Stars: Shirley Stoler, Tony Lo Bianco, Doris Roberts, Barbara Cason, Marilyn Chris, Dortha Duckworth, Mary Jane Higby, Kip McArdle

Director: Leonard Kastle

Summary: Based on a true story, two mass murderers, a large nurse and her gigolo boyfriend, lure wealthy women to their death via a Lonely Hearts Club.

In this stark film based on the true-life Lonely Hearts murders of the late 1940s, handsome gigolo Ray Fernandez (Tony Lo Bianco) cons lonely women out of money with the promise of marriage. When he meets lonely nurse Martha Beck (Shirley Stoler), the two find themselves actually falling in love. Posing as brother and sister, the duo cross the country swindling needy women and, when necessary, killing them. As their passions become more inflamed, their crime spree grows bloodier. A stark film featuring truly unique characters and fine performances, THE HONEYMOON KILLERS was originally to have been directed by Martin Scorsese, who was replaced.

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Though it was pre-produced by Martin Scorsese, who left the project after arguments with the producers, The Honeymoon Killerswound up being written and directed by Leonard Kastle, one of cinema's great one-hit wonders. The Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killerof 1969, The Honeymoon Killersfollows hefty nurse Martha Beck (Shirley Stoler, who looks like a humourlessly malevolent Roseanne) and her low-rent gigolo lover Raymond Fernandez (Tony Lo Bianco) as they take up serial murder for profit and passion, luring middle-aged women into marriage through lonely-hearts ads, then killing them and raiding their savings. Based on a genuine crime case history, it is filmed in the candid-camera style of a Frederick Wiseman documentary. The intense scenes (such as the couple's frightening love-play: escalating arguments that end in awkward killings) unfold with a fly-on-the-wall dryness, showcasing the extraordinary acting of the leads and their cameo victims. A rare film in which genuine romantic love does not excuse the central couple's amoral behaviour, this still manages to generate some sympathy for the truly monstrous Martha. The washed-out black and white photography and sometimes scratchy soundtrack (the score is sampled from Mahler) have a deliberately amateurish feel which adds to the film's chilling power, lodging it into the memory.

On the DVD:Along with a lurid trailer and gallery of images are filmographies for Stoler, Lo Bianco and (redundantly) Kastle. The widescreen transfer is excellent, representing perfectly the film's rough-hewn look but also bringing out a lot of detail--like Stoler's freckles, which have looked like grain on video releases. --Kim Newman

Aspect Ratio:	16:9 Anamorphic Wide Screen
Main Language:	English
Region:	Region 2
Special Features:	Animated And Scored Graphics, Trailer, Scored Photo Gallery, Director And Main Stars Filmographies, Trivia Notes
Year:	1969
Release Date:	September 1, 2003
Runtime:	103 minutes
Certification:
Catalogue Number:	P P A 1465
Label:	Metrodome
Keywords:	Killers, General, Wide, Screen, Honeymoon, Drama
Genre:	Drama