Though he made few excursions into Hollywood filmmaking, Seymour Kulik – better known by his nickname Buzz – is best known today for his directing work in television. Some of his most notable works on both the big and small screen include Warning Shot (1967), Sergeant Ryker (1968), Villa Rides (also 1968), Riot (1969), Brian’s Song (1971) and Bad Ronald (1974). Coming on the heels of the miniseries remake of From Here to Eternity (1979), Kulik took on what would be his final theatrical film, The Hunter. Previously released on DVD by Paramount and on Region Free Blu-ray by Imprint, Kino has licensed the movie for its latest Blu-ray release.
The Production: 3.5/5
A modern day equivalent to the bounty hunter of the Old West days, Ralph “Papa” Thorson (Steve McQueen) is a man whose pursuit of criminals who skip out on bail could’ve easily fit in with said Old West bounty hunters. However, this old-fashioned man – whose interests include collecting antique toys and listening to classical music – is now facing the prospect of fatherhood with great reluctance when his schoolteacher girlfriend Dotty (Kathryn Harrold) is nearing the due date. Yet, “Papa” keeps finding himself pulled away by his job, tackling assignments handed to him by bondsman Richie Blumenthal (Eli Wallach); soon, one of the criminals that Thorson put away comes gunning for him, forcing a tense standoff – at the school where Dotty teaches – that will determine whether or not Thorson will live to see the birth of his child.
A biographical thriller, The Hunter is a decently made movie that gave its star one last chance to shine. Adapted from Christopher Keane’s biographical book on the life of Ralph Thorson (which was uncredited), the duo of Richard Levinson and William Link (credited under the pseudonym “Ted Leighton”) plus Peter Hyams – who was initially slated to direct – create a thrill filled and slightly humorous look at the man who was very much an outsider personality wise in his own time. Director Buzz Kulik also manages to maintain a decent pace throughout, with two very notable action sequences: the first being an intense chase through the cornfields of Nebraska and the second being the Chicago sequence starting with McQueen hanging off the elevated train to chasing his suspect through the Marina City complex’s parking garage which ends with the suspect plunging into the Chicago River (part of that sequence would later end up in an Allstate commercial many years later). While the actions are exciting, the film’s main soft spot is that it bogs down during the slow stretches involving dialogue and character development; however, decent performances from the cast does help to mitigate that. So, while it may not be among his best, The Hunter does conclude Steve McQueen’s career on a strong note and giving audiences a final flash of glory before passing away just less than three months after the film’s release.
While it’s McQueen’s show all the way, it would be remiss to not mention the contributions of the supporting players. As the elderly bondsman who gives Thorson work, Eli Wallach gives a more subdued performance compared to his more rambunctious performances in The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (1966) and Ace High (1968); for her sophomoric feature film appearance following Nightwing (1979), Kathryn Harrold is decent as Thorson’s pregnant girlfriend. In one of his earliest film appearances, LeVar Burton casts a memorable impression as Tommy Price, the fugitive turned friend of Thorson; Tracey Walter makes for an appropriately menacing and unhinged killer ex-con on Thorson’s trail. As police captain Spota – the name is a notable trademark in nearly all of Peter Hyams’ scripts and films – Richard Venture is another solid presence while Ben Johnson makes the most of his cameo appearance as the Houston sheriff who unsuccessfully tells Thorson to back off on apprehending his fugitive nephew. Notably rounding out the cast here are Thomas Rosales Jr. as the Chicago fugitive who leads Thorson on a pulse pounding chase, Karl Schueneman as the Houston sheriff’s nephew Billie Joe, F. William Parker as the Houston PD watch commander, Tony Burton as a garbageman, former MLB pitcher turned stunt man Jophery Brown as a passenger on the Chicago El train, Taurean Blacque as a hustler, Ray Bickel and Bobby Bass as the fugitive Branch brothers and the real life Ralph “Papa” Thorson himself as a bartender.
Video: 4.5/5
3D Rating: NA
This Blu-ray release presents the film in its original 1:85:1 aspect ratio, taken from a brand new HD master from a 4K scan of the OCN. Film grain, fine details and colors appear to be faithfully presented with only minor cases of scratches, tears and dirt present. This release is likely the best the movie will ever look on home video, easily surpassing the old Paramount DVD.
Audio: 5/5
The film’s original mono soundtrack is presented on a DTS-HD Master Audio track for this release. Dialogue, sound mix and Michel Legrand’s music score (featuring one sequence scored by Charles Bernstein and – in keeping with Thorson’s character – classical music by Mozart, Verdi and Rossini) all are presented faithfully with clarity and minimal cases of distortion, crackling, popping and hissing present. Again, this release easily surpasses the previous Paramount DVD in terms of audio quality and is likely to be the best the movie will ever sound on home video.
Special Features: 3/5
Commentary by film historians Steve Mitchell and Nathaniel Thompson – Recorded for this Blu-ray release, Mitchell and Thompson candidly go over the aspects of Steve McQueen’s final film, from personal memories of encountering the film to details of the production.
TV Spots & VHS Trailer (3) (1:54)
Theatrical Trailer (3:15)
Bonus KLSC Trailers – The Great Escape, The Laughing Policeman, Brannigan, Newman’s Law, Wanted: Dead or Alive, Taffin, Murphy’s Law & Code of Silence
Notably missing here are a commentary track by Jason Ney and the vintage documentary Steve McQueen, Man on the Edge from the Imprint Blu-ray.
Overall: 4/5
Garnering a mixed reception from critics and a decent take at the box office, The Hunter is a decent coda for Steve McQueen’s career, which saw him define what it meant to be cool on the silver screen in the 1960’s and 1970’s. Kino has delivered another quality release here, with a solid HD transfer and an informative commentary track as a special feature along with rarely seen TV spots and a VHS trailer. Highly recommended and worth upgrading from the Paramount DVD.
The Hunter (Special Edition)
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Mychal has been on the Home Theater Forum’s reviewing staff since 2018, with reviews numbering close to 300. During this time, he has also been working as an assistant manager at The Cotton Patch – his family’s fabric and quilting supplies business in Keizer, Oregon. When not working at reviewing movies or working at the family business, he enjoys exploring the Oregon Coast, playing video games and watching baseball in addition to his expansive collection of movies on DVD, Blu-ray and UHD, totalling over 3,000 movies.
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