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So I Married an Axe Murderer poster

So I Married an Axe Murderer

year 1993decade 90sdirector Thomas Schlamme

93 minutes

Cast

Selected cast credits · Film reference

Mike Myers Charlie and Stuart MacKenzie
Nancy Travis Harriet Michaels
Anthony LaPaglia Tony Giardino
Amanda Plummer Rose Michaels
Brenda Fricker May MacKenzie
Michael Richards Insensitive Man
Matt Doherty William MacKenzie
Charles Grodin Commandeered Driver
Phil Hartman John Vickie Johnson
Debi Mazar Susan
Alan Arkin Captain
Greg Germann Concierge
Kelvin Han Yee Master Cho
Patrick Bristow Cafe Roads Performer
Luenell Police Records Officer
Steve Dunleavy Himself
Mike Hagerty Obituary Writer
Paul Sanchez Serenade Musician
Glen Vernon Uncle Angus
Robert Nichols Scottish Minister
Sheila Kelley Sherry
Marla Sokoloff Alcatraz Visitor
Bob Sarlatte Poet’s Corner M.C.

So I Married an Axe Murderer | The Rewatchables

host Bill Simmonshost Chris Ryanhost Sean Fennesseyproducer Craig Horlbeck
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The Den of Thieves Benihana Award for Scene-Stealing Location

San Francisco; hotel; poetry venue

In the discussion (3)
Approx. transcript time · 00:10:49Read transcript
  • The hills, water, Alcatraz and European-looking first-date setting make San Francisco a co-star.
  • San Francisco’s hills, driving geography, waterfront views and small distinctive neighborhoods are praised.
  • The final hotel and poetry venue are selected as scene-stealing locations.

Half-Assed Internet Research

Camera disagreements; cameos; budget; injury; locations; rewrites; soccer match

In the discussion (11)
Approx. transcript time · 00:16:18Read transcript
  • Myers reportedly objected to moving the camera and wanted jokes filmed straight on so both eyes remained visible.
  • The cameo actors reportedly joined because they wanted to work with Myers, illustrating his contemporary standing.
  • The stated budget is $20 million and gross $11.5 million.
  • Travis reportedly cut her fingertip while laughing during the butcher scene; a bandage is visible afterward.
  • Alamo Drafthouse reportedly suspended its no-talking rule for quote-along anniversary screenings.
  • Stuart’s prosthetic makeup reportedly took three to four hours.
  • Myers reportedly rewrote much of the comedy but the Writers Guild awarded sole screenplay credit to the original writer.
  • The discussion identifies Fog City Diner, Prudente Meats, Dunsmuir House and Vesuvio as filming locations, with different survival statuses reported.
  • Travis reportedly married producer Robert Fried after filming.
  • The televised soccer match is identified as Scotland’s 1–0 victory in Denver on May17,1992.
  • An eyewitness reportedly recalled fourteen hours spent filming the Woman poem because Myers repeatedly flubbed takes.

What’s Aged the Best?

Direction; friendship; San Francisco; coffeehouses; tabloids; Scottish wall; supporting cast; romantic comedy

In the discussion (15)
Approx. transcript time · 00:19:00Read transcript
  • The polished direction, San Francisco atmosphere, pacing and music distinguish the film from loosely assembled sketch comedies.
  • The first half-hour and short comic appearances make repeated viewing rewarding, although the final twenty minutes are considered weaker.
  • Charlie and Tony’s friendship feels genuine, including their excitement at getting Vicky as their guide.
  • Early-1990s San Francisco, coffeehouse culture, sensational tabloids and sensitive beat poets are praised.
  • Funny actors playing multiple roles remain appealing; Myers, Murphy, Sellers and Carrey are cited, with Sandler and Gillis considered.
  • The Scottish Wall of Fame contains Harry Lauder, Sheena Easton, Alexander Graham Bell, Sean Connery and Jackie Stewart; Ewan McGregor and Groundskeeper Willie are suggested additions. Later, two other photographs are said to be unidentifiable.
  • The tea name and briefly visible Queen Elizabeth dartboard are appreciated.
  • Beer-drinking fathers in recliners and the opening cappuccino tracking shot are praised.
  • Neurotic 1990s men navigating relationships, twisted phrases and the double-date check argument remain amusing.
  • The father’s embarrassing Niagara Falls story and bathroom taunt are praised.
  • The evil delivery is considered a possible seed of Dr. Evil, and the geographic back-scratching exchange is liked.
  • The trail-of-dead-husbands premise and Harriet’s cluttered apartment are appreciated.
  • The supporting cast is considered unusually overqualified, including Sheila Kelley appearing in photographs.
  • Tony’s Serpico-versus-Fish comparison is enjoyed.
  • The brief period of early-1990s Myers romantic comedies is cherished.

