The Prey (1984)

Director:

Edwin Brown

Writers:

Summer Brown (screenplay) and
Edwin Brown (screenplay)

Release Date:

November 1984 (USA)

Genre:

Horror

Tagline:

It's not human, and it's got an axe!

Plot:

Six campers jaunt off to North Point, where they're promptly stalked and killed by a ghoulish man who ultimately is just looking for a little love.

Plot Keywords:

Sexual Attraction | Psycho Killer | Backpack | Female Frontal Nudity | Death

Cast

Debbie Thureson	...	Nancy
Steve Bond	...	Joel
Lori Lethin	...	Bobbie
Robert Wald	...	Skip
Gayle Gannes	...	Gail
Philip Wenckus	...	Greg
Jackson Bostwick	...	Mark O'Brien
Jackie Coogan	...	Lester Tile
Connie Hunter	...	Mary Sylvester
Ted Hayden	...	Frank Sylvester
Garry Goodrow	...	Sgt. Parsons
Carel Struycken	...	The Monster
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Eric Edwards	...	Gypsy (uncredited)
John Leslie	...	Marco the Gypsy (uncredited)

Directed by
Edwin Brown		(as Edwin Scott Brown)

Writing credits
Summer Brown		(screenplay) and
Edwin Brown		(screenplay)

Produced by
Summer Brown	....	producer
Frans Rasker	....	executive producer
Joe Steinman	....	executive producer
Edwin Brown	....	producer (uncredited)

Original Music by
Don Peake

Cinematography by
Teru Hayashi		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Michael Barnard

Art Direction by
Roger Holzberg

Costume Design by
Julie Starr Dresner		(as Julie Dresner)

Makeup Department
David Clark	....	makeup artist
Alan Friedman	....	additional makeup artist

Production Management
Angie Chen	....	production manager: second unit
D.K. Miller	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Jenny Townsend	....	assistant director
Jesse Wayne	....	assistant director

Art Department
Steve Jezewski	....	property master

Sound Department
Itzhak Magal	....	boom operator
Robbie Robinson	....	sound mixer
Garry Ulmer	....	re-recordist: Music Recorders, Inc. (as Gary Ulmer)

Special Effects by
John Carl Buechler	....	special makeup and effects

Stunts
Don Wilson	....	climbing stunts
Jesse Wayne	....	stunt coordinator (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Frank Bartlett	....	camera operator
Gary Gero	....	wildlife photographer
Robert Hayes	....	second assistant camera (as Bob Hayes)
Dwight Joseph Lavers	....	assistant gaffer (as Dwight LaVers)
Paul Maibaum	....	first assistant camera
William E. Mareneck	....	gaffer (as Bill Mareneck)
Ron McCausland	....	key grip
Randy Nolen	....	Steadicam operator
Gerald Rhodes	....	assistant gaffer (as Jerry Rhodes)
Jeff Smith	....	assistant grip
S. Phillip Sparks	....	second assistant camera (as Phil Sparks)

Editorial Department
Terry J. Chiappe	....	post-production services: Composite Film Enterprises (as Terry Chiappe)
Declan Michael Wong	....	assistant editor
Steve W. Wong	....	assistant editor

Other crew
Eva Catania	....	production auditor
Elizabeth Gruzinski	....	production secretary (as Elizabeth Grudzinski)
Sharon Hagen	....	script supervisor
Nancy King	....	production assistant
David Seal	....	production assistant

Production Companies

• Essex Productions

Distributors

• New World Pictures (1984) (USA) (theatrical)
• Thorn EMI Video (198?) (USA) (VHS)
• Starmaker Video (USA) (VHS)

Other Companies

• Composite Film Enterprises  post-production services
• Deluxe  color
• Modern Film Effects  titles and opticals
• Music Recorders  re-recording
• Sound Arts  special sound effects

Also Known As:

Runtime:

80 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Australia:R | UK:18 | USA:R | Norway:18 (video premiere) | Norway:(Banned) (1986-2003) (cinema release)

Filming Locations:

Utah, USA

Company:

Essex Productions

Trivia:

When the film was purchased for distribution by New World Pictures 15 minutes of footage was edited for the release. New World rarely released films that were longer than 80 minutes fearing that audiences would lose interest the longer the film ran. Among the scenes cut from The Prey was an opening sequence showing the gypsy village being destroyed by the forest fire.

Goofs:

Audio/visual unsynchronized: Characters' voices don't match lip movement; numerous instances within the first 5-10 minutes.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Ban the Sadist Videos! (2005) (V)

Typical 80's Horror

But worth a look. Slow moving at times, it might look like a Friday the 13th rip-off but has some interesting special effects, and also, you won't believe the ending! Special note: the actor that plays the killer in this movie also played "Lurch" in the two Addams Family movies.