The Prowler (1981)

While slasher films get a lot of reverence these days they were absolutely hated by critics and parent organizations when they first came out.  It was one of the reasons they became such a high-profile target of the MPAA, with draconian demands for cuts in the violence to the point where it was the few brief scenes of nudity and extra f-bombs that generated an R-rating.  Otherwise, there were PG films with much more violence than most slashers. 

These days directors, knowing that the theatrical release of the movie is going to get cut, often preserve their original version for home release.  Many times the early slasher films didn't have this option.  My Bloody Valentine, for instance, had to remove a majority of the kill scenes and it was years before the full footage was found again and, when it was, it was in terrible resolution in comparison to the restored cuts of the film.  Even as late as Event Horizon a good portion of the movie was lost and only rediscovered in some out-of-the-way vault.  

For a movie like The Prowler, which was poorly distributed and, even for lovers of '80s horror films, not well-regarded, it's amazing that much of the film exists in decent condition and even more amazing that the full, uncut kill scenes still exist.  This can most likely be attributed to Tom Savini, who did the makeup work, as well as director Joseph Zito.  If the movie had been properly distributed it would probably be completely out of their hands when it came to what footage still existed, but obviously one of them kept the original finished shots in their original quality.  Unfortunately, watching these long, lingering kills rendered in Savini's realistic fashion is really the only reason to ever watch this film.

In 1945, during a college graduation dance, Rose (Joy Glaccum) and her boyfriend Roy (Timothy Wahrer) sneak away for a little time alone.  This is interrupted by a stranger with a pitchfork that manages to impale them both.  The result is that Rose's father, Major Chatham (Lawrence Tierney), refuses to allow the graduation dances to continue until, over his objections, the tradition begins again in 1980.

Unfortunately, so do the killings, just as Sheriff George Fraser (Farley Granger) has left for his fishing trip, putting Deputy Mark London (Christopher Goutman) in charge.  Mark would rather spend time with his girlfriend Pam (Vicky Dawson) than spend it policing, but soon both are caught up in a mystery of finding out who is responsible for the killings and what connection Rose and Major Chatham has with them.  Meanwhile, the pitchfork-wielding killer, dressed in Army fatigues, continues to stalk the town. 

In many ways this is a film that one can figure out from the beginning.  The main plot has no surprises; I was able to predict where the fakeout scares would be although, to the film's credit, it did take another 20 minutes for Mark to start treating Pam like a silly, hysterical woman.  Despite this predictability, though, much of the movie makes little to no sense.  One person that should be dead by the end of the movie is suddenly there, alive and uninjured.  Meanwhile, another scene involves almost five minutes of a lazy receptionist pretending to look for someone (with a static camera shot to boot), while in another two people go down to a basement to have sex and are spied on by a perverted chaperone - all to no payoff.  The killer is off hanging around the house that Mark and Pam investigate twice. 

When it's not being predictable The Prowler is largely just dull.  Lots of walking around and looking at things to no avail and repeatedly going over the same places.  In between we have inventive scenes from Savini, including a bayonet through the head, throat slicing and a number of pitchfork killings.  It is all well done and I am sure one of the reasons it still exists is because Savini saved a lot of it for his portfolio to get work on other films.  Indeed, it was this work, and less the rest of the movie, that got both Savini and Joseph Zito the job of handling Friday the 13th Part IV: The Final Friday.  While I don't hold that movie in as high regard as a lot of fans of the series do, at least it's much better paced and much more enjoyable to sit through than this. 

The Prowler (1981)

Time: 89 minutes

Starring: Vicky Lawson, Christopher Goutman

Director: Joseph Zito