“It takes a lot of love for a person to do this.”
Most of the slashers on this list seem to have a motive for their mayhem. From mental trauma to out-and-out revenge, these folks have a reason for what they are doing. Today’s slasher, Russ Thorn, likes pretty girls and power drills. For this reason, he is known as the Driller Killer. But why didn’t I list today’s slasher by that nickname? Because both of the sequels to the original Slumber Party Massacre (1982), where Russ makes his debut, feature other versions of the Driller Killer and I want to focus solely on Russ.
In the original Slumber Party Massacre, a group of young girls have a slumber party at the wrong time. Russ has recently escaped from prison, where he was serving time for five murders, and picks up right where he left off by killing a local telephone worker and a very, very young Brinke Stevens. Russ terrorizes the girls at the party, but they manage to put up a surprisingly good fight, especially considering that the early 80s thrived on damsels in distress being saved by men. In fact, the men in this film that do get in Russ Thorn’s way end up on the business end of his power drill.
There’s absolutely nothing flashy about Russ Thorn. He wears a denim jacket, t-shirt, and jeans. He throws out a few choice words here and there, sometimes humorous, but he’s pretty much nothing more than your traditional, sadistic, twisted serial killer. There’s no backstory or motive for his murders, except for the fact that he appreciates a pretty face. He was portrayed by Michael Villella in the original film.
Two sequels and a 2021 remake were released. In the first sequel, 1987’s Slumber Party Massacre II, the Driller Killer is a supernatural rockabilly guitarist (yes, you read that correctly) who has a massive drill on the end of his guitar (you read that correctly as well). He haunts the dreams of Courtney Bates, the little sister from the original film, and then murders her bandmates and friends one by one. He’s A LOT mouthier than Russ. The third film, Slumber Party Massacre III (1990), gives us Ken, a troubled young man who was sexually assaulted as a child by his uncle, who goes on a drilling spree. A 2021 remake of the original film turns Russ into an escaped mental patient who has a fondness for drills.
Russ Thorn might be a bare-bones mass murderer, but his weapon is pretty unique. I hope that you enjoyed this look at our favorite drill enthusiast and I appreciate you checking out my post!
Ken's Alternate Universe! 