AXE '70s grindhouse horror – free on YouTube – MOVIES & MANIA

‘More horrific than Texas Chain Saw Massacre…’
Axe is a 1974 American exploitation horror film written and directed by Frederick R. Friedel. It was released theatrically as Lisa, Lisaand is also known as California Axe Massacre and The Virgin Slaughter.

The film, which was released in 1977, stars Leslie Lee. It had been suggested that Leehadcommitted suicide in the 1980s, however, these rumours were later revealed to be unfounded (see comments below).

Cinematographer Austin McKinney had previously worked with David L. Hewitt (Gallery of Horror) and later served as a visual effects cinematographer on Galaxy of Terror, Jaws 3-D, The Terminator and Night of the Comet.

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On December 8, 2015, Severin Films releasedAxein the US on a triple-film Blu-ray edition with the following extras:

• Axe + Kidnapped Co-Ed– Audio Commentaries with Writer/Director Frederick R. Friedel, Production Manager Philip Smoot, Makeup Artist Worth Keeter (director of Rottweiler: The Dogs of Hell)
• Blood Brothers Feature –Friedel’s recut of the two features as one twisted crime epic!
• Audio Commentary with Nightmare USA Author Stephen Thrower
• At Last… Total Terror! – The Amazing True Story of the Making ofAxe + Kidnapped Co-Ed (61 minutes)
• Moose Magic – The George Newman Shaw & John Willhelm Story (33 minutes)
• Stephen Thrower onAxe + Kidnapped Co-Ed
• Trailers, TV Spots & Radio Spots
• Bonus CD:Axe + Kidnapped Co-Ed Original Motion Picture Soundtracks Plus Bonus Tracks By George Newman Shaw & John Willhelm

Plot:
A group of three psychopaths on the run from the law go about terrorising the local townsfolk of a small community before descending on an isolated farm which is home to a young girl named Lisa and her paralysed grandfather. After suffering much humiliation at the hands of the gang, Lisa takes murderous revenge…

The film gained notoriety in 1984 when it was designated a video nasty in the UK, having been releasedon the obscure VRO label, and appeared on the director of public prosecution’s list of banned films. Fans of the more extreme nasties were bemused by its newfound notoriety and it certainly is one of the “tamer” titles on the list, containing little bloodshed and just a fairly unpleasant scene of humiliation featuring the eating of a lit cigar. Sadly, the lurid artwork and the presence of a young protagonist were probably enough to secure its nasty status.

What Axe does have is a dreamy off-kilter feel mixed with misanthropy and malaise. DirectorFriedel would somehow repeat this odd ambience in 1976’s The Kidnapped Coed akaDate with a Kidnapper.

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“Friedel’s open-ended, tantalising storytelling is a mark of artistry and an imprimatur for audience interpretation. Axe is a small film, modest even, but it’s beautiful, bordering on poetic, and it invites you to play an active part in making sense of what you are seeing.” Stephen Thrower, Nightmare USA: The Untold Story of the Exploitation Independents(FAB Press)

Theatrical trailer
Interview with producer Harry Novak
“Harry Novak show reel” featurette

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US Extras:

“Mental Health (Keeping Mentally Fit)” short
“We Still Don’t Believe It” short
“Gallery of Horror” art gallery
Theatrical trailer
Bonus trailers for “Lisa, Lisa”, “The Virgin Slaughter”, “Behind Closed Doors”, “Booby Trap”, ” The Child”, “Frankenstein’s Castle of Freaks”, “Kidnapped Coed”, “The Mad Butcher”, “The Toy Box” and “Toys Are Not For Children”

Buy Axe Something Weird DVD from Amazon.com

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Trailer:

Free online on YouTube:

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