DVD Corner

So I Married An Axe Murderer 4K UHD Review

“So I Married An Axe Murderer” never quite comes together.

In 1993’s “So I Married An Axe Murderer,” the Robbie Fox scripted story revolves around a beat poet named Charlie who has had a string of failed relationships. Did he sabotage them due to his fear of commitment? Was he paranoid about the women he dated? Perhaps both. After he falls for a butcher named Harriet, he hopes things will be different with her, but he starts to suspect she is the notorious honeymoon murderer known as Mrs. X. Is he becoming paranoid yet again or is she really the murderer (or is someone else)?

Directed by Thomas Schlamme, “So I Married An Axe Murderer” was a box office bomb at the time of its release but has since developed a cult following. While this twisted romantic comedy deserves credit for attempting something different, it ultimately feels rather lacking.

For starters, there’s no real chemistry between Mike Myers and Nancy Travis which sinks the whole movie. Travis is charming here while Myers looks rather uncomfortable in the leading man role. He seems to want to rely on sketch comedy bits more than developing the character of Charlie. Where Myers really shines here is with the other character he plays- Charlie’s Scottish father Stuart. In retrospect, Myers really used this movie as a springboard for other projects such as “Shrek” and more recently “The Pentaverate” (which is referenced here). There are a fair number of memorable supporting roles and cameos by the likes of Anthony LaPaglia (who plays Charlie’s Detective pal Tony), Amanda Plummer, Alan Arkin, Phil Hartman (who has the best scenes), Michael Richards, Steven Wright, Charles Grodin and Debi Mazar. 

In terms of the script, the clunky pacing and narrative seems to flounder at times as it leads towards the big conclusion. It’s the type of comedy in which you feel like there’s a lot of missed opportunities. The thriller-mystery angle works in the end, but the combination of the sluggish lead-up and the unconvincing romance works against it.  

Video/Audio:

Presentation: 1.85:1 2160p. How does it look? Happy to report that this is a quality upgrade from a picture quality standpoint. This is the best the film has looked bar none.

Audio Track: Dolby Atmos. How does it sound? In honor of its 30th anniversary, this disc also boasts a satisfactory Dolby Atmos track. Now, you too will have “There She Goes” stuck in your head on an infinite loop for days on end!

Extras:
* Digital copy
* Theatrical and international trailers
* The main selling point here is a whopping 27 never before deleted scenes clocking in at 31:31 in total length. This is the kind of new extras people love to see for a catalog title.

July 15, 2023 - Posted by nicklyons1 | 4K UHD Review | 90's Movie, Mike Myers, Nancy Travis, Rom-Com, romantic comedy, So I Married An Axe Murderer 4K Review, So I Married An Axe Murderer 4K UHD Review