Bullet Points: Prey for the Hunter
Some obscure movies can be considered hidden gems, some obscure movies are probably “hidden” for a reason, which of these two categories does 1990’s Prey for the Hunter fall into? Let’s find out…
- Feel the Rush: Simon Rush (Todd Jensen, Cyborg Cop) is a man without a country. A journalist by trade, Rush was in Africa as a war correspondent… but when things got too hot, Rush was forced to make a hasty retreat across the border and in the process lost most of his cash, his camera and most importantly his passport. Rush finds himself hitching rides and wandering aimlessly until he ends up at the Leopard Lounge.
- Guy Walks Into a Bar: Rush promptly orders a beer and begins making conversation with Yvonne, a beautiful blonde sitting at the end of the bar. Rush shares his tale of woe with Yvonne and she thinks she may be able to help… or at least she thinks her boss and his hunting buddies might be able to. Rush meets Yvonne’s boss Bob Jenkins (Andre Jacobs, Platoon Leader) and drinks the night away with Jenkins and his three hunting buddies.
- Interesting Trades Considered: Rush is extremely grateful that these complete strangers have offered to help him, and he assures Jenkins that his newspaper will reimburse him for any expenses. But instead of money Jenkins pitches an interesting trade… Rush can repay Jenkins and his friends by agreeing to be “the hunted” in a not so dangerous game. It seems that hunting wildlife is no longer scratching their hunting itch, but hunting a man would be a unique experience and really test their abilities. But no worries… they won’t be using actual guns, Jenkins happened to bring along some paintball guns. It doesn’t take long for Rush to agree to these terms, after all Jenkins is saving his ass and his own competitive spirit kicks in and he’s planning on winning the game despite the odds being stacked against him.
- Going Hard in the Paint: Rush proves to be one helluva paintballer… he takes out Eric, the elder statesman in the hunting party, almost instantly, leaving Jenkins with the two younger members of the group Alex and Jason. But that trio doesn’t fare any better… at one point Rush could have taken them all out, but doesn’t because he wants to make sure they all get their money’s worth. Rush is having a great time, but the same can’t be said for Jenkins. And that is when things take a disturbing turn. Jenkins suggests/insists that they switch from paintball guns to actual guns and hunt to kill… Alex and Jason are mortified, but hear Jenkins out. Jenkins says they can concoct a story that it was Rush who went after them first and they were merely defending themselves … sensing Jensen may have gone off the deep end Alex and Jason seemingly agree to the new rules of the game.
- Everybody Get Dangerous: At this point the movie really gets into “The Most Dangerous Game” mode with the stakes raised. But a thing like an unhinged hunter wanting to kill him, isn’t going to prevent ol’ Simon Rush from hooking up with Yvonne. This romance seemed like something you would only see in a Jean-Claude Van Damme movie, but even his romance with Yancy Butler in Hard Target ended up on the cutting room floor since it really didn’t seem like something that would happen given the situation. Anyway, you can probably guess how Jenkins reacted when he found out his assistant (and a woman who was practically family to him) is now romantically linked to the man he wants to kill!? What you might not have guessed is Jenkins was planning on killing all his friends anyway and when the unexpected wrinkle of Simon Rush entered the picture, Jenkins pivoted and came up with a new plan to include Rush. It is thinking on your feet like that, that probably helped make Bob Jenkins a success in the business world.
Prey for the Hunter would rank on the lowest end of The Most Dangerous Game inspired movies I have seen over the years and I have seen my fair share. It is one of those movie formulas that is pretty hard to screw up, but Prey for the Hunter managed to do it. A big part of the negatives is only one of the hunters is truly a bad guy and I get that was part of the twist they wanted to give their version of The Most Dangerous Game some uniqueness, but Prey for the Hunter didn’t work and I pray you learn from my mistake and don’t watch it.
If you were praying for some Bonus Bullet Points, your prayers have been answered…
- What Not To Do: Simon was not the only one with eyes for Yvonne, Jason wanted to get next to her but he didn’t have much game… his big move was inviting Yvonne to roast marshmallows with him… she wasn’t having it.
- Directed By: Prey for the Hunter was directed by John H. Parr… not to be confused with John Parr of “St. Elmo’s Fire (Man in Motion)” and “Naughty, Naughty” fame.
- Name That Tune?: The opening credits include a jaunty song that really does not match with the tone of the movie, but it is a real toe tapper. If anyone knows the name of the song, feel free to leave it in the comments.
