Hatchet for the Honeymoon

Starring:Stephen Forsyth, Dagmar Lassander, Laura Betti, JesÃºs Puente, Femi Benussi, Antonia Mas, Luciano Pigozzi, GÃ©rard Tichy, VerÃ³nica Llimera, Pasquale Fortunato, JosÃ© Ignacio Abadal, Silvia Lienas, Montserrat Riva, Guido Barlocci, Bruno Boschetti, Elina De Witt
Director: Mario Bava
Studio: Alpha Video
Product Type: DVD

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John Harrington (Stephen Forsyth) is a successful, handsome, somewhat vain young man who runs a fashion studio. He's also, unfortunately, quite insane. Driven by an overpowering Oedipus complex and the recurring image of his dead wife, Harrington has a compulsion to kill women after dressing them in bridal gowns. With each murder, the root cause of his psychosis is a little closer to being fully revealed, until a long-repressed memory finally comes clear. As with many movies of the giallo genre, Bava's film is somewhat short on plot and long on style. The director's questions about a shifting surface of reality come up again and again; Harrington's obsession with fashion and his own primping can be taken as metaphors for that issue. The narrative is reeled off in a somewhat offhand manner, though, and Harrington, though tragic, is not a character with whom the audience can sympathize. The film's long suit, however, is style, and Bava's trademarks are present throughout: red- and blue-lit sets, zoom shots, gauzy flashbacks, inventive camera work and compositions. Bear with the movie's story pretensions and sluggish pace, and you'll find a giallo that, while it doesn't rank with the best of Mario Bava, still has interesting points to recommend it. --Jerry Renshaw

Description

Italian horror master Mario Bava's most personal film. John Harrington and his wife Mildred run an exclusive Paris fashion salon devoted to wedding apparel for women. Unknown to all but himself, John has embarked on a spree of homicides, killing young brides on their wedding nights because, with each murder, his memory comes closer to revealing the traumatic event that branded him a dangerous psychotic. Fed up with his wife (who's no newlywed), John gets rid of her the only way he can--by presiding over her murder while wearing a wedding veil himself! But Mildred's ghost has no intention of letting him forget his vow: Till Death Do Us Part!

Production Info by Tim Lucas - Production Stills - Mario Bava Biographies - Director Filmography

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Hatchet for a Honeymoon & Die, Sister, Die (2005 Digitally Remastered Gorefest)

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Hatchet for a Honeymoon & Die, Sister, Die (2005 Digitally Remastered Gorefest)

Manufacturer: Family Value
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

Product Description

Hatchet for a Honeymoon (90 m) This classic is somewhat different compared to most of Mario Bava's other movies, and perhaps even his most accessible film. Hatchet revolves around a common horror theme; a serial killer and his motivations, and is another Bava-omnibus of stylish direction, wonderful music, beautiful scenery and a unique, tense atmosphere. Bava never ceases to surprise, it is truly remarkable how this director is able to portray such ugly things like murder, insanity, & aggression in an artistic way! This film is far ahead of its time with the ironic portrayal of a horrible murderer as a classy and intelligent businessman. Stephen Forsyth is brilliantly cast as John. He owns a fashion gallery in Paris, specializing in wedding dresses. He desparately wants to divorce his wife because he despises her, but she won't let him. Like it's the most normal thing in the world, John confesses to the audience that he's a multiple murderer. "A woman should only live till her wedding day", he says, "love once and then die"! Forsyth was a great choice to play John; he's handsome and extremely charismatic, but also very frightening and morbid looking at the same time. John is aware that he's sick, yet he can't control the urge to kill again. The second half of the film is even more brilliant, with a perfect image of a man stuck in a downwards spiral of insanity. Next on your bill is the lesser known Die Sister Die (88 m) a made for TV movie that has the feel of a good old 60s William Castle film like Homicidal or The Night Walker. Edith Atwater is great as the tough old bird who knows her evil brother is out to get her. There are some arty dream sequences that are quite creepy and gory, and there's a surprise ending that's a surprise, for a change. Interesting, and worth seeking out. Best yet is the crisp transfer running an extra 6 minutes over the standard video versions.

DVD:

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