Edge of the Axe

Edge of the Axe

20/5/1988 1h 31m 5.2/10

Overview

An axe murderer terrorizes a small Northern California mountain community, while two young computer-obsessed adults attempt to solve the killings.

Director

José Ramón Larraz

Top Billed Cast

Alicia Moro

Alicia Moro

Rita Miller

Fred Holliday

Frank McIntosh

Patty Shepard

Patty Shepard

Laura Simmons

Page Moseley

Page Moseley

Richard Simmons

Barton Faulks

Barton Faulks

Gerald Martin

Christina Marie Lane

Lillian Nebbs

Reviews

JPV852

2/7/2020

5/10

Rather dull horror-slasher Spanish-US production that has some fun little kills but the stuff in between was hard to stay interested in. But the kicker for me was the reveal of the killer, which is BS given the person did not match whatsoever. Even with that, really had a touch time staying awake. **2.25/5**

Wuchak

10/13/2022

6/10

**_“Lost” Euro 80’s slasher set at Big Bear Lake in SoCal_** Murders start mounting up in a previously quiet town in the San Bernardino Mountains east of Los Angeles, which the sheriff initially tries to write off as accidents or, in one case, a suicide. Who’s the psychopathic killer? "Edge of the Axe” (1988) is a Spanish/English slasher set at Big Bear Lake, obviously influenced by the seminal “Halloween” (1978) and “Friday the 13th” (1980). It’s pretty obscure but worthwhile if you like 80’s slashers, like “Pieces” (1982). The scenic rustic setting is great and the characters are fleshed-out with interesting bits, such as the wife of Richard being a good fifteen years older than him, and probably more, as well as the emphasis on 80’s computers. Christina Marie Lane is notable in the female department as Lillian while Joy Blackburn is worth a mention as Susan. Unfortunately, there’s only one great shot of Christina Marie. The director evidently didn’t know how to shoot women (no pun intended), and I’m not tawkin’ ‘bout nudity or sleaze. The story is compelling enough with several possibilities in the whodunit scenario. Regrettably, the big ‘reveal’ doesn’t work because (1) it’s not believable if you think about it and (2) it contradicts at least one scene earlier in the flick. This ‘reveal’ is hardly original, as it had been done a couple times 7-8 years prior and no doubt more. The film runs 1 hour, 31 minutes, and was shot in Avila, Spain, which is an hour drive northwest of Madrid, with lots of establishing shots done at Big Bear Lake. GRADE: B-

Similar Movies

Halloween H20: 20 Years Later

6.0

Halloween H20: 20 Years Later

1998

Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers

5.2

Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers

1995

Striking Distance

5.8

Striking Distance

1993

A Bay of Blood

6.6

A Bay of Blood

1971

Death Smiles on a Murderer

5.7

Death Smiles on a Murderer

1973

The Corpse Packs His Bags

5.2

The Corpse Packs His Bags

1972

Anthropophagous

5.4

Anthropophagous

1980

Swiped to Death

5.4

Swiped to Death

2019