The Honeymoon Killers

Writer-director Leonard Kastle's 1970 low-budget drama, based on a sensational true story, packs a potent and disturbing wallop. Shirley Stoler stars as Martha Beck, an overweight and desperately lonely nurse, with Tony Lo Bianco co-starring as Ray Fernandez, with whom Martha shares a torrid lonely hearts correspondence. When she discovers that Ray is a gigolo after her money, rather than turn him in, Martha quits her job, puts her mother in a nursing home, and becomes his partner, posing as his sister. But with each of his conquests, she becomes increasingly jealous, and…well…grisly murders ensue. Too much even for its original distributor, American-International, this film has since been championed by critics and enjoys a cult following. Look for Emmy-winner Doris Roberts of Everybody Loves Raymond in a brief role. In an interesting interview included on this pristine-looking Criterion Collection DVD, Kastle reveals that Martin Scorsese was the original director, but left after a week over concerns he was wasting time and money on gratuitous "mood" shots. This killer disc also includes the original theatrical preview, and an essay about the real "Lonely Hearts Killers," as the press dubbed them. Recommended. (K. Lee Benson)[Blu-ray/DVD Review—Oct. 6, 2015—Criterion, 107 min., R, DVD: $29.95, Blu-ray: $39.95—Making its latest appearance on DVD and debut on Blu-ray, 1969's The Honeymoon Killers features an excellent transfer and an uncompressed monaural soundtrack on the Blu-ray edition. Extras include a 2003 archival interview with writer-director Leonard Kastle (30 min.), a “Love Letters” interview with costars Tony Lo Bianco and Marilyn Chris, and editor Stan Warnow (25 min.), a “Dear Martha…” video essay by author Scott Christianson (23 min.), a trailer, and an essay by critic Gary Giddins. Bottom line: a minor cult favorite makes a welcome debut on Blu-ray.]