Hatchet for the Honeymoon (1970)
"Il rosso segno della follia" (original title)

A bridal design shop owner kills various young brides-to-be in an attempt to unlock a repressed childhood trauma that's causing him to commit murder.

Director:

Mario Bava

Writer:

Santiago Moncada (screenplay)

Stars:

Stephen Forsyth, Dagmar Lassander, Laura Betti

Cast

Cast overview:
Stephen Forsyth	...	John Harrington
Dagmar Lassander	...	Helen Wood
Laura Betti	...	Mildred Harrington
Jesús Puente	...	Inspector Russell
Femi Benussi	...	Alice Norton
Antonia Mas	...	Louise
Luciano Pigozzi	...	Vences (as Alan Collin)
Gérard Tichy	...	Dr. Kalleway
Verónica Llimera	...	Betsy
Pasquale Fortunato	...	Club Waiter
Ignasi Abadal	...	Kane (as José Ignacio Abadal)
Silvia Lienas	...	Vicky
Montserrat Riva	...	Bride on Train

Storyline

The owner of a design house busies himself murdering the new brides who have modelled his bridal fashions. When he decides to murder his wife, she becomes the ghost that wouldn't leave.

---

Plot Keywords:

bride | murder | ghost | meat cleaver | trauma | 

---

Genres:

Horror | Thriller

---

Certificate:

GP

Details

Country:

Italy Spain

Language:

Italian

Release Date:

9 February 1974 (USA)

Also Known As:

Hatchet for the Honeymoon

Filming Locations:

Villa Parisi, Frascati, Rome, Lazio, Italy

Box Office

Gross:

ESP 10,908,239 (Spain)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Manuel Caño Sanciriaco, Mercury Films, Pan Latina Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

88 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Director Mario Bava created the elaborate animated collage for the films opening credits.

---

Quotes

John Harrington: My name is John Harrington. I'm 30 years old. I'm a paranoiac. Paranoiac. An enchanting word, so civilized, full of possibilities. The truth is, I am completely mad. The realization which annoys me at first, but is now amusing to me. Quite amusing. Nobody suspects I am a madman. A dangerous murderer. Not Mildred, my wife. Nor the employees of my fashion center. Nor of course my customers.
[scoops a fly out of his drink]
John Harrington: Poor little fly. Why are you so daring? You're so fragile? Yet you're born, ...

---

Connections

Features Black Sabbath (1963)

User Reviews

Another Bava classic

It seems that the 70's is a rather under-appreciated decade for Mario Bava, as it is usually overshadowed by his 60's cannon, with films such as "Black Sunday" or "Black Sabbath". Still, his 1974 film "Lisa and the Devil" is what I consider his masterpiece; 1972's "Baron Blood" is a great old-fashioned Gothic classic; 1971's "Twitch of the Death Nerve" is mindless gory fun; "Shock" is a simple-yet-effective ghost story; and last but not least, there is "Hatchet for a Hooneymoon". Usually depicted as one of Bava's weaker efforts, "Hatchet..." is as influential as "Kill Baby Kill" or "Twitch...", as seen in such critically-acclaimed works as "American Psycho" or "Santa Sangre". Here, we have Bava's ever-present visual flair, combined with a fresh Scroogesque twist on the typical giallo formula. The script is intelligent and gripping, filled with some interesting Freudian motifs represented mostly through the protagonist's doppelganger, as well as including some well-developed and complex characters that you really care for. The charismatic Stephen Forsyth is perfectly cast as the protagonist, and is as seductively creepy as he needs to be. Laura Betti is also terrific as his cold, manipulative wife. Interestingly, Bava seems to play homage to the other great Italian director - Federico Fellini, as he does his own 'La Dolce Vita'-type satire of the plastic Italian high-society in this film. The film also has some of the most beautiful and lyrical scenes of Bava's entire career, both visually and in substance, such as John's 'danse macabre' in the room full of mannequins. These moments blend magnificently with Sante Maria Romitelli's bittersweet score, which captures the film's melancholic tone and perverse humor. The one thing that may put some viewers away is the lack of violence which doesn't really hurt the whole thing, but doesn't add anything to it either. Overall, a mesmerizing combination of ghost story with gialli, that is definitely not to be missed by any fans of the Maestro or Italian horror cinema in general.