Plot: What’s it about?
If someone were to ask me “what were the early 90’s like?” I think I’d point them to this movie. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not that the film epitomizes the 90’s in a literal sense, just the whole “grunge” era complete with the music to accompany it. That’s what I got out of it anyway. But moving onto the film itself, studios were obviously trying to re-create the success of the previous year’s Wayne’s World. Mike Myers, then a SNL cast member, was now a hot commodity. As time has told us, lightning didn’t strike twice with this one. So I Married an Axe Murderer has a few charming moments, but it’d be a few years until Myers unleashed Austin Powers to the world (and a few years later, Shrek). Perhaps “hip poet living in San Francisco marries a woman who’s ex’s have a tendency towards death” might have sounded good on paper, but when it came to the delivery – well, let’s get started…
Myers plays Charlie, a poet who’s struggling to make ends meet but his job does allow him to pay the bills. He’s got commitment issues and feels the need to distance himself from those he’s dating if they get too close. Things change when he meets Harriet (Nancy Travis), a local at a butcher shop with who they have an instant connection. Charlie’s mother (Brenda Fricker) alerts him to the fact that there’s a string of murders happening across the country. Charlie, now paranoid, starts to notice a few oddities with Harriet and feels that he might be dating the murderer. Charlie, together with his cop buddy Tony (Anthony LaPaglia) try to convince themselves that it’s not the right person. Are Charlie’s insecurities getting the best of him or is he really dating a killer?
Admittedly, I found So I Married an Axe Murderer a lot more charming this time around. I don’t know if it just reminded me of a simpler time in my life or that I went into it not expecting a whole lot but it did seem to work for me. Myers never really established himself as a “romantic lead” as that’s what I’m sure the filmmakers had in mind, but it did give him a good launching pad. The movie is a bit dated, however, with some cameos by Michael Richards (doing his “Kramer” routine), Steven Wright (doing his comic routine) and Charles Grodin (doing whatever it is that made him famous). More importantly Myers also plays his character’s own father, Stuart, which is an eerie predecessor to the “Fat Bastard” character he’d play a few years later. So I Married an Axe Murderer is a fairly underrated romantic comedy and if not taken too seriously, is a lot of fun.
Video: How does it look?
Time flies. It’s hard to believe that a movie that came out in my college years is now three decades old. That being said, Sony treats their new 4K titles right and we’ve been given a new transfer that showcases the scene in the early 90’s. I’d have to imagine that the best way to experience Myers’ floppy hair, flannel shirts and coffee bars is best when viewed in ultra high definition. The film, to me, has always had a “burned” look. I can’t really put my finger on it, could be the lighting or just the way it was filmed. Nevertheless, HDR has fixed some of that and together with the increased resolution and lack of grain, it’s the best the film has ever looked.
Audio: How does it sound?
We get a new Dolby Atmos soundtrack that serves as a veritable “who’s who” of the grunge rock scene from the early to mid 90’s with songs by the “Spin Doctors” and “Ned’s Atomic Dustbin” to name a few. These are played intermittently throughout the film and do give it a bit of a dated feel to it, but if you’re like me you like the songs. Dialogue is the main focus here, be it Myers’ character’s voice or the stressed Scottish of his character’s parents. This has never been a film to showcase the limits of your system, but the new track is a welcome addition that’s sure to please.
Supplements: What are the extras?
- Deleted Scenes – The main draw in the supplemental department are these 30 minutes of never-before-seen deleted scenes. I realize that sounds like an advertisement, but it’s also the truth. And, truthfully speaking, I don’t know when I’ve ever seen deleted scenes and said “Oh my God, that movie would have been so much better if those were included.” There are s some interesting tidbits in there and it’s nice to have these, but I feel the movie stood well on its own without them.
- Theatrical Trailers
The Bottom Line
This was an odd choice to get the 4K treatment, but Sony has done a fine job with it. We’ve got a new 4K image, a new Dolby Atmos mix and half an hour of deleted scenes. The film might be a bit lacking, but for fans – this one delivers the goods and then some.
