Excerpt of review from Roger Greenspun located HERE

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Feature: 31,565,110,656 bytes

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• Interview with writer-director Leonard Kastle from 2003 (29:38)
• Love Letters, a new interview program by Robert Fischer, featuring actors Tony Lo Bianco and Marilyn Chris and editor Stan Warnow (24:59)
• “Dear Martha . . . ,” a new video essay by writer Scott Christianson, author of Condemned: Inside the Sing Sing Death House (22:56)
• Trailer (2:20)
• PLUS: An essay by critic Gary Giddins

Blu-ray Release Date: September 29th, 2015
Transparent Keep case

Chapters:20

• DVD included!

Blu-ray Release Date: November 9th, 2015
Transparent Blu-ray case

ADDITION: Arrow - Region 'B' - Blu-ray November 15': Exact same 1080P and max'ed out bitrate as well as the same 24-bit linear PCM mono audio transfer as the Criterion. I doubt anyone could distinguish between the two HD presentations.

So it comes down to the extras. All four documentaries are from Robert Fischer's amazing Fiction Factory (all start with his logo, anyway) including the repeating Love Letters, the 25-minute interview program featuring actors Tony Lo Bianco and Marilyn Chris and editor Stan Warnow - also found on the Criterion. But unique to this release are Folie à Deux which provides 1/2 hour of Todd Robinson, grandson of one of the original investigating officers, explores the true story of the Lonely Hearts Killers, as dramatized in The Honeymoon Killers and Robinson's own Lonely Hearts (2006.) Body Shaming  has Todd Robinson paying a personal tribute to his film's distinguished predecessor for about 6-minutes. Beyond Morality has Fabrice du Welz, director of Alleluia (2014), discussing the film that inspired his very different treatment of the same story. There is also a trailer. The package has a reversible sleeve featuring original and newly-commissioned artwork by Jay Shaw and an illustrated collector’s booklet featuring No Average Killers, Johnny Mains’ extensive new essay on the film and its real-life inspiration, plus archive materials. Being dual-format a second disc DVD is included.

Another brilliant Blu-ray treatment of this intriguing film. I can't determine one being superior than the other. Arrow continue at their wonderful high levels. Region 'B' audiences should be extremely pleased - another very strong recommendation!

ADDITION: Criterion - Region 'A' - Blu-ray September 15': The Criterion Blu-ray is advertised as "a new 4K digital restoration'. It's significantly brighter than the old SD transfer - looking a bit tighter, and with far more impressive contrast. It's authentically thick and supports the grain structure. The visuals are very clean with no damage. It appears to look as good as it can and there is more information in the frame than the 2003 DVD. It is dual-layered with a max'ed out bitrate and presents very pleasingly in-motion.

***

ON THE DVD: When a film is championed by the likes of Michelangelo Antonioni and François Truffaut (with the latter calling it the best American film that he had ever seen), you can be reasonably sure that you're in store for a special work of art. Thankfully, Leonard Kastle's "The Honeymoon Killers" does not disappoint. While it occupies the true-life crime drama genre, the film, which tells the story of the cross country con/killing spree of Martha Beck and Ray Fernandez, is less interested in the lurid details of the murders than it is in the motivations and intricacies of the relationship between its two protagonists. What we get then is something far less slick and stylized than Arthur Penn's then recent "Bonnie and Clyde" and instead a film that perfectly balances the macabre and the mundane, noir and the absurd; in short, a masterpiece.

While it won't be mistaken for one of their best efforts, Criterion's anamorphic transfer of the film does a nice balancing act of cleaning up the image, while maintaining the original gritty look of Kastle's vision. The black and white cinematography generally looks quite beautiful here, with the pulpy and somewhat grainy image looking true to the presentation that theatergoers probably got in 1970. There's little visible damage and no artifacting to speak of. On the whole, pretty darn good.

As per Criterion policy of the day, the disc comes with a competent, but uninspiring English language Dolby Digital 1.0 track. There really are no problems to speak of (dialogue is clear, no background noises), but just don't expect to be wowed by it. Optional English subtitles are also included.

The disc comes with a generous amount of extras. First we get a lengthy (approximately 30 minutes) interview with Kastle, where he discusses his career, the making of the film, and several other topics. Those interested in the film will undoubtedly find this informative. Next, there's an illustrated essay entitled "Dear Martha" in which true-crime author Scott Christianson traces the exploits of the real life Honeymoon Killers. Next, there's the original press book, with the film's trailers, and biographies of the film's stars rounding the package out.

This is one of Criterion's most criminally underrated packages, and has what are probably the loveliest menus in the collection. Do yourself a favor and pick it up. Very, very highly recommended.