Al filo del hacha

I remember seeing "Edge of an Axe" many years ago on German satellite television.It's the highest time to watch it again.Jose Rammon Larraz has made a steady output of horror films including "Vampyres"(1974),"Symptoms"(1974),"Stigma"(1979),"The National Mummy"(1980),"Rest in Pieces"(1987)and "Deadly Manor"(1990).A series of brutal axe murders is plaguing small town in Northern California.The killer wears white Michael Myers inspired mask and rain slicker and the police is unable to trace the suspect.The pace is fast and the direction is solid,but there is not enough strong gore for my liking."Pieces" by Juan Piquer Simon is much bloodier and more brutal than "Edge of an Axe".Still if you like low-budget slasher movies give this one a chance.7 axes out of 10.

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.

That was the question I was faced with. The answer? A little of both. I guess my comments will be a mixture of both of those that I followed. This film is a good mixture of horror and mystery. I liked the pretty scenery and the identity of the killer was certainly a mystery. The identity of the killer is not who you think! Jack Taylor (Pieces '81) was good as always. He always seems to play a mysterious weirdo, is that a hint towards his private life? Maybe! The problem with this film is it is strictly formula. It has been done a million times before and will be done a million times again! While this is an interesting twist on my favorite genre, it is also a cliche. Some slashers, though, could learn from this one. Not bad! ***out of****Good acting, directing;writing is formula.

"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 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.