension and realism--but are also marred by tossing in the silliest looking plastic head that was supposedly chopped off a victim! But, if you can ignore this, the violent scenes are very emotionally charged and are bound to hit you like a brick--they were generally well done--even if much of the film was terrible. And, in an odd twist, the lone serial killer (Flagg) meets up with the three escaped maniacs--making it the first time totally separate killers meet up late in the film. In other words, once the three killers are dispatched, in comes Flagg to terrorize the people who are in the midst of congratulating themselves about a narrow escape!! While the film is very, very uneven and amateurish at times, the film also manages to be entertaining and do a lot for a film that probably cost less than $50,000 to complete. Not bad, but the best of these type films, THE SADIST, is a better film and should be seen first.

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.

I dug this film so much when I first saw it because it epitomizes what makes low budget exploitation good camp entertainment. It seems to be made made solely to exploit itself and does it's damndest to deliver. I like the b & w cinematography and the various cinematic devices used albeit some quite cliche. The camp and subversive elements are given to us hand in hand when serial killer Mort Click tells one of his female victims "People are no good" "I hate People!" "I'm going to kill you". Super cheesy chase at the end is the capper and, because it's slightly anti-climactic, only makes the exploitation motives more obvious therefore giving "The Thrill Killers" very high camp value. I still think it's an admirable and entertaining effort by a spirited and eccentric auteur.

Ray Dennis Steckler directs and stars as bug-eyed maniac with a buzz-cut("I hate people!People are cheap!")whose brother is one of three lunatics having escaped an asylum for the criminally insane. Gary Kent(..this is the third film I've seen of this guy and all three have him cast as a psycho, such as "Girls in Chains" and "The Forest")is the claustrophobic nut with a knife, with a short fuse. Herb Robins is squirrelly Herbie, never relinquishing his axe(..which is used on an innocent couple with plans to fix up a house where the deranged nuts are hiding, startling them), always desiring to bury it into somebody.Keith O'Brien is Keith, Steckler's brother. Steckler is Mort "Mad Dog" Click, and no one is safe in his presence(..he shoots a Latino traveling salesman for his car, and stabs a dancehall hostess in her rattrap apartment with a pair of scissors, on the verge of attacking a kid in her yard if mama hadn't intervened). The movie opens as an indictment of Hollywood, using the troubles plaguing actor Joe Saxon(Joseph Bardo), whose career isn't developing well. His wife, Liz(Liz Renay), wants out of Tinseltown, a former actress who understood all too well the difficulties of securing projects in Hollywood. The film soon moves out of the city and into the mountainous desert of Topanga Canyon as the trio of loonies surprise Joe, Liz, Liz's sister Carol(..played by Steckler's wife-of-the-time, Carolyn Brandt)and a movie director scouting locations, pinning them temporarily in a diner(..which Carol runs and the director wishes to use as a setting where a murder occurs, to add a hint of irony to the proceedings). Soon Keith calls brother to come pick him up as the trio soon run into trouble with Joe whose heroism ruins their escape plans(..as does Carol who adds a special ingredient to Keith's coffee). The film is far more coherent and exciting than Steckler's more notorious cult hit, "The Incredibly Strange Creatures Who Stopped Living and Became Mixed-Up Zombies!!?" Here you have three major chase sequences. The first has newlywed couple Linda(Laura Benedict)and Ron(Ron Burr) besieged by the insane trio, with ill results, neither able to escape, innocence destroyed. The second has Gary pursuing Liz with Joe not far behind, soon resulting in a climb up a mountain, concluding in a rather suspenseful struggle with one plummeting to his death. The third is a doozy..Mad Dog survives several policemen, engaging in gunfire as he sneaks from behind them, soon shooting a cowboy(..stealing his hat!), hopping on his horse and riding down a nearby dirt-road with a motorcycle cop in hot pursuit! What's neat is Steckler's acknowledgment that the scenes with him as Mad Dog were actually not written in the script, used to pad out the movie! And, they were probably my favorite scenes! This, I think, would make an ideal double feature with The Sadist, Steckler one of those filmmakers who was ushering in a different kind of cinema as the studio system's foundation was shaken with an underground independent movement on the rise. While obviously tame compared to more abrasive, ultra-violent fare in the 70's, The Thrill Killers is a film which one might look at as a pioneer in how shock-cinema would later evolve.

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