This movie is just freaky scary. It is based on real killers (from the 1940's) Raymond Fernandez and Martha Beck. Martha was an overweight nurse whose friend (Doris Roberts - the mom from Everybody Loves Raymond) signs her up for a lonely hearts club. She immediately falls prey to Raymond. He comes to visit her down South, seduces her, gets some cash from her and breaks up with her. She calls him and tells him she is suicidal, and he invites her to NY. Then starts an weirdly symbiotic, sick, nasty relationship.
Raymond and Martha seem to really love each other, but his is not a storybook love. He is a slimy con man who preys on overweight women, or older widows, or spinsters. He marries them and steals their jewelry or wallets, or cons them out of their money. He tells Martha about his "work", and she doesn't care. She helps him, posing as his sister. She is needy and manipulative and incredibly jealous. Eventually they are killing their victims.
This movie will get under your skin like you won't believe. The leads (Shirley Stoler and Tony Lo Bianco) are good - but I was blown away by the supporting cast. These women are incredible. Mary Jane Higby as Janet Fay will be etched forever in my head. The scene where she dies is just nasty. This is a low budget film. It made me think of a women's prison movie crossed with first rate horror. It is horror. IMDB says that Francois Truffaut named it as his favorite American film. Scorcese was director for a while, but was taking too long so was replaced (eventually) with Leonard Kastle, who wrote the screenplay. This was Kastle's only movie.
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