Hunting Ground

Director - Jorge Grau (Love Letters of a Nun, The Rash One)

Starring - Assumpta Serna (The Craft, Wild Orchid), Victor Valverde (Heart of the Forest, Fox Hunt), and Luis Hostalot (The Ministry of Time, Going South)

Release Date - 1983

Genre - Horror

Tagline - "The day I come to believe the world is just a hunting ground, life will lose all meaning for me"

Format - Bluray (Personal Collection) (Screener)

Rating (out of 5):

     When I started collecting movies back in my middle school and high school years I often found myself disappointed in the lack of older films.  I was grabbing indie horror films fist over foot from companies like Anchor Bay, Brain Damage, and Shock-a-roma.  However, aside of the normal genre releases consisting of The Evil Dead, Dawn of the Dead, The Exorcist, and so on I was a bit disappointed in how a lot of the older films were going unnoticed and neglected. That seemed to change when I hit college as boutique labels started taking advantage of the lowering cost of disc manufacturing.  Companies like Vinegar Syndrome, Blue Underground, Arrow Video, and Mondo Macabro started acquiring and releasing movies that never saw a release or died in the VHS era.  Mondo Macabro stands out from the others by delivering older international releases that most here in the states had never seen before.  Their releases are very exciting and always delivering something I had never seen before.  They recently released the Paul Naschy film The Howl of the Devil along with the 1983 home invasion horror film Hunting Ground from director Jorge Grau.  After spinning Howl of the Devil it only made sense to follow it up with Hunting Ground.  I want to thank CAV and Mondo Macabro for sending these over.

     The film follows a female lawyer who tries to see the good in people.  She wears her heart on her sleeve and thinks that most criminals are the victims of circumstance and poverty.  However, when a criminal finds an attraction to her during his hearing he stalks her before breaking into their home with some friends where her husband is accidentally killed.  The criminal's brother is arrested for the murder so his brother starts harassing her to get him out of jail.  Things go from bad to worse when the incarcerated brother suffers a seizure and dies in jail sending his brother over the edge.  He, along with a few friends, break into their home again but this time the lawyer is not giving up easily.  

     Hunting Ground is one I was looking forward to. I had seen others in different horror groups showing off posters and VHS if I remember correctly of the film under the title Code of Hunting.  The movie was not what I was expecting but I really enjoyed it.  It was different and the last 15 to 20 minutes were phenomenal.  The acting in this one is great from all around.  The supporting cast and the lead all work together fantastically.  Their chemistry on screen is great which makes for some very enjoyable scenes.  The criminals, female lead, her mother-in-law, and the kids all deliver unforgettable performances.  With that being said, the final act of the film is extremely intense and the cast's reactions to this will stick with you for sometime after viewing it.  The story for this one plays out like a home invasion thriller that has a crime aspect to it.  The first hour or so of the film, aside from the accidental death, pretty much feels like a crime drama with some thriller aspects.  Then we hit the final act that is exploitation fueled and shocking.  I wouldn't say it's the most brutal ending to a movie I've seen but it did have a few instances that really caught me off guard.  It's a slow start but not a bad start.  Finally, the film has some blood and two outstanding death scenes that make great use of camera angles and classic movie magic.  However, the "burning bush" was the thing that really sent a tingle down my spine.  Our imaginations runs away with this part and it leaves a lasting impression.  Overall, Hunting Ground is a must see with the Mondo Macabro release being a must own.  The movie may beat around the bush (pun intended) at first but it has one hell of an ending.  It's well worth your time and this release is absolutely fantastic.  I highly recommend it.