Best of the Worst Spotlight: Axe 'Em!

Quick Overview

The group ultimately decides that the horror film Axe 'Em (1992) is the worst movie they have ever seen, rating it poorly across multiple categories despite some brief entertaining moments like a dance sequence and a poorly executed horror scene involving a character named Harry.

Key Points: The group unanimously agrees that Axe 'Em (1992) is one of the worst movies they have ever seen, with one member calling it literally the worst movie they have ever seen. The film's plot involves a group of college students going to a cabin where they are hunted by Axe 'Em, who kills people with an axe. The movie features an early scene showing a group of kids breakdancing, edited with a VHS aesthetic, which one host enjoyed. The editing is frequently noted as bad, with jarring cuts and continuity errors, such as a character who was shot suddenly reappearing later. The film includes a scene where a character's grandmother (Emily Madison, 1928-1993) is shown, and another scene showing a character named Harry (Archie Williams) being killed, but the context of these events is often unclear. The film's technical aspects are poor, with low video quality, bad sound recording, and scenes that feel out of place or poorly constructed (e.g., a poorly lit hallway fight, a character falling over repeatedly). The episode concludes with the group joking about the film's bad quality, referencing the film's own dedication to the director's grandmother.

Context: This video is an episode of the "Best of the Worst" series, where four hosts (Mike, Jay, Josh, and Rich Evans) watch and discuss notoriously bad movies. This particular episode focuses on the 1992 horror film "Axe 'Em," which appears to be a low-budget, independent horror movie with significant production flaws. The hosts break down the plot, technical execution, and overall experience of watching the film, often drawing comparisons to other notorious films.

Detailed Analysis

The panel of four hosts—Mike, Jay, Josh, and Rich Evans—discuss the film Axe 'Em (1992), directed by Michael Mfume. They immediately establish that the movie is exceptionally bad, with one host stating it might be the worst movie they have ever seen. The plot summary reveals a group of college students visit a cabin where they are stalked and killed by Axe 'Em, a character who kills people with an axe and is implied to be the grandfather of one of the victims, Michael. The hosts frequently point out poor technical aspects, such as the inconsistent video quality between scenes (some looking like VHS rips, others looking like slightly better-shot independent film footage) and poor sound mixing. One scene they specifically recall as a highlight is a brief, energetic breakdancing sequence by children, which they enjoyed despite the film's overall flaws. They also discuss narrative issues, noting that some characters vanish or reappear inexplicably, such as the character Harry (aka Axe 'Em) appearing in the woods after having seemingly been killed inside the house. The hosts conclude that the film is a chaotic mess, citing poor character development and directorial control, though they humorously note that the film is so bad it's almost enjoyable for its incompetence.