What’s Aged the Worst?

Hello bit; butchery; dated references; effects; limited Stuart; soundtrack; Plummer association

In the discussion (10)
Approx. transcript time · 00:19:32Read transcript
  • The repeated exaggerated hello bit is considered unnatural and unsuccessful.
  • Poor butchery and health-code violations undermine the otherwise funny montage.
  • The Fish from Barney Miller reference may be lost on younger viewers.
  • The Pentaverate’s later adaptation, green-screen effects and beginning of Myers’s difficult reputation are criticized.
  • The coffee mug is barely rinsed in dirty water and wiped with a dirty rag; restaurant workers defend the depiction as accurate.
  • Later Stuart scenes do not match the first appearance, prompting a wish for a Stuart television series.
  • Split-screen limitations separate Myers’s reactions from the other actors trying not to laugh.
  • Older references such as Huggy Bear may be less accessible.
  • The soundtrack is considered less exceptional than the era allowed, with There She Goes repeated four times; Soul Asylum’s song is liked.
  • Plummer’s later Pulp Fiction performance now overshadows her yelling here.

Roger Ebert's review

In the discussion (2)
Approx. transcript time · 00:23:33Read transcript
  • Ebert is reported to have awarded two and a half stars.
  • Ebert’s preference for the Scottish-family material over the murder plot is discussed approvingly.

Most Rewatchable Scene

First MacKenzie-family scene

In the discussion (15)
Approx. transcript time · 00:25:56Read transcript
  • The opening follows a coffee mug through the coffeehouse and captures a 1990s setting.
  • The large-cappuccino joke, soup-smelling girlfriend and opening Woman poem are enthusiastically praised.
  • The first visit to the parents includes the Scottish wall, Bay City Rollers and William’s head jokes, with LaPaglia visibly struggling not to laugh.
  • The Pentaverate conspiracy and Colonel Sanders attack are praised; the later Netflix adaptation is considered unnecessary.
  • The scene keeps adding jokes, including Tony kissing the mother and William crying on his huge pillow.
  • The planetoid and weather-system head jokes are praised even as written dialogue.
  • The butcher-shop flirting montage is nominated.
  • Hartman’s Alcatraz guide Vicky, his disturbing prison story and his glare at Charlie are praised as exceptionally funny.
  • Michael Richards’s smoking, explosive cameo is nominated.
  • Arkin’s supportive captain learning to act like a tough television boss is praised, especially the later confession scene.
  • The reconciliation poem and discovery of the supposed murderer are liked, though the first hour supplies the best scenes.
  • The first Stuart/MacKenzie-family scene receives agreement from all three; its greater length breaks the comparison with Hartman’s scene.
  • Grodin objecting to dashboard drumming receives a special mention.
  • Wright’s premature-birth dream line is recalled.
  • The late first-time viewer chooses beat poetry as a personal favorite.

Probably Unanswerable Questions

Family ages; prison story; butcher-shop crowds; haggis

In the discussion (4)
Approx. transcript time · 00:33:17Read transcript
  • The large apparent age gap between Charlie and William and their older parents is questioned.
  • Whether Vicky’s Machine Gun Kelly story is true and whether it warranted a flashback are questioned.
  • The butcher shop’s wildly changing customer count and lack of other employees are questioned, with Friday demand offered as an explanation.
  • A description of haggis prompts disgust and questions about how routinely it would be stocked or eaten.

Is There a Better Title for This Movie?

Original title; Harriet, Sweet Harriet; My Killer Wife

In the discussion (2)
Approx. transcript time · 01:04:54Read transcript
  • The title’s missing comma and ellipsis are criticized, and AX versus AXE spelling is debated.
  • Harriet, Sweet Harriet, My Killer Wife and variations about a murdering wife are floated without a settled replacement.

The Stephen A. Smith Hottest Take Award

Weak chemistry; underwritten Charlie; Travis’s terrible screen partners

In the discussion (3)
Approx. transcript time · 01:10:10Read transcript
  • Charlie and Harriet’s chemistry is challenged because their happy scenes are montages rather than revealing conversations.
  • Charlie is condemned as an underdeveloped character with no evident employment despite a streaming description calling him a bookstore owner.
  • Travis’s characters are said to choose unusually poor partners across Internal Affairs, this film, The Vanishing, Becker, the Tim Allen show and Greedy.

