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Action Cult Classic

A trio of escaped maniacs slices into Hollywood dreams and marriages in 1964’s raw, low-budget mayhem.

THE THRILL KILLERS

1964 · 1h 9m · NR · Action / Crime / Horror / Thriller

Three psychotic murderers escape from a mental institution and stalk women in Los Angeles.

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What is The Thrill Killers about?

The Thrill Killers is a 1964 American action, crime, horror, and thriller film directed by Ray Dennis Steckler about three escaped psychopaths who terrorize Los Angeles, colliding with the lives of a struggling actor and his wife.

Synopsis

Joe Saxon (Brick Bardo) is an unsuccessful actor in Hollywood who refuses to accept defeat. His wife, Liz (Liz Renay), is fed up with his dreaming, not to mention the wild parties he throws to suck up to movie industry bigwigs. Worried over their finances, Liz leaves him and goes to stay with her cousin, Linda (Laura Benedict), at the roadside café she runs, but Joe follows with a movie producer in tow who wants to give him a break. Meanwhile, a trio of lunatics has escaped from a mental hospital, cutting a swath of mayhem across California. The axe-wielding psychopaths murder a pair of newlyweds, dispatching their victims with cackling glee. The paths of all these characters cross inevitably at the café, and the fugitives hold the diners hostage.
Details & Specs
Director
Ray Dennis Steckler
Writers
Gene Pollock, Ray Dennis Steckler, Ron Haydock
Release
1964
Runtime
1h 9m
Also Known As
The Maniacs Are Loose!, Mad Doc Click, The Thrill Killers, The Monsters Are Loose

Why Cult

Escaped Psychos On The Loose

Three lunatics break out of a mental institution and carve a bloody path through California, targeting unlucky victims in their wake.

Hollywood Dreams Collide

A washed-up actor, his frustrated wife, and a desperate movie producer get swept up in violence when their paths cross the killers.

Steckler and Renay Front and Center

Director Ray Dennis Steckler stars as the unhinged Mort 'Mad Dog' Click, matched by cult icon Liz Renay as Liz Saxon.

Sixties Drive-In Energy

Clocking in at just 69 minutes, this 1964 shocker delivers a fast-paced, no-frills grindhouse experience.

Trailer

Questions from the Vault

What is The Thrill Killers about? +

The Thrill Killers follows three escaped psychopaths wreaking havoc in Los Angeles, intersecting with the troubled lives of a Hollywood hopeful and his wife.

When was The Thrill Killers released? +

The Thrill Killers was released in 1964.

Who directed The Thrill Killers? +

Ray Dennis Steckler directed The Thrill Killers.

How long is The Thrill Killers? +

The Thrill Killers has a runtime of 69 minutes.

What genre is The Thrill Killers? +

The Thrill Killers is an action, crime, horror, and thriller film.

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