7 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 4.0 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
Martha Beck is sullen, overweight, and lonely. Desperate for affection, she joins Aunt Carrie's Friendship Club and strikes up a correspondence with Ray Fernandez, a charismatic smooth talker who could be the man of her dreams—or a degenerate con artist.
Starring: Shirley Stoler, Tony Lo Bianco, Mary Jane Higby, Doris Roberts, Kip McArdleDrama | 100% |
Crime | Insignificant |
Romance | Insignificant |
Thriller | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.85:1
English: LPCM Mono
English SDH
50GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region A (locked)
Movie | 4.0 | |
Video | 5.0 | |
Audio | 5.0 | |
Extras | 4.0 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
Leonard Kastle's "The Honeymoon Killers" (1969) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Criterion. The supplemental features on the disc include an original trailer for the film; new documentary from Robert Fischer featuring interviews with actors Tony Lo Bianco and Marilyn Chris and editor Stan Warnow; new video essay by author Scott Christianson; and archival interview with Leonard Kastle. The release also arrives with an illustrated leaflet featuring Gary Giddins' essay "Broken Promises". In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-A "locked".
"Martha, you just need a man. Okay, honey, you're a little on the heavy side, but you're not an old bag, you know?"
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 Criterion.
The following text appears inside the leaflet provided with this Blu-ray release:
"This new digital transfer was created in 4K resolution on a Lasergraphics Director film scanner from the original 35mm camera negative. It was restored at FilmRestore in Hyderabad, India. The original monaural soundtrack was remastered at 24-bit from the 35mm magnetic track. Clicks, thumps, hiss, hum, and crackle were manually removed using Pro Tools HD, AudioCube's integrated workstation, and iZotope RX4.
Transfer supervisor: Jack Rizzo/Metropolis Post, New York.
Colorist: Lee Kline."
After the recent restoration the film looks strikingly healthy, without a question the best it ever has. From start to finish detail and clarity are outstanding. Contrast and sharpness levels are also wonderfully balanced and as a result depth is consistently very pleasing. There are only a couple of sequences where some minor density fluctuations are present, but it is very easy to tell that they are not a byproduct of problematic digital adjustments (you can see an example in screencapture #11). Grain is evenly distributed and resolved. Also, there are no compromising sharpening adjustments. Image stability is excellent -- the film remains tight around the edges and there are no shaky transitions. Lastly, there are no large debris, cuts, damage marks, torn frames, or stains. To sum it all up, This is an excellent restoration and technical presentation of The Honeymoon Killers that represents a major upgrade in quality over the previous DVD release of the film. (Note: This is a Region-A "locked" Blu-ray release. Therefore, you must have a native Region-A or Region-Free player in order to access its content).
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.
Clarity is very good but depth is modest at best. There are extracts from Gustav Mahler's 5th and 6th symphonies that open up select sequences rather well, but dynamic intensity is also fairly modest. However, you should keep in mind that these are production limitations, not transfer-specific limitations. The dialog is stable and clean. There are no pops, cracks, distracting hiss, audio dropouts, or distortions to report in our review.
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. Criterion's upcoming Blu-ray release is sourced from a new 4K restoration of the The Honeymoon Killers which will almost certainly remain the film's definitive presentation. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.
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