Casting What-Ifs

Chase; Shandling; Allen; Stone; Aykroyd; Candy; Busey; Connery; Caine

In the discussion (5)
Approx. transcript time · 01:13:42Read transcript
  • Chevy Chase and Garry Shandling are discussed as earlier possibilities, with Chase considered a good fit; Woody Allen is considered too old.
  • Stone reportedly wanted both Harriet and Rose and left when refused; the dual-role idea is admired.
  • Myers reportedly wanted Dan Aykroyd as his friend, but Coneheads conflicted.
  • John Candy reportedly could not play the captain, and Gary Busey left Vicky for Rookie of the Year.
  • Reported approaches to Sean Connery and Michael Caine for Stuart are treated uncertainly, with relief that Myers played him.

Apex Mountain

Nancy Travis; Scotland; early-1990s San Francisco; haggis (probable); Weekly World News; beat poetry

In the discussion (11)
Approx. transcript time · 01:21:49Read transcript
  • Myers is rejected as being at his peak here.
  • Travis is accepted for this film alongside The Vanishing, before her television career.
  • Scotland is accepted for a 1990s run including Teenage Fanclub, the Euros, this film, Braveheart and Trainspotting.
  • Pre-Silicon Valley San Francisco is accepted.
  • Charlie’s maroon Volkswagen Karmann Ghia is admired, with its year and possible Kill Bill connection unresolved.
  • Haggis receives a probable yes; a participant says this is where they learned about it.
  • Weekly World News is accepted for its use in the plot.
  • LaPaglia’s television show is preferred as his peak.
  • McEwan’s Export beer is raised, with uncertainty about whether it is real.
  • Scottish weddings are left uncertain; McEwan’s is corrected to a real beer.
  • Beat poetry in movies is accepted.

Picking Nits

Soccer terminology; health shake; missing-husband silence; flight; tabloid accuracy

In the discussion (5)
Approx. transcript time · 01:29:21Read transcript
  • Stuart should call the sport football rather than soccer; a studio explanation is considered.
  • The unsolicited health shake and Harriet’s disturbing first-date comments give Charlie reasonable grounds for suspicion.
  • None of Harriet’s wedding guests mentions her previous marriages or missing husbands.
  • Tony’s flight seems to save almost no time over the police drive and sends him into a known storm.
  • Weekly World News’s unusually accurate reporting is questioned.

Is This Movie Better With…?

Buscemi; Scottish Wayne Jenkins; Hall; Trejo; Jackson; Walsh

In the discussion (3)
Approx. transcript time · 01:33:02Read transcript
  • Buscemi is proposed as Tony or the hotel clerk.
  • A Scottish Wayne Jenkins impression becomes an extended joke.
  • Hall as the captain, Trejo, Jackson and Walsh are considered plausible additions.

Just One Oscar

Mike Myers as Stuart

In the discussion (1)
Approx. transcript time · 01:34:44Read transcript
  • Myers is chosen, especially as supporting actor for Stuart; Hartman’s brief appearance and dual-role eligibility are questioned.

The Andy and Red – Zihuatanejo Award for What Happens the Next Day?

Annulment; economic displacement; possible apartment windfall

In the discussion (2)
Approx. transcript time · 01:38:08Read transcript
  • An annulment and eventual economic displacement are predicted, potentially leaving the couple sharing custody in Sacramento.
  • Harriet might become wealthy if her sister’s imprisonment gives her the valuable apartment.

Who Won the Movie?

In the discussion (1)
Approx. transcript time · 01:39:44Read transcript
  • Myers is ultimately selected despite concern that the flop ended this type of role; the producer who married Travis and San Francisco are playful alternatives.
Podcast choices
Speaker not identified
Mike Myers

Producer review

Enthusiastic; beat poetry; cameos; short runtime

In the discussion (3)
Approx. transcript time · 01:40:29Read transcript
  • The first-time viewing is enthusiastic, especially for ordinary-guy Myers and the short appearances by other comedy performers.
  • Myers and Ferrell are praised as exceptional comic yellers.
  • The short running time is appreciated.

