The Search For "The Weekend It Lives" (1992)
It's been a while since I posted, but I wanted to talk about this again. For anyone who missed my last post about it, I'm currently in the process of finishing a zine I've been working on for about two years now and I decided to comb The Lost Media Wiki again to see if there's anything I missed. One of the entries in the unverified section is that of a rumored original cut of The Weekend It Lives aka Ax'Em, a super low budget shot on video slasher film that would make IMDB's bottom 100 if they'd accept it - and is arguably one of the worst SOV films ever made.
According to the Wiki, the film had a limited theatrical release in Baltimore before it fell off the radar. In 2003, York Entertainment picked the film up and tons of changes were made that made the film incoherent - a tonal change from Michael Mfume's vision. This version, assuming it isn't the original, got ripped to shreds and is the version we all know. If it's true that that this isn't the original cut, then no surviving prints of the film are known to exist.
This is why I wanted to bring things up to you all.
Because the film has such a notorious reputation, I'd like to think it could be resolved to some degree if a collective effort is made; be it Mfume confirming that this version doesn't exist or confirming it with a master copy or just word of mouth. While it would be a shame if an original cut exists but he doesn't have it anymore, it would be better than it sitting in virtual purgatory.
So far, I'm not able to find Michael Mfume on social media - so I'm guessing he's probably just a private individual. However, a photo from 2015 popped up with him (or someone who bears a likeness to him in appearance or name) with rapper Willie D. Beyond this, I did find a LinkedIn page for York Entertainment, but I'm not sure if that's the real company or one with a similar name. I also reached out to VHS Collector to see if they know anything, and for now, I'm at a standstill.
If anyone is interested in contributing, let me know. I have a thread up on the Lost Media Wiki forums to discuss the matter, but no other comments have been made in nearly a week. If I'm feeling well enough, I'll try reaching out to the LinkedIn page or see if Willie D's website has a contact section.
Let's unearth some shit, kids.
