This is a very watchable Western that exhibits a high level of grotesque violence. I attribute the violence to the fact that this movie follows on the heels of “The Wild Bunch” which was a Western and which saw director Sam Peckinpah push the boundaries of on-screen gun play and graphically portrayed violence. “The Hunting Party” follows in the mold and shows a lot of bullet holes being made in some of the characters and there is generally sadistic bent to the character portrayed by Gene Hackman. Hackman is a cattle baron who treats his young wife like so much property. Oh, yes. And Hackman does not treat women well, in general, in this movie. Oliver Reed plays an outlaw who just wants to learn how to read. He mistakes Hackman’s wife, Candice Bergen, as being a schoolteacher who can assist him in his time of need. Bergen resists the kidnapping, at first, but grows fond of Reed and eventually sides with him as Hackman wages a bloody quest to recover his wife and put the outlaws to shame who abducted her. Therein, the violence ensues.
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“Burnt Offerings” (1976) creeps me out
“Burnt Offerings” brings to mind another haunted mansion flick, “The Shining”. BO features a family renting a stately manor and acting as caretakers to the property and the elderly lady supposedly inhabiting an upstairs room. It isn’t long before the heebee-jeebees set in and the wife and husband get unwillingly possessed by some dark forces lingering about the place. The husband has a bad spell and nearly drowns his son in the pool but then returns to some semblance of normality while his wife starts behaving rather oddly. As you can well imagine, no good can come from any of this and you’d be right on. Karen Black and Oliver Reed star as the husband and wife playthings of the sinister house minions. Bette Davis is also on hand and quickly is smacked down with ill health by staying in the nasty house. Nice, eerie music throughout and Dan Curtis of “Dark Shadows” and “The Night Stalker” fame provides direction. One of those movies that will make you start at every home creak when you watch it at night.
Hellraisers – The Lost Wildmen Or They Don’t Make Them Like This Anymore For Good Reason
This is a very enjoyable view. Witness these debauched tales of popular entertainers who liked to party. A lot! These were men who made it a habit to indulge and overdue it with the booze, women, lunacy and mayhem. We get segments chronicling the mad exploits of actors Richard Harris and Oliver Reed. Then, we move on to Keith Moon, Alex Higgins and Liam Gallagher. All consummate performers, these lit up characters really enjoyed the element of entertaining and “performing” crazy stunts and otherwise abusing their bodies and reputations all for the benefit of us, their adoring public.
Long may their stories of excess be passed on to future generations.