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List Price: $14.98 | | Label: MGM (Video & DVD)
Salesrank: 45430
Released: May 17, 2005 |
| Our Price: $13.36 |
| Used Price: $12.98 |
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MPAA Rating: R (Restricted)
Media: DVD |
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Editorial Review:
Nobody steals from Brandt Ruger and lives. With a stellar cast led by OscarÂ(r) winner* Gene Hackman (Unforgiven), EmmyÂ(r) winner Candice Bergen ("Murphy Brown") and Oliver Reed (Gladiator), this searing western fires round after round of emotional heat with a torrid frontier love triangle that can only lead to revenge. To cattle baron Brandt Ruger (Hackman), his beautiful wife Melissa (Bergen) is just one of his possessions. So when notorious bandit Frank Calder (Reed) kidnaps Melissa, Ruger isn't concerned about herhe's enraged that someone stole from him. Melissa finds her captor quite kind, but Ruger is organizing a posse to hunt down the pairand recover his property dead or alive!
The Hunting Party Reviews:
Run and only die tired 
2009-09-15 - I saw this movie just the other day. I actually thought the acting and premise was pretty darn good. The problem I had with the whole movie was just the irrational and stupid behavior of the "bandits". You just have to keep on running? Why? Run where? At first it is understandable, but after a while this HUGE gang would have realized (like they did) that it only consisted of 5 pursuers. Even though these rifles had long reach (by the way, nothing existed then that could do what they did - specially at 1/2 mile) these guys would have known how to ambush. Where was running getting them anyway? Again, most outlaws run because they are pursued by a group bigger than they are - that was not the case here. At one point a shoot out occured in the city within 40 yards of each other - hardly an advantage that a singly loaded rifle would give you.
Lastly, the shot came from SOMEWHERE and the guy is laying there with his head shot through. What no cover? If he got hit YOU can get hit, most of these guys never sought cover and concealment they just ran around like chickens with heads cut off. That was my only real compaint with the movie, otherwise it seemed like fine acting and like I said a good premise for a story.
A Shakespearean Tragedy With A Western Setting 
2009-04-15 - Directed by Don Medford, "The Hunting Party" is a great Spaghetti Western. In fact, everything about this Western is great. It has a superb cast headlined by Oliver Reed whose career spans from Hammer Production's classic "Curse of the Werewolf" to Dan Curtis' "Burnt Offerings" to the modern "Gladiator." Reed is an illiterate thief, Frank Calder, who kidnaps the gorgeous blonde schoolteacher Melissa (Candice Bergen of "Murphy Brown) and orders her to teach him to read. She is smitten by his rough, rugged exterior and tender, caring heart. Soon the two are falling in love.
Unfortunately for Calder and his gang of outlaws, Melissa is the wife of wealthy cattle baron, Brandt Ruger (Gene Hackman). He is a perverse man who views all women, including Melissa, as pieces of property to use and abuse at will. (It is difficult to believe that, one year later, Hackman portrayed the self sacrificing Reverend Scott of "The Poseidon Adventure.") Using new, technologically advanced rifles, Brandt and his wealthy cohorts relentlessly and sadistically hunt Calder and his buddies.
"The Hunting Party" is an ultra-violent, realistically gory Western with lush photography and a beautiful soundtrack provided by the legendary Riz Ortolani. Ortolani scored many of my beloved Italian gialli such as Lucio Fulci's "Perversion Story," Armando Crispino's "The Dead Are Alive" and Flavio Mogherini's "The Pyjama Girl Case." There is also a great supporting cast that includes Simon Oakland of "Kolchak: The Night Stalker" and Mitchell Ryan of "Dark Shadows." Both series were directed by the legendary Dan Curtis.
The ending of "The Hunting Party" is very tragic and depressing. The entire film, with its extreme pathos, reminded me of a Shakespearean tragedy. The characters are expertly drawn and believable. If you are a fan of violent, gritty Western classics (especially Spaghetti Westerns), then I strongly recommend that you go hunting for "The Hunting Party." Sadly, at the time of this review, it was listed as being out of print.
The hunting party 
2009-03-30 - It was not as good as I thought it would be. I've seen Gene Hackman in better movies.
OVER 35 YEARS, AND NEVER FORGOTTEN!!!!!!
2008-05-08 - I have read all the listed reviews, and what is clearly evident with 99% of the negative criticism, is that it seems to be entirely directed towards the violence contained in the movie. Hardly any mention of the Oscar winning stars and their performances or the dynamic cinematography that takes place throughout the film. I viewed this movie over 35 years ago and it made such an impact on me, I couldn't get it out of my mind. I purchased a VHS copy (probably a bootleg) a couple of years ago, and it was as great a western as I had always remembered it to be. Much to my joy, I just found a new copy on DVD, and can't wait for it to arrive. I am a huge fan of many old westerns, too many to list here, and consider "The Wild Bunch" as possibly the greatest of all the violent, shoot-em-up westerns ever made. I'm a huge fan of western giants like John Wayne and Clint Eastwood, but have also come to appreciate some of the newer westerns. What western movie fan, in their right mind, could not truthfully list "Tombstone" as one of the best, not to mention, "Open Range", or possibly "Quigly Down Under"???? Bottom line, The Hunting Party is indeed a bloodbath, but not much more than many critically acclaimed films of today. Ultra violent?...yes, but probably a more accurate version of the times. Meaningless?...hardly, it is pure man at his best and worst. Happy ending?...probably not...but do all things in life end on a happy note?...I doub't it. Seems to me that the wimps that criticised and tore this movie apart, based their opinions solely on the violent aspects of the movie. If the movie disturbed you so badly, then I highly recommend that you stick with the feel good chick flicks and leave the REAL shoot-em-up westerns to us VIOLENT folks!!! For those of you who love non-stop action, lots of gun fights, blood, guts and just plain macho madness, then this is the western for you. Some of the finest actors of our time are in this GREAT western. It is a shame that a few, only concerned themselves with the so called meaningless violence, and sadly failed to recognize and mention the stellar performances given by such legends as Gene Hackman, Candice Bergen, Oliver Reed and several other great character actors. If you like true to life, tougher than dirt westerns, then do yourself a favor and give it a try, you won't be disappointed!!! 5 STAR RATING!!!!!!!!!
"First time, he forced her........"
2006-12-21 - Candice Bergen (Melissa Ruger) is a school teacher married to Brandt Ruger (Hackman). Brandt, a wealthy, powerful cattle man is incensed when he gets word of his wife's abduction at the hands of Frank Calder (Reed) and his outlaw gang. Frank intends her no harm though, he just wants her to tutor him so he can learn to read and write. Meanwhile, Hackman hears of the kidnapping while on a train to a hunting trip with 5 of his cohorts (two of them being G.D. Spradlin and Simon Oakland). He decides to change it to a manhunt. With powerful, long range rifles that can shoot accurately past 700 yards he and his buddies will pick off these outlaws. They leave the train on horseback and track the gang down. With scopes in place they start shooting from so far away the gang can't even see them. Spradlin is having a great time shooting men in cold blood until they sneak up on the snipers and shoot back. One of Hackman's party is killed and Spradlin decides he doesn't want to shoot at someone who's shooting back and leaves. Hackman won't quit though. He's had Frank in his sights more than once but wants to save him for last. Melissa falls for Frank. Hackman was worthless as a husband anyway. From the beginning it's hard to understand why she ever married the louse. Hackman and his fellow snipers are more like the bad guys than the outlaw gang. Lots of blood and violence, sadistic at times.
