Lisa, Lisa (1974)
aka
California Axe Massacre
California Axe Murders
The Axe Murders
Axe
The Virgin Slaughter
Die Axt
An alternative title for this is CALIFORNIA AXE MASSACRE and since it takes place in North Carolina you know what sort of time you are in for right away. Three low-lifes open the movie by killing a gay man for reasons which are never explained. Then, assuming themselves to be candidates for "America's Most Wanted", they hit the road. Pausing to terrorise the lady clerk at a convenience store they decide to force themselves on the occupants of a lonely farmhouse until the heat is off. This is where director Frederick Freydel turns the movie into THE DESPERATE HOURS only with gore scenes. The house is occupied by Lisa (Leslie Lee) and her paralysed, war veteran grandad. The small time hoods think they have found an easy set-up; but are they ever wrong. LISA, LISA was released by Harry Novak who also gave us A SCREAM IN THE STREETS about a cross dressing serial killer, and imported Jean Rollin's REQUIEM POUR UN VAMPIRE and re-titled it CAGED VIRGINS. The plots has holes in it you could drive an 18-wheeler through. We know the three guys are just punks with delusions of being big time gangsters but if director Freydel had allowed just a few minutes of character analysis to explain why they commit the murder that begins the picture perhaps it would make a little more sense. Lisa herself is an enigmatic character too. She is the very picture of innocence, quiet to the point of being withdrawn, but she swings a mean axe when she gets mad. She seems to feed her grandpa on a steady diet of tomato soup, but one scene suggests that "soup" might actually be liberally laced with blood. It sort of makes you wonder what might have happened to any other people who came to her front door. LISA, LISA was released on a double bill with THE CHILD. To-day they are both on video. Don't say I didn't warn you. (IMDB reptilicus) tt0075710
