Indie cinema. Independent cinema. Independent of a major studio (read distribution and promotion team). Lumped in together are small, micro budget films, million dollar mammoths and famous star backed pictures. This term has so many variants that the product is almost empty of real meaning. What the term does do sadly, is lump, astonishingly good films in with average and unexceptional films. Take as exhibit A THE HEAD HUNTER. Costing a slender $30,000, it is a masterful study in tension and technique.
THE HEAD HUNTER sees father (Christopher Rygh), avenging his daughters death. He is a fierce warrior but also a broken man. Money comes from claiming creatures skulls and he has amassed a fortune worth. Killing monsters for the kingdom, spilling blood for security and safety. Its all for his slain kid though. His dead daughter crying in the night. Maybe one day he will avenge his daughter with the skull of the beast that killed her.
So from that simple premise (and a 70 mins runtime), comes a clever piece of film making that I believe falls squarely to Jordan Downey direction (which is clever, controlled and relies on solid framing.) It shows that he was an editor and a genre stalwart. Its something to say that the producers deserve credit for budgetary use but Downey masters the power of place and don’t show, suggest. This makes scenes creep and contort. He uses editing with swift and punched poise. I would suggest he knew what to shoot and what not to. The commentary with the producers makes this clear. It also makes his contribution the more powerful. The writer commentary explains a level of where the tone of the piece comes from.
Special Features:
- How We Made Head Hunter- Commentary with director Jordan Downey and producers Kevin Stewart and Ricky Fosheim
- Why We Made Head Hunter – Commentary with writer-director Jordan Downey and writer Kevin Stewart
- Making of featurette
