Rijndri
Load of rubbish!!
ReaderKenka
Let's be realistic.
Reptileenbu
Did you people see the same film I saw?
Leoni Haney
Yes, absolutely, there is fun to be had, as well as many, many things to go boom, all amid an atmospheric urban jungle.
HumanoidOfFlesh
"Nightmare Honeymoon" tells the story of the honeymooning couple who decide to consummate their marriage in the woods.Unfortunately the couple witnesses a murder and when they try to run two rural killers knock the husband unconscious and rape the wife.After dealing with his wife's trauma the husband finally decides to find and kill rapists..."Nightmare Honeyoon" is pretty tame in comparison to Silverstein's "A Man Called Horse".The rape scene is off-screen and there is only a little bit of violence.The script lacks punch and tension too.Admittedly the climax is pretty tense and there is an aura of heart-breaking despair,so I wasn't completely disappointed.7 rapists out of 10.
lost-in-limbo
An early prototype for things to come? I know it was completely different to what I was originally expecting. A rural shocker in something of a survival mode, but in the end it was a stormy drama of horrific elements and sombre tones. David (who just came back from spending two years in Vietnam) and Jill have just been married, and on that day they flee the reception at her family's plantation to escape from her father's protective leash and his displeasure of her marrying a 'Yankee'. On their way to New Orleans for their honeymoon, they stop off at bayou motel where they witness a murder. While trying to flee, they're discovered by the hit men, as David is knocked out and Jill pleading for his life is raped. They arrive in New Orleans, but the scarring ordeal has really hit Jill hard, and causes an uncomfortable rift between the couple. So David goes about trying to track down the killers. Rather than being a straight-forward low-budget revenge film magnifying the violence and profanity like plenty of grindhouse exploitation features of this ilk accustomed themselves in the mid to latter end of this decade, director Elliot Silverstein's late-night, southern slice while remaining gristly durable and still lingering on a sadistic front, chooses to rather imply it, letting the dark, moody atmospherics of the character's genuine transformations infuse the uneasy emotions and confronting tension in very slow-measured style that has a worthwhile pay-off. This works because of the carefully laid out script of the gloomy social commentary ("No one cares") and examining the unremitting affects and pain that go to trouble and engulf the newly wedded couple (the husband angrily seeking retribution and the wife being traumatically unbalanced) and secondly because of the seamless performances by a hard boiled Dack Rambo and the ravishing Rebecca Dianna Smith as David and Jill. Also a gleaming John Beck is fantastic as the aggressively unhinged hit-man / rapist and Pat Hingle is always a delight as Jill's protective father. Jay Robinson kicks in with a small, but colourful part. However the story isn't without its flaws namely that of many open ended plot ties. Director Silverstein's efficient direction is boldly compact making perfect use of the vivid locations to stage the conflicting dramas and pressured induced suspense (plenty of nocturnal sequences). Elmer Bernstein's raucously brooding score leaves a mark. Amiably effective in its shaming psychological make-up. Ps. Seeing that director Nicolas Roeg was originally tagged to the project, before leaving after only 5 days into the shoot would've made it interesting to see what he could have made of the material.
Bolesroor
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-
Coventry
I liked this gritty and harsh exploitation/revenge feature, and don't quite understand why it's so unknown and forgotten (and the people who do know it don't even seem to like it). True, the script somewhat moves too slow and quite a few sequences easily could have been cut, but the main premise is fascinating, the two main characters are likable and the pivot scenes are often so full of tension you have any nails left to bite by the time they're finished. David and Jill couldn't be happier on their wedding day. Finally reunited after David spent two years in the hell of Vietnam and they even escaped Jill's family traditional wedding ritual where they "hunt" the newlyweds and hope to ruin their first night together. Whilst hiding in a sleazy Cajun motel, David and Jill witness the execution of a corrupt businessman by hired hit men. The crazed killers knock David KO and viciously rape Jill. After this tragedy they attempt to pick up their lives again, but Jill is an emotional wreck and David has exclusively set his mind on retribution. They embark on a search to find out the rapists identities, which leads them all the way to New Orleans. One of the great things about "Nightmare Honeymoon" – in my humble opinion at least – is that the character drawings are more realistic and identifiable. The reason why the film doesn't contain that much violent action or rancid sleaze is because Elliot Silverstein largely puts the emphasis on the series of emotions the newlyweds go through, together as well as separately. David becomes so increasingly obsessed with the idea of revenge, he's often frightening himself and Jill suddenly questions her marriage, her feelings and even her own femininity. The final confrontation with the deranged rapist Lee (excellent performance by John Beck) is rather overlong but atmospheric and you genuinely pray for the couple to walk out of the showdown alive. The performances are great with very convincing roles for Dack Rambo (awesome name, dude) as David and the cherubic Rebecca Dianna Smith as Jill. Elliot Silverstein's direction is tight and solid. He completed this little 70's gem in between directing his two most famous and much more publicly acclaimed achievements, namely the western drama (and predecessor of "Dances with Wolves") "A Man Called Horse" and horror-favorite "The Car", about a satanically possessed vehicle terrorizing the inhabitants of a small desert town.