Overview
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Release Date:
4 February 1970 (USA)
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Tagline:
(A True Story)
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Plot:
Based on the true story of Raymond Fernandez and Martha Beck, who met through a lonely-hearts correspondence club...
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User Comments:
Awesome docudrama still packs a punch today
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Additional Details
Also Known As:
Dear Martha (USA) (working title)
The Lonely Hearts Killers
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Runtime:
108 min
Aspect Ratio:
1.85 : 1
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Fun Stuff
Trivia:
Originally to be directed by
Martin Scorsese, but he was replaced after a week of shooting due to creative differences by
Donald Volkman who was subsequently replaced by
Leonard Kastle. Scorsese was fired because he was filming every scene in master shots and not shooting close-ups or other coverage, making the film impossible to edit.
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Goofs:
Revealing mistakes: In the scene on the bus with the dead victim of Martha and Ray, there is a long shot of the woman's face with her eyes somewhat googly and her tongue sticking out, as you hear the bus driver exclaiming her death, etc. Towards the end of the shot, if you watch the woman's face, you can see her tongue move.
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Quotes:
Myrtle Young:
[
Ray rebuffs her sexual advances] Oooo, you are meenie-weenie!
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Soundtrack:
Symphonies Nos. 5, 6 & 9
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FAQ
How much of the film is true?
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THE HONEYMOON KILLERS is a cult film, to be sure. One of those forgotten gems just begging for higher recognition (like SPIDER BABY and DON'T LOOK IN THE BASEMENT!), the film is a realistic portrayal of the true-life murderers who preyed on Lonelyhearts column readers.
Shirley Stoler and Tony LoBianco play the two lovers, Martha and Raymond, who meet through a Lonelyhearts column. When Martha discovers that Raymond is a gigolo who planned on using her for her money, she ditches her job as a nurse, plants her mother in a rest home, and takes off to live with him, becoming his partner in crime. The two genuinely love each other, much like a modern-day Bonnie and Clyde...except Clyde has a heavy Latino accent and Bonnie weighs upwards of 200 pounds! The couple, using aliases, pose as brother and sister as Raymond marries women and Martha steals their valuables. Eventually, Martha's jealousy over Raymond's many women drives her to murder most foul.
Many have compared THE HONEYMOON KILLERS to HENRY: PORTRAIT OF A SERIAL KILLER and BONNIE AND CLYDE. I can safely say that it beats BONNIE AND CLYDE into the ground and gives HENRY a run for its money. Shirley Stoler is absolutely fantastic and deserved much more fame and many more roles than she received. Tony LoBianco is pretty good, too, but is less memorable. In HONEYMOON KILLERS, Martha is in charge of the situation. She is the one who commits the murders, she is the one who bosses Raymond around, she is the one who controls Raymond's choices, and she is eventually the one who gets sentenced to death with her man.
Filmed in lush black and white on grainy film stock and featuring a classical music/public domain soundtrack, THE HONEYMOON KILLERS really does pack a punch today with its cheap documentary-like feel. It would make a perfect double bill with NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD! Though a little slow to begin with, HONEYMOON KILLERS eventually leaves its soap opera beginnings and delves into the deep, dark side of human nature. It is fascinating to view Martha at the start of the film and witness her drastic change to homicidal maniac. Absolutely essential viewing for any film fan!