Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		0.0
Audio		4.5
Extras		3.0
Overall		4.5

So I Married an Axe Murderer 4K Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf July 30, 2023

1993 was meant to be a major year for Mike Myers. The tremendous success of 1992’s “Wayne’s World” brought the “Saturday Night Live” player to the attention of Hollywood, who wanted to turn him into a leading man. The year hastily pushed a messy but hilarious “Wayne’s World” sequel through the system, and there was also “So I Married an Axe Murderer,” with Myers offered a chance to prove his stuff as a romantic lead. There’s a certain air of indecision with the feature, which was originally written as more of a chiller and neurotic comedy before Myers and studio demands attempted to change course, creating a softer, broader movie to help the star shine. “So I Married an Axe Murderer” isn’t carried along by a defined vision, but it holds together with comedy, with Myers working to make something charmingly silly with the tale of a serial killer, playing to his strengths as a goofball with a fondness for weird character work.

Charlie (Mike Myers) is a beat poet and a man who loves love, but can’t commit to any woman. He’s afraid of marriage, which confuses his best friend, Tony (Anthony LaPaglia), a San Francisco cop looking for danger. When Charlie sparks to local butcher Harriet (Nancy Travis), he falls into the false comfort of a new relationship, getting to know the secretive woman, and her sister, Rose (Amanda Plummer). He’s falling in love, which is dangerous for Charlie, but the threat may turn out to be real after learning about “Mrs. X,” a serial killer who’s chopped up previous spouses with an ax. Looking into Harriet’s past to see if she’s a murderer, Charlie loses sight of the best relationship he's ever had.

There’s always time for Myers in “So I Married in Axe Murderer,” with the production focused on celebrating the actor, giving him room to toss around exaggerated reactions and one-liners, and he even plays Charlie’s father, Stuart, a defiantly Scottish man who’s prone to making fun of son William (Matt Doherty) and his abnormally large head. Stuart is comedy gold (Brenda Fricker is also fun as Charlie’s mom), but he only makes a few appearances, as the story follows Charlie’s commitment-phobic ways, with his romantic shakiness steadied by Harriet, a butcher (their meet cute involves haggis) with a warm presence and enigmatic past. Charlie and Harriet’s courtship provides “So I Married an Axe Murderer” with scenes of playfulness between the characters, and there’s Rose to add oddity, with the behaviorally challenged sister keeping Charlie on his toes.

“So I Married an Axe Murderer” paws lightly at suspense, with Charlie believing Harriet to be the feared “Mrs. X.” The detective story is lukewarm at best, with the film more successful exploring Charlie’s paranoia as he begins to notice Harriet’s red flags, which play into his own fear of relationships. The endeavor also has a habit of wandering, spending time with Tony and his disillusionment with the police force (Alan Arkin appears as a concerned captain), while other cameos (including Charles Grodin, Michael Richards, and Steven Wright) add some brief tomfoolery to the picture. Phil Hartman commits grand theft movie with his two minutes as an Alcatraz tour guide sharing an incredibly graphic tale about Machine Gun Kelly’s stay on the prison island. Concentration on a story isn’t always there for the first hour of the effort, but “So I Married an Axe Murderer” gets laughs from the supporting cast, and Myers has his Myers-isms, doing fine as a personable guy with relationship issues, but he’s always better with shenanigans, occasionally forcing them on the feature to keep it light.

For additional information and analysis, please read Martin Liebman’s 2008 Blu-ray review.

So I Married an Axe Murderer 4K Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Screencaps are taken from the 2008 Blu-ray release.

"So I Married an Axe Murderer" was originally released on Blu-ray in 2008, with Sony returning to the title for a new UHD viewing experience, giving the comedy a Dolby Vision upgrade for 2023. The results are very impressive, easily topping the previous BD. Detail is wonderfully crisp, capturing skin particulars and fibrous clothing. What's really impressive here are exteriors, with San Francisco tours sharply dimensional, almost window-like at times, reaching very deep into the city. Interiors are also clear, allowing viewers to explore living spaces and decorative additions. Colors are vibrant, with distinct primaries, especially on costuming choices, including Harriet's blazing red dress in the finale of the film. Dusky skies are a warm purple, and greenery is distinct. Skin tones are natural throughout. Delineation is satisfactory, with inky blacks delivering a truer sense of evening activity. Highlights are tasteful. Grain is nicely resolved.

