Thursday, August 1, 2024

AXE (AKA LISA, LISA) (1972)

 


Written & Directed By: Frederick R. Friedel 

Cinematography: Austin McKinney

Editor: Frederick R. Friedel and J.G. Patterson Jr.


Cast: Leslie Lee, Jack Canon, Ray Green, Frederick R. Friedel, Douglas Powers, Frank Jones, Carol Miller 


Three criminals on a murder spree arrive at a farmhouse, where a girl is living with her paralyzed grandfather.


This film also goes by the title, LISA, LISA is pretty much cut and dry as kind of a revenge tale. It’s barely over an hour, and today would’ve probably been an episode of an anthology series of horror. 


The film's characters are pretty simple. They might remind some of the movie PEARL with the farm girl and the handicapped paraplegic father, and the dispensing of characters in particular with an axe


though here, pretty early, on all the victims are understandable while they are killed, as most are at least two of the three gangsters are pretty horrible from the beginning with one being maybe a little more sensitive and innocent, but the main two you won’t feel any sympathy for throughout, and they really bring about their demise on their own by their own actions


As they both try to sexually assault the main female character, at times, you also wonder if really the paraplegic father is playing along in a role to them, unfortunately, that twist does not come to a satisfying end 


The film is pretty dry and everybody gets what they deserve to a certain extent the only truly shocking part or more surprising part is the end that goes with just desserts but it’s not all that it’s not going to change your worldview or anything 


The film comes off as schlock and exploitation the more exploited towards violence, and I guess just sleazy characters, as the first half of the film feels almost like a music video, devoted to its soundtrack, which is mostly bongos that after a while gets very annoying as nothing really happens. Which was actually put together in only 8 hours.


if he becomes what you have to put your attention on to help guide you, but after a while, it becomes very annoying. 


The film at many times, tries to go for atmospheric to make it a little, more artistic or deeper than what it is.


This is from a classic, but if you’re just looking for something maybe to put on more in the background or research, the history of our might well be worth it as it is more odd than a necessary artifact to check out.


The writer and director even gives himself a co-starring role here truly showing that this was a passion project. It seems for him.


Grade: D+

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