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The Prowler

4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 724 ratings
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Product Description

Product Description

Avalon Bay, 1945: On the night of her graduation dance, young Rosemary and her date are brutally murdered by a prowler thought to be a jilted soldier home from the war. The killer was never found. 30 years later, the dance is held again for the first time since that horrific evening - but something else may have also returned Tonight, the teens of this sleepy town will meet their grisly ends at the hands - and pitchfork, blade and more - of THE PROWLER!

Review

"Gory As All Hell!" --Slasherpool

"Intense And Suspenseful! One Of The Better Slasher Bloodbaths!" --
Creature Feature Movie Guide

"Those With A Love For Blood And Impalings Will Not Find A More Realistic Depiction On Film!" --
Horror Digital

Product details

  • Is Discontinued By Manufacturer ‏ : ‎ No
  • MPAA rating ‏ : ‎ R (Restricted)
  • Product Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 0.7 x 7.5 x 5.4 inches; 5.92 ounces
  • Audio Description: ‏ : ‎ English
  • Item model number ‏ : ‎ Relay time: 87min
  • Director ‏ : ‎ Joseph Zito
  • Media Format ‏ : ‎ Widescreen, NTSC
  • Run time ‏ : ‎ 1 hour and 29 minutes
  • Release date ‏ : ‎ July 1, 2016
  • Actors ‏ : ‎ Christopher Goutman, Farley Granger, Cindy Weintraub
  • Subtitles: ‏ : ‎ English, French, Spanish
  • Producers ‏ : ‎ David Streit, Joseph Zito
  • Studio ‏ : ‎ Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B003JFCG82
  • Country of Origin ‏ : ‎ USA
  • Number of discs ‏ : ‎ 1
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 724 ratings

Customer reviews

4.5 out of 5 stars
4.5 out of 5
724 global ratings
Classic golden age slasher - top flight Tom Savini!
5 Stars
Classic golden age slasher - top flight Tom Savini!
Not to be confused with Joseph Losey’s 50s noir masterpiece of the same name (check out the DVD, the James Ellroy commentary is gold), Joseph Zito’s The Prowler benefits from the work of gore makeup guru Tom Savini, who provided the sliced arteries, gaping wounds, and sanguine floods that mark the film’s half-dozen set pieces (I.e.,good kills). Having made his name with William Lustig's Maniac and the first Friday the 13th, not to mention George A. Romero’s brilliant Martin (bluray! Please!), Savini was riding a wave of when he matched with Zito, a director who was then only known for Abduction, the infamous take on the Patty Hearst kidnapping. (Based on the quickie pulp paperback, The Black Abductors), a roughie/exploitation flick matched only by The X-rated, Patty, with Jamie Gillis. Indeed, Zito's Abduction can be found on X tube sites.The efficient and surprisingly well-shot slasher flick that Savini and Zito produced may not have reached its level of horror fandom it deserves—it is, not unfairly, considered a standard-bearer for the slasher genre—if not for the MPAA’s patently ridiculous damning of the film by leaving it unrated.What gives? One can only speculate that the difference between Prom Night, which was released a year earlier with an R rating, and The Prowler was the general viciousness of the deaths in Zito’s work. Indeed, no fun-lovin’ teens in Prom Night ended up with a fatigues-clad psychopath pushing a blade through the top of their skull and down through the bottom of their chin. Barring instances of such heinous brutality (for the ‘80s, anyway), however, The Prowler and Prom Night share a very similar prime narrative, one that volleys between various comingling at a school dance and the dark fates that await those who stray from this wholesome gathering. The young cast is appealing; the actress who plays Pam is a dead finger for Laura Dern. Farley Granger(!) and Lawrence Tierny(!) also star.But like Prom Night’s prelude (featuring the mysterious death of a young girl due, partially, to a group of her supposed friends), The Prowler discerns its thematic and stylistic arc early on, 35 years before the current-day slaughter. The film opens with a newsreel heralding the return of our fighting men and women from stomping out the Axis Powers and ensuring our safety, even as they nurse their own psychological wounds. They deserve a good home-cooked meal, a hot shower, the comfort of their own bed, and, perhaps most importantly, the embrace of a loved one. But one nameless veteran is greeted only with a “Dear John” letter, signed by his sweetheart, Rosemary, and takes out his rage by kebabing a pair of lovers with a pitchfork. It isn’t until 1980 that the dance is revived and the absence of the town sheriff allows for a new string of grisly murders.Halloween, the original Black Christmas, Don't Answer the Phone, My Bloody Valentine and the aforementioned Maniac are a few examples of major works in the 'slasher' genre, and I doubt there are more than fifty that qualify as 'great cinema.' These films remain popular due mostly to the films that are made proficiently as far as gore theatrics, tone, and mood are concerned, and in these terms The Prowler is certainly deserving of its fan base. Joseph Zito went on to do higher budgeted films such as Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter and a few Dolph Lundgren/ Chuck Norris actioneers with Cannon Films - most notably, Invasion U.S.A. What the film lacks in narrative drive, coherence, and performance, it makes up with thoughtful lighting, strong cinematography from the legendary João Fernandes, (more on him later) and, of course, Savini’s lovingly overblown and impossible splatter effects. These might seem like minor facets in this sort of genre exercise, but they are scarce in the current incarnation of the slasher picture. If the recent ripoff/ reboot(s) of classic slashers are any indication, the most an audience can expect from these films is ringing ears since every (generally bloodless) death is accompanied by an orchestral shriek. After such monotony, one will find nostalgia wading in the crimson gush that The Prowler so gleefully dishes out.A note/digression on the cinematography: this was photographed by the legendary João Fernandes - whose storied career is jaw-dropping. Fernandes shot such "golden age" adult films such as The Devil in Miss Jones, Deep Throat , Memories Within Miss Aggie. The still shocking Doris Wishman sickie, Let Me Die a Woman. The sleazy Penelope Spheris (Wayne's World, The Decline of the Western Civilization trilogy) L.A. sleaze classic, Hollywood Vice Squad (bluray, please!). Dozens of horror/exploitation classics, too numerous to list. A boatload of action films, again, too numerous to list. He dipped his toe in 90s indie film (Sprung), mainstream horror (Children of the Corn) and made-for-TV movies and episodic fare. There's a documentary waiting to be made about this guy!Image/Sound:For a low-budget slasher film, going on 30 years since its original release, Blue Underground has done a commendable job on this 1080p, 1.85:1-framed transfer of The Prowler. Despite inescapable graininess and a general lack of detailing, the transfer adequately cleans up Blue Underground’s previous DVD release of Zito’s film. Black levels are negligibly flawed but rarely disrupt the image overall; clarity has been enhanced to about as good as it'll get. (Given that this takes place at night and still looks amazingly clear is quite an accomplishment.) Likewise, the DTS-HD MA 7.1 lossless soundtrack is not a showy affair but it serves its purpose, bringing the dialogue and orchestral cues into crisp clarity and doing justice to a rather simplistic audio design.Extras:Knowledgeable of the film’s strengths (and weaknesses) Blue Underground Head Honcho, Bill Lustig has packaged The Prowler simply with a funny and totally enjoyable commentary by Joseph Zito and the maestro himself, Tom Savini. There’s also a short featurette on Savini’s work on the gore effects that would fit nicely into a doc on Savini, but does little here. The theatrical trailer is also included. No Three-disc extravaganza along the lines of New York Ripper, Maniac. William Lustig's take on the above is my own assumption.
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Top reviews from the United States

