Pig Hunt and Bringing a 2000lb Oink to Horror: A Movie Review

Writers: Robert Mailer Anderson and Zack Anderson.

Pig Hunt was another 2010 Fangoria Filmfest entry and the film is currently being distributed by Lightning Entertainment on the Blockbuster-on-demand feature, with a DVD release forthcoming in September. The film is from horror director James Isaac (Skinwalkers, Jason X) and the film has been described as "Pig Hunt is just a routine thriller" by the San Francisco Chronicle and by Chris Bumbray at Joblo as "Pighunt is one of the few films...where I honestly did not know where it was going from one scene to the next." So, what is the real story on Pig Hunt? The film is a strange twisted combination of David Arquette's campers lost in the woods The Tripper and Lake Placid, where a wild monster goes on a dining rampage consisting of wilderness lovers. Overall, Isaac adds in enough unique plot devices to keep the film interesting and the inclusion of a 2000lb boar is a nice payoff to a mostly intriguing thriller.

The plot unfolds as follows: five friends travel out in to the wilderness where rednecks rule the land and cultivate the devil's herb (marijuana). Character Hickman (Travis Aaron Wade) meets some old friends at his Uncle's cabin and soon old rivalries spark with gunpowder, then murder. Nude hippies, dirt bike riding outlaws, a huge wild boar, and a prophetizing commune leader are additions to a story about survival.

LaSalle of the Chronicle says of the feature "the movie's audience is ultimately limited to the number of people who want to see a movie about a giant killer pig." This pool of people must be large as films like this continue to be produced. As well, the sheer innovativeness of focusing a film on a pig hunt where the hunters find the prey of legend and storybooks is only excelled by the film's climactic fight. The inclusion of comedic lines and detestable villains are welcomed additions, with the film's soundtrack somewhat repetitive, but enjoyable.

The tension of the film is well developed over time and Pig Hunt is constantly building a confrontation with the protagonist Hickman and the monstrosity shown only in the final scenes. Conflicted interactions between Hickman and a group of seemingly in-bred locals is a small flame to the fire that has already been set and which rages in the final ten to fifteen minutes. Violence is aplenty in Pig Hunt and the feature is meant for mature audiences, who can laugh at random shots of nude breasts, or over-the-top gore.

Pig Hunt will be available shortly as of September 28. Finally, the picture is for those who enjoy horror off the beaten path. Not particularly challenging writing-wise nor character driven and consisting of: "undeveloped characters" (Chronicle), Pig Hunt is still an enjoyable time. For this reviewer, only some missed connections between scenes threw this horror lover off, as the editing sometimes seems clunky, or not utilized fully. Otherwise, the film is recommendable on a few levels, which have already been mentioned above.

Plot/story/subject material: 7 (-1 for taking on a lot of characters with little development, -1 for so many sub-plots e.g. pot growing hippies, redneck killers, political issues etc., -1 for the ending seeming to be slightly clipped).
Editing/continuity/pacing: 7.5 (pacing is good, fast, moving forward, however some scenes seem unusually shorter than others so -1, -1 for not showing the fate of some characters, -.5 for not developing the hippie's motivations in shots).

Overall: 7.25 (a mostly enjoyable and unique time spent).

Pig Hunt reviewed at the San Francisco Chronicle by Mick LaSalle:

Pig Hunt at the SF Chronicle

The film has also been reviewed by Chris Bumbray at Joblo:

Pig Hunt at Joblo

The film's trailer is available here:

Pig Hunt Clip on 28DLA

The film's fan site:

Pig Hunt on Facebook