Cult Classic: The Prowler (1981)

“I want you to be my date, Rose.”

Landing smack in the middle of what many have dubbed the “Golden Age of Slasher Films” (1978-1984), The Prowler (1981) does a whole lot with the very little that it has going for it. It drops a rather unique looking murderer into a standard slasher plot, gives him some of the most amazingly executed kills via the practical effects hands of Tom Savini, and managed to hold my interest for its entirety. While its basic plot won’t dazzle anybody, its kills will make viewers take notice.

The film opens near the end of World War II. A young woman is writing a “Dear John” letter to her boyfriend who has been fighting in the war. That young woman, Rosemary, and her new beau, a wealthy young man named Roy, end up on the business end of a pitchfork whenever they leave the graduation dance to make out at a local pavilion. Over thirty years later, the school that Rosemary attended is about to have their first graduation dance since that dreadful night, and unluckily for the school, the killer has returned to keep his murderous tradition alive.

Preparing for the dance is sweet and lovely Pam and her less sweet and more sexually active friends, Lisa and Sherry. Ready to celebrate the festivities with them are Sherry’s boyfriend, Carl, Lisa’s boozing beau, Paul, and Mark, a local deputy who is also Pam’s boyfriend. Mark is in charge of the town while the sheriff is on a fishing trip. When word begins to spread around town that a prowler has murdered in a nearby town and may be headed their way, Pam becomes anxious. Mark reassures her that everything will be just fine……but Mark is wrong. One by one, a fatigue-clad slasher begins murdering the local college students. Mark tries to get in touch with the sheriff, but to no avail. It’s up to him and Pam to put a stop to the killer. Will they do it? Watch The Prowler to find out!

The film stars Vicky Dawson as Pam, Christopher Goutman as Mark, Farley Granger as Sheriff Fraser, and Lawrence Tierney as Major Chatham. It also stars Lisa Dunsheath as Sherry, Cindy Weintraub as Lisa, and Joy Glaccum as Rosemary. Granger and Tierney both had legendary careers in film prior to being in The Prowler. Dawson appeared in a number of ABC Afterschool Specials in the 1970s and early 80s. Goutman became a prominent director and producer of multiple soap operas. Weintraub and Dunsheath continued working in film and television.

While the film fared poorly at theaters and with critics, it was praised by fans of gore and practical special effects. Seriously, other than the unique look of the killer, the main reason to watch this film is to see Tom Savini’s work. Savini played the slasher in all of the kill scenes, as he wanted to make sure that the sequences were executed correctly. The most popular kill in the film is the death of Carl, which I won’t spoil for you here, but I was also very impressed with the death of Sherry. She is stabbed through the torso with a pitchfork and lifted off of the floor of the shower. Lisa Dunsheath was nude in the scene, and the pitchfork looks like it is really penetrating her waist. Other deaths in the film are just as brutal and gory. In fact, the film was heavily censored outside of the United States due to the convincing nature of its kills. Savini claims that his work in this film is his personal best.

The Prowler may not be the most trailblazing slasher out there, but it’s definitely worth checking out for the brilliant work of Savini. It moves a little slow at times and the entire film is shot in a soft focus similar to a Hallmark movie….but this definitely ain’t no Hallmark movie!

Thanks for checking out my look at the cult classic The Prowler. I’ll see you again real soon!