Marc Singer ("V" & "THE BEASTMASTER") and Chuck Connors ("FLIPPER" & "SOYLENT GREEN") in a campfire orgy of primal machismo and lustful desires? And no I hate to break it to you, nothing happens between the two. Even though there are plenty of glistening shirtless moments. And no, Connors doesn't go that far either. I know the disappointment. But no question, this is just one of a few strange developments making its way into the psychotronic made-for-TV feature "HIGH DESERT KILL".
Two friends along with their recently deceased friend's nephew head out on a yearly annual bonding hunting trip in the desert. At the camping site they come across another grizzled old hunter who informs them that something has spooked away the wildlife. They decide to stick it out anyway, but in doing so they unknowingly fall under the influence of some unknown force that uses the appearance of their dead friend/uncle.
It's a fairly forgotten little b-film that doesn't deserve to be a hidden away. Since it's something a little different to the norm. Sure the genre hybrid-of-sorts plot is beyond dubious nevertheless this no-frills desert mystery remains quite fascinating in its psychological and manipulative make-up. Think along the lines of a "TWILIGHT ZONE" narrative, where the perplexity leads to something much more going on. The danger and weirdness slowly grows from the anxious build-up, as the unknown force watches and coordinates through looming POV shots. And when it does come to its symbolic reveal, to some extent it's ingenious and silly rolled into one. Where it might lack the depth in its reasoning. On the other hand you might find yourself laughing at the confrontational climax, but at least the final seconds does end on a haunting, if ambiguous note.
As for the acting, it's a bit of an up and down affair with Anthony Geary ("NIGHTLIFE" & "PASS THE AMMO") and Micah Grant ("WAXWORK" & "TO DIE FOR") in the leads. Still the interactions between the characters have believability and their sudden in-and-out behavioral transformations of uncontrollable instincts brought upon by this alien force are amusingly presented. The sketchy script with some beguiling dialogues ("Open you up like a sack of manure!") is part of that. On what was most effective is the use of eerie sound effects or simply a lack of it. It goes hand-to-hand in creating unease from the forlorn New Mexico desert. Even if the acting wasn't the greatest, I thought the cast do sell the strangely unsettling nature of the situation. TV director Harry Falk's tight handling in due to limited resources, but the back-to-basic structure works to its favour. It's worth-a-look.
