Sangue de Caçador

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!

You thought "Deliverance" was painful ?! It is a walk on the beach compared to "Hunter's Blood" !! I remember seeing it in the theater when it opened in 1987, I went because I had been a big fan of Clu Gulager who played Billy the Kid in the 60's TV Western "The Tall Man"...so people over the age of 50 will recognize him, but the next biggest name in this is Joey Travolta, who, unlike his brother, has zero talent. Their fight against the demented rednecks is very suspenceful, but I have to warn you that there is a very graphic, stomach-turning scene...have fun!

This movie is generally scary, especially if you enjoy movies where the theme is being "kidnapped or killed by serial killers and/or hillbillies". Kim Delaney is a hottie in this one too, but the typical dumb mistakes by the city slickers leads them to get chased all over god's creation, somewhere in backwoods Arkansas. When you receive warnings from the locals not to go somewhere, you should LISTEN!!! Overall, a must see!

I found this in a pawn shop for like $3 so I said "why not?". I wasn't expecting a whole lot, but I was pleasantly surprised. While many will say this is an imitation of "Deliverance", "Hunter's Blood" focuses more on the action and survival rather than the human and moral aspects that made "Deliverance" such a masterpiece. Yes, this is a B-movie, but a very well-acted and well-made one at that. It's nothing but pure entertainment and I'm glad I stumbled across it. There's never a dull moment here and there's quite a bit of humor as well. Be on the look-out for a very young, pre-stardom Billy Bob Thornton as one of the good ole boys. Although his role is very brief, he's a hoot to watch and it was a nice surprise to see him in one of his first films. It's a must-see for any of his serious fans. Go catch it, if you can find it.

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.