Review of Pig Hunt (2008) by Steve C — 17 Nov 2008

What a terrific, frightening, funny, hip, bizarre in the best way, film. Think Deliverance meets Straw Dogs meets Pulp Fiction. Well acted and superbly directed. It's like your best and worst acid trip combined with guns and a wild pig, all played out to the frazzled and electrifying soundtrack of one Les Claypool. It starts in San Francisco with four friends going north for a hunting trip at the protagonist, John's uncle's ailing hunting lodge. The locals are more than a little rough around the edges, but so in many ways are our heroes. What separates this one from a lot of films in the horror genre is the edgy intelligence, and the subversive sense of humor, products of the twisted genius of the Anderson cousins (Robert has a brilliant cameo as Big Train and gets his head lopped off). Before long, the city folk meet a pair of locals, brothers, Jake and Ricky who have a history with the protagonist. We also meet the leader of a hippie cult, whose lair of water beds and a mother lode of marijuana, is gorgeously shot, a populated by blond-wigged hippie nymphs, like something out of a Peter Fonda film. Brooks, John's girlfriend was my favorite character, strong and beautiful, and an expert shot. Soon enough we encounter the wild pigs, and the Ripper, a 3,000 pounder with an attitude. I won't say more, because the film is full of surprises.

Suffice to say, I will see this one again.