Edge of the Axe – Arrow Video (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Date: Spain/United States, 1988
Director: José Ramón Larraz
Writers: Joaquín Amichatis, Javier Elorrieta, José Frade, Pablo de Aldebarán
Cast: Barton Faulks, Christina Marie Lane, Page Mosely, Fred Holliday, Patty Shepard, Alicia Moro, Jack Taylor

Release Date: January 27th, 2020 (UK), January 28th, 2020 (USA)
Approximate Running Time: 91 Minutes 11 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC
Rating: 18 (UK), R (USA)
Sound: LPCM Mono English, LPCM Mono Spanish
Subtitles: English, English SDH
Region Coding: Region Free
Retail Price: £24.99 (UK), $39.95 (USA)

"The rural community of Paddock County is being rocked by the crazed exploits of an axe-wielding psychopath, who stalks the night in a black trench coat and mask. As the victims pile up, the authorities attempt to keep a lid on the situation, whilst computer whizz-kid Gerald and girlfriend Lillian seek to unmask the killer before the town population reaches zero." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 4.5/5

Here’s the information provided about this release's transfer, "The original 35mm camera negative element was scanned in 2K resolution on a 4K Scanity, graded on Digital Vision's Nucoda Film Master and restored at R3Store Studios in London. The original mono mixes were remastered from the optical negatives by Deluxe Madrid."

Edge of the Axe comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 37.3 GB

Feature: 25.2 GB

This is another solid restoration from Arrow Video and the source that was used for this transfer is in excellent shape. Colors are nicely saturated, image clarity and black levels look solid throughout, grain looks natural, and there are no issues with compression.

Audio: 4.25/5

This release comes with two audio options: a LPCM mono mix in English and a LPCM mono mix in Spanish. Both the audio tracks are in excellent shape; the dialog always comes through clearly, everything sounds balanced, and range-wise, ambient sounds are well-represented. Included with this release are removable English SDH subtitles for the English language track and removable English subtitles for the Spanish language track.

Extras:

Extras for this release include an image gallery (21 images – stills/lobby cards/home video art), English language theatrical trailer (2 minutes 46 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles), Spanish language theatrical trailer (2 minutes 46 seconds, Dolby Digital mono Spanish with removable English subtitles), an interview with special effects/make-up artist Colin Arthur titled The Pain in Spain (7 minutes 47 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an interview with actor Page Mosely titled The Actor’s Grind (11 minutes 23 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an interview with actor Barton Faulks titled Gerald’s Game (11 minutes 4 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an audio commentary with Barton Faulks, and moderated by Matt Rosenblatt, an audio commentary with The Hysteria Continues!, reversible cover art and twenty-four page booklet with cast & crew information, an essay titled American Horrors by Way of Spain: International Co-Productions and the Spanish Slasher written by Amanda Reyes and information about the restoration.

Summary:

There are two types of filmmakers: by the numbers, filmmakers who churn out products, and auteur filmmakers whose films are ready to be identified with them. And, while there are many filmmakers whose work can be classified as belonging to both categories, a case in point is José Ramón Larraz, a filmmaker whose career can be broken into two distinctive halves. The first half of his career consisted of films made by an auteur, while the latter-part of his career consists of films that lack his identity. And nowhere is this clearer than in Edge of the Axe, a film from the latter-part of his career.

Edge of the Axe is a textbook example of European genre cinema trying to capitalize on whatever was popular in Hollywood cinema. In the 1980’s, slasher films were one of the more popular sub-genres. And content wise, Edge of the Axe has the core elements that have become synonymous with slasher films. With that being said, one must not overlook Italian thrillers' influence when it comes to Edge of the Axe’s killer.

The performances are best described as serviceable. Edge of the Axe’s strongest performance was Barton Faulks's portrayal of a drifter named Gerald Martin. He delivers a strong performance as an outsider who is reluctant to discuss his past. Other notable cast members include Jack Taylor (Pieces) in the role of a church organist and Patty Shepard (Crypt of the Living Dead), a woman who’s having an affair.

When discussing the most celebrated Slasher films, they all have one thing in common: a memorable opening. And though Edge of the Axe opens with a memorable murder set piece, the result is a film that is often let down by a well-worn premise and an anemic narrative. Predictability and narrative issues aside, the kill scenes are the area where Edge of the Axe ultimately succeeds. Another strength of Edge of the Axe is how effective it is when it comes to misdirection.

Edge of the Axe gets an excellent release from Arrow Video that comes with a solid audio/video presentation and an abundance of insightful extras, highly recommended.

Written by Michael Den Boer