A newlywed couple sneaks out of their wedding reception to get a head start on their honeymoon. On their way to the hotel they witness a murder and get held at gunpoint by the two killers, one of whom rapes the wife while the husband is unconscious. The man and wife are unable to return to normal and so set out to seek revenge.
This is a psychological horror film in every sense of the word- no blood and guts here, just pain and shame and emotional scars. The tone turns rapidly from Joy to Impending Dread, and never switches gears again. I love late-night horror films and almost any B-movie made, but this is a surprising disappointment in which all of the right ingredients fail to gel.
Why the opening sequence about the bride's father "hunting" the newlyweds? What was the point of David being a Vietnam vet? Why does Pat Hingle as Paw give a sunset monologue about how deeply he loves his daughter- and then disappear from the film? Extended sequences in which Jill expresses her emotional trauma by howling in anguish and weeping in agony (mascara tends to run) were only aggravating and depressing- nowhere near scary or thrilling. I suspect these scenes were left in only to pad out the film, which still clocks in at a lean 95 mins.
I would love to recommend this movie to you- on any level. I would love to say there's something to see here beside the beautiful Southern locations and towering Gothic willows. "Nightmare Honeymoon" doesn't really work on any level. When you wake up at 3 AM from a deeply disturbing nightmare you get a glass of water... and go back to sleep.
GRADE: C-
This is a psychological horror film in every sense of the word- no blood and guts here, just pain and shame and emotional scars. The tone turns rapidly from Joy to Impending Dread, and never switches gears again. I love late-night horror films and almost any B-movie made, but this is a surprising disappointment in which all of the right ingredients fail to gel.
Why the opening sequence about the bride's father "hunting" the newlyweds? What was the point of David being a Vietnam vet? Why does Pat Hingle as Paw give a sunset monologue about how deeply he loves his daughter- and then disappear from the film? Extended sequences in which Jill expresses her emotional trauma by howling in anguish and weeping in agony (mascara tends to run) were only aggravating and depressing- nowhere near scary or thrilling. I suspect these scenes were left in only to pad out the film, which still clocks in at a lean 95 mins.
I would love to recommend this movie to you- on any level. I would love to say there's something to see here beside the beautiful Southern locations and towering Gothic willows. "Nightmare Honeymoon" doesn't really work on any level. When you wake up at 3 AM from a deeply disturbing nightmare you get a glass of water... and go back to sleep.
GRADE: C-