THE DEADLY HUNT has the potential to be good, but the lukewarm, TV movie aspect of the production means that this remains a family-friendly production throughout and it lacks the hard edge of many a '70s-era thriller. The story is a simple although slightly convoluted one in which a couple of hired killers are employed to murder a couple out camping in the woods, but at least half the running time is made up of back story and chit chat before anything really happens.
Still, the film offers up some performances from some old-time actors which makes it worth a look for the fans. Former Rat Pack member Peter Lawford is one of the bad guys, alongside Anthony Franciosa (best known to horror audiences for his role in Argento's delightful giallo, TENEBRAE). Anjanette Comer is a pretty and resourceful heroine, although the script requires a little too much screaming from her. THE DEADLY HUNT is well shot with some nice outdoor photography and lots of padded-in footage of forest fires and the like to keep it going, but it only really gets exciting in the last five minutes so it's hardly one of the best of its genre.
