The Prowler (1981)

User Rating:

5.7/10   

Director:

Joseph Zito

Writers:

Neal Barbera (writer)
Glenn Leopold (writer)

Release Date:

6 November 1981 (USA)

Genre:

Horror | Mystery

Tagline:

It will freeze your blood.

Plot:

A masked killer, wearing World War II U.S. Army fatigues, stalks a small New Jersey town bent on reliving a 35-year-old double murder by focusing on a group of college kids holding an annual Spring Dance.

Plot Keywords:

Killer | Dance | Masked Killer | Murder | Night

Cast

Vicky Dawson	...	Pam MacDonald
Christopher Goutman	...	Mark London
Lawrence Tierney	...	Maj. Chatham
Farley Granger	...	Sheriff George Fraser
Cindy Weintraub	...	Lisa
Lisa Dunsheath	...	Sherry
David Sederholm	...	Carl
Bill Nunnery	...	Hotel Clerk
Thom Bray	...	Ben
Diane Rode	...	Sally
Bryan Englund	...	Paul
Donna Davis	...	Miss Allison
Carleton Carpenter	...	1945 M.C
Joy Glaccum	...	Francis Rosemary Chatham
Timothy Wahrer	...	Roy

Also Known As:

Rosemary's Killer
The Graduation

Runtime:

89 min | UK:87 min (cut version)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Finland:K-18 | West Germany:(Banned) (1989) | Denmark:16 | Netherlands:16 | USA:R (cut) | Norway:18 (uncut) (2008) | Australia:R (DVD re-rating: 2008) (uncut) | New Zealand:R16 | Australia:R (heavily cut) | Norway:(Banned) (video rating) | Sweden:15 (heavily cut) | UK:X (cut) | Iceland:(Banned) | Germany:BPjM Restricted

Filming Locations:

Cape May, New Jersey, USA

Company:

Graduation

Trivia:

This film was the reason that director Joseph Zito was later selected to direct Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter (1984).

Quotes:

Mark London: [Mark and Pam are at the darkened and empty police station discussing their next move] I want to check out the dorm again.
Pam MacDonald: [referring to the Prowler] You really think he might still be there.
Mark London: Right now, that's all we have to do on.
Pat Kingsley: [they attempt to leave but are stopped when a drunk Kingsley walks in] Well... looke here.
[referring to the sheriff]
Pat Kingsley: George left you in charge here! Can't you keep those damn kids under control?
Mark London: What're you doing here, Kingsley?
Pat Kingsley: It's... that damn graduation thing. We haven't had any trouble in that cottage for more than 30 years... now somebody has to start that damn thing over again.
Pam MacDonald: What do you mean?
Pat Kingsley: There's a bunch of kids over there in the cemetary... I know what they're doing in there.
[...]

Movie Connections:

Featured in Going to Pieces: The Rise and Fall of the Slasher Film (2006)

Soundtrack:

HARD WAY

Outstanding gore. Some suspense, too.

The Prowler is an overlooked horror film from that golden age of slasher films of the late 70s and early 80s. The film is directed by Joseph Zito who has special effects wizard Tom Savini to thank for the film's best scenes. The two also teamed up for Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter (part 4), and that film is a superior effort to this one.

The Plot of this film is very similar to My Bloody Valentine. We have a brutal act of violence taking place many years ago. We have the first big social event scheduled in several years on the very grounds where the trouble took place. And we have a spooky killer chopping up victims left and right. Only instead of full mining gear, our Prowler is dressed in WWII era military fatigues.

The gore is by far the best thing this film has going for it. There are some DISGUSTING killings which look very much like they could be the real thing. Our killer loves to use his bayonet, a pitchfork, and a sawed-off double barrel shotgun on his victims. Most of the killings in the version I have are not mere snippets of knives piercing flesh. You see the killer slice and penetrate these victims until they aren't breathing any more. There is a tidal wave of blood spilled in this film. They saved the best for last, when we see just what a blast from a shotgun at point blank range can do to someone's face. (I would not dream of revealing the victim's identity here!) The film has some glaring dead spots, too. Lawrence Tierney who is billed pretty highly makes such a short appearance you wouldn't believe it. Character development is nearly non-existent, and the motivation behind the carnage is not defined by any logical means. Let me put it this way; I have absolutely NO IDEA why the killer committed these murders. I wonder if the writers even knew.

Gore fans will definitely need to see the uncut version of this film at some point in their lives. It's like a golfer having to play a certain course he heard is interesting before he dies or a skier having to try a certain slope. That kind of thing. See this film out of a sense of duty, but don't expect a true classic.

6 of 10 stars from the Hound.