So I Married an Axe Murderer: 30th Anniversary Edition (4K UHD Review)
- Review Date: Oct 10, 2024
- Format: 4K Ultra HD
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Director
Thomas SchlammeRelease Date(s)
1993 (July 25, 2023)Studio(s)
TriStar Pictures (Sony Pictures Home Entertainment)- Film/Program Grade: B+
- Video Grade: A+
- Audio Grade: A+
- Extras Grade: C+
Review
In many ways, So I Married an Axe Murderer is a transitional film for its star, Mike Myers. Post-Wayne’s World and prior to Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery (as well as the superior sequel, Wayne’s World 2), Myers was moving from more grounded material with satirical edge into full-on fantastical and blatantly over-the-top comedic territory. He soon became known more for his makeup-laden, costumed characters, crashing hard in 2008 with The Love Guru, but still managing to stay afloat thanks to success of the Shrek franchise. Axe was by no means a hit upon release, though it wasn’t a total bomb either. Critics were mixed on it or indifferent towards it altogether, but today fans of it can see the beginnings of where Mike Myers was going with his career, as there are elements in the film pushing him in that direction.
Charlie Mackenzie (Myers) is a single guy from San Francisco who’s afraid of commitment, often looking for the tiniest of flaws in the women he dates, much to the chagrin of his friend and cop Tony (Anthony LaPaglia). Charlie’s mother May (Brenda Fricker) frequently warns him of danger as she’s an avid reader of the Weekly World News, citing a recent reporting of Mrs. X, who has lived in different cities and murdered her numerous husbands. One day at a meat market he befriends and eventually dates the butcher, Harriet (Nancy Travis), who seems like a dream come true. Charlie soon becomes suspicious of her, as well as her kooky sister Rose (Amanda Plummer), as the events in the tabloids line up with Harriet’s past, which she’s reluctant to talk about. Soon Charlie must decide whether or not he wants to marry someone who may potentially murder him. The cast also includes Myers as Charlie’s father Stuart, as well as Alan Arkin, Debi Mazar, Phil Hartman, Charles Grodin, Steven Wright, and Michael Richards.
Unfortunately, So I Married an Axe Murderer didn’t grab the kind of audience that it deserved when it was released. Granted that it’s definitely off-kilter, but it still maintains a solid narrative thread. The romantic comedy aspects of it are charming and sweet, which is mostly why the film doesn’t collapse under the weight of its sillier content. Look no further than Stuart, who sounds very much like an older, angrier version of Shrek, who his constantly badgering Charlie’s younger brother about the size of his head (“Heed! Move!”). Or take Tony and his Captain, the latter trying his best to be more aggressive by yelling at Tony like a clichéd TV police Captain, always second-guessing himself and seeking Tony’s approval. Then there’s the mystery of Mrs. X, which is tied into the heart of the film: Charlie and Harriet’s relationship. We want them to be together, but at the same time, if she turned out to be the murderer that Charlie fears she is, we’d be fine with that, too. It’s an interesting dynamic, and part of that stems from Nancy Travis’ performance.
Another aspect of the film is that it’s a deeply 90s movie, almost as if someone set out to make one of the most 90s looking and sounding films ever made. It’s definitely a direct snapshot of a different era, but even so, it holds up well. It’s an easy watch as it isn’t really mean-spirited or complicated, and it helps that the film is peppered with gut-busting appearances from the likes of Alan Arkin, Phil Hartman, Charles Grodin, and Brenda Fricker, among others. Add to that a very 90s soundtrack featuring bands like Soul Asylum, Toad the Wet Sprocket, The Spin Doctors, and a repeated use of a cover of There She Goes by The Boo Radleys.
Today, Myers is known a lot more for being a troublesome collaborator behind the camera, constantly having had friction with his directors and co-stars, and Axe was no different. The film was originally written by Robbie Fox in 1987, but as soon as Myers was involved, he insisted on re-writing the script with his friend, comedian and actor Neil Mullarkey. Unfortunately, neither Myers nor Mullarkey would receive any screenplay credit, while Myers would go on to clash with director Thomas Schlamme on the set. Schlamme would later say that Myers was a professional and not a diva, but had very strong opinions about the script. As evidenced by the deleted scenes, the film was clearly a work in progress at all times, with many scenes re-shot, or scenes and subplots dropped entirely. Thankfully, all of this friction didn’t wind up in the final film.
