A fetishistic sense of place enrobes the close-up action of Abel Ferrara’s unexpectedly ultrafeminine erotic film. A daisy chain of ecstasies, this classic of the “porno chic” era plays teasingly with textural rhyme, layering nail polish on pearlescent flesh on the shine of Rolls-Royce brightwork.

Transfusing exploitation with experimentation, The Driller Killer spills blood, guts, and ideas too. Drilling down into genre, Abel Ferrara’s notorious breakthrough mashes together throbbing punk concerts, lurid grindhouse kills, wicked political satire, and bohemian arthouse digressions.