STAR HUNTER (1998) * ½

Fred Olen Ray co-directed this boring, no-budget mash-up of Predator and The Most Dangerous Game that blatantly recycles footage from Roger Corman movies in lieu of special effects.  An alien hunter comes to the hood to stalk humans for sport.  A handful of third-string high school football players (along with their vice principal, played by Stella Stevens) are stranded when their bus breaks down.  A seemingly kind old blind man (Roddy McDowall) offers them shelter, but it’s obvious (to the audience anyway) he’s not of this earth.

Man, if you thought Roddy hit career nadir with Laserblast, wait till you see him in this flick.  Dressed like an extra from V and constantly wearing sunglasses to hide his shame, poor Roddy was in “Strictly for the Paycheck” mode here.  It makes Laserblast look like Star Wars by comparison.

The repetitive shots of our heroes running past the same warehouse and alleyway sets will get on your nerves real quick.  The script tries to explain it by saying that they’re trapped under an invisible force field, but that doesn’t mean it works.  Sometimes it looks like they’re obviously indoors when they’re supposed to be outside and vice versa.  

Also, why would an alien hunter spend its time stalking third-string high school football players anyway?  Wouldn’t it want a challenge?  Sure, maybe Schwarzenegger or even Danny Glover might be too tough to hunt and kill, but anyone would’ve been better than these dopes.  Even by The Most Dangerous Game standards, Van Damme or Ice-T would’ve been worthier adversaries.  It doesn’t help that the alien looks less like the Predator and more like Twiki on steroids. 

The good news?  The ever-lovely Wendy (Fugitive Rage) Schumacher has a brief topless sex scene, which is the highlight of an otherwise dreary movie.  Other that that, the only thing dangerous about this game is how deadly dull it is.