Haunted Honeymoon Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		2.5
Video		3.0
Audio		4.5
Extras		1.0
Overall		3.5

Haunted Honeymoon Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf September 10, 2016

For his fifth directorial endeavor, Gene Wilder remains true to his slapstick-loving soul, co-scripting a tribute to the wonders of radio and the special mood of horror-comedies with 1986’s “Haunted Honeymoon,” reuniting with wife Gilda Radner in this, her final movie. Wilder has all the right intentions with this broad creation, but his timing is slightly off, trying to arrange silly set-pieces with interesting special effects and a game cast, but the writing isn’t as strong as it needs to be, often settling for simple charms when the genre is capable of producing so much more.

Radio stars Larry (Wilder) and Vickie (Radner) are a couple about to be married, with the groom selecting a spooky mansion from his youth to host the ceremony, pitting the twosome against the creatures of the night and unusual family members, including Aunt Kate (Dom DeLuise). It’s a standard set-up for cheeky and macabre happenings, but Wilder doesn’t get “Haunted Honeymoon” up to speed fast enough, laboring through a plot that doesn’t really matter in the overall scheme of the feature. The director also tries to revive some Old Hollywood sight gags that don’t translate well to 1986, throttling what’s left of the picture’s pace.

Haunted Honeymoon Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The AVC encoded image (1.85:1 aspect ratio) presentation provides an adequate look at "Haunted Honeymoon," which hasn't been remastered for this Blu-ray release. Detail isn't profound, but there's texture there when the viewing experience needs it, taking a look at make-up achievements and costuming, while sets preserve their aged look. Colors are fine, handling primaries comfortably, while more horror-centric hues are communicated pleasingly. Skintones are accurate. Delineation is good, helpful with the feature's candle-lit misadventures. Source is in fine shape, without overt damage.

Haunted Honeymoon Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The 2.0 LPCM sound mix provides a fresh listening event, keeping dialogue exchanges snappy and expressive, managing comedic speeds. Scoring is supportive and evocative, and musical numbers enjoy comfortable emphasis, with strong instrumentation. Atmospherics are juiced up, but they provide mood, maintaining the spooky atmosphere of the effort.

Haunted Honeymoon Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• A Theatrical Trailer (2:19, SD) is included.

Haunted Honeymoon Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

As with most of his directing gigs, Wilder has a vision for nuttiness that doesn't always come through clarity. After successfully managing an adult romp with 1984's "The Woman in Red," it's disappointing the watch Wilder regress a bit with cartoon adventures. However, "Haunted Honeymoon" isn't a disaster, offering enough clever visual tricks to maintain interest in the unfolding tale, and there's undeniable chemistry between the stars, who are clearly enjoying themselves as they sing, dance, and freak-out to best support the cinematic tributes and funny business of "Haunted Honeymoon."