Axeman (film)

Last updated
Axeman
Axeman 2014 poster Theney.jpg
DVD released by Midnight Releasing
Directed byJoston Theney
Written byJoston Theney
Christopher Otiko
Produced byJoston Theney
StarringElissa Dowling
Tiffany Shepis
Brinke Stevens
Scot Pollard
Jamie Bernadette
CinematographyTim McCombe
Edited byJoston Theney
Music byJoston Theney
Production
company
Blood Red Films
Distributed byMidnight Releasing
Release dates
  • February 14, 2013 (2013-02-14)(Los Angeles, California)
Running time
105 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

Axeman (originally released as Axeman at Cutter's Creek) is a 2013 American slasher film written and directed by Joston Theney. [1] It had a limited theatrical release on February 14, 2013, and was released to DVD on May 6, 2014. [2] The film follows an axe-wielding killer who terrorizes a group of friends at a secluded cabin. [3]

Contents

Plot

In a cabin by Cutter's Creek, bank robbers Denise, Vale, and Paulie are murdered by an axe-wielding serial killer known as the Axeman. Later, a group of friends led by Brian arrive at a nearby cabin. After settling in, Brian mentions that the reason he got the cabin for such a low price is because it supposedly once belonged to a family that was massacred by the Axeman. When the discussion concludes, Randy goes off to spy on Vivian, and is murdered by the Axeman, who rips his head off.

The next morning, Doug gets into an argument with his girlfriend, Cassidy, accusing her of still having feelings for her ex, Brian, who is now dating Cassidy's best friend, Stacy. Doug storms off into the woods, where he stumbles onto the money that the bank robbers stole. While looking for somewhere to hide the cash, Doug is impaled and dismembered by the Axeman, his death going unnoticed by his friends, who are searching for Randy. Everyone soon regroups at the cabin, and Cassidy, unsatisfied with every explanation that they can come up with for why Randy, and now Doug, are gone, leaves to continue searching for them alone.

Tammy enters the garage, where she uncovers the robbers' money, and is forced to hide when the Axeman enters with her girlfriend, Liz, whom he has seriously wounded. Before he can finish Liz off, the Axeman is distracted by a knock on the door, and answers it to reveal it is Sheriff Charlene Wopuzer. Annoyed by the sheriff's abrasive attitude and persistent questioning, the Axeman twists her head around, and returns to the garage, just as Tammy exits it with Liz. Liz dies from her injuries and Tammy is strangled by the Axeman, who also bites off and eats her cheeks.

Returning to the cabin, the Axeman rips Brian's brain out, knifes Vivian in the eye, beats Darren to death, and chases Stacy after finding her in a closet. He nearly strangles her to death, before she bites his nose. She stabs him in the leg after tripping over Cassidy's body before running into the woods, leaving her fate unknown.

Cast

Reception

Bloody Disgusting panned the film overall, criticizing the script for not delving into the reasons that the titular Axeman was killing people, as this would give the film more depth and differentiate it from multiple similarly plotted films. [4] Theron Moore of Horror News praised the film's villain and kills, but criticized the glacial pace, uninteresting subplots, stiff acting, and two-dimensional dialogue and writing. [5] Ain't It Cool News gave a mostly favorable review for Axeman, commenting that while the movie was not "reinventing the slasher genre" it "does feel like a throwback to a time when the slashers weren't so passé." [6]

Sequel

A sequel entitled Axeman 2: Overkill, also written and directed by Joston Theney, was announced in 2014 [7] and released straight-to-DVD and online retailers on October 17, 2017. [8] [9] Only Theney and Arielle Brachfeld reprise their roles from the original, with Bryan Clark replacing Scot Pollard as the titular character, in addition to Kailena Mai replacing Jamie Bernadette as Tammy, Whitney Nielsen replacing Erin Marie Hogan as Liz, and Maria Olsen replacing Paula Tracy Wilson as Adele. The film also stars Farrah Abraham, Rachel Reilly, Angelica Bridges, and Peter Stickles, and features a second axeman portrayed by Michael Wayne Foster.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Butch Cassidy</span> American Old West outlaw (1866–1908/1937)

Robert LeRoy Parker, better known as Butch Cassidy, was an American train and bank robber and the leader of a gang of criminal outlaws known as the "Wild Bunch" in the Old West.

