The Last Hunter
Encyclopedia
The Last Hunter is a 1980
Italian "macaroni combat
" war film
directed by Antonio Margheriti
and starring David Warbeck
.
film to take place during the Vietnam War
, as opposed World War II
like all films in the sub-genre before.
Director Antonio Margheriti
decided to make a Vietnam War film due to the success of the American film The Deer Hunter
. The Last Hunter was even originally made as Cacciatore 2, an un-official sequel to The Deer Hunter which was released in Italy as Il Cacciatore. Promotional posters were even printed up with this title (see left). Antonio Margheriti's son Edoardo Margheriti (who served as second unit director) said the title was changed to L'Ultimo cacciatore due to rights issues.
Unlike director Michael Cimino
, Antonio Margheriti did not want to make a political film that was for or against the Vietnam War. He just wanted to make a Vietnam War film that was fun.
The Last Hunter was filmed in the Philippines
in many of the same locations as Apocalypse Now
. The film was an extremely hard shoot due to heat, wildlife, and accidents on the set. Cinematographer Riccardo Pallottini died in a plane crash during the production.
in the 1980s by Vestron Video
.
Dark Sky Films released the film on Region 1 NTSC DVD in 2007. The featurette Margheriti and the Last Hunter is included with the release.
Released on VHS in the UK by Intervision in 1981.
Re-issued in 1988 by Elephant Video (slightly cut)
Released on UK DVD by Vipco in 2002 (cat no. VIP097)
Released on German dvd by X-Rated Kult Video in 2005 (as Jager Der Apokalypse)
Released on DVD in Scandinavia by Another World Entertainment in August 2008
1980 in film
- Events :* May 21 - Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back is released and is the biggest grosser of the year ....
Italian "macaroni combat
Euro War
Macaroni Combat, also known as Macaroni War or Euro War films, is a nickname for a broad sub-genre of war film that emerged in the mid-1960s, so named because most were produced and directed by European co-productions notably Italians....
" war film
War film
War films are a film genre concerned with warfare, usually about naval, air or land battles, sometimes focusing instead on prisoners of war, covert operations, military training or other related subjects. At times war films focus on daily military or civilian life in wartime without depicting battles...
directed by Antonio Margheriti
Antonio Margheriti
Antonio Margheriti , also known under the pseudonym Anthony M. Dawson, was a prolific Italian filmmaker. He was born in Rome and died in 2002 from a heart attack in Monterosi, Viterbo, near Rome at the age of 72....
and starring David Warbeck
David Warbeck
David Warbeck was a New Zealand actor best known for his film roles in Europe.-Career and move into Italian cinema:...
.
Plot
Following the suicide of his best friend, Captain Harry Morris (David Warbeck) accepts a final deadly mission to go behind enemy lines to destroy a radio tower that is broadcasting anti-war propaganda to American troops.Production
The Last Hunter marked the first Euro WarEuro War
Macaroni Combat, also known as Macaroni War or Euro War films, is a nickname for a broad sub-genre of war film that emerged in the mid-1960s, so named because most were produced and directed by European co-productions notably Italians....
film to take place during the Vietnam War
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
, as opposed World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
like all films in the sub-genre before.
Director Antonio Margheriti
Antonio Margheriti
Antonio Margheriti , also known under the pseudonym Anthony M. Dawson, was a prolific Italian filmmaker. He was born in Rome and died in 2002 from a heart attack in Monterosi, Viterbo, near Rome at the age of 72....
decided to make a Vietnam War film due to the success of the American film The Deer Hunter
The Deer Hunter
The Deer Hunter is a 1978 drama film co-written and directed by Michael Cimino about a trio of Russian American steel worker friends and their infantry service in the Vietnam War. The film stars Robert De Niro, Christopher Walken, Meryl Streep, John Savage, John Cazale, and George Dzundza...
. The Last Hunter was even originally made as Cacciatore 2, an un-official sequel to The Deer Hunter which was released in Italy as Il Cacciatore. Promotional posters were even printed up with this title (see left). Antonio Margheriti's son Edoardo Margheriti (who served as second unit director) said the title was changed to L'Ultimo cacciatore due to rights issues.
Unlike director Michael Cimino
Michael Cimino
Michael Cimino is an American film director, screenwriter, producer and author. He is best known for writing and directing Academy Award-winning The Deer Hunter and the infamous Heaven's Gate. His films are characterized by their striking visual style and controversial subject...
, Antonio Margheriti did not want to make a political film that was for or against the Vietnam War. He just wanted to make a Vietnam War film that was fun.
The Last Hunter was filmed in the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
in many of the same locations as Apocalypse Now
Apocalypse Now
Apocalypse Now is a 1979 American war film set during the Vietnam War, produced and directed by Francis Ford Coppola. The central character is US Army special operations officer Captain Benjamin L. Willard , of MACV-SOG, an assassin sent to kill the renegade and presumed insane Special Forces...
. The film was an extremely hard shoot due to heat, wildlife, and accidents on the set. Cinematographer Riccardo Pallottini died in a plane crash during the production.
Releases
The Last Hunter was released on VHSVHS
The Video Home System is a consumer-level analog recording videocassette standard developed by Victor Company of Japan ....
in the 1980s by Vestron Video
Vestron Video
Vestron Video was the main subsidiary of Vestron, Inc., a home video company based in Stamford, Connecticut that was active from 1982 to 1992. It is considered to have been a pioneer in the home video market....
.
Dark Sky Films released the film on Region 1 NTSC DVD in 2007. The featurette Margheriti and the Last Hunter is included with the release.
Released on VHS in the UK by Intervision in 1981.
Re-issued in 1988 by Elephant Video (slightly cut)
Released on UK DVD by Vipco in 2002 (cat no. VIP097)
Released on German dvd by X-Rated Kult Video in 2005 (as Jager Der Apokalypse)
Released on DVD in Scandinavia by Another World Entertainment in August 2008