The Honeymoon Killers Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		5.0
Audio		5.0
Extras		4.0
Overall		4.0

The Honeymoon Killers Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov December 9, 2015

Leonard Kastle's "The Honeymoon Killers" (1969) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Arrow Video. The supplemental features on the disc include an original trailer for the film; new interview with Belgian director Fabrice Du Welz; new documentary from Robert Fischer featuring interviews with actors Tony Lo Bianco and Marilyn Chris and editor Stan Warnow; new interview with director Todd Robinson; and more. The release also arrives with an 18-page illustrated booklet featuring new writings on the film and technical credits. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-B "locked".

Martha and Ray

Martha Beck (Shirley Stoler, Klute) is an overweight and lonely nurse in Mobile, Alabama whose only excitement in life comes from eating large amounts of candy. At the local hospital people talk to her, but only when they must. Most of the time she is alone with her thoughts and the heavy feeling that she will die without a husband.

After reluctantly placing an ad in Aunt Carrie’s Friendship Club, Martha begins exchanging letters with Ray Fernandez (Tony Lo Bianco, God Told Me To), a Spanish immigrant who quickly convinces her that she is the woman he has been waiting for his entire life. The two then meet in New York City and Marta falls madly in love with Ray.

Before they take their relationship to the next level, however, Martha discovers that Ray is actually a professional gigolo who scams lonely older women out of their savings. Nevertheless, she decides to place her ill mother in a nursing home and becomes his partner in crime.

At first it seems like the couple would quickly make enough to retire somewhere in Florida, but Ray’s kindness and attention to his targets make Martha jealous and she begins to question his feelings for her. Eventually, a shocking discovery collapses their partnership.

Martin Scorsese was initially involved with The Honeymoon Killers, but was replaced by Donald Volkman after a week of shooting. Soon after, Volkman was replaced by Leonard Kastle, who also wrote the script for the film.

The film’s casual tone and atmosphere are its biggest strengths. Indeed, instead of focusing on the mechanics of the gruesome murders, Kastle follows the evolution of Martha and Ray’s unusual relationship with a quiet compassion that makes them look like victims rather than monsters. Then a desire to understand their private hell and the logic behind their actions slowly emerges and transforms the film into the unsettling chiller that it is -- Martha and Ray become indistinguishable from the people around them yet their words and actions repeatedly show that they are in fact different and dangerous.

It is difficult to tell exactly what type of film Scorsese would have delivered with the material, but it is probably safe to assume that it would have been far more conscious of its visual style. Also, the drama almost certainly would have been managed differently and the two killers would have been profiled in a way that would have led one to believe that their self-destruction is unavoidable. Kastle, who never made another film after The Honeymoon Killers, allows his film to remain fluid, like a documentary feature. The end also comes abruptly, without a dramatic buildup, and forces one to seriously ponder who is actually responsible for the murders, the disillusioned killers or the environment that has made them what they are and allowed them to remain at large for as long as they have.

The film’s technical limitations are quite obvious, but they actually enhance the sense of authenticity that permeates it. The acting is also a bit rough at times, but it feels appropriate for a low-budget film from the late 1960s.

The Lonely Hearts Killers, whose story inspired Kastle to shoot his film, apparently murdered as many as twenty women. They met in 1947 and were arrested in 1949. Both were executed at Sing Sing prison in New York on March 8, 1951.

The Honeymoon Killers Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in its original aspect ratio of 1.85:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Leonard Kastle's The Honeymoon Killers arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Arrow Video.

The release has been sourced from the same 4K restoration of the film which Criterion introduced earlier this year. (You can see our review of this release here).

The film looks very healthy. Depth and clarity are fantastic while fluidity is as good as one could expect it to be. There are a few minor density fluctuations, but they are part of the original cinematography. The blacks and whites are well balanced and there is a wonderful range of nuanced grays. Grain is evenly distributed and resolved throughout the entire film. When there is an abundance of light the film looks very sharp, but there are no traces of sharpening adjustments. Overall image stability is excellent. Finally, there are no large debris, damage marks, cuts, stains, scratches, or warps to report in our review. (Note: This is a Region-B "locked" Blu-ray release. Therefore, you must have a native Region-B or Region-Free player in order to access its content).

The Honeymoon Killers Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There is only one standard audio track on this Blu-ray release: English LPCM 1.0. Optional English SDH subtitles are provided for the main feature.

The film's original sound design is quite modest. There are a few extracts from Gustav Mahler's 5th and 6th symphonies, but the music does not have a prominent role. The dialog is very crisp, clean, stable, and easy to follow. There are no pops, cracks, audio dropouts, or digital distortions.

The Honeymoon Killers Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Trailer - original trailer for The Honeymoon Killers. In English, not subtitled. (3 min).

• Love Letters - in this new documentary, actors Tony Lo Bianco and Marilyn Chris and editor Stan Warnow discuss the funding and production history of The Honeymoon Killers, its visual style, cult status, and the original story that inspired the film. The documentary was produced by Robert Fischer for Fiction Factory. In English, not subtitled. (25 min).

• Beyond Morality - in this featurette, Belgian director Fabrice Du Welz explains how The Honeymoon Killers influenced his work (and specifically the type of impact it had on his film Alleluia) and discusses Martha Beck and Ray Fernandez's unusual relationship. The featurette was produced by Robert Fischer for Fiction Factory. In English, not subtitled. (9 min).

• Body Shaming - in this featurette, director Todd Robinson (Lonely Hearts) discusses some of the unique qualities and themes in The Honeymoon Killers. The featurette was produced by Robert Fischer for Fiction Factory. In English, not subtitled. (7 min).

• Folie a Deux - in this documentary, director Todd Robinson, whose grandfather was amongst the officers that arrested Martha Beck and Ray Fernandez, discusses the true story of the Lonely Hearts Killers. The featurette was produced by Robert Fischer for Fiction Factory. In English, not subtitled. (31 min).

• Booklet - 18-page illustrated booklet featuring Johnny Mains' essay "No Average Killers"; Michael Brooke's essay "Screening the Lonely Hearts Killers"; and technical credits.

The Honeymoon Killers Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

The visual style and rhythm of Leonard Kastle's The Honeymoon Killers remind of John Cassavetes' work. Indeed, there is a sense of raw authenticity that permeates the film that makes it remarkably unsettling. Martin Scorsese was initially set to direct it, but after a week of shooting he left and Kastle completed the film. It was the one and only time he directed a feature film. Arrow Video's release is sourced from the recent 4K restoration of The Honeymoon Killers which Criterion introduced earlier this year. I think that it will almost certainly remain the film's definitive presentation. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.