Search - Hatchet for the Honeymoon on DVD

Gripping and frightening

Jeffrey Leach | Omaha, NE USA | 10/01/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Italian director Mario Bava (1914-1980) is one of the giants of the horror film genre. His films, no matter what the plot, always promised great style mixed with scenes of murder and mayhem. Bava's big break into the industry came with his 1960 black and white classic "Black Sunday" starring fan favorite Barbara Steele. This was only the beginning, as Bava churned out a series of gruesome shockers over the next seventeen years. Perhaps Mario's biggest contribution to the horror field was his 1972 picture "Twitch of the Death Nerve," also known as "Bay of Blood." It doesn't take too long to realize "Friday the 13th" shamelessly cribbed from Bava's bloodbath. The director's inventiveness goes far beyond hacking up a few unfortunate souls, however, as "Hatchet for the Honeymoon" shows. This is a relatively bloodless movie that attempts to rework the always entertaining Italian giallo formula, a movie that is a wildly inventive jaunt into the inner recesses of a mind twisted by insanity. Mario Bava is no longer with us, much to my regret, but the Bava legacy continues with son Lamberto, one of the guiding lights behind "Demons," an instant cult favorite with gorehounds worldwide.

I've seen quite a few Bava films at this point, and I have to say I think "Hatchet for the Honeymoon" one of his best. It's the story of John Harrington (Stephen Forsyth), a successful designer of female wedding apparel who suffers from two big problems. First, Harrington himself is the first to admit he's completely insane. An incident in his childhood involving a shadowy memory of echoing footsteps on a staircase and the gruesome murder of his mother haunts him. In order to discover the identity of the culprit behind this infernal crime Harrington decides he must murder woman with a small hatchet, a rather unpleasant situation all around. Each murder uncovers a bit more of the memory, and as Harrington ups his body count he comes closer and closer to revealing the identity of the person who took his mother's life. Second, and probably the biggest immediate problem, is his wife Mildred (Laura Betti). Theirs is a loveless marriage held together by Mildred's threats to leave and take her money with her, money that revived John's faltering business. Mildred also suspects John of infidelity, although she doesn't know anything about his true motivations for picking up women.

How crazy is John Harrington? Quite crazy. Every time he dispatches a victim, Inspector Russell (Jesus Puente) shows up at the house to ask a lot of pointed questions. It becomes clear rather quickly that this cop knows Harrington is behind the disappearances, but can't do anything for a lack a proof. But the good inspector doesn't necessarily have anything to do with Harrington's increasing insanity. What really sends our man over the edge, what really makes us aware of how far gone this guy really is, occurs when he decides he can no longer abide the presence of his wife Mildred. In a chilling scene that will probably stay with me long after the rest of the film fades away, John dons a wedding veil, along with some lipstick, and chases his dearly beloved down with the aforementioned hatchet. And wouldn't you know it? Russell happens to show up right after the conclusion of the dastardly deed. Harrington escapes through mere luck only to discover his crime has the sort of lasting consequences he never intended. And as John pursues his final victim, model Helen Wood (Dagmar Lassander), he finally learns whose footsteps he heard padding up that staircase, and who it was that killed his mother.

I absolutely adored "Hatchet for the Honeymoon." Everything worked like a charm to create a truly creepy, atmospheric horror film. Stephen Forsyth is great as the massively unhinged Harrington. Here's a guy who is a successful, good looking, cultured chap on the surface, but inside he's gone stark raving mad. It's to the actor's credit that he manages to convey all of these divergent traits at the same time. What really makes the film a winner is the style. Bava effectively uses flashbacks, lighting, camera tricks, and set pieces to craft a truly frightening film. The somber environment of Harrington's house, replete with a special little room full of mannequins wearing wedding gowns, serves as the centerpiece for most of the unfolding madness. Those flashbacks, with the booming footsteps and screaming woman, send chills down your spine even as you figure out exactly what happened to Harrington's mother long before the final denouement. The best stylistic element of the film is the clangy, driving score. It's haunting and creepy without going over the top. Bava fortunately doesn't overuse his background music, something that I cannot say for many of the other Italian horror masters.

Sadly, the mediocre picture and audio quality on the DVD nearly upset the effect of the film. There is no excuse for such a pedestrian transfer to disc; I know for a fact there are thousands of Bava fans out there that would willingly pay good money for a better quality DVD. The shoddy treatment afforded "Hatchet for the Honeymoon" recalls unpleasant memories of the audio problems on "The Twitch of the Death Nerve" disc, although it is unfair to say this DVD is as bad as that one. Extras on this disc include stills and a Mario Bava biography and filmography. "Hatchet for the Honeymoon" is now my favorite Bava film, and that's saying a lot. I hope a decent DVD arrives in the near future. If you want to explore the world of Bava, this is a great place to start.
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