It was with a sense of excitement that when I reached out to our friends at TREASURED FILMS, they said we could cover their first release, THE LAST HUNTER. I knew the film well. My mother, in a failed attempt at writing a novel on the Vietnam war that was a hangover for many a 60s and 70s child, hoovered up all and sundry films of the subject. This included this film. As was well known in the Italian cinema of the period, bending to market forces it saw great film makers playing to any genre that were popular in films. This often meant interpretations of (or aping in the usual parlance) American films. This film took on the DEER HUNTER / APOCALYPSE NOW in a Vietnam war mash up. It was called Euro War and supposedly if you dont know this, you are a failure in the old critic world. It was released in 1980, tagged as a part of the video nasty era alongside a bunch of other classics of the exploitation realm and would only briefly surface again in the early 00s on a Vipco release.

Following a night out in a sleazy bar for American GI’s, everything goes to hell and Captain Henry Morris (David Warbeck) buddy goes crazy and shoots a fellow officer and then himself. The reasons are complex but Morris is given a way to get revenge, destroy a radio station nearby in the jungle that is sending propaganda out to these GIs stationed nearby. He accepts this deadly mission, thinking that to go behind enemy lines will bring him salvation and maybe put a stop to crazed GIs slaughter fests. As he enters the jungle and the broadcasting of anti-war propaganda continues, it reveals to him that the jungle is not a place for the sane…

The films director Antonio Margheriti made better films. This is self evident from any of the extras on the disc. But especially his sons documentary on his father The Outsider: Il Cinema Di Antonio Margheriti. A sometimes grandstanding affair that shows him to be a great director with at least a deep sense of cinematics and operatics than credit would give. There we see his length and breadth of talent and how sometimes it is a case of, film lovers enter into his work via a third film, a less substantial film. Not one of those greats. THE LAST HUNTER is one of those entry films. Never trying to be anything more or less than a Boys own for the modern generation, there are thrills, a workable story, a lush jungle and a brave hero. It has solid attributes. Good pacing, explosions and a sense that the works it is at least openly giving homage to, is done so with regard and regale. I would best describe it in the words of my father. He loved films like this on a weekend or Friday at home and called them, knock about films. Throwing punches with bullet blasting, blood drenched, deranged spectacle that splattered cinema in the period and beyond. Now to note, there are some who will object to the violence and even a few who, sitting in a cave after a soured personal life event, watching a whole list of no one cares of films, who will object to the choices of the disc producers. Best not to read on if that you…

Now THE LAST HUNTER will beguile genre fans. It might not please everyone mind, as expectation is deeply riven by personal consideration. Well that and self involvement but I would guess that many are going to be thrilled by it and the time Treasured Films have taken with it. As it is finally making its UK blu-ray debut, you can be assured some purists will be less impressed due to a few factors (jealousy mainly) but there is truthfully little to complain about. The 2K transfer has its issues, some texture and colour differences. A little bit of depth of field loss but I would add that this is possibly due to the scan making the film more legible. Showing its flaws a little more, so to speak. The Commentary is a slow affair at the start with umms and ahhs from one member but both Howarth and Thompson are able to supply pertinent points of information. Eugenio Ercolani fairs better in his outstanding (and the best extra on the set) Video Essay that covers a broad range of Italian film history from the late 70s and then digs deep into genre cinema. He takes the crown as a film historian not suffocating in ego.

Limited Edition Contents

• Rigid slipcase with exclusive artwork by Graham Humphries
• 60 page booklet with essays & interviews by Troy Howarth, Eugenio Ercolani and John Martin
• 6 collectors’ art cards
• Webstore exclusive A3 reversible fold-out poster!

Special Features

• New 2K scan and restoration from the original camera negative
• Disc mastered by Fidelity in Motion
• The Outsider: Il Cinema Di Antonio Margheriti: The feature length documentary by Edoardo Margheriti as tribute to his father’s career. Released for the first time on blu-ray with English subtitles
• New audio commentary with Nathaniel Thompson, Troy Howarth & Eugenio Ercolani
• Apocalypse Hunter: a new video essay by Eugenio Ercolani
• From Dawson To Dawson: a new interview with Edoardo Margheriti
• Margie In The Jungle: a new interview with Margie Newton
• Jungle Boogie: a new interview with Franco Micalizzi
• Mud And Blood: a new interview with Massimo Vanni
• Trailer (2K scanned and restored from the Original Camera Negative)
• Image Gallery
• Reversible cover artwork with original Italian title and artwork
• English SDH Subtitles