A medieval warrior goes around hunting monsters that threaten mankind. Through his many battles, he’s been able to amass a collection composed of the heads of his victims. To finish his collection, he searches for the monster that killed his daughter years ago. (rt)Shot in and around the remote village of Soutelo Mourisco in the countryside of northern Portugal. Composer Nick Soole approached the film’s score as if it took place on a medieval planet. Director: Jordan Downey (imdb)
“Created by a skeleton crew on a meager budget with limited supplies, [The Head Hunter] is overflowing with imagination and atmosphere.” Jonathan Barkan
The film had an extensive marketing promotion, including faux websites for the three main characters and their fictional films, airing a fictional television special, and selling the energy drink advertised in the film, “Booty Sweat”.
The film received generally positive reviews, with critics praising the film’s characters, story, faux trailers, and the performances of Stiller, Downey, Black and Tom Cruise, though the depiction of the mentally handicapped and usage of blackface makeup were seen as controversial. (wiki)
The film’s plot was inspired by the 1877 Satsuma Rebellion led by Saigō Takamori, and the westernization of Japan by foreign powers, though in the film the United States is portrayed as the primary force behind the push for westernization. To a lesser extent it is also influenced by the stories of Jules Brunet, a French army captain who fought alongside Enomoto Takeaki in the earlier Boshin War and Frederick Townsend Ward, an American mercenary who helped Westernize the Chinese army by forming the Ever Victorious Army. (wiki)