4K Ultra HD Review: SO I MARRIED AN AXE MURDERER

Home » 4K Ultra HD Review: SO I MARRIED AN AXE MURDERER

Jul 31, 2023 Posted by Kyle Nolan in DVD/Blu-ray, Reviews | Comments

The 1993 comedy So I Married an Axe Murderer arrives on 4K Ultra HD for the first time as Sony celebrates the film’s 30th anniversary. Poet Charlie MacKenzie (Mike Myers) spends much of his time performing at a local coffee shop, where his slams are usually about some former love gone wrong. Charlie has had some promising relationships over the years, but whenever things start to get serious, he seems to sabotage things, coming up with some paranoid reason to break up—like how he believed his last girlfriend was a kleptomaniac.

While stopping off at a shop to pick up some haggis for dinner with his parents, Charlie meets butcher Harriet (Nancy Travis, Last Man Standing), and it’s love at first sight. The two hit it off, and start dating. As they discuss taking things to the next level, Charlie recalls a tabloid article his mother (Brenda Fricker, Home Alone 2) recently showed him about “Mrs. X, the Honeymoon Murderer”—a mystery woman still at large, who married three different men, each of whom had gone missing shortly after their honeymoon. Charlie begins to suspect that Harriet could be Mrs. X—his brain starts making the connections and he worries that he could be her next victim. His best friend/cop Tony (Anthony LaPaglia) assures him that it’s just his commitment-phobia working overtime to find excuses to end his relationship. While Charlie keeps finding more evidence to support his suspicions, he also can’t help but think that Harriet may finally be the right one for him. So what if he marries a potential axe murderer?!

I probably hadn’t seen So I Married an Axe Murderer in over 20 years before I sat down to watch this 4K disc. However, it immediately felt so familiar, with so many classic lines coming rushing back to me. While there is an overall story arc for the characters, at times the movie feels more like a string of routines and comedy bits. This is especially true any time Charlie is in the coffee house or at his parents’ home. The film is definitely a Mike Myers vehicle, showcasing the actor’s signature style of comedy, as well as some bits he first honed while on Saturday Night Live. You can also see some of the early material that likely inspired his future roles on the Austin Powers films, such as Myers also portraying Charlie’s very Scottish father, Stuart, and Charlie talking about people being E-vil. I think fans of Myers’ other work will really enjoy this movie, but this film will not win over those not into his schtick.

The film also has lots of great, recognizable guest stars, including Amanda Plummer (Pulp Fiction) as Harriet’s slightly off sister Rose, Matt Doherty (The Mighty Ducks) as Charlie’s younger brother who Stuart just refers to as “Heed” due to his over-sized noggin, Phil Hartman as park ranger Vicky, Steven Wright as a pilot, Charles Grodin as a driver who refuses to let Tony commandeer his car, Debi Mazar (Younger) as Tony’s date, and Alan Arkin as Tony’s captain.

Comparing the video presentation of this new 4K release to the previous Blu-ray release, there’s a definite and significant uptick in quality. This is noticeable right from the opening title sequence as the camera pans over the nighttime skyline and the glowing, red San Francisco Port Authority sign is much easier to read. The original Blu-ray picture is a bit dark and muddled, while this new 4K release looks much clearer and sharper, with more detail in faces and textures. The Blu-ray picture is a bit softened, while a pleasant level of film grain is present in the 4K release. The audio track provides clear dialogue throughout while also making nice use of the surround channel to provide an immersive ambiance—this is especially noticeable in the coffee shop scenes. The film also has a wonderful 90’s soundtrack that includes songs like “There She Goes” by The La’s, “Two Princes” by Spin Doctors, and “Brother” by Toad the Wet Sprocket.

Sony’s new 4K Ultra HD release only includes a 4K disc, which is placed in a standard 4K keepcase with a glossy cardboard slipcover. An insert provides instructions on how to redeem a 4K Movies Anywhere-compatible digital copy of the film. While previous home video releases of So I Married an Axe Murderer didn’t include any bonus material (even those labeled as “Special Edition”), this new release contains over 30 minutes of never-before-seen deleted/alternate scenes, plus two trailers for the film. It’s great to see all of this extra material and some of the plotlines that were ultimately dropped.