So I Married an Axe Murderer 4K Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The 7.1 Dolby TrueHD mix provides a fuller understanding of the modest sound design of "So I Married an Axe Murderer." Dialogue exchanges are sharp, handling accents and dramatic emphasis with clarity. Music is alert, blending orchestral crispness with bouncier soundtrack selections, providing some low-end response with heavier beats. Surrounds are mildly active, pushing out musical moods and atmospherics. More interesting is echo, with the new mix offering defined depth with performance scenes and hollow environments. Perhaps the one negative here is ADR, which sounds especially artificial at times (it's covered up a little bit better on the 5.1 DTS-HD MA mix). Sound effects are exact, also playing with channel movement.

So I Married an Axe Murderer 4K Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Deleted Scenes (HD) include "Alt Opening Plumber" (1:04), "What's Worse?" (2:24), "Susan and June" (1:36), "Butcher Shop" (1:10), "Gus" (:54), "Alt Hot Dog Stand Date" (1:00), "Harriet Speaks Russian" (1:07), "Mail Carrier Ralph" (1:31), "Harriet's Dream" (2:11), "He Likes You" (1:36), "Policeman's Poem" (:52), "Newspaper Article" (:32), "Outside Harriet's Apartment" (:31), "Maybe I Could Wait Inside?" (1:02), "Looking at Photos" (1:15), "I Want a Photo of You" (:45), "Health Shake" (2:25), "Sorry I Didn't Trust You" (1:47), "Wedding Reception" (:39), "Gas Station" (:52), "Tony Breaks into Charlie's Apartment" (:39), "Charlie and Harriet in Car" (:54), "Tony Breaks into Harriet's Apartment" (2:18), "Alt Plane and Pilot" (:43), "Marriage Ruins Everything" (1:44), "Family Photo" (:40), and "Grandpa Rap" (:54).

For a film that's somewhat choppy, there are no major additions in the deleted scenes, with a full explanation of Harriet's photo phobia provided here, along with more sibling time, giving Rose a bit more to do. Perhaps most interesting is a snipped opening that establishes the more suspenseful tone "So I Married an Axe Murderer" had before reshoots, reinforcing the violent ways of the killer. The health shake scene is different, with additions that clarify the comedic threat of the beverage, and the character of Gus (James Gammon) is introduced, loosely identified as one of Charlie's poet pals. There's also a time jump ending, giving Stuart two more comedic beats, still dealing with his love/hate relationship with his son, William, and his large head. Most of these snippets are short and made up of alternate takes, lightly reinforcing that "So I Married an Axe Murderer" was intended to be a slightly more menacing movie in its original form.

• A Theatrical Trailer (2:15, HD) and an International Trailer (2:07, HD) are included.

So I Married an Axe Murderer 4K Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

"So I Married an Axe Murderer" transitions into comedic thriller mode in the final act, trying to take Harriet's strangeness seriously, providing a more physical challenge for Charlie. It doesn't quite work due to excessive slapstick, but it's interesting to see the film attempt some action, trying to leave viewers a little breathless after spending so much time on foolishness (repeatedly scored to a few versions of the buttery pop hit, "There She Goes"). One can sense director Thomas Schlamme trying to maintain control of the feature, playing with shots and tone (the San Francisco-ness of the movie is also impressive), but "So I Married an Axe Murderer" remains the Mike Myers Show, with the actor working to establish himself as a tender jester. The film absolutely tanked at the box office in 1993 (effectively killing Myers's big screen career for three years, but "Austin Powers" brought him back), but it remains an enjoyable sit, containing some sizable laughs and spirited wackiness, with big comedy helping to best its lack of cohesiveness.