So I Married an Axe Murderer doesn’t pretend to be anything more than it is, a silly comedy with romance at its core and fun performances from all involved. Everyone is on top of their game. One can understand certain audience members not jibing with Mike Myers’ comedic personality, especially in a leading man sort of role. If you’re not a fan of his brand of shtick, Axe certainly won’t turn you into one. That said, the film deserves another look.
So I Married an Axe Murderer was shot by cinematographer Julio Macat on Super 35mm film with Arriflex cameras and spherical lenses, finished photochemically, and presented in the aspect ratio of 1.85:1. Sony Pictures Home Entertainment debuts the film on Ultra HD with a new 4K scan of the original camera negative, graded for High Dynamic Range in HDR10 and Dolby Vision, and presented on a triple-layered BD-100 disc. The film has never looked as good on home video as it does here. Bitrates sit primarily between 70 and 100Mbps, frequently jumping far above that, with a steady stream of medium, well-attenuated grain. The HDR grades boost the film’s varied color palette enormously, but the real star of the show is the contrast with super deep blacks, which the Dolby Vision pass is even better at rendering. Detail is extremely high and everything appears clean, stable, and organic to the original source with sharp, crisp images. It’s a perfect presentation.
Audio is included in English Dolby Atmos (Dolby TrueHD 7.1 compatible), with additional options in 5.1 and 2.0 DTS-HD Master Audio. The film was recorded in Dolby Stereo, but this Atmos track blows its alternate surround experiences out of the water with amazing low frequency support for the score and music selection, while still giving plenty of support for dialogue and sound effects. Careful staging of atmospherics and occasional uses of panning are very effective, as well. For a comedy film, it offers a surprisingly robust sound experience.
Additional language audio options are included in French, German, Italian, Spanish (Castilian), and Spanish (Latin American) 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio. Subtitles are included in English and English SDH, with additional language options in Arabic, Chinese (Simplified), Chinese (Traditional), Danish, Dutch, Finnish, French, German, Italian, Korean, Norwegian, Portuguese (Brazilian), Portuguese, Spanish (Castilian), Spanish (Latin American), Swedish, Thai, and Turkish.
The 30th Anniversary Edition of So I Married an Axe Murderer on 4K Ultra HD sits in a black Amaray case with an insert and slipcover featuring artwork from one of the original theatrical posters for the film (sans axe, which was added to some iterations on home video later on). The following extras are included, all in HD:
- Deleted Scenes (31:31 total):
- Alt. Opening – Plumber (1:04)
- What’s Worse? (2:24)
- Susan and June (1:36)
- Butcher Shop (1:10)
- Gus (:54)
- Alt. Hot Dog Stand Date (1:00)
- Harriet Speaks Russian (1:07)
- Mail Carrier Ralph (1:31)
- Harriet’s Dream (2:11)
- He Likes You (1:36)
- Policeman’s Poem (:52)
- Newspaper Article (:32)
- Outside Harriet’s Apartment (:31)
- Maybe I Could Wait Inside? (1:02)
- Looking at Photos (1:15)
- I Want a Photo of You (:45)
- Health Shake (2:25)
- Sorry I Didn’t Trust You (1:47)
- Wedding Reception (:39)
- Gas Station (:52)
- Tony Breaks Into Charlie’s Apartment (:39)
- Charlie & Harriet in Car (:54)
- Tony Breaks Into Harriet’s Apartment (2:18)
- Alt. Plane & Pilot (:43)
- Marriage Ruins Everything (1:44)
- Family Photo (:40)
- Grandpa Rap (:54)
- Trailers (4:22 total):
- Theatrical Trailer (2:15)
- International Trailer (2:07)
As I spoke about previously, it’s clear that So I Married an Axe Murderer was a film that was always under construction. Many of the Deleted Scenes are actually alternate versions of what’s already in the final film, but there are also some genuine deleted moments to be had. It all appears to be taken from a film-sourced workprint. The quality isn’t on the same level as the main presentation, but it’s good enough to give you an idea of how the film was shaped into its final form. However, some commentary for context would have been appreciated. Also included for the first time are the film’s trailers. It’s worth noting that none of the TV spots or other promotional materials have been included. I personally remember seeing a featurette about the film on cable at the time it was in theaters. Regardless, getting over thirty minutes of previously-unseen deleted material, as well as the trailers, is a real treat.
If it’s been a while since you’ve seen So I Married an Axed Murderer and you weren’t all that enthralled with it the first time around, do give it another spin, especially in 4K. It’s a gorgeous presentation of a highly re-watchable and delightful film. Highly recommended.
- Tim Salmons
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