The Prowler
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Movie Reviews of The Prowler
Movie Review: Memories and madness, obscurity and awesomeness...
Summary: 4 Stars
I have some pleasant memories of "The Prowler" (yeah, there's a sentence that makes me sound insane!). A year ago when I started renting DVDs from the great rental store a town or so over from me, I caught glimpse of this movie. Having positive critical praise on the cover and seeing how Tom Savini did the special effects (a VERY good thing, mind you!), I decided to check it out.
Sure enough, I liked "The Prowler" so much that I decided to watch it twice in my rental period! I usually don't do that with movies, so I knew this one was a gem. Well, a week ago I re-rented it for a night of blood and terror (right after watching "The Burning", which is a great slasher by the way) so sure enough, I saw "The Prowler" for the third time.
BUT WAIT! There was something about watching it the third time that left me less satisfied than when I saw it the first and second times. I'm not entirely sure what it was. The gore level is extreme and always enjoyable, the spooks where the killer jumps out of nowhere all give you a shock, and the chase scenes are highly thrilling and entertaining. So, this movie definintely has a lot of the positives of a great slasher film, but why was this movie not as awesome as I remembered?
Now that I think about it, the pacing of this movie isn't the best. I mean, the time seemed to go be pretty quickly when watching this movie, but in between all the major events, not a whole lot happened. The thing with "The Prowler" is that all the strong points of this movie that I mentioned are great, but anything that isn't stand-out about this movie is kinda dull.
I definitely would have given this movie a full five-star rating had it not been for the slower scenes in between what were great highlights of the movie. I'm still giving it a great four-star rating because "The Prowler" is still a very good slasher film with some nice extras, it's just that it wears thin after a bit. Ahh memories, memories. Next thing you know I'll be revisiting Dario Argento's "Opera" or Lucio Fulci's "City of the Living Dead", both of which I own, but "Opera" is by far the better of the two! Anyway, definitely give "The Prowler" at least one watch, because that alone is worth it! Thanks for the time, and peace.
Movie Review: 4 stars for the gore alone.
Summary: 4 Stars
the prowler is without a doubt one of the best slashers ever made. i'm very surprised i never heard of this until coming acros the dvd here on amazon. with slashers like friday the 13th and halloween getting so much attention i cant understand why this flick is so unknown. directed by joseph zito who is better known for directing friday the 13th the final chapter(the best of the series in my opinion)and the chuck norris classics missing in action and invasion u.s.a., i have enjoyed his other films but this is my favorite of his. the plot isnt important, a soldier fighting in ww2 recieves a letter from his girlfriend telling him shes moving on. so in a passionate rage he kills her and her new lover. jump ahead to the 1980's where a big graduation party(or something)is being held and murders begin occuring. the plot isnt important and to be honest, the film moves a little slow at times. whats most important are the murders themselves and thanks to some incredible make-up and gore effects by tom savini these kill scenes are fantastic. there arent to many kills but the ones in the film are awesome. theres a double pitchfork impalement, a bayonet through the skull, a very bloody neck slicing, a dagger in the throat and my favorite, a brutal, pitchfork shower stabbing. to top it all off theres a great shotgun, exploding head that is much better than the much celebrated maniac head explosion. all of these murders are slow, brutal and very bloody. wehere as the kills in the friday the 13th films are quik and usually not to graphic due mainly to censorship, the kills in the prowler are very cruel and drawn out. this is some of tom savinis best work. the film isnt flawless. its very slow at times and there could have been more kills, one scene almost guarenteed a double murder as a young couple began making out, but it was nothing more than a false scare. overall the prowler is a great film and one of the best slashers ever made. the dvd by blue underground is uncut and features a very fun commentary with joe zito and savini. this is a must buy for horror fans and gore hounds and especially any fan of tom savini. 4 1/2 starsMovie Review: Tom Savini's Exploding Head Series
Summary: 4 Stars
Here's another reverent DVD treatment for a horror film, this time courtesy of Blue Underground. The Prowler is not a half-bad slasher in that esteemed genre. It's got Tom Savini's gory effects going for it, and a pretty classic slasher story, plus a convoluted and obvious whodunit, plenty of embarassing hair, several dumb characters, and another exploding head that Savini added to his resume of Dawn of the Dead and Maniac.
Seems that some years ago a returning GI was dumped by the gal who swore she'd wait for him. He comes home from the hells of war and proceeds to pitchfork some folks.