<i>Cherry Falls</i> 1999 American slasher film by Geoffrey Wright

Cherry Falls is a 1999 American slasher film directed by Geoffrey Wright, and starring Brittany Murphy, Jay Mohr, and Michael Biehn. The plot focuses on a small Virginia town where a serial killer is targeting teenaged virgins. After being submitted to and rejected by the MPAA numerous times, Cherry Falls premiered in May 1999 at Marché du Film in France and subsequently screened at several film festivals in some countries in early 2000, but did not have a theatrical release in the United States. Finally it was purchased by USA Films, who telecast it in the fall of 2000.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Katie Cassidy</span> American actress

Katherine Evelyn Anita Cassidy is an American actress. Following several minor television roles, she came to attention as a scream queen after starring in the horror films When a Stranger Calls (2006), as Kelli Presley in Black Christmas (2006) and as Ruby in the third season of the horror series Supernatural (2007–2008). Following a supporting role in the action film Taken (2008), Cassidy played leading roles in the mystery horror series Harper's Island (2009) and the remake of the drama series Melrose Place (2009–2010). She starred as Kris Fowles in the slasher film remake A Nightmare on Elm Street (2010) and had a recurring role as Juliet Sharp during the fourth season of the teen drama Gossip Girl (2010–2012).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Scot Pollard</span> American basketball player

Scot L. Pollard is an American former professional basketball player. In an 11-year NBA career, he played for five teams, spending the bulk of his career with the Sacramento Kings and the Indiana Pacers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Caroline Munro</span> English actress and model

Caroline Jane Munro is an English actress, model and singer known for her many appearances in horror, science fiction and action films of the 1970s and 1980s. She gained prominence within Hammer and horror circles, starring in Dracula AD 1972 and Captain Kronos – Vampire Hunter (1974), garnering a cult following for the numerous films that she starred in. She also acted in The Golden Voyage of Sinbad (1973), and in The Spy Who Loved Me (1977). In 2019, she was inducted into the Rondo Hatton Classic Horror Awards' Monster Kid Hall of Fame.

<i>Wolf Creek</i> (film) 2005 independent Australian horror film directed by Greg McLean

Wolf Creek is a 2005 Australian horror film written, co-produced and directed by Greg McLean and starring John Jarratt, Nathan Phillips, Cassandra Magrath and Kestie Morassi. Its plot concerns three backpackers who find themselves taken captive and subsequently hunted by Mick Taylor, a sadistic, psychopathic, xenophobic serial killer, in the Australian outback. The film was ambiguously marketed as being "based on true events", while its plot bore elements reminiscent of the real-life murders of backpackers by Ivan Milat in the 1990s and Bradley Murdoch in 2001, both of which McLean used as inspiration for the screenplay.

<i>Black Christmas</i> (2006 film) 2006 film by Glen Morgan

Black X-Mas is a 2006 Christmas slasher film written and directed by Glen Morgan and starring Katie Cassidy, Michelle Trachtenberg, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Oliver Hudson, Lacey Chabert, Kristen Cloke, Crystal Lowe and Andrea Martin. The film takes place several days before Christmas and tells the story of a group of sorority sisters who are stalked and murdered in their house during a winter storm. It is a loose remake and reimagining of the 1974 film of the same name. A co-production of Canada and the United States, the film was produced by Morgan and James Wong through their production company Hard Eight Pictures, along with 2929 Productions, Adelstein-Parouse Productions and Hoban Segal Productions. It is the second film in the Black Christmas series.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Randy Wayne</span> American actor

Randy Wayne Frederick is an American actor.

Kelli Presley Fictional character in Black Christmas

Kelli Presley is a fictional character in the 2006 slasher film Black Christmas. The character, created by writer-director Glen Morgan and portrayed by actress Katie Cassidy, serves as a replacement to Jess from the original film.

<i>Madman</i> (film) 1982 film

Madman is a 1981 American slasher film written and directed by Joe Giannone and starring Gaylen Ross and Paul Ehlers. The plot focuses on an axe-wielding murderer named Madman Marz who, after accidentally being summoned by a group of campers during a campfire tale, begins to stalk and murder the young adults.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Melissa Mars</span> French actress and singer

Melissa Mars is a French singer, songwriter, and actress. She gained prominence in the early 2000s for her stages.

<i>Gingerdead Man 3: Saturday Night Cleaver</i> 2011 film by William Butler

Gingerdead Man 3: Saturday Night Cleaver is a 2011 American science fiction slasher comedy film by Full Moon Features and is the third main installment in The Gingerdead Man franchise and a direct sequel to Gingerdead Man 2: Passion of the Crust. It was co-written, directed, and produced by William Butler and was released on September 13, 2011, by producer Charles Band.

