Open Season (1974)

Peter Fonda and William Holden WOW!!, 2 excellent actors. Why this movie is not on DVD is beyond me. The movie was very real and had an original plot. The acting impeccable and one of William Holdens last movies. I believe the movie had an interesting social message as well. Yes perhaps squeamish for some but nonetheless a flick well done with superb acting. I believe that the commentary is timeless and can well be a successful movie today ... in fact maybe even more so than back 35 yrs ago or so. I think the movie was actually a bit tame compared to todays psychological thrillers but still done well. If you get a chance to see this movie go for it , you will not be disappointed.

This was one of the first really well "designed-to-disturb" movies that I ever watched. The impact to the viewer is not achieved through overly-graphic violence, although it is violent in nature, but by craftily inducing empathy for the desperate situation of the hunted, juxtaposed with the bleak portrayal of raw and unrelenting evil exhibited by the group-thinking hunters. This is well done through a meandering sequence of action shots and brilliantly framed by the contrasting peaceful and beautiful North American scenery and a curious and intriguing score. This is not a movie of memorable dialogue but one of highly disturbing action sequence in a sustained act of cruelty. Unfortunately the evil and its impact are far too believable for comfort. The Vietnam allusion and vigilante character (Holden) are peripheral to the essence of the movie and if anything detract, seemingly there to provide an excuse for the exposure of the evil and some end resolution for good, respectively. Whilst this may have been at one point central to the message in the creator's mind, as it worked out neither is warranted given the core impact of the film.

I saw this strange film on late night cable way back in 1983 and found it oddly appealing.Obviously not filmed in the USA with dubbed dialog, weird atmosphere and the eventual appearance of William Holden as an added bonus. After searching on the internet recently I found an uncut version VHS tape for sale.* SPOILER *William Holdens character is arrested at the end which didn't occur in the edited version. The stark direction,unconventional editing techniques and haunting music make this one a seldom seen gem. I usually don't indulge in films of this type( like the repulsive, house by the lake ) but open season has enoughgoing for it to elevate it above other films of this genre. For Fonda/ Holden fans this film is highly recommended,others beware!

Once again, we have the tired old cliche of the crazed Vietnam vet (despite the fact that the Second World War produced a higher number of mentally scarred soldiers than Vietnam, believe it or not.) However, that's one of the lesser problems I had with this "Most Dangerous Game" rip-off. To put it bluntly, this movie is REALLY BORING - in fact, it takes about *an hour* before the hunt actually begins! The "action" from that point on is really dull, especially since the so-called protagonists that are victimized have barely anything sympathetic about them. While I can understand why Fonda, Law, and Lynch might have signed on, I simply can't understand why Holden - who barely appears at all - signed up. Even if he needed the money, surely there was another (and better) movie he could have been in! Anyway, this movie is hard to find, though considering the quality of it, I don't think this is an instance of rights problems or the copyright holder wanting a fat advance from a video distributor!