The Prowler (1981)

Running Time: 89 minutes

Release Date: November 6, 1981

Review by: Adam

 

As you can tell, I love horror movies.  What you might not know, I also love war movies, especially those set in World War II.  Now you want to offer me up a slasher-flick involving an antagonist dressed in a combat uniform and early 80’s prog-rock at the dance?  I’m in.  Oh, and it’s directed by Joseph Zito, who did my favorite Friday the 13th (The Final Chapter) AND my favorite Chuck Norris film (Missing in Action), and make-up by Mr. Savini?  Now my only question is WHY HAVEN’T I BEEN WATCHING THIS EVERY YEAR SINCE 1981?

Simple premise:  It’s the end of WWII, Rosemary sends her breaks up with her enlisted boyfriend via letter.  Yup, wasn’t sure how long he was going to be gone, didn’t want to wait around any longer.  So on a June night in 1945, during a graduation dance, Rosemary and her new boyfriend are bludgeoned together with a pitchfork by an assailant in complete battle gear.  Already I’m siding with the killer, she dumped him while he was fighting for our liberty, and the dude she’s making out with is some stuck-up rich dude.  To top it off, you’re using a pitchfork and dressed as a bad-ass.  No complaints.  Now fast forward 35 years, the students are re-starting the graduation dance since it’s demise after Rosemary was murdered.  Now enter your cliché characters; a still grieving father in a wheel-chair, a young deputy trying to prove his worth, the smart girl, the other girls of loose morals, some dumb jocks and nerdy dudes, and give us a band whose name I cannot find but want to know.  Badly.

This movie is shot so amazingly.  The perspectives are so fantastic, overhead shots, killer POVs, running shots, underwater shots, even a “suiting-up” montage with our killer.  Zito knows how to build dread (even if some of it goes on a little longer than need be), and he always delivers with a killer FX shot from Savini (Tom says it’s his favorite movie he’s done).  The reveal at the end is one of my favorites, and the little extra past that gets me every time I watch it.  Zito believed in it so much he put it out himself in 1981 (which is why he thinks it didn’t do as well as it could have), but also got him “The Final Chapter” gig, and after watching this, I see him all over that movie.

Blood-filled kills, an assailant with an awesome outfit, plenty of pitchforking, tons of suspense, and did I mention EARLY 80’s PROG-ROCK?!?  Don’t argue with me, go see it.  And if you come back and say, “eh, it wasn’t bad,” you’re wrong, and go watch it again.

4/5 pitchfork stabs

Check out the trailer!