Open Season (1974)

Three young men take a young woman and a middleaged man to an isolated cabin, where they are terrorized in different ways.

Director:

Peter Collinson

Writers:

Liz Charles-Williams, David D. Osborn (novel),

Stars:

Peter Fonda, Cornelia Sharpe, John Phillip Law

Cast

Credited cast:
Peter Fonda	...	Ken
Cornelia Sharpe	...	Nancy Stillman
John Phillip Law	...	Greg
Richard Lynch	...	Art
Alberto de Mendoza	...	Martin
William Holden	...	Hal Wolkowski
Helga Liné	...	Sue
Didi Sherman	...	Helen
Concha Cuetos	...	Joyce
May Heatherly	...	Alicia Rennick
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Simón Andreu	...	Barman
Jerry Boudreaux	...	Niño
Frank Braña
Jaime Doria
Mabel Escaño	...	Waitress

Storyline

Three Vietnam vets have become so conditioned to violence that they have developed psychotic tendencies. They kidnap people, brutalize them, then turn them loose and hunt them like animals. However the father of one of their earlier victims is plotting a vicious revenge against them.

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Plot Keywords:

victim | cabin | hunting | manhunt | kidnapping | 

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Taglines:

Meet Ken, Gregg and Art. Two weeks each year they get away... with Everything!

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Genres:

Action | Drama | Thriller

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Certificate:

R

Details

Country:

Spain Switzerland UK USA Argentina

Language:

English

Release Date:

August 1974 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Recon Game

Filming Locations:

Aranjuez, Madrid, Spain

Box Office

Gross:

ESP 35,587,591 (Spain) (3 September 1999)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Arpa Productions, Impala

Technical Specs

Runtime:

104 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Veteran Spanish actor Simón Andreu is credited with the role of "Barman" in the cast listing during the credits of all three of the English-language versions, but his performance not actually present in any of those prints in the versions which have turned up on home video.

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Goofs

When Ken and Artie climb the bluff, Ken is carrying a bolt action rifle. But after they split up and Ken returns to the lodge, he enters the cabin carrying a pump action shotgun. The rifle is never seen again.

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Soundtracks

"Run Rabbit Run"
Lyrics and Music by Noel Gay and Ralph Butler

User Reviews

classic 70's exploitation

OPEN SEASON (retitled RECON GAME in the UK, on video) is one of the classics of it's genre (i.e; crazed vietnam vets!) This cycle ran through the 80's, up untill the point were audiences got sick, or the stars of these movies, ended up making themselves looking older than they actually were. OPEN SEASON, though, has the advantage of being directed by PETER COLLINSON, and also by having a all-star cast (FONDA/LAW..yes LAW and HOLDEN) The only movie that comes close to this film, in terms of intensity, is WOLF LAKE, with the late, great ROD STIEGER, or WILLIAM FRUET's HOUSE BY THE LAKE, with exploitation legend DON STROUD.

Anyway, this movies cast and credentials, put it far beyond standard 'shlock' movie standards, and the plot reflects this. If any criticism may be be aimed at this film, it must be it's misleading title.This movie is not entirely about a human hunt, but more a study on the effects of vietnam, and the people that came back from it. All the performances are spot on, and also bonus points too, for the (sometimes) haunting cinematography and theme tune.

For people, who like this sort of plot, but are not into 'older-movies', then may i suggest SURVIVING THE GAME, that also features an all-star exploitation cast

Big lee gives OPEN SEASON, 9 and a half, out of 10