Slasher Month! Axeman 2: Overkill (2017)

This film is a continuation of Axeman which I covered over on B&S About Movies. It also happens to be a giant middle finger to Axeman in most forms of continuity. The axeman in this film is now played by former professional wrestler Bryan Clark who was Adam Bomb in WWF and Wrath in WCW, he also wrestled in AWA and All Japan Pro Wrestling.

 

Although no one but Darren seemed to be left alive in the first one, he, Tammy and Liz are still alive. Tammy and Liz are severely injured in this film but are killed in the original. Instead of a bone stuck through Liz’ throat there is now a pen jabbed into the side of her neck. Tammy survived the strangling and now bares the wound where the axeman bit her cheek. Also Deputy Whitfield, played completely over the top by the wondrous returning Ariell Brachfeld, has a completely different car. However, none of this matters to me because this film is pure insane fun.

A group of crazy evangelicals are out to go to a couples retreat when they stumble across an injured Tammy, this of course leads them back to the Talbert cabin where all hell will shortly break loose. The criminals who planned the double cross on the crooks from the first film are also present in this and have tracked the money to the cabin as well. The group of criminals are a bunch of characters. Especially Bird and Sunshine. Bird carries an old dueling pistol around for some odd reason and it even seems to be semi-automatic. It’s fun to note that most of the prop guns in the films seem to be cheap Well airsoft guns. Nobody in this film is any sort of upstanding moral compass. Sunshine even calls herself satan’s whore at point. Sunshine is legitimately insane.

The reason I love this movie so much is because the director seems like he isn’t trying to make a super serious horror film this time around. He is here to put on a show and have a fun time doing it. I am baffled that this was the follow up to Axeman because they go in completely different directions from each other. This one explains why Bill Talbert is killing everyone. The director of this would also go on to make Snake Outta Compton which I also had a blast with. I covered that on B&S About Movies for Bastard Pups of Jaws month.

Bryan Clark kills it in his role as the axeman, Bill Talbert. He still looks like he could step in the ring and kick anyone’s ass that tries to step to him. He is delightfully maniacal in this film and has some great one liners. Seriously, I demand to see Bryan Clark in more film roles. In fact, I could see an entire franchise of him being a witty but menacing serial killer. Someone jump on that fast.

If you like crass, crazy, completely nutso films this is made for you. You can watch it on Screambox or rent/buy from amazon. I managed to get a digital copy from Vimeo before it was taken off so this has been sitting on my watch list for some time.

Bryan Clark as Bill Talbert