Edge of the Axe

"Edge of the Axe", José Ramon Larraz's first proper slasher film, follows a series of brutal axe murders in a Northern California mountain town. A newcomer computer nerd, Gerald, finds himself at the center of them along with his new romantic interest, a local college student, Lillian, who is home for the summer.

Thanks to Arrow Video for unearthing this minor entry in Larraz's career, I've had the pleasure of seeing this film for the first time, and in a glorious print no less. While a far cry from a perfect film, "Edge of the Axe" is an odd entry in the slasher subgenre, not only because it is a late one, but also because it features an unusual blend of styles and tones. A co-production between the United States and Spain, the film boasts a strong slasher Americana disposition, while its hard-edged murder sequences and mystery plot recall European giallo films. The result is a strangely intoxicating crossbreed between national styles and aesthetics.

The bulk of the film was shot in Big Bear Lake, California, and the mountain town atmosphere is laid on thick here, though there are some sequences (including one brutal murder along a train track) that were ostensibly filmed in Madrid, where photography also partly occurred. The murder sequences throughout the film are by and large rather brutal, and Larraz never cuts away from the carnage. The killer, donning a plaster-white mask and a black poncho, is also quite menacing looking, and there are some fantastically-played sequences between the killer and the victims.

The acting is actually rather good for a slasher film, and the two leads (Barton Faulks and Christina Marie Lane) make for a spunky, offbeat couple. The technology angle (the two characters use an incipient computer and terminal system to communicate and research the killings) is completely odd, but adds to the late-'80s charm of the film. The screenplay does veer off course a bit in the last quarter, and at times starts to feel directionless, but the conclusion throws a nice curveball by making the audience think they've seen all its cards when they actually haven't. It's not profound, but it does end on a clever note.

All in all, this is a solid entry in the slasher genre. Its international cross-pollination leaves it with an indelible flavor somewhat reminiscent of 1982's "Pieces" (also a Spanish-American co-production), and the woodsy, small-town northern California setting provides a nice ambiance and setting for all the Euro-influenced slashing to unfold. 7/10.

I was pleasantly surprised when I rented Edge of the Axe the other night. I was expecting just a stupid funny slasher flick, but I actually got a pretty good slash flick. It's about a white masked killer stalking people in a small town hacking them to pieces with an axe, as if you couldn't tell. Good slashings, a cool slasher, a pretty cool story, little to no clichés, a killing before the opening credits roll, no stereotypical characters makes for a good slashing time. You'd expect by the box and the not so good reviews of the flick that it would be a crappy slash flick released too late (1989) to cash in on the slash fest of the early 80's. In fact the slasher flicks of the early 80's could have learned a lesson from this flick. Check it out. You may be surprised. 7/10

I wish this was one of the slashers that fell into the public domain, if only so it could distributed on DVD. I mean really. There is only one bad thing about this movie, and that's the lame song they made for it (also, the fact it plays louder than all the other music). The acting is actually pretty good, not feeling too stiff, the story is intriguing and fun, and most of the music is pretty good. Just the beginning to this movie feels brilliant, building up unreal amounts of tension with so little effort (sadly, this tension seems to go to waste). I love the look of the killer with the distinct, skull-like mask that would have worked well in the Halloween sequels. The gore is nice and the axing is satisfying. Hopefully it will get a nice restored release one day.

I've heard a lot about Edge of the Axe and was excited to check it out. That being said, it was okay, but to me wasn't as interesting as many other eighties horror films. It's not your usual run-of-the mill slasher though, but more of a mystery.

It's about a young man who loves computers and begins to store as much information as he can about a slew of recent murders in his town. He meets a girl and gives her a computer so they can communicate.

What I was impressed with was the ending. It is a truly great ending but most of the film up until that point is a little slow and sometimes interesting sometimes boring. I think it is worth a watch for diehard mystery and horror fans. Edge of the Axe does stand out from other genre movies of its time and is quite clever.

Decent attempt this one, it's among my personnel favourites. I thoroughly enjoyed this cheapo little feature which I found at my local video store…

Set in a remote tranquil town called Paddock County, EDGE OF THE AXE tells the tale of a violent masked murderer that begins hacking his way through the hapless townsfolk one by one with a large hatchet. The Police are left with no clues whatsoever and at first try to keep the brutal slayings under wraps. As the body count mounts up it becomes increasingly difficult to deny that a maniac is at large, and soon the authorities are forced to leak the shocking truth to the terrified community. Two young lovers are forced to feel the effects of the terror upon their relationship when suspicions begin to grow between them…

This is always slapped with a 1989 date; it was actually made two years earlier by Spanish director Jose Ramon Lorez. He released it in the UK under his alias name of Joseph Braunstein. He was also responsible for that awful 1986 zombie attempt: REST IN PIECES as well as another slasher flick titled DEADLY MANOR aka SAVAGE LUST. Although this is supposed to be set in a small American county, I believe that most of it was filmed on location in Greece. Which, would explain the beautiful and eye catching scenery that adorns the screen throughout the feature.

Although it's obvious to see that the team must have suffered some budget restrictions, it's blessed with two qualities rarely seen in movies of its era and ilk. The first is some surprisingly crisp cinematography showing us some neat shots of the beautiful backdrops. Secondly we have some fairly likeable performances especially from Mosely and Lane. Although they're far from ‘great' actors, I think that they showed potential and were a lot better than most of the ‘riff raff' that's usually cast in slashers! These are the two main ingredients that can lift a standard flick well above average. I checked with the IMDB to see if any of the cast featured within went on to find further fame; and was surprised when I found out that not much had come of them. Eagle eyed genre fans will notice Page Mosely from OPEN HOUSE and THE SCAREMAKER on top form as the lovesick Gerald. Also keep an eye out for Barton Faulks from FUTURE KILL who makes an appearance. The story that surrounds them is neat and easy to follow, although away from seeing the bogeyman chop up his victims we are forced to sit through an amusing sub-Danielle Steele style stormy romance that builds between the aforementioned Gerald and the young attractive Lilly (Christine Marie Lane)! Among other things they engage in idle chit-chat such as `You're not the type to be a sea monster' as to which Gerry replies `I didn't know sea monsters had types' and then Lilly tops it all of with `Do you think it's easy being a sea monster'! And if you manage to sit through that straight faced, then you can sit through almost anything!

On the darker side of things however, the killer does indeed look menacing dressed like a new age Michael Myers, complete with cape and hood. I've also heard that in its unedited form EOTA is quite a gory little feature. Although sadly I'll have to take your word on that, because my copy is the BBFC's 18 certificate, that is sadly missing 26 seconds. Another surprise came in the fact that there was no T&A on display, an extremely unusual case for a late eighties slasher! Shockingly enough all the characters manage to keep themselves fully dressed throughout! There are a few times when Braunstein manages to create a really tense atmosphere in a couple of heated cat and mouse chase scenes, and the ending – although similar to PRANKS' finale – is definitely unexpected.

It's always refreshing to see a decent thriller made on a meagre budget, especially when you've seen as many duff budgies as me. Also if you manage not to pay too much attention to the blurb on the back cover, you get to play a challenging game of who's the killer! Don't get me wrong there is a few minor niggles that could've been ironed out in the finished print, like the way the editing jumps around in the murders. - Ok, so this probably has more to do with the BBFC but well, where would I be without being able to have my little gripes here and there? However, EDGE OF THE AXE still remains a better than average effort and if you can find a copy then I thoroughly recommend it!