HIGH DESERT KILL

US, 1990, 93 minutes, Colour.
Chuck Connors, Marc Singer, Anthony Geary.
Directed by Harry Falk.

High Desert Kill is an action thriller made for cable television. It shows a group of hunters in the High Sierras. However, the film takes on tones of science fiction as one of the friends of the hunters, killed previously in an accident, materialises and treats the hunters as if they were experimental animals, trying to control their behaviour. While the plot strains credibility, the suspense and tension build up to give it some kind of plausibility. The film takes the themes of American buddies, the macho image - and offers some critique via the science fiction theme.

1.Interesting and entertaining telemovie? Men identifying with the macho hunters? The presentation of American men in this situation - and the critique via science fiction themes?

2.The mountain country and its beauty, wild life? Its becoming sinister? The special effects for the alien viewing the humans? The action sequences? The musical score?

3.The title, the location, the hunting and the hunters becoming the hunted?

4.The setting with Jim, the scientist, laboratory experiments (and the irony that he was to become a victim of such an experiment)? Brad and his machines, the man-about-town, his work? Ray, the male model, his commercials work? The memory of Paul and his death in the accident? The photos? The tradition of the men going off to hunt? Not necessarily liking each other but buddies?

5.The meeting with Stan, Chuck Connors as the old man of the mountains? The ordinary hunting themes, travel in the mountains, stalking the wildlife? The talk between the men, the memories of Paul? Strains on friendship? Discussions about hunting and the destruction of animals?

6.The encounter with the two young women? The peculiar behaviour - their imposing themselves on the men? The sexual encounter? The fight between Stan and Ray? Brad and the women? Jim not seeing them? The aftermath, their message? One girl killing herself? The other disappearing?

7.The odd behaviour of the men, their being taken over, the hunting of the bear, devouring the bear? The anger amongst themselves? Their fears? The passing of time, falling asleep? Brad and his going for help, the confrontation with the vehicle? Brad's death?

8.The audience aware that the aliens were watching the group? Altering their behaviour? The going to the headquarters, the Indian background? The finding of the bodies, of the car? The mystery of the human experiments?

9.The materialising of Paul? Their ability to change him with their imaginations and stories? The confrontation and imagining his destruction?

10.The character of Jim, the scientist, the friend, the hunter, his disgust at his behaviour? The fears and the confrontation with Paul? Brad, brashness, alone, dead? His final reappearance? Ray, the young man, not wanting to go hunting, the memory of his uncle? The clash with the two older men? His using his imagination to control his uncle? Stan as the grizzled old man, drinking, the women, fears? Prepared to die for the others?

13.Interesting action adventure, science and science fiction themes?