ID this movie - naked man running through African jungle
#1
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ID this movie - naked man running through African jungle
There was this movie I saw a long time ago but I can't remember the name. The plot was something like this:
A group of people are walking around in the African jungle, on a safari if I remember right. They get caught by the natives and all but the guide are tortured to death (one guy is caked in mud, then slow roasted over a fire). The guide is stripped naked and one of the natives throughes a spear. The guide is allowed to run and at the point he passes the spear, everybody starts chasing him. This chase takes up probably half the movie.
The movie is either from the '60s or possibly early '70s. What was it?
A group of people are walking around in the African jungle, on a safari if I remember right. They get caught by the natives and all but the guide are tortured to death (one guy is caked in mud, then slow roasted over a fire). The guide is stripped naked and one of the natives throughes a spear. The guide is allowed to run and at the point he passes the spear, everybody starts chasing him. This chase takes up probably half the movie.
The movie is either from the '60s or possibly early '70s. What was it?
#4
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Yep, it's "The Naked Prey". Thanks for the reply!
Too bad it's not out on DVD, I'd buy it if it were under $10 or so.
Last edited by Heat; 10-04-06 at 02:42 PM.
#6
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Originally Posted by cornyt
You know, I always thought the chase in "Atanarjuat: The Fast Runner" was so original. I had no idea an earlier film had done something so similar.
I listen to books on tape while walking or riding my bike. One I was listening to was stories of the Old West and on that was a story of this fur trapper who killed some indians in Colorado(?) who were trying to steal his horses. He was caught with another trapper a year or so later and the 2nd trapper was killed and scalped. He was stripped, given about a 100 yard head start, and was then chased. In that story he also had a spear thrown at him, turned, picked it up and stabbed the lead indian. He made it six miles to the fort and lived to tell the story.
That's what made me remember "The Naked Prey", because the story is very similar.
#7
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Originally Posted by Heat
Yep, it's "The Naked Prey". Thanks for the reply!
Too bad it's not out on DVD, I'd buy it if it were under $10 or so.
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Originally Posted by Heat
I listen to books on tape while walking or riding my bike. One I was listening to was stories of the Old West and on that was a story of this fur trapper who killed some indians in Colorado(?) who were trying to steal his horses. He was caught with another trapper a year or so later and the 2nd trapper was killed and scalped. He was stripped, given about a 100 yard head start, and was then chased. In that story he also had a spear thrown at him, turned, picked it up and stabbed the lead indian. He made it six miles to the fort and lived to tell the story.
#10
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Originally Posted by cornyt
Wow! That's a crazy story. Did it really happen or was the book fiction?
I listened to the track again to get more details, then looked it up on the net. It happened to John Colter who was a former member of the Lewis & Clark expidition, but was at that point a beaver trapper.
And I was a little off, it was six miles to the fork of the river, not to the fort. The fort was 300 miles away... Oh, and there were 600 indians chasing him. Interesting story.
http://www.l3-lewisandclark.com/Show...0&ObjectID=181
...Trapping in Indian country had its risk, particularly in Blackfeet domain. Death often was an easy escape for trespassers. Unfortunately, the best beaver trapping was in Blackfeet country. Aware of the risks, Colter and his partner, John Potts, another former member of the Corps of Discovery, set their traps by night, emptied them in the early morning, and hid during the day. They were emptying their traps one morning when they heard a thundering sound. Colter identified it as Indians, Potts as buffalo. Instead of seeking cover, the two men continued in their canoe downstream. As they rounded a bend, they encountered between 500 to 600 Blackfeet lining the shores. Escape was impossible, so the men responded to the gesturing of the Indians and headed ashore.
Potts' rifle was taken from him by an Indian. Colter grabbed the rifle from the Indian and returned it to Potts. Potts, in the canoe, pushed off and was struck in the leg with an arrow. Possibly knowing what lay in store, Potts opted for an easy escape. He raised his rifle and shot dead an Indian. Arrows riddled Potts' body.
Colter was stripped naked. From what he understood of the conversation, the Blackfeet were trying to decide how they would kill him. Option one had him tied to a post and used for target practice. Option two had him assume the role of prey. The chief asked Colter if he was a fast runner. Colter lied. He told the chief he was "a very bad runner." The chief walked with him about 400 yards then indicated that Colter should run for life. He did. Behind him he heard the whooping and hollering of nearly 600 Indians in pursuit of the prize—his scalp. He ran. His bare feet time and again landed on the spines of the prickly pear. He ran. The exertion caused the capillaries in his nose to burst, splattering his body with blood.