<i>Patrick</i> (2013 film) Australian film directed by Mark Hartley

Patrick is a 2013 Australian supernatural horror film directed by Mark Hartley and a remake of the 1978 film of the same name. It had its world premiere on 27 July 2013 at the Melbourne International Film Festival and received a limited theatrical release on 14 March 2014, followed by a DVD release the following month. Its Canadian theatrical premiere was at the Lost Episode Festival Toronto on 5 July 2014.

<i>Evil Head</i> 2012 American film

Evil Head is a 2012 American pornographic horror comedy film written and directed by Doug Sakmann, and co-written by Joanna Angel. It is based on the 1981 horror film The Evil Dead by Sam Raimi.

<i>Scream Park</i> 2013 American film

Scream Park is a 2013 horror film by American director Cary Hill and his directorial debut. The film had its world release on January 6, 2013 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and was partially funded through a successful Kickstarter campaign.

Werewolf Rising is a 2014 horror film written and directed by BC Furtney. The film was released to DVD in the United Kingdom on 22 September 2014 and was later released in the United States on 14 October. It stars Bill Oberst Jr. and Melissa Carnell, who portrays a young woman that finds herself the unwitting prey of a werewolf.

The Sky Has Fallen is a 2009 American horror film, written and directed by Doug Roos. It stars Carey MacLaren and Laurel Kemper as two survivors of a gruesome apocalypse.

<i>Satans Blade</i> 1984 American slasher film directed by L. Scott Castillo Junior

Satan's Blade is a 1984 American slasher film directed by L. Scott Castillo Jr., and starring Tom Bongiorno, Stephanie Leigh Steel, and Thomas Cue. It follows two groups of people lodging at a mountain resort who are stalked by a mysterious killer potentially linked to a supernatural entity in the mountains.

Sean Whalen is an American actor and writer. He is known for his work in numerous TV shows, including Shannon's Deal and Grace Under Fire, as well as movies, including The People Under the Stairs and Twister. He is also known for appearing as a hapless history buff in the first "Got Milk?" commercial, directed by Michael Bay, which aired in 1993.

<i>Totally Killer</i> 2023 film by Nahnatchka Khan

Totally Killer is a 2023 American slasher comedy film directed by Nahnatchka Khan from a screenplay by David Matalon, Sasha Perl-Raver, and Jen D'Angelo, and a screen story by Matalon and Perl-Raver. Produced by Jason Blum, under his Blumhouse Television banner, and Adam Hendricks and Greg Gilreath under their Divide/Conquer banner, it stars Kiernan Shipka, Olivia Holt, and Julie Bowen. The story follows Jamie (Shipka) who, after her mother is murdered by the same Sweet 16 Killer who went on a murder spree 35 years earlier, travels back in time to 1987, where she pairs up with her mother to catch the killer during his original spree and return to her timeline before she is trapped in the past forever.

References

  1. ↑ Bedore, Gary. "KU basketball notebook: KU-Syracuse recalled; Scot Pollard kills it". Lawrence Journal-World. Retrieved 9 May 2014.
  2. ↑ Turek, Ryan. "Scream Queens Unite to Take on the Axeman". STYD. Retrieved 9 May 2014.
  3. ↑ "Full Cast Announced for the Axeman at Cutter's Creek". Dread Central. 14 August 2012. Retrieved 9 May 2014.
  4. ↑ Cooper, Patrick (7 May 2014). "Axeman Is a Shallow, Frustrating Slasher". Bloody Disgusting. Retrieved 9 May 2014.
  5. ↑ Moore, Theron (22 June 2014). "Film Review: Axeman at Cutter's Creek (2013)". horrornews.net. Horror News. Retrieved 6 January 2015.
  6. ↑ "AICN HORROR has advance reviews of MEET ME THERE! DEADLY REVISIONS! Plus AXEMAN! CURSE OF THE DRAGON SLAYER! MONSTERS TV series! HOUSE IN THE ALLEY! DEATH SPA! CAMP BLOOD: FIRST SLAUGHTER! THE DINOSAUR EXPERIMENT! & Dan Curtis' DRACULA!". AICN. Retrieved 20 June 2014.
  7. ↑ "Full Cast Revealed for Axeman 2: Overkill". Horror Movies.ca. Archived from the original on 18 October 2014. Retrieved 18 October 2014.
  8. ↑ "Axeman 2: Overkill Gets Official Release Date". 11 September 2017.
  9. ↑ "Joston Theney's 'Axeman 2: Overkill' Hits Home Video in Time for Halloween - HorrorMovies.ca". www.horror-movies.ca. Archived from the original on 2017-08-04.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.