Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.5
Audio		5.0
Extras		0.0
Overall		4.0

Honey Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov May 18, 2023

Gianfranco Angelucci's "Honey" a.k.a. "Miele di Donna" (1981) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Raro Video. There are no supplemental features on the release. In Italian, with optional English subtitles for the main feature. Region-Free.

Before the elegant woman (Catherine Spaak), who must be in her early thirties, rings the doorbell, she reaches into her pocket to confirm that it is not empty. Moments later, after the elderly man (Fernando Rey) opens the door, she pulls out a gun and forces him into his office.

The man, who is a prominent book publisher, attempts to act professionally and take control of the odd situation, but very quickly realizes that the woman intends to use the gun if he does not cooperate. Because the woman does not behave like a robber, he appears perplexed but at the same time intrigued. Without wasting any time, the woman then hands him a manuscript and asks that he begins reading it aloud.

In a parallel reality, a younger woman named Anny (Cilo Goldsmith) has a conversation with a taxi driver who is taking her to Hotel Desire. Anny plans to stay there a night, maybe two, possibly more. While describing Hotel Desire, the taxi driver casually reveals that it is a place with a special reputation, but Anny either misses or intentionally ignores what seems like a friendly warning.

At Hotel Desire, Anny is greeted by the owner, a busty beauty with an irresistible smile (Donatella Damiani), who offers her a quick tour while her room is being prepped. Somewhere in the back of Hotel Desire, Anny is then urged to look through a tiny window to see The Man (Luc Merenda), a half-naked hunk, who spends most of his time in The Room. Much to her surprise, Anny becomes obsessed with The Man, and when later decides to secretly observe his daily routine, her mind takes control of her body.

Honey quite easily could have been conceived and directed by Tinto Brass, but it is the only creation of Gianfranco Angelucci, a completely unknown Italian helmer. It is based on an original story by Angelucci and Liliane Betti, who a decade later would collaborate with Marco Ferreri on the similarly atmospheric erotic thriller The Flesh.

The narrative is broken into multiple episodes whose content emphasizes the surreal a lot more than the erotic. This is an unexpected but very effective development because it shifts the focus of attention from Anny’s interactions and fantasies to Anny’s relationship with Hotel Desire. As this new relationship evolves, the surreal produces a healthy dose of adult humor that casually but successfully manipulates the viewer’s expectations. Needless to say, Honey becomes a far more interesting film than a quick read of its synopsis suggests.

Merenda’s performance is quite amusing. It introduces a kooky character that would have appeared at home in a twisty erotic thriller like The Laughing Woman where sexual perversions and mind games are elevated to something of art form. During the late 1960s and 1970s, these types of characters usually emerged when the actors that were tasked to do them enthusiastically took hard drugs for inspiration. (In Italy, Tomas Milian made a career of playing such kooky characters while under the influence of cocaine. However, these characters because incredibly popular because of their violent outbursts).

The soundtrack was created by the legendary maestro Riz Ortolani (Il Sorpasso, Don't Torture a Duckling). It blends soothing and psychedelic tunes that perfectly complement Anny’s experiences in Hotel Desire.

Honey Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in its original aspect ratio of 1.85:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 0180p transfer, Honey arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Raro Video.

It is very easy to tell that Honey has been fully remastered because the master that was used to produce this release has very solid organic qualities. To be honest, had Honey been placed on a dual-layer release and given a few specific optimizations, it would have looked terrific. It still looks very, very good. There are a few areas with minor density fluctuations but they are extremely easy to ignore. Also, a few darker nuances could have been handled just a tiny bit better. The rest I liked a lot. Color balance is very convincing. All primaries and supporting nuances look very healthy and properly balanced. Yes, the dynamic range of a few segments -- the ones in which the editor is seen reading while facing the gun -- could be superior, but this master still produces terrific visuals. There are no traces of problematic digital corrections. Image stability is good. However, I did notice a few quick twitches that could have been eliminated. The entire film is very healthy. All in all, at the moment, I would say that Honey is the best looking release in Raro Video's Blu-ray catalog. My score is 4.25/5.00. (Note: This is a Region-Free Blu-ray release. Therefore, you will be able to play it on your player regardless of your geographical location).

Honey Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There is only one standard audio track on this Blu-ray release: Italian DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0. Optional English subtitles are provided for the main feature.

The audio is very healthy. The dialog is clear, stable, and easy to follow. The film has a predictably effective soundtrack that was created by Riz Ortolani and that sounds great as well. I did not encounter any technical issues to report in our review. The English translation is excellent.

Honey Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Most unfortunately, there are no bonus features on this release.

Honey Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Honey is very much a product of its time, which I consider a good thing. It visits Hotel Desire, an unusual place that seduces its guests and offers them a chance to experience their most intimate desires. However, I would not describe Honey as a straightforward erotic film because a substantial part of it focuses on the allure of the surreal. For this reason, I think that it will be better received by fans of The Laughing Woman rather than fans of The Key. Raro Video's Blu-ray release is sourced from a very solid organic master and is Region-Free. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.