This bit of comically Italian Euro-Trash kitsch has been very high on my list of faves since my teenage years, and as such has a special place as a formative aesthetic experience. Much like "la citta eterna" (Roma, the backdrop here, and another inspiration), an eternally cool bleached-blonde Marcello Mastroianni stars as the Hunter in the Big Game, apparently future's attempt at directing violent urges into both entertainment and commercial viability (sounds familiar, right?). Ursula Andress is the celebrated Huntress here, with a wonderful penchant for gunning down her victims with a doubly loaded bra! If you yearn to see more Andress shenanigans, be sure to check out her "performance" in MOUNTAIN OF THE CANNIBAL GOD, where explosive undergarments are nowhere to be found. To my eyes and ears, the retro chic visuals, director Elio Petri's playful sci-fi genre bending, the trippy experimental score, and particularly Mastroianni's wickedly worried performance all make for a wonderfully timeless entertainment. BTW, I hear Blue Underground's blu-ray is an epiphany on all levels and a must buy!
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