Hatchet for the Honeymoon

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laurent b Nice cinematography. But a rather dull script, and my god, the dialogues are so poor. Nevertheless a movie to watch if you like Mario Bava or horror flicks. It still is a classical despite its defects. A very poor budget explains also a lot why it's not so bad as if it had been directed by someone else. Rated 2/5 Stars •  Rated 2 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review Audience Member Hatchet for the Honeymoon is somewhat different compared to Bava's other movies and is one of his most accessible films. Hatchet handles a more common horror theme (namely a serial killer and his motivations) but in the very first place it is another Bava-omnibus of stylish direction, wonderful music, beautiful scenery and a unique, tense atmosphere. I find it remarkable how this director is able to portray such ugly things (murder, insanity, aggression) in an artistic, beautiful way. Also, the film is far ahead of its time with the portrayal of a horrible murderer as a classy and intelligent businessman. It's largely American Psycho from a few decades earlier. Rated 3.5/5 Stars •  Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 02/10/23 Full Review Audience Member http://letterboxd.com/zbender/film/hatchet-for-the-honeymoon/ What happens when Norman Bates, Patrick Bateman, and Frank Zito (from the film Maniac) get together for a one night stand? You get a bastard love child in John Harrington. John is a little screwy in the head. When not running a fashion company, he's wielding the cleanest lookin cleaver and unleashing on various women. The hokey acting never really got me in the mood of "this is horrific," but the camerawork was work I marveled at. The music accompanying was soothing to the ear, but didn't leaving me shaking in my boots. The voiceover, and John's rationalization of the utter terror of his willingness to kill is intriguing. As a whole, it doesn't come off as impressive, but all the giallo elements along with the other technical aspects I mentioned this comes across as a quick, tidy, and entertaining watch. Rated 3.5/5 Stars •  Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 01/27/23 Full Review Audience Member Mario Bava's darkly funny 'Hatchet For the Honeymoon' is an entertaining psychological thriller that adds a few unique little twists to the genre. It's one of Bava's less grandiose efforts, but that's not to say it isn't plenty of fun. The acting is enjoyably hammy, and the film looks great. Rated 4.5/5 Stars •  Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 02/11/23 Full Review Audience Member More dreamlike and less gory than other Bava films of this era - there are some genuinely spooky moments here. Unlike in the traditional giallo film where we follow the cops as they try to find a maniac killer, this time we follow the killer himself and we are inside his head. Naturally, inside the killer's head is a rather confusing place to be. This killer, John Harrington, acknowledges that he is insane but he needs to kill models on their wedding night (or at least in wedding dresses) in order to unlock the mystery of why he is insane (or so it seemed to me). A subplot sees him also kill his wife who returns as a ghost to haunt him. Bava's camera uses oddly placed zooms but often frames the characters strikingly against flowers (in a plot-relevant hot-house) or with not-naturalistic coloured lights (something Argento later borrowed). Yet, the dubbing and the acting aren't great and you sometimes get the impression that the film has been mistreated after it left Bava's hands. Still it has a pretty good quotient of weirdness, if that's what you are seeking. Rated 3/5 Stars •  Rated 3 out of 5 stars 02/04/23 Full Review Audience Member A little unseen Bava to pad out my Halloween viewing, and I'm happy to have finally crossed it off the list. Some great visuals and deaths are peppered throughout, and I will definitely come back to revisit this one soon. Rental! Rated 3/5 Stars •  Rated 3 out of 5 stars 02/07/23 Full Review Read all reviews

Hatchet for the Honeymoon

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