Actors: Dack Rambo, Rebecca Dianna Smith, Pat Hingle
Studio: Warner Archive
DVD Release Date: October 2, 2013
MPAA Rating: Not Rated
Run Time: 95 minutes
Our Score: 3 out of 5 stars
If you know horror then you know that the 70’s was filled with tons of revenge thriller probably thanks to Wes Craven’s “The Last House on the Left. “Nightmare Honeymoon” was adapted from the book “Deadly Honeymoon” by crime czar Lawrence Block. The film’s original poster included a classic 70’s quote, “Thank Heavens It’s Only a Movie!” Obviously if you hold it up to the craziness of today’s film it is not as brutal but still quite the shocker. So even though the film hasn’t really held up to time but it is still a decent entry in the genre and worth checking out again after all these years.
Official Premise: Newlyweds David and Jill Webb (Dack Rambo and Rebecca Dianna Smith) want nothing more than to consummate their marriage in New Orleans. But on their way to “The Big Easy,” they witness a murder. And when the sadistic killer (John Beck) realizes he’s been caught in the act, he knocks David unconscious and rapes Jill. Eventually, David learns the story of his wife’s assault, and sets out on a relentless vendetta to find the rapist and his partner and bring them to justice. Also starring Pat Hingle, Nightmare Honeymoon is filled with plot twists, compelling performances, crooked cops and one man’s unstoppable quest to right an unthinkable wrong.
Warner Archive has done this film very well. It has been newly remastered and looks pretty great even though it is only presented on DVD. This film has never been released before on DVD, so another notch in the belt for Warner Archive, who continues to deliver films like this to their fans. Another bonus for this release is that it actually contains two different cuts of the film both which are not rated. There is the “Alternate Theatrical Version” and also the “Alternate TV Version”. I think this is going to be a real draw for fans of this 70’s horror film.