While Charles Band’s Wizard Video label gained popularity in its early days, it was nearing its end by 1987. Combined with the cost of running Empire Pictures and each film bombing, Band was losing more and more money. His cost-saving deal with Tim Kincaid to produce cheap quickies in New York wasn’t proving fruitful as Band had hoped. Substandard movies like Breeders and Robot Holocaust were not flying off the shelves as their licensed European titles. But there was another film Kincaid shot before the previous two that had been sitting on the shelf for years. This would end up being Kincaid and company’s most ambitious project up to this point. Unfortunately, this also was the last film released under Wizard Video before the label shut down. Though filmed in 1985, Tim Kincaid’s Mutant Hunt didn’t hit video store shelves until April 1987.
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Synopsis
Robots have become a daily necessity for everyday life in the not-too-distant future, but that’s about to change. A genetic scientist working for the world’s leading robot manufacturer, Inteltrex, named Z (Bill Peterson), has gone mad with power. He injects his powerful Delta 7 cyborgs with a drug called “Europhon,” which mutates them into bloodthirsty killers who melt. When Z’s colleague Paul Haynes (Mark Umile) discovers the truth, he and his sister Darla (Mary Fahey) try to escape. Paul gets captured, so Darla enlists mercenary Matt Riker (Rick Gianasi) to help rescue her brother and stop Z’s cyborgs. Along the way, they meet Paul’s friends: undercover operative Elaine Eliot (Taunie Vrenon) and weapons expert Johnny Felix (Ron Reynaldi). While Z sends his cyborgs to do his bidding, his business partner Domina (Stormy Spill) has something brewing in secret. The fate of the free world rests on the mutant hunt!
Review
If you’ve been following my Full Moon Fridays series, you’ll know that I’ve torn Tim Kincaid’s movies apart. Even for low-budget filmmaking, Kincaid’s offerings are usually dull, poorly acted, and incompetent attempts at entertainment. Admittedly, Mutant Hunt has many of the same problems as his earlier efforts, but it’s easily the best. This isn’t some accidental masterpiece or anything like that, but it’s at least got more going for it. The special effects by artists Ed French, John Bisson, and James Chai are incredible, given the meager budget. Each mutant cyborg is given a distinct look as they melt and deteriorate into monsters as the film progresses. The highlight is one cyborg who loses much of his face and jaw, now being played by a puppet. It’s, without a doubt, the best effect in the entire movie, and that’s saying something.
The music is also worth mentioning, as that late 80s stock synth score seemed to work back then. Also worth noting is that some of the music used was taken from another Wizard Video release, David DeCoteau’s Dreamaniac. It makes sense that they’d use that film’s music since it was undoubtedly the best thing about that movie. A decent variety of locations are also used, particularly a former Navy harbor near Manhattan used for the climax. Since all of Kincaid’s films were shot in mid to late-80s New York, they serve as a time capsule. It’s a peek at New York City before it was gentrified and cleaned up in the 1990s to increase tourism. While this movie would’ve been perfect for a 42nd Street Grindhouse, the fact that it was released direct-to-video is ironic. Regardless of the film’s overall quality, it still has some value for its historical place.
Sadly, the rest of the movie is the same dull walk through New York alleys we’ve seen before. The acting isn’t as bland as Breeders, and some stand out in unintentionally hilarious ways. For instance, Rick Gianasi’s introduction as Matt Riker involves him fighting a cyborg in his apartment in his underwear. He does have a few funny lines of dialogue, but his true potential wouldn’t be showcased until Sgt. Kabukiman N.Y.P.D. Bill Peterson is weak as the villain, though Stormy Spill has her moments as she plots her revenge on Z. The guys playing the mutant cyborgs make the most of the trim material they’re given and are having some fun. While this isn’t a good movie, I will say that if you have friends and some substances, you’ll enjoy this. Overall, Mutant Hunt is probably Tim Kincaid’s best movie, though that’s not saying much.
Buy Mutant Hunt from Amazon: https://amzn.to/3RAp1mV.
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