Three criminals on the run make a stop-over at a remote homestead, on which two people live: meek young Lisa (Leslie Lee) and her paralyzed grandfather (Douglas Powers). Two out of these three criminals are pretty nasty types - the domineering, hair-trigger-tempered Steele (Jack Canon),the predatory Lomax (Ray Green) - but they seem to have met their match in the soft-spoken Lisa.

Don't look for much more story than that, in this regional production written and directed by Frederick R. Friedel, who also plays Billy, the youngest and most even-keeled of the gang. Also, don't expect a very lively affair: Friedel seems more determined to go for mood and feel (the film has an almost European sort of ambiance) than hardcore exploitation. That's not to say, however, that there isn't some very effective grisly violence on display. And while the blood present may be of that bright red movie variety, Friedel does take the opportunity to sort of goof around with the colour palate. There are gags involving ketchup and tomato soup, showing that he is not taking his film too, too seriously. Good location shooting (in North Carolina) and an atmospheric soundtrack (composed by George Newman Shaw & John Willhelm) are definite assets.

The acting gets the job done, with young Lee appealing in the central role. Canon and Green are appropriately loathsome, especially the former as he throws his weight around and makes everybody around him miserable. Friedel himself is okay as the one member of the gang with something resembling a conscience.

"Axe" a.k.a. "Lisa, Lisa" may not suit the tastes of all trash film fans, but it delivers a slow, quiet variation on the standard home invasion scenario.

Seven out of 10.

Having just killed two men, and tortured a convenience store assistant, three thugs (two thoroughly sadistic bastards and one 'nice' guy) decide to lie low, taking refuge at a deserted farmhouse, home to pretty young teenager Lisa and her paralysed war veteran grandfather. Naturally, it's not long before the more morally bankrupt members of the murderous trio decide that they wanna piece o' Lisa; to their horror, however, the girl proves to be not quite as defenceless as she at first appears...

Axe is one of many low-budget pieces of trash that gained notoriety thanks to its inclusion on the Video Nasty list during the 1980s, and, as such, will forever be of interest to those who are compelled to check out the 'forbidden'. The irony is, of course, that if it hadn't been for the futile efforts of a handful of politicians, Britain's right-wing newspapers and certain clueless activists, the film would have been long forgotten by now (along with many other titles on the list).

Although just over an hour long, this amateurish home-invasion exploitationer is still rather tedious stuff, being extremely slow and very predictable. It also features a poorly developed plot and characters (apparently due to a rather rushed production in order to meet distributors demands),several totally unbelievable moments (Lisa being able to dismember one attacker in the bath unseen, and then even convince the gullible 'nice guy' that his partner in crime did it!) and a dreadful score consisting of an abysmal aural assault by stylophone, bongos, piano and tambourine!.

Also, whilst this is admittedly fairly grim stuff thematically, with endless scenes of humiliation, rape, murder, and the suggestion of cannibalism in the film's final moments (or so I understood—the whole soup thing was fairly confusing),there is nothing particularly shocking to see: a very weak neck slicing, a couple of off-screen axe attacks, and a headless chicken. Nasty, but all things unlikely to cause a problem for today's jaded horror audiences.

Forlorn and unstable young lass Lisa (a strong and haunting portrayal by Leslie Lee) lives with her crippled grandfather in a remote farmhouse. Lisa fights back against three depraved and dangerous criminal fugitives who seek refuge in her home.

Writer/director Frederick R. Friedel does a masterful job of crafting a potently odd, dark, and downbeat brooding atmosphere (Lisa's dismal and lonely plight in which she's meekly resigned to taking care of her helpless invalid grandpa really sticks in the memory),relates the gripping story at a hypnotically deliberate pace, wisely utilizes a spare no-frills style that in turn provides a compelling sense of gritty verisimilitude, and astutely pegs a pervasive tone of seething anguish and despair which gives this picture an extra heart-wrenching poignancy. The colorful trio of despicable villains rates as another significant asset: Jack Canon as ruthless ringleader Steele, Ray Green as paunchy, slimy, cigar-smoking creep Lomax, and Friedel as passive wimp Billy. The startling moments of ferocious violence pack a savage kick. Kudos are also in order for Austin McKinney's vibrant hand-held cinematography and the peculiar percussive score by John Willhelm and George Newman Shaw. Recommended viewing for fans of idiosyncratic on-the-beaten-path exploitation fare.