The Prowler (1981)

Director:

Joseph Zito

Writers:

Glenn Leopold and
Neal Barbera ...
(more)

Release Date:

6 November 1981 (USA)

Genre:

Horror | Mystery | Thriller

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 | Murder | Night | Serial Killer

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
John Seitz	...	Pat Kingsley
Bill Hugh Collins	...	Otto
Dan Lounsbery	...	Turner (as Dan Lownsberry)
Douglas Stevenson	...	Young Kingsley
Susan Monts	...	Young Kingsley's Date
John Christian	...	Rock band playing at dance
Richard Colligan	...	Rock band playing at dance
Steven Bock	...	Rock band playing at dance
Matthew Iddings	...	Rock band playing at dance
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Peter Giuliano	...	The Prowler (uncredited)
Jonathan Sachar	...	Mike (uncredited)

Directed by
Joseph Zito

Writing credits
Glenn Leopold		and
Neal Barbera		(as Neal F. Barbera)
Eric Lewald		(additional dialogue) &
Mark Edward Edens		(additional dialogue) (as Mark Edens) &
Michael Edens		(additional dialogue)
Sarah Higgins		(writer "Rose Chatham's Letter")

Produced by
James Bochis	....	executive producer
David Streit	....	producer
Joseph Zito	....	producer

Original Music by
Richard Einhorn
Nowhere Fast		(original rock music)

Cinematography by
Raoul Lomas
João Fernandes		(uncredited)

Film Editing by
Joel Goodman

Casting by
Bill Williams

Production Design by
Lorenzo Mans

Art Direction by
Roberta Neiman

Makeup Department
Jane Forth	....	hair stylist
Jane Forth	....	makeup artist
Tom Savini	....	special makeup artist

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Peter Giuliano	....	first assistant director
Leslie Kalfin	....	additional assistant director
Forrest Murray	....	second assistant director
Paul Sparks	....	additional assistant director

Art Department
William Bilowit	....	art department assistant
Susan Doukas	....	art department assistant
Jan Foster	....	art department assistant
Beverly Kreuger	....	art department assistant
Marty Riggleman	....	assistant art director
Sam Swope	....	property master

Sound Department
Jack Cooley	....	sound re-recording mixer
Gary Rich	....	sound mixer

Special Effects by
Darryl Ferrucci	....	special effects assistant
Tom Savini	....	special effects

Camera and Electrical Department
Dwane Arthur	....	key grip
Robert Lindsay	....	additional cinematographer
Bill O'Leary	....	electrician
Frost Wilkinson	....	gaffer
Bobbi Leigh Zito	....	still photographer

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Danajean Cicerchi	....	costumer
Nancy Grossi	....	wardrobe assistant
Linda Schultz	....	wardrobe assistant

Editorial Department
Andrew Galler	....	assistant editor
James H. Nau	....	associate editor
Pat Swain	....	apprentice editor (as Patricia Swain)

Music Department
Aaron Alexander's Orchestra	....	composer: period dance music
Steven Bock	....	musician: band member
John Christian	....	musician: band member
Richard Colligan	....	musician: band member
Richard Einhorn	....	music arranger
Barry Harris	....	music recording engineer
Matthew Iddings	....	musician: band member
James McCurry	....	music recording engineer
Peter Schubert	....	conductor: original score
Dan Singer	....	consultant: period dance

Other crew
Sissy Boyd	....	choreographer
Edward Crocitto	....	location manager
Stepping Out Dance Couples	....	dance sequence
Marie Hersch	....	title consultant
Jack Muth	....	stock footage consultant
Peter Pastorelli	....	location manager
Janine Stover	....	script supervisor
Marcus Ticotin	....	production assistant
Bobbi Leigh Zito	....	executive assistant

Thanks
Philip Peyton	....	special thanks

Production Companies

• Graduation

Distributors

• Sandhurst (1981) (USA) (theatrical)
• VCII Home Entertainment (1981) (USA) (VHS)
• VPV Video (1984) (Belgium) (VHS)
• Vestron Video International (1987) (Japan) (VHS)
• Astral Films (????) (Canada) (theatrical)
• Astral Video (????) (Canada) (VHS)
• Blue Underground (2002) (USA) (DVD)
• Blue Underground (2010) (USA) (DVD) (Blu-ray)
• Entertainment Film Distributors (????) (UK) (VHS)
• Omaxi (1980s) (Finland) (VHS)
• Sandrew Metronome Distribution (2008) (Finland) (DVD)
• VPV Video (198?) (Netherlands) (VHS)
• Videotrage (1984) (Finland) (VHS)

Other Companies

• Fancy That Gift Shop  flower creations

Also Known As:

"Rosemary's Killer" - Belgium (English title) (video title)

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 | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | France:-12 | Portugal:M/18 | 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:

The movie was filmed in the city of Cape May, New Jersey, and included the use of some of the city's Victorian buildings. The Colonial Hotel was the location of the dance scenes and dorm interior and the Emlen Physick Estate as the dorm exterior. The gazebo scene was filmed at the Cape May County Park. Also featured is a Victorian building which was abandoned at the time of filming, but has since been restored and is now operating as a guest house.

Quotes:

Roy:Come on, kid, don't play hard to get. What about New Year's Eve?
Francis Rosemary Chatham:Well, that was different. I couldn't help myself.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Video Nasties: Moral Panic, Censorship & Videotape (2010) (V)

Soundtrack:

DISCO BLOOD

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.