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 September 27, 2015

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?"

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 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).

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.

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 Honeymoon Killers Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Trailer - original trailer for The Honeymoon Killers. In English, not subtitled. (3 min, 1080i).

• Leonard Kastle - in this archival interview, composer/writer/director Leonard Kastle recalls how The Honeymoon Killers came to exist, and discusses the casting of Shirley Stoler and Tony Lo Bianco, Martin Scorsese's involvement with the project, the dismissal of Donald Volkman, the framing of various sequences and how they were described in the script, his dislike for Bonnie and Clyde, etc. The interview was conducted exclusively for Criterion in the spring of 2003. In English, not subtitled. (30 min, 1080i).

• 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, 1080p).

• "Dear Martha..." - presented here is a video essay by Scott Christianson, author of Condemned: Inside the Sing Sing Death House. It includes rare photos, clippings, and documents from Martha Beck and Ray Fernandez's trial and incarceration. In English, not subtitled. (23 min, 1080p).

• Leaflet - illustrated leaflet featuring Gary Giddins' essay "Broken Promises". (The author is the executive director of the Leon Levy Center for Biography at the Graduate Center of the City University of New York. His books include Vision of Jazz: The First Century; Bing Crosby: A Pocketful of Dreams, and Satchmo: The Genius of Louis Armstrong, amongst others).

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. 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.