Thomas Hunter was inexplicably chosen by Dino DeLaurentis in 1966 to head up a western film called 'The Hills Run Red,' a film that was originally earmarked for Burt Reynolds to star in. For whatever reason, Hunter was at the right place at the right time and won the role and the resulting Spaghetti Western, though no masterpiece, garnered Hunter some good reviews. It was generally agreed that he was highly attractive, could hold the screen, and had a promising future in film.
Flash forward nine years and the bloom was off the rose as they say. Hunter's career had not proved a dynamo and, a decade on, he wasn't as attractive as he once was. So he wrote a film and wrote a role for himself in it and the result is 'The Human Factor.' This film is no great shakes but it has a tight interesting revenge plot and, though dated by today's standards (mostly having to do with computer capabilities), the tension still holds up. George Kennedy is the pudgy everyman who seeks revenge (refreshing in the era of Charles Bronson), John Mills (just five years after his Oscar-winning turn in 'Ryan's Daughter') plays his friend and co-worker, and wide-eyed Rita Tushingham drifts in and out as another co-worker. And then there is Thomas Hunter as the bad guy, the role he wrote for himself.
There's a nice Ennio Morricone score, a surprise or two in the plot, and enough tension to keep one interested if not exactly glued to it.
A pretty solid actioner if you can accept the plotholes.
Great for fans of Thomas Hunter or '70's action flicks.
Flash forward nine years and the bloom was off the rose as they say. Hunter's career had not proved a dynamo and, a decade on, he wasn't as attractive as he once was. So he wrote a film and wrote a role for himself in it and the result is 'The Human Factor.' This film is no great shakes but it has a tight interesting revenge plot and, though dated by today's standards (mostly having to do with computer capabilities), the tension still holds up. George Kennedy is the pudgy everyman who seeks revenge (refreshing in the era of Charles Bronson), John Mills (just five years after his Oscar-winning turn in 'Ryan's Daughter') plays his friend and co-worker, and wide-eyed Rita Tushingham drifts in and out as another co-worker. And then there is Thomas Hunter as the bad guy, the role he wrote for himself.
There's a nice Ennio Morricone score, a surprise or two in the plot, and enough tension to keep one interested if not exactly glued to it.
A pretty solid actioner if you can accept the plotholes.
Great for fans of Thomas Hunter or '70's action flicks.