Hatchet For The Honeymoon follows John Harrington, an admitted psychopath who runs a bridal gown company with his controlling wife. John can't seem to control his urge to murder beautiful brides to be. You see, each time he kills one he comes closer to remembering the face of the man who murdered his beloved mother. It's always mommy issues with these guys. The police already have John pegged as their main suspect. Things only get worse when John loses control and murders his wife. Let's just say when she promised that she'd be with him forever she wasn't joking.
I have a soft spot for these horror films that follow the murderer as the central character. Typically in a slasher movie, we're forced to focus on boring characters who end up playing victim. The most exciting ones are the most obnoxious and they're still not very interesting. The highlight character is always the killer. But we never really know much about them. Films like Hatchet For The Honeymoon, Maniac, The Disturbance, and American Psycho really explore the horrifying psyche of the killer. It's always the take I find more interesting.
Of course, being released in 1970, this is the earliest horror film I’ve seen take this approach. As such it seems to have influenced American Psycho quite a bit. Patrick Bateman and John Harrington are both handsome and successful businessmen with a taste for young women’s blood. Both frequently cheat on their significant others. Both are questioned multiple times by police throughout the course of the story. They even both fully admit their crimes to other people who always perceive it as a joke. I wonder if Bret Easton Ellis watched this before writing American Psycho.
The similarities end in the second half when things become a bit more supernatural. Some of the films more eerie moments deal with the ghost of John’s wife sadistally haunting him from beyond the grave. Imagine trying to pick up girls at a club but they can see your wife with you even though you can’t. Now THATS terrifying! All joking aside, Laura Betti really does turn in a chilling performance as John’s wife.
HFTH doesn't feature much gore. It doesn't really need to. Bava’s vision is colorful, stylish, and full of atmosphere. For a man that was so influential in the Giallo genre, this film is a little closer to traditional horror. This is a must see for any fan of Italian horror.
Body Count:4
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