The film never slows down or bores, plunging from one harrowing sequence to the next.

The film's masterful storytelling did its job. The message was clear. No need to overdo.

One of the most extraordinary films you will see this year. Take that as you want.

It is a whirlwind of delight --- attractive actors, stunning couture, spectacular sets and outrageous parties. It's a feast for the eyes. But what really makes this dramedy work is the acting.

Haunted Honeymoon (1986) ** 1/2 (out of 4) Radio vocalists Larry Abbot (Gene Wilder) and Vickie (Gilda Radner) wants to get married so he takes her back to a castle where he grew up as a child. Also in the castle are a strange collection of relatives and Aunt Kate (Dom DeLuise) says that she thinks one person there is a werewolf.When you see that Wilder is working on a horror-comedy you can't help but think back to YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN. This film here was pretty much ripped apart by critics and fans stayed away from it and when viewing it today you can't help but think that it not being like that earlier Mel Brooks film is the reason why. It should go without saying that YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN was a classic comedy and this here is no where in the same league but at the same time there are enough funny moments to make it worth sitting through.The biggest problem with the film is the screenplay, which just doesn't have enough jokes that work. I say this because I'd say that only twenty percent of the jokes actually manage to get laughs so there are just way too many scenes that either don't go anywhere or they don't end with a laugh. When you've got talent such as Wilder and Radner you expect a lot more laughs but sadly it just doesn't happen. There are some funny moments every once in a while including a great scene with Wilder trying to hide a body from the police and having to use the legs as a prop. This same type of thing was seen in YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN and it's still funny here.Wilder and Radner are both good in their roles and there's no question that they had a nice chemistry together. DeLuise gets a few nice laughs in drag and we get supporting performances by the likes of Jonathan Pryce, Bryan Pringle and Paul L. Smith. The horror elements follow the "old dark house" sort of laughs and the werewolf is a nice little bonus. Wilder, as the director, keeps the film moving at a nice pace but there's no question that this film falls well short of being an "A" picture.

Larry Abbot, speaker in the radio horror shows of Manhattan Mystery Theater wants to marry. For the marriage he takes his fiancée home to the castle where he grew up among his eccentric relatives. His uncle decides that he needs to be cured from a neurotic speech defect and exaggerated bursts of fear: he gives him a shock therapy with palace ghosts.You really can't dislike any film with Gene Wilder, Gilda Radner and Dom DeLuise. I mean, that is just guaranteed to be fun to watch no matter what happens. But this is really pretty tame. Some good moments of humor, surrounded by lots of just average scenery. And at a very short run time (barely over an hour), it seems odd they didn't have enough jokes to fill the script.

Okay, so it wasn't everyone's best work. If you look at it with no presupposed ideas about everyone, you will find a nice funny movie. There are bits which are priceless. If you think of the humor they were all trying to put forth with Gilda so sick and Gene so worried, maybe it will help to understand somewhat why more attention wasn't paid to a script or to more proper editing. I still find it a breathe of fresh air compared to a lot of movies released in the last 20 years. And isn't it rather funny to see an Englishman do an American accent badly, which was what they were supposed to be doing? It is a comedy, for crying out loud. It wasn't made as a movie to win a Nobel peace prize, but I am sure you will smile and even chuckle a little. Pop some popcorn, settle back, and enjoy.

If you watch the opening title sequence you can easily understand the problem with the rest of the movie : A transvestite falls dying against a window consciously telling the audience " It's not what you think , it's not what you think " . Seconds later something stirs in the bushes back to camera , the figure turns and we see it is a werewolf - then the action cuts to a radio studio ! And that sums up the movie . Camp transvestites are not laugh inducing while sequences that reveal the previous action was part of radio play is akin to someone waking up and discovering it was a bad dream . Bad dream sequence = bad movie I know that fusing comedy with horror is never easy but when you've got some talented people behind and in front of the camera you should demand more . Gene Wilder directs and he worked on YOUNG FRANKENSTIEN . Trying to tell me he forgot everything he knew from that classic comedy horror ? I also couldn't noticing that most of the cast are British . You'll recognise most of their faces if not their names and you can't help but notice their absolutely atrocious American accents ! I really do hate it when American actors try ( And fail ) to do British accents and we've got a trans Atalantic role reversal here . Trying to tell me Jonathan Pryce couldn't have done better ? I won't waste any more words on this movie except to reiterate that it's a lazily written , badly acted and hugely disappointing film