Reviewed in the United States on February 18, 2020
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5.0 out of 5 stars Classic golden age slasher - top flight Tom Savini!
Reviewed in the United States on February 18, 2020
Not to be confused with Joseph Losey’s 50s noir masterpiece of the same name (check out the DVD, the James Ellroy commentary is gold), Joseph Zito’s The Prowler benefits from the work of gore makeup guru Tom Savini, who provided the sliced arteries, gaping wounds, and sanguine floods that mark the film’s half-dozen set pieces (I.e.,good kills). Having made his name with William Lustig's Maniac and the first Friday the 13th, not to mention George A. Romero’s brilliant Martin (bluray! Please!), Savini was riding a wave of when he matched with Zito, a director who was then only known for Abduction, the infamous take on the Patty Hearst kidnapping. (Based on the quickie pulp paperback, The Black Abductors), a roughie/exploitation flick matched only by The X-rated, Patty, with Jamie Gillis. Indeed, Zito's Abduction can be found on X tube sites.

The efficient and surprisingly well-shot slasher flick that Savini and Zito produced may not have reached its level of horror fandom it deserves—it is, not unfairly, considered a standard-bearer for the slasher genre—if not for the MPAA’s patently ridiculous damning of the film by leaving it unrated.

What gives? One can only speculate that the difference between Prom Night, which was released a year earlier with an R rating, and The Prowler was the general viciousness of the deaths in Zito’s work. Indeed, no fun-lovin’ teens in Prom Night ended up with a fatigues-clad psychopath pushing a blade through the top of their skull and down through the bottom of their chin. Barring instances of such heinous brutality (for the ‘80s, anyway), however, The Prowler and Prom Night share a very similar prime narrative, one that volleys between various comingling at a school dance and the dark fates that await those who stray from this wholesome gathering. The young cast is appealing; the actress who plays Pam is a dead finger for Laura Dern. Farley Granger(!) and Lawrence Tierny(!) also star.