What’s Included:

Film: (1:33:24)

2160p / Widescreen 1.85:1
Dolby Vision / HDR10
Audio: English Dolby Atmos (Dolby TrueHD 7.1 compatible), English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio, English 2.0 DTS-HD Master Audio, French 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio, German 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio, Italian 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio, Spanish 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio, Spanish 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio, Spanish (Castillion) 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio, Spanish (Latin American) 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio
Subtitles:
English, English SDH, Arabic, Chinese (Simplified), Chinese (Traditional), Danish, Dutch, Finnish, French, German, Italian, Korean, Norwegian, Portuguese (Brazilian), Portuguese, Spanish (Castillion), Spanish (Latin American), Swedish, Thai, Turkish

Digital (Limited time offer):

4K digital copy, redeemable via Movies Anywhere or Vudu

Extras:

Deleted Scenes (31:31)
Collection of 27 never-before-seen deleted scenes. A few scenes are missing the video in some parts, but the audio continues to play. Play All, or select from:
- Alt. Opening – Plumber (1:04)
  A hand writes a goodbye note from Ralph before he’s killed.
- What’s Worse? (2:24)
  Tony and Charlie play a game of What’s Worse while driving, and then have a discussion about their lives.
- Susan and June (1:36)
  Alternate version of the Large Cappuccino joke scene, this time with Charlie using it to hit on two women, before awkwardly making his exit.
- Butcher shop (1:10)
  Charlie meets Harriet as she returns from stopping a shoplifter, holding a butcher knife and a bloody piece of steak.
- Gus (:54)
  Gus listens to Charlie’s new poem about his encounter with Harriet from the scene above.
- Alt. Hot Dog Stand Date (1:00)
  Charlie and Harriet share stories of bad things they’ve done.
- Harriet Speaks Russian (1:07)
  Harriet speaks Russian as she and Charlie pass some sailors while on their date.
- Mail Carrier Ralph (1:31)
  Charlie passes the mailman and inadvertently insults her when he asks if her name is Ralph; Harriet struggles to choose the right outfit to meet Tony.
- Harriet’s Dream (2:11)
  Rose surprises Charlie, telling him about the dream she had about him, and how she wishes they were lovers.
- He Likes You (1:36)
  Gus meets Harriet and tells her Charlie wrote a poem about her; Charlie gets nervous about Harriet meeting his parents.
- Policeman’s Poem (:52)
  A cop runs his poem by Charlie.
- Newspaper Article (:32)
  Charlie talks about the tabloid article with Tony.
- Outside Harriet’s Apartment (:31)
  Charlie knocks on Harriet’s door and Rose answers.
- Maybe I Could Wait Inside? (1:02)
  Charlie asks if he could wait for Harriet inside and Rose takes it as a proposition.
- Looking at Photos (1:15)
  Rose shows Charlie her photographs; he asks if she has any of Harriet.
- I Want a Photo of You (:45)
  Charlie asks Harriet for a photo of herself, but she gives him a kiss instead.
- Health Shake (2:25)
  Alternate version of the scene where Harriet makes Charlie the shake that he refuses to drink.
- Sorry I Didn’t Trust You (1:47)
  Charlie and Harriet take a bath as he apologizes for not trusting her; he asks about her parents.
- Wedding Reception (:39)
  Harriet is nervous at the wedding reception when she can’t find Charlie, and gets upset when Rose takes her photo.
- Gas Station (:52)
  Charlie and Harriet stop at a gas station; she takes the key as she goes inside to get some food.
- Tony Breaks Into Charlie’s Apartment (:39)
  Tony searches the photos in Charlie’s apartment.
- Charlie & Harriet in Car (:54)
  Harriet nervously looks back for people following them as she and Charlie drive to their honeymoon.
- Tony Breaks Into Harriet‘s Apartment (2:18)
  Tony searches Harriet’s apartment and finds blood dripping from the ceiling; at an unexpected run-in with Rose, he asks for a photo of Harriet.
- Alt. Plane & Pilot (:43)
  Tony talks to the pilot as he rushes to find Charlie.
- Marriage Ruins Everything (1:44)
  Charlie and Harriet make out on the floor by the fire when she stops, saying they shouldn’t have gotten married,. She says she won’t let him leave, and starts acting a bit crazy.
- Family Photo (:40)
  Charlie, Hariett and their son take a family family photo with Tony and Charlie’s family.
- Grandpa Rap (:54)
  Charlie’s dad takes the stage to do his own poetry slam about Heed and his massive noggin.
Trailers (4:22)
Play All, or select from:
- Theatrical Trailer (2:15)
- International Trailer (2:07)

Final Thoughts:

My Rating

Film:

Video:

Audio:

Extras:

Recommended
Worth the Upgrade

So I Married an Axe Murderer is a classic Mike Myers film that still holds up well 30 years later. It is very much a Myers vehicle that showcases his bits and style of humor. Those who aren’t fans of Myers work probably won’t be won over, but fans of the film are sure to enjoy this new 4K release. The picture is noticeably improved on this disc, plus it includes over 30 minutes of new deleted/alternate scenes, making an upgrade worth it for fans who already own the Blu-ray, and the version to get for those looking to add the film to their collection.