Hunting Party

 

Picture: C-     Sound: C+     Extras: D     Film: B-

 

 

If you’re in the mood for a tough, gritty, lesser-known film that teeters between Drama and Western you may want to check out The Hunting Party, released onto DVD through MGM.  The film stars Oliver Reed and Gene Hackman, who are set against one another as Reed carries off with Hackman’s wife, who he mistreats and treats as part of his property that he owns.  In the arms of Reed’s character his wife feels safe and secure, but that might not last long as the embarrassed and vengefulness comes out when Hackman is out for the kill, perhaps killing both if necessary, thus the hunting party begins.

 

This DVD from MGM is equally gritty and lacks some of the finer qualities that DVD can offer.  There is lots of dirt and debris evident on the print, edge enhancement, depth problems, softness, shakiness, and unsteady color and detail, which makes me wonder if the transfer is a bit washed out as times.  The anamorphically enhanced 1.85 X 1 transfer leaves a lot to be desired for sure.  The Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono soundtrack is equally disappointing and is a prime example of how harsh and limiting mono can be, especially with this compression format. 

 

No extras and a poor DVD make this film, no matter how good, not an easy sale in the least.  Considering this is a just a tad bit better than seeing the film on VHS, it makes upgrading only marginally better, mostly because here its widescreen.

 

 

-   Nate Goss