But like Prom Night’s prelude (featuring the mysterious death of a young girl due, partially, to a group of her supposed friends), The Prowler discerns its thematic and stylistic arc early on, 35 years before the current-day slaughter. The film opens with a newsreel heralding the return of our fighting men and women from stomping out the Axis Powers and ensuring our safety, even as they nurse their own psychological wounds. They deserve a good home-cooked meal, a hot shower, the comfort of their own bed, and, perhaps most importantly, the embrace of a loved one. But one nameless veteran is greeted only with a “Dear John” letter, signed by his sweetheart, Rosemary, and takes out his rage by kebabing a pair of lovers with a pitchfork. It isn’t until 1980 that the dance is revived and the absence of the town sheriff allows for a new string of grisly murders.

Halloween, the original Black Christmas, Don't Answer the Phone, My Bloody Valentine and the aforementioned Maniac are a few examples of major works in the 'slasher' genre, and I doubt there are more than fifty that qualify as 'great cinema.' These films remain popular due mostly to the films that are made proficiently as far as gore theatrics, tone, and mood are concerned, and in these terms The Prowler is certainly deserving of its fan base. Joseph Zito went on to do higher budgeted films such as Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter and a few Dolph Lundgren/ Chuck Norris actioneers with Cannon Films - most notably, Invasion U.S.A. What the film lacks in narrative drive, coherence, and performance, it makes up with thoughtful lighting, strong cinematography from the legendary João Fernandes, (more on him later) and, of course, Savini’s lovingly overblown and impossible splatter effects. These might seem like minor facets in this sort of genre exercise, but they are scarce in the current incarnation of the slasher picture. If the recent ripoff/ reboot(s) of classic slashers are any indication, the most an audience can expect from these films is ringing ears since every (generally bloodless) death is accompanied by an orchestral shriek. After such monotony, one will find nostalgia wading in the crimson gush that The Prowler so gleefully dishes out.

A note/digression on the cinematography: this was photographed by the legendary João Fernandes - whose storied career is jaw-dropping. Fernandes shot such "golden age" adult films such as The Devil in Miss Jones, Deep Throat , Memories Within Miss Aggie. The still shocking Doris Wishman sickie, Let Me Die a Woman. The sleazy Penelope Spheris (Wayne's World, The Decline of the Western Civilization trilogy) L.A. sleaze classic, Hollywood Vice Squad (bluray, please!). Dozens of horror/exploitation classics, too numerous to list. A boatload of action films, again, too numerous to list. He dipped his toe in 90s indie film (Sprung), mainstream horror (Children of the Corn) and made-for-TV movies and episodic fare. There's a documentary waiting to be made about this guy!

Image/Sound:

For a low-budget slasher film, going on 30 years since its original release, Blue Underground has done a commendable job on this 1080p, 1.85:1-framed transfer of The Prowler. Despite inescapable graininess and a general lack of detailing, the transfer adequately cleans up Blue Underground’s previous DVD release of Zito’s film. Black levels are negligibly flawed but rarely disrupt the image overall; clarity has been enhanced to about as good as it'll get. (Given that this takes place at night and still looks amazingly clear is quite an accomplishment.) Likewise, the DTS-HD MA 7.1 lossless soundtrack is not a showy affair but it serves its purpose, bringing the dialogue and orchestral cues into crisp clarity and doing justice to a rather simplistic audio design.

Extras:

Knowledgeable of the film’s strengths (and weaknesses) Blue Underground Head Honcho, Bill Lustig has packaged The Prowler simply with a funny and totally enjoyable commentary by Joseph Zito and the maestro himself, Tom Savini. There’s also a short featurette on Savini’s work on the gore effects that would fit nicely into a doc on Savini, but does little here. The theatrical trailer is also included. No Three-disc extravaganza along the lines of New York Ripper, Maniac. William Lustig's take on the above is my own assumption.
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Reviewed in the United States on August 20, 2014
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Rodolfo Ramón
5.0 out of 5 stars Buen precio.
Reviewed in Mexico on April 8, 2022
Jean-Frédéric Crevier
5.0 out of 5 stars good communication
Reviewed in Canada on January 4, 2022
LiamIZwRocking!!!
5.0 out of 5 stars Great movie!
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on September 23, 2022
silversurfer
3.0 out of 5 stars slasher pas mal
Reviewed in France on June 17, 2022
One person found this helpful
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Francois Arsenault
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent sevice !
Reviewed in Canada on December 12, 2019