Thirty five years later, another ball is on, or something like that, and the murders start up again. Gotta love it. This time, the killer dresses in WWII soldier's garb, including an all-covering rain hood and a helment, and he employs the pitchfork to further effect. Also notable is a grisly Savini stabbed-through-head-and-out-chin effect, quite macabre.
The ending is a bit Carrie-inspired, but appropriately demented. The auteur is one Joseph Zito, who would helm other landmarks like Friday the 13 Part IV.
The disc looks and sounds good--a nice job on a hard-to-find flick. There is commentary by Zito and Savini, yukking it up as they think back to the good old days of slasherdom. They sound like they're having a good laugh. Another bonus is the Tom Savini behind-the-scenes gore reel, where we get to see how some of the icky effects were done. Includes the pool-side boot to the head and subsequent neck-sawing, plus the ubiquitous hand pump to move the corn syrup blood along. Thank heavens for latex. Good gore overall in this one.
The Prowler is a good job on a sought-after genre flick. The movie is pretty good of its kind, whatever you think of it's 'kind'. Funny how some of these movies get some of the better DVD treatments. Gotta satisfy fans. Recommended for genre addicts, otherwise, it's more a late-night cable movie.
Movie Review: HE CAME BACK TO FINISH THE JOB ... OR DID HE ?
Summary: 4 Stars
A killer wearing a world war II army uniform stalks a New Jersey town seeking revenge for a 35 year old murder that took place at Avalon Bay , on June 28th, 1945 during the night of the graduation ball . A couple , Roy ( Timothy Wahren) and his girlfriend Francis Rosemary Chatman( Joy Glaccum) are murdered on that night by what appears to be a garden rake from a jilted soldier returning home from the war. Since that night, Major chatman( Lawrence Fierney ) has closed down the dance hall for 35 years until on June 28th 1980, a new graduation dance is organized by student Pam Macdonald( Vicky Dawson) . The town sheriff George Fraser(Farley Granger ) has announced to his deputy Mark London( Christopher Goutman) He's going on his summer fishing trip and leaves him in charge and warns about a dangerous convict on the loose and to keep a watchful eye out. I feel being a big fan of the older horror genre that this was without a doubt one of the best 80,s slashers ever that include a bayonet through the head, a female being gouged to death with a pitchfork in the shower , and even a shotgun being used which you normally never see used in slasher films. The death scenes do come across as being very graphic and bloody and are the work of the master of gore Tom Savini . I agree with some of the viewers that the musical score itself was flat and if somewhat more menacing like in other 80,s horror such as " THE BURNING" , THE BOOGEYMAN, HALLOWEEN , it could have added a little more to the scare factor which I though was excellent, and I have to recommend this to all true horror fans like myself who feel they just don't make them like this anymore .Movie Review: Enjoyable splatter-slasher flick from the 80's.
Summary: 4 Stars
In 1945 after WWII was over, a terrible murder happened as a young lady named Rosemary and her date were killed by a psychopath yet the killer mysteriously vanished. 30 years later, a dance over at Avalon Bay is being held and tonight the murderer has returned to kill again more teens like he did years ago with any weapon there is like machete, pitchfork, shogun and you name it.
A ghastly and entertaining 1980 slasher romp that is very suspensful and well acted with excellent direction by Frank Zito (director of "Friday The 13th: The Final Chapter") and realistic & grueling gore effects by Tom Savini such as the exploding head scene that is up there with "Scanners", "Maniac" and "Dawn of the Dead". The film stars Farley Granger (of "Strangers from a Train" fame") and Lawrence Tierney ("Reservoir Dogs") in this little seen cult shockfeast that is worth owning for fans of slasher and gore flicks.
This DVD has good picture and sound thanks to Blue Underground and good extras like theatrical trailer, Audio commentary, Tom Savini's behind the scenes gore footage and poster-and-still gallery.
Also recommended: "Friday The 13th Series", "A Nightmare on Elm Street Saga", "Freddy Vs. Jason", "The Burning", "Sleepaway Camp", "Scanners", "Maniac (1980)", "Suspiria", "Tenebre", "The New York Ripper", "Saw Trilogy", "Deep Red", "Scream 1 & 2", "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre series plus 2003 remake & The Beginning", "Ichi The Killer", "The Untold Story", "Bloody Birthday", "Happy Birthday to Me", "Cherry Falls", "Tourist Trap", "Urban Legend", "Basket Case" and "Driller Killer".