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

Director:

Mario Bava

Writer:

Santiago Moncada (screenplay)
(more)

Release Date:

9 February 1974 (USA)

Genre:

Horror | Thriller

Plot:

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.

Plot Keywords:

Bride | Murder | Ghost | Meat Cleaver | Trauma

Cast

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 (as Fortunato Pascuale)
Ignasi Abadal	...	Kane (as José Ignacio Abadaz)
Silvia Lienas	...	Vicky
Montserrat Riva	...	Bride on Train (as Monserrat Riba)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Guido Barlocci	...	John Harrington as a boy (uncredited)
Bruno Boschetti	...	Policeman (uncredited)
Elina De Witt	...	Model (uncredited)

Directed by
Mario Bava

Writing credits
Santiago Moncada		(screenplay)
Mario Bava		screenplay (uncredited)

Produced by
Manuel Caño	....	producer

Original Music by
Sante Maria Romitelli		(as Sante Romitelli)

Cinematography by
Mario Bava

Film Editing by
Soledad López

Production Design by
Giulia Mafai

Makeup Department
Elisa Aspachs	....	makeup artist (as Elisa Aspach)
Hipólita López	....	hair stylist
Piero Mecacci	....	makeup artist
Emilia Zachini	....	hair stylist

Production Management
Graziano Fabiani	....	assistant production manager
Enzo Ferla	....	unit production manager
Jaime Fernandez	....	production manager
José Pedro Villanueva	....	assistant production manager (as Pedro Villanueva)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Lamberto Bava	....	assistant director
Mario Bianchi	....	second unit director
Ricardo Walker	....	assistant director

Art Department
Giuseppe Aldrovandi	....	assistant art director
Jesus Maria Herrero	....	set designer (as Jesus Ma Herrero)
Gianna Spirito	....	assistant decorator

Sound Department
Pietro Ortolani	....	sound

Camera and Electrical Department
Jose Adrian	....	still photographer
Marcello Anconetani	....	assistant camera
Gianlorenzo Battaglia	....	assistant camera (as Gian Lorenzo Battaglia)
Avelino Carla	....	assistant camera
Jaime Deu Casas	....	camera operator
Giuseppe Parrabano	....	still photographer
Antonio Rinaldi	....	camera operator
Emilio Varriano	....	camera operator (as Emilio Barriano)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Nadia Fabriani	....	set costumer
Montserrat Riba Vidal	....	bridal gowns
José María Tresserra	....	bridal gowns

Editorial Department
Liliana Serra	....	assistant editor

Music Department
Luigi Zito	....	conductor

Other crew
Marisa Agostini	....	script supervisor
Antonio Angrisano	....	production secretary
Luigi Biamonte	....	title designer
Miro Grisanti	....	title designer
Patrizia Zulini	....	script supervisor

Production Companies

• Pan Latina Films
• Mercury Films
• Películas Ibarra y Cía. (for)
• Manuel Caño Sanciriaco

Distributors

• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Ibérica S.A. (1970) (Spain) (theatrical)
• G.G.P. Releasing Company (1974) (USA) (theatrical) (dubbed)
• Alpha Video Distributors (1995) (USA) (VHS)
• Something Weird Video (SWV) (1998) (USA) (VHS)
• Koch Media (2004) (Germany) (DVD)
• Reel Media International (2005) (USA) (video)
• Reel Media International (2005) (USA) (TV)
• Umbrella Entertainment (2005) (Australia) (DVD)
• Eagle Pictures (2006) (Italy) (DVD)
• Reel Media International (2007) (USA) (all media)
• AVCO Embassy Television (197?) (USA) (TV) (dubbed)
• Charter Entertainment (video)
• Image Entertainment (2000) (USA) (DVD)
• Media Home Entertainment (video)
• Odeon Entertainment (2009) (UK) (DVD)
• Redemption (2012) (USA) (DVD) (Blu-Ray)
• Redemption (2012) (USA) (DVD) (remastered edition)
• Timeless Video (video)
• VCI Home Video (video)

Other Companies

• Arcofon Studio  sound
• Fono Roma  sound
• RCA  music recording
• Digitmovies Alternative Entertainment  soundtrack

Also Known As:

"Il rosso segno della follia" - Italy (original title)
"An Axe for the Honeymoon" - International (English title) (informal literal title)

Runtime:

88 min | Spain:83 min

Country:

Italy | Spain

Language:

Italian

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Italy:VM18 | UK:X | USA:GP (original rating) | USA:Unrated | West Germany:18 | Germany:12 (re-rating)

Filming Locations:

Villa Parisi, Frascati, Rome, Lazio, Italy

Company:

Pan Latina Films

Trivia:

The Harrington's bed was originally used as a set piece in an earlier Bava film, 1963's Black Sabbath.

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, you reproduce yourself, and you die like man. The difference is you don't think. And, you don't need to remember. You don't fear death because you ignore it. You're insignificant life is a mere accident...

Movie Connections:

Features Black Sabbath (1963)

Very strange film...

I say strange because I'm not quite sure what exactly "Hatchet for the Honeymoon" was supposed to be (but enjoyed it nonetheless). It features many of the traditional giallo elements - a black-clad killer, lots of beautiful young women who may as well have "Murder Victim" tattooed on their foreheads, incompetent detectives, childhood psychological trauma, spooky childhood toys... Yet it also diverges from the giallo blueprint in some ways by incorporating an odd, Twilight Zone-style supernatural element into the plot, and also a wry commentary on bourgeois married life. There are clear elements of both Psycho and Peeping Tom in the story, and it also predates both the 1980 slasher film He Knows You're Alone, and the Bret Easton Ellis book (and later film) American Psycho.

As usual with Mario Bava, the cinematography, production design and lighting are all beautiful to look at, and there are two great suspense set-pieces: the scene where the killer waltzes with his next victim to the eerie tune of a music box in a shadowy, elegant store-room full of creepy plastic mannequins in wedding dresses; and the scene where he talks to the suspicious cop while his dead wife's arm is hanging from the staircase and dripping blood onto the carpet.

It's also a surprisingly funny film in many ways. Special mention must go to Laura Betti's hilarious performance as Mildred, the evil wife from hell.

All in all, "Hatchet for the Honeymoon" is an intriguing and often underrated addition to Mario Bava's formidable canon. Stylish, entertaining and darkly funny.