Bloodlust!

Bloodlust! is a remake of the superior The Most Dangerous Game (1932), or should I say one of many many many remakes.

At time of writing it has a 3.2 on IMDB, insanely low so it's clearly an unappreciated remake. I can understand why, but not why it's quite that low.

Telling a remixed version of the classic tale we see a group of friends stuck on an island with a madman who hunts humans for sport.

Again this is a somewhat modified version of the tale and truth be told I don't like the changes that have been made. It's not bad by any means, it's just inferior, hammy and considering it's age looks really dated.

This was filmed in 1959, released in 1961 and yet still in black and white whereas the previous remake Run for the Sun (1956) was in color.

For an enjoyable version of this classic tale, stick with the 1932 original or for a modern adaptation watch Mindhunters (2004).

The Good:

Some interesting elements

The Bad:

Looks badly dated for its age

Frustratingly annoying stereotypical non-stop screaming ladies

Certain elements are plain silly

Entertaining take on "The Most Dangerous Game" featuring "teens" (you know, the kind in their late-20s), violence and a bit of gore. Apparently it was a feature on MST3K...but the movie isn't as terrible as that would suggest. It does feature some obnoxiously 50s dialogue, characters, and acting, but it also features some really fun stuff (like a teeny bopper girl that knows judo and flips a bad guy into a vat of acid...and we get to watch him decompose! how can you not love that?!). The dad from the Brady Bunch is in this, and is annoying as ever, and the plot gets a little too Scooby Doo in parts. But there are some fairly creepy scenes here. In fact, I enjoyed this much more than I probably should have. My rating: 5/10

The umpteenth version of "the most dangerous game" ,in which only Wilton Graf as the mad hunter ,plays his game well: his character is not too much cardboard : after all ,he was a sniper, a sharp shooter,it's only natural he has developped a taste for killing his fellow men ,who are criminals,convicts ,provided by the sailor :blame it on the war .

But this time ,the preys are not convicts but innocent young boys and girls :will they escape from the terrible fate which lays in store for them?

All the actors but Graf play like zombies ,but the principal shows sadism and takes his greatest pleasure in watching his victims' final instants .Directing is flat and static and the jungle looks like an exotic public garden .

This is a forgettable movie -- even the MST3K version is tepid compared to other episodes of that great show. But one scene stands out for me in this odd little film about an insane island-dwelling man who likes to hunt people. A man -- apparently part of his "stocked prey" program -- wanders up to our protagonists. He's dirty, clothes torn, beard overgrown, obviously been there for awhile. He wants to say something to the gang -- he's down on his knees, pleading with arms raised in supplication -- but all he says is "Ahh! Ahh! Ahh!" And you can tell this actor was really giving it his "Stanislavsky Method" all, and the director was probably yelling at him, "I want more torture in your 'Ahhs'!" In the end, he looks like a mute Al Jolson on skid row. It's worth watching the film for the giggle you'll get from this poor dope.

I'd file this under "No classic, but lots of fun!". The cast is good: It's interesting to see Robert Reed in his pre-Brady Bunch days. The late Wilton Graff (as the villain) is one of those faces many remember but can't name; he was usually seen as concerned fathers or business execs who knew more than they were telling. He gives a convincingly understated performance in this film; one is constantly reminded of Vincent Price. Plotwise, there are some effective jolts along the way (bodies floating in tanks, or posed in realistic attitudes in a "trophy room"). There's also a memorable scene where a young lady karate-flips a would-be attacker into a vat of acid; we're offered screaming closeups of his skin peeling away. The lively finale involves quicksand, leeches and a body hung (still living) on a spiked frame. Like I said, no classic, but if you enjoy the occasional anything-goes exploitation film, you could do worse!