That was an excellent one.

Fun premise, good actors, bad writing. This film seemed to have potential at the beginning but it quickly devolves into a trite action film. Ultimately it's very boring.

Unshakable, witty and deeply felt, the film will be paying emotional dividends for a long, long time.

Through painfully honest and emotional moments, the movie becomes irresistibly relatable

HUNTER'S BLOOD middle-of-the-road example of a backwoods thriller along the lines of both John Boorman's DELIVERANCE and Walter Hill's SOUTHERN COMFORT. Obviously it can't even hope to come close to the raw, visceral power of either of those movies, but as an '80s-era B-movie I admit it does work rather well. It's packed out with familiar faces, has a decent set-up and worthwhile denouement, and is a film that's tough to dislike.The plot concerns a group of city boys who decide to go into the wilderness to hunt deer, but of course they're menaced by some rednecks before long. The good guys are led by the ever-excellent Clu Gulager, a man who screams entertainment value, and the group includes John Travolta's less well-known brother Joey. The bad guys are even more interesting: led by Robocop's Lee de Broux, the group includes the hissable Billy Drago and the outrageously sleazy Bruce Glover.Directorial duties are handled by B-movie maestro Robert C. Hughes, and given that this is a guy with the likes of MEMORIAL VALLEY MASSACRE under his belt, it's fair to say that HUNTER'S BLOOD is probably his best work. It's certainly no classic, and it is a film that has a tendency to fade from the imagination soon after viewing, but as an amiable timewaster it fulfils its duties admirably.

Five macho but supposedly civilized men take off to the unexplored Arkansas woods to do some old-fashioned deer hunting. There they encounter a bunch of aggressive and large-scale poachers that don't really appreciate strangers trespassing their business. After a couple of banal showdowns follows a truly violent and merciless hunting contest that'll demand many lives! This rather unknown and underrated 80's exploitation movie opens rather slow and ordinary, with redundant speeches about manhood and the art of deer-hunting, but the exciting and genuinely suspenseful hunting sequences during the last half hour widely make up for this. This cool 80's gem has perhaps stolen its storyline and most essential moments from classic blockbusters like "Deliverance" and "the Deer Hunter", but the raw violence and effective shocks are director Hughes' very own merit. The film contains a couple of very graphic make-up effects, like a stabbing through the neck and a very eerie close-up shotgun killing. Many 80's horror movies feature undistinguished (to say the least) Southern folks as unhinged killers and the cast members of "Hunter's Blood" definitely belong to the most successfully menacing Rednecks ever. The filming locations are very impressive and even the photography is surprisingly professional. Keep also an eye open for Billy Bob Thornton in a very small role as background redneck. Recommended!

Great movie! Yes, it's a knock-off of "Deliverance" (good movie also), but this movie is worth your while. It has hunting, a bunch of Southern stereotypes (...like Oklahoma, where these guys are supposed to be from, is so urbane!), Clu Gallagher, Billy Bob Thornton (watch for him falling out of the pickup truck--NOT SURE IF THAT'S A SPOILER OR NOT?), Sam Bottoms (of "The Outlaw Josey Wales" fame--my very favorite movie, by the way), plus Kim Delaney (pre-"NYPD Blue")! Oh, and Joey Travolta...Big John's brother! Can you ask for a better cast in a "B" movie? I especially like the early scenes before they actually get to the camp site. The bbq/bar scene is especially good--I love to quote that one!. But, who forgets "brew" on a hunting trip..?

Hunter's Blood is one of those little-known gems that some of us are lucky enough to have in our video collections. The story centers around five buddies who trek out to the Arkansas wilderness (actually filmed in California) to hunt deer. Game wardens warn them of a murderous gang of poachers in the area, but naturally our heroes disregard the warnings and set up camp. Sure enough, they eventually run into these poachers and several gun battles erupt.This film was clearly inspired by Deliverance, as so many other films about the outdoors are. With Hunter's Blood, the emphasis is on action rather than characterization or drama. That said, there are still plenty of tense moments along the way as the action unfolds.Perhaps one of the strongest things about this film is the collection of colorful characters who make up the poacher clan. There are plenty of creepy looking individuals among them who you will know doubt recognize from other films. Keep a close eye out for Billy Bob Thornton as he gets thrown from the back of a pick-up truck that takes a sharp turn too quickly.Lots of blood and gore. You will need a strong stomach for a few of the scenes.The film isn't too long and the conclusion is quite satisfying. This film is definitely worth a look if you can find a copy. I haven't seen it on the movie channels for years.So sayeth the Hound.