Pig Hunt (2008)

User Rating:

5.0/10   

Director:

James Isaac

Writers:

Robert Mailer Anderson (writer)
Zack Anderson (writer)

Release Date:

31 July 2008 (UK)

Genre:

Action | Horror | Thriller

Tagline:

Don't Be Scared!

Plot:

When John takes his San Francisco friends to his deceased uncle's remote ranch to hunt wild pigs, it seems like a typical guys weekend with guns...

Plot Keywords:

Pig | Marijuana | Cult | Emus | Animal In Title

Awards:

4 wins

Cast

Travis Aaron Wade	...	John Hickman
Tina Huang	...	Brooks
Howard Johnson Jr.	...	Ben
Trevor Bullock	...	Quincy
Rajiv Shah	...	Wayne
Jason Foster	...	Jake
Nick Tagas	...	Ricky
Phillip K. Torretto	...	Beer Belly Redneck
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Cimi Ahluwalia	...	Cimi
Robert Mailer Anderson	...	Big Train
Bryonn Bain	...	Hippie Stranger
Vince Ballew	...	Gas Mask
Max Barnett	...	ZZ Driver
Leanne Borghesi	...	Darlene
Ty Brenneman	...	Sexy Cult Girl
Cara Cameron	...	Cult Girl
Les Claypool	...	Preacher
Lane Foard	...	Lex Wockenfuss
Lanie Grainger	...	Poppy
Marissa Ingrasci	...	Sage
India Isaac	...	India
Joe Lucas	...	Homeless Vet
Christina McKay	...	Crystal
Charlie Musselwhite	...	Charlie
Henrietta 'Henri' Musselwhite	...	Woman shelving cans of creamed corn
Chris Paxton	...	Billy Stankbud
Michelle Redwine	...	Willow
Luis Saguar	...	Tj
Karen Viola	...	Cult Girl

MPAA:

Rated R for strong bloody violence and gore, drug content, sexuality, nudity and language.

Runtime:

100 min | Germany:101 min (European Film Market)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby SR | Dolby Digital

Certification:

USA:R (certificate #45392) | Australia:R (2009)

Filming Locations:

Boonville, California, USA

Company:

Pig Hunt Productions

Trivia:

Travis Aaron Wade replaced the lead actor in the film playing John Hickman just two days before filming.

Soundtrack:

Boont Woods Boogie

Note to self: Pig Hunters suck.

When it comes down to it, I don't hate many movies. I watch all types of garbage. From German gore flicks to no-budget sci-fi, and everything in between. All I really look for is one saving grace in a movie. One thing that makes me smile. And this movie had two saving graces actually. Well, for me anyways. But the question is, why do I still hate it? I'll attempt it with an high school analogy. Remember in high school the kid who tried to be real cool? The person that would try to talk the talk and walk the walk? The person that just tried to do and say all the 'right' things? The kid who's just a flat-out unoriginal robot-tag-along-Indian, but desperately tried to make himself seem hip and cool? Remember that kid? Pig Hunt is that kid. What a loser.

Just like that stupid kid in high school who had nothing to talk about besides 'cool' things, Pig Hunt is the same way. The thing with that loser from high school, he (or she) may have been in an accelerated class. He may have even taken A.P. Physics. But I can assure you Pig Hunt is no way near any accelerated learning classes. Pig Hunt's in the school basement with all the other people with learning disabilities. Acting overall was amateur at best. Writing was even worse. But more than anything was just it's overall feeling of trying too hard to be a hip movie. Honestly, that scene at the hippie commune....what the f@ck?

More than anything with Pig Hunt is it's horrendous characters. First and foremost, the 'hero'. What a pathetic badass he was. Phewy! He played the serious, I talk stern, nothing to smile about role in one of the most basic ways you can imagine. I don't blame the actor entirely, as the writing for his character was abysmal. Honestly how difficult is it to write a character that you care for? There isn't one person in this film that you wanted to live. If that was the film-makers goal, then great f@ckin job! But it wasn't, as there were survivors. Sure they had that cliché weakling character that you're supposed to care for, but he sucked, flat out. I'll be nice for a second and play fair. I wanted to Les Claypool's character to live longer. One second it seemed he was gonna play a bigger role as the movie began to climax, then poof, he's outta the picture. Thanks fer nuthin! Back to that 'hero' dude. There's a scene where they come upon a whole field of marijuana. And what does our Mr. Cool Hero guy do? He complains about it being illegal and not wanting it on his dead Uncle's property. And then he goes on and calls the weed, 'dope'. I don't know about you, but this movie, with all it's failed attempts at being hip, you'd think it'd be about glorifying weed. Instead it's in this weird buffer zone, as there's loads marijuana in the flick, but it's all related to bad things. But again, back to the Captain Kewl. What kind of hero, in a action/horror flick about a monster pig, looks down on weed? What's the reason to root for this guy?? Why is he the hero? Because he uses a f@ckin' crossbow!?

The two saving graces before I forget. I don't recall any CGI. And the character played by Jason Foster. He was the only consistently well-acted character in the movie. I also thought his transition from questionable-villain to evil villain was well done.

I can go on and on about why this movie failed and sucked, but I won't because I gotta take a dump. Bottom line is I didn't like this movie. With it's opening credits in animated fashion, I was impressed. It put in me that it might be something original. But that just isn't the case. Now that I think of it, it's almost kinda trendy nowadays to have your opening credits in comic book style pictures. The more and more I think about Pig Hunt, the more I just feel bad for it. Just like that kid in high school. You didn't hate him. You just felt bad for him. He was pathetic.