The Deadly Hunt (1971 TV Movie) User Reviews

Tame 'hunting humans' thriller

[Leofwine_draca · 5/10 · 11 October 2015]

THE DEADLY HUNT has the potential to be good, but the lukewarm, TV movie aspect of the production means that this remains a family-friendly production throughout and it lacks the hard edge of many a '70s-era thriller. The story is a simple although slightly convoluted one in which a couple of hired killers are employed to murder a couple out camping in the woods, but at least half the running time is made up of back story and chit chat before anything really happens.

Still, the film offers up some performances from some old-time actors which makes it worth a look for the fans. Former Rat Pack member Peter Lawford is one of the bad guys, alongside Anthony Franciosa (best known to horror audiences for his role in Argento's delightful giallo, TENEBRAE). Anjanette Comer is a pretty and resourceful heroine, although the script requires a little too much screaming from her. THE DEADLY HUNT is well shot with some nice outdoor photography and lots of padded-in footage of forest fires and the like to keep it going, but it only really gets exciting in the last five minutes so it's hardly one of the best of its genre.

Neat little twist story

[drystyx · 5/10 · 16 September 2010]

I vaguely remember this film. Lawford and Franciosa are two killers after a beautiful woman, and they're out on a mission of death. There's actually three men on the job. The third is a young man who isn't in on the kill, just the getaway. He is an expert driver.

Franciosa is his usual charming self, and Lawford is in his analytical character. Much of the drama is between Franciosa and the beautiful Comer The reasons for the hunt aren't exactly clear. There is a twist ending, the sort that modern audiences will hate, and won't admit to being a twist ending.

Doing this from memory, I hate to use the word "dated", but since this was a piece that prided itself on "modernism", it may well be dated in some areas. Of course it won't be dated for real, since it is set in another era.

For arsonists only

[rupertcook · 2/10 · 27 July 2017]

If you love burning trees you'll like this rather flat thriller. The actual story never reaches boiling point. Roughly 20% of the film is awash with typical early 70's TV background music in the vein of the Rockford Files. It's certainly an improvement on the dialogue.

There's a twist at the end which is not that well disguised. Peter Lawford does silently menacing in the manner of an avuncular uncle who's peeved that he's mislaid his glasses. Anthony Franciosa is reasonably convincing as a gleeful psychopath. Everyone else is sort of there.

A very good TV movie.

[searchanddestroy-1 · 20 June 2011]

A very good feature made for TV. It reminds me Andrew Stone's RING OF FIRE. Nearly the same topic, where a bunch of hoods are trapped, with their victims, in the middle of a blazing forest. And I think also of another film, starring Ava Gardner, in the same kind...I don't remember the title right now.

Here, the story is not really explained in the first hour; you don't understand why two hired killers want to kill a woman. And I find it interesting. Tony Franciosa, as one of the gun men, is exquisite, very near to his character in Barry Shear's ACROSS 110th STREET, where he was a sadistic, brutal and fierce mob leader. Unforgettable one, I assure you. Here, in this TVM, he is delicious where we can see him drink milk !!!

And the ending is a twist one, as the other user told us.

I recommend it.