More from the conversation

The theatrical failure is contrasted with its later status as a highly rewatchable Myers cult film.
Approx. transcript time · 00:02:34Read transcript
Myers rarely played an ordinary man afterward; the failure is speculated to have discouraged that direction.
Approx. transcript time · 00:03:05Read transcript
His romantic chemistry in Wayne’s World, this film and the Austin Powers films supports the case for more romantic leads.
Approx. transcript time · 00:04:59Read transcript
The dramatic turn in 54, the abandoned Dieter project, The Cat in the Hat and The Love Guru are discussed as turning points in his career.
Approx. transcript time · 00:06:40Read transcript
His disguised Gong Show hosting is considered strange, while his commitment to invented worlds is admired.
Approx. transcript time · 00:07:32Read transcript
The success of Shrek, Austin Powers and his SNL run is considered underrated by the later narrative of decline.
Approx. transcript time · 00:08:03Read transcript
Generational attachment to SNL casts and Myers’s enthusiasm for late, strange sketches are recalled.
Approx. transcript time · 00:09:11Read transcript
Favorite San Francisco films include 48 Hrs., this film, Zodiac, The Rock, Basic Instinct, Bullitt, Mrs. Doubtfire, Pacific Heights, Dirty Harry, Invasion of the Body Snatchers and The Game; 48 Hrs. is called the king.
Approx. transcript time · 00:10:04Read transcript
Early-1990s San Francisco is remembered as comparatively affordable and culturally appealing; The Real World season is corrected to the third.
Approx. transcript time · 00:11:11Read transcript
San Francisco nostalgia includes Chinatown, the Full House houses and a lament about the closed Nordstrom.
Approx. transcript time · 00:12:30Read transcript
Favorite filming cities include New York, New Orleans, Miami, London and Chicago; directors’ local attachments are offered as a reason cities have cinematic runs.
Approx. transcript time · 00:14:05Read transcript
Schlamme’s later television influence is associated with moving-camera conversations on ER and The West Wing.
Approx. transcript time · 00:15:45Read transcript
Reports of Myers’s difficult working style are weighed against artistic commitment, Peter Sellers’s example and later accounts that the tension was manageable.
Approx. transcript time · 00:16:59Read transcript
A joking discussion of difficult Canadians names Myers, Dillon Brooks and RJ Barrett.
Approx. transcript time · 00:20:04Read transcript
Hartman, Richards, Grodin, Wright and Arkin supply brief comic scenes that still advance the story.
Approx. transcript time · 00:20:59Read transcript
The In-Laws is enthusiastically praised, including a family friend’s repeated viewings and the tarmac sequence.
Approx. transcript time · 00:23:14Read transcript
Personal coffeehouse histories lead to jokes about an NFL beat-poetry podcast.
Approx. transcript time · 00:26:23Read transcript
Myers’s Scottish material prompts questions about affection versus mockery and appreciation of the cuisine-based-on-a-dare joke.
Approx. transcript time · 00:34:37Read transcript
Hartman’s lost later career is mourned; a four-person personal comedy pantheon comprises Eddie Murphy, Hartman, Will Ferrell and Belushi.
Approx. transcript time · 00:38:01Read transcript
Hartman’s serious, restrained characters are compared with Ferrell’s ability to play absurdity straight.
Approx. transcript time · 00:38:58Read transcript
Repeated personal visits to Alcatraz are recalled fondly.
Approx. transcript time · 00:40:04Read transcript
LaPaglia’s Australian background, perceived dramatic promise and work in Innocent Blood, The Client, Empire Records, Murder One and Without a Trace are discussed.
Approx. transcript time · 00:42:42Read transcript
Travel to Scotland and the heaviness of its breakfast prompt personal anecdotes and jokes.
Approx. transcript time · 00:46:59Read transcript
Seeing this and Robin Hood: Men in Tights on an eleventh-birthday weekend is recalled fondly.
Approx. transcript time · 00:57:04Read transcript
The Spin Doctors’ sudden loss of popularity is compared with Hootie and the Blowfish and defended as an overreaction to decent pop-rock songs.
Approx. transcript time · 01:00:35Read transcript
A future Pulp Fiction episode is jokingly associated with the end of the podcast.
Approx. transcript time · 01:02:31Read transcript
Plummer’s unusual screen persona is debated, with strong praise for Honey Bunny and hypothetical comparisons to Emma Stone.
Approx. transcript time · 01:02:51Read transcript
Julia Fox is floated as a comparable performer, leading to teasing about her brief cultural moment.
Approx. transcript time · 01:03:42Read transcript
Travis’s approachable screen beauty, ability to keep up with Myers and career longevity are praised.
Approx. transcript time · 01:12:25Read transcript
The hello bit becomes a proposed running joke for other Ringer shows.
Approx. transcript time · 01:16:24Read transcript
Uncertainty about Becker’s premise is resolved by reading its description as a cantankerous doctor sitcom.
Approx. transcript time · 01:22:03Read transcript
Putting on The Golden Girls for an older relative leads to surprise about a pregnancy plot and disagreement over familiarity with the show.
Approx. transcript time · 01:22:35Read transcript
Unreliable older Saabs, Buicks and Audis prompt memories of difficult starts and expensive repairs.
Approx. transcript time · 01:25:45Read transcript
Hypothetical poetry readings and personal lack of beat-poetry experience prompt jokes.
Approx. transcript time · 01:28:11Read transcript
The wedding problem leads to a debate about attending a friend’s repeated marriages.
Approx. transcript time · 01:30:50Read transcript
The suspicious-spouse premise prompts discussion of Perfect Stranger, with its title recalled after false starts.
Approx. transcript time · 01:37:26Read transcript