After earning the dubious distinction of being one of the first British films to be given an ‘X’ rating entirely for on-screen violence, Douglas Hickox’s Sitting Target was overshadowed by Get Carter (1971) and Villian (1971) as just another grim, seedy British crime thriller and is now mostly forgotten. Oliver Reed plays the brutish convict Harry Lomart who after learning his wife Pat (Jill St. John) has become pregnant by another man, plans a daring prison escape with his friend Birdy (Ian McShane) so he can kill her in murderous revenge. A truly nail-biting breakout sequence is followed by a series of audacious action set-pieces including fist fights, shootings and thrilling motorcycle and car chases, with the near-maniacal Reed unrelenting in his quest for vengeance. Strikingly filmed by Edward Scaife, director Hickox keeps the film moving at breakneck speed and provides a heavy dose of gun-fetishism along with the action for good measure.
Never released on Blu-ray and unavailable on any format in the UK, Lost Reels is proud to present a special screening of this fast-paced hard-bitten action thriller from a rare high-definition 35mm scan sourced from the US.