It was six miles to Jefferson Fork, Colter's only hope for escape. He had run five miles, outdistancing most of the Indians. Only one was able to close the distance. Within a mile of the fork, Colter suddenly stopped, turned around, and with arms spread, faced his pursuer. Surprised and exhausted, the Indian faltered and tripped, breaking his spear. Colter seized the point of the spear and "pinned" the Indian to the ground. With the hordes descending upon him, Colter grabbed the dead Indian's blanket, ran the last mile to the river, and hid underneath a "raft of drift timber." For hours the Indians searched the riverbank and raft of timber. The darkness of evening brought hope to Colter and despair to his pursuers. Nothing could be found in the dark.
Colter remained hidden long after he was covered in darkness and silence. Finally, confident that he was alone, he swam downstream. He made his way toward Manuel's Fort 300 miles away. It took him seven days to reach the fort. He entered it exhausted, hungry, and burnt from exposure to the sun...
Potts' rifle was taken from him by an Indian. Colter grabbed the rifle from the Indian and returned it to Potts. Potts, in the canoe, pushed off and was struck in the leg with an arrow. Possibly knowing what lay in store, Potts opted for an easy escape. He raised his rifle and shot dead an Indian. Arrows riddled Potts' body.
Colter was stripped naked. From what he understood of the conversation, the Blackfeet were trying to decide how they would kill him. Option one had him tied to a post and used for target practice. Option two had him assume the role of prey. The chief asked Colter if he was a fast runner. Colter lied. He told the chief he was "a very bad runner." The chief walked with him about 400 yards then indicated that Colter should run for life. He did. Behind him he heard the whooping and hollering of nearly 600 Indians in pursuit of the prize—his scalp. He ran. His bare feet time and again landed on the spines of the prickly pear. He ran. The exertion caused the capillaries in his nose to burst, splattering his body with blood.
It was six miles to Jefferson Fork, Colter's only hope for escape. He had run five miles, outdistancing most of the Indians. Only one was able to close the distance. Within a mile of the fork, Colter suddenly stopped, turned around, and with arms spread, faced his pursuer. Surprised and exhausted, the Indian faltered and tripped, breaking his spear. Colter seized the point of the spear and "pinned" the Indian to the ground. With the hordes descending upon him, Colter grabbed the dead Indian's blanket, ran the last mile to the river, and hid underneath a "raft of drift timber." For hours the Indians searched the riverbank and raft of timber. The darkness of evening brought hope to Colter and despair to his pursuers. Nothing could be found in the dark.
Colter remained hidden long after he was covered in darkness and silence. Finally, confident that he was alone, he swam downstream. He made his way toward Manuel's Fort 300 miles away. It took him seven days to reach the fort. He entered it exhausted, hungry, and burnt from exposure to the sun...
Last edited by Heat; 10-04-06 at 10:52 PM.
#12
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And "Atanarjuat: The Fast Runner" sounds like a pretty neat, I'll have to keep my eyes open for it in the video stores (it's price is ~ $20 at retailers, above what I would pay for it).
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I'm a little mixed about "Fast Runner." While there are interesting things about it, I came in with very high expectations and was a pretty disappointed. I agree rental would be the way to go; I wouldn't recommend it as a blind buy. My experiences matches pretty closely with the dvdtalk review: http://www.dvdtalk.com/reviews/read.php?ID=5624&___rd=1
#14
Originally Posted by Heat
I listen to books on tape while walking or riding my bike. One I was listening to was stories of the Old West and on that was a story of this fur trapper who killed some indians in Colorado(?) who were trying to steal his horses. He was caught with another trapper a year or so later and the 2nd trapper was killed and scalped. He was stripped, given about a 100 yard head start, and was then chased. In that story he also had a spear thrown at him, turned, picked it up and stabbed the lead indian. He made it six miles to the fort and lived to tell the story.
That's what made me remember "The Naked Prey", because the story is very similar.
That's what made me remember "The Naked Prey", because the story is very similar.
The script was originally a true historical incident about a trapper named John Colter being pursued by Blackfoot Indians in Wyoming, but lower shooting costs, tax breaks and material and logistical assistance offered by South Africa convinced Cornel Wilde and the other producers to shoot the film there.
#17
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Originally Posted by mrhan
AMC has shown it several times the last few years. I'm sure they will again.