SO I MARRIED AN AXE MURDERER
A film review by Mark R. Leeper
Copyright 1993 Mark R. Leeper
Capsule review: Unlucky in love, Michael Myers plays a man who finally finds the perfect woman, only to start finding clues that she may have murdered three husbands. The comedy is uneven but often amusing; the mystery elements need a lot of work. Rating: high 0 (-4 to +4). (Mystery elements discussed in a heavy spoiler at the end of the review.)
Charlie Mackenzie (played by Michael Myers) has been unlucky in love. Each of his former loves has had something seriously wrong with her, as he recounts to his policeman friend and as he sets to jazz poems as part of a very obnoxious coffee house act. It could be that each had been involved on the mossy side of the law or it could all be in Charlie's mind. Or a third very real possibility is that Charlie's personality drives people to desperate acts. Then Charlie meets Harriet (played by Nancy Travis) and they are just perfect for each other. This might be the one for Charlie. The only problem is that Harriet's background is surprisingly like that of "Mrs. X"--the designation the tabloids have given to an unknown woman who has apparently murdered three husbands. One piece of evidence after another links Harriet to the three murders. Is Harriet the infamous Mrs. X?
SO I MARRIED AN AXE MURDERER is a comedy/mystery, with the accent on comedy. And I mean that 100% of the accent is on comedy. The mystery writing is an insult to mystery films. It is just a framework on which to hang the comedy. (Strongly-worded spoiler section to follow.) Perhaps this is more a skit than an actual film. While I was not fond of Myers in WAYNE'S WORLD, there is some humor here that works. Alan Arkin is on hand as a police captain, the boss of Charlie's best friend, and a running gag involving him is original and funny. Robbie Fox's screenplay tries to go for some bad-taste humor that on the whole falls flat. Mostly it is aimed at the audience who thinks that crotch injuries are hilarious and not over- used. The scenes of Charlie's home life with his eccentric Scottish father (also played by Myers) fail to generate much interest value or feel of authenticity.
SO I MARRIED AN AXE MURDERER is a comedy/mystery with some edge on the comedy, but the mystery elements are just not very keen. I rate it a high 0 on the -4 to +4 scale.
**HEAVY SPOILER** **HEAVY SPOILER** **HEAVY SPOILER** **HEAVY SPOILER**
**HEAVY SPOILER** **HEAVY SPOILER** **HEAVY SPOILER** **HEAVY SPOILER**
SO I MARRIED AN AXE MURDERER is the worst mystery film I have seen since HAUNTED HONEYMOON. Historically there have been few mystery films written this poorly that did not have Bela Lugosi in a red herring role. First, there is a rule in mysteries that you look for the person who is completely unnecessary to the plot, particularly if that person is played by someone well-known. In this film, one person stands out in neon lights as a familiar actor who seems to have nothing to do up to the finale. If that character is not played by Lugosi, you can bet that you have the murderer.
Second, there is no sign that the writers gave any thought at all to their own story. There is a strong implication at the end that because somebody else was the actual killer, Harriet is now happy and free. Harriet may not have been the killer but she certainly has been an accessory to these murders, concealing them from the law. And having concealed the first murder, she is legally responsible for the two that followed. It is absurd to see Harriet grinning in a coffee house at the end: this is a woman who is going to spend most of the rest of her life behind bars. And I may not be in the spirit of the film, but I think it's a good thing.
Mark R. Leeper
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