GL84 Preparing for a lavish party, friends decide to hold it at a local dance hall start to realize that their missing attendees have been killed off by a vicious killer seeking revenge among them for a wrong that was committed back at the end of World War II and try to escape alive.This is undoubtedly one of the greatest slashers around. What really works for this one is the fact that it uses a simple story yet manages to string together something so watchable which is a big accomplishment. This one here never produces a dull moment, staying interesting for the duration of its time and moves seamlessly through several top-notch stalking scenes along the way. The opening ambush of the couple works nicely, the bathroom encounter is outstanding with the narrow misses of getting caught while they tease each other leading into the mistaken play in the shower, the poolside stalking of the couples leaving the dance are quite fun and the couple being stalked down in the basement is quite a suspenseful ambush. The next big one is the stalking scenes on display, which are just exceptional from the first chase through the dorms moving through the different levels without giving away the killer through the maze in the hallway designs out the side and down out into the street, the search of the killers' house in the dark where they go looking for the clues to his identity and the graveyard encounter with the gravestone discovery and open grave makes for a great suspense scene. The eventual confrontation with the killer is again top-notch, as the systematic search of the bedroom is reason enough to really enjoy it, being one of the best suspense scenes in the film while the final big kill is a showstopper. There's also the fact that the killer in here is actually kept off-screen for the majority of the film, using only a few clues to keep the identity a secret until the final surprise revelation, while the fact that most of the time is devoted to keeping it to the shadows is yet another great way to build the suspense. Add in together with the greatness of the gore and kills in here, this one comes off as one of the absolute best ones in the genre. This here only has the very mildest of flaws. The fact that the body count is pretty low is a little hard to accept, as it doesn't even reach double digits, which shouldn't have been that hard to accomplish considering all the potential corpses on display. The fantastic gore makes it hard to recognize, but this one wouldn't have been hurt to knock off another one or two more. The suit that the killer wears is also a little hokey, and wearing a military uniform doesn't really make much sense. It does in the back-story, but rather than meaning anything, it rather feels like an attempt at originality gone a little screwy. These, though, are hardly deal-breaking and don't even come close to unseating the positive ones.Rated R: Graphic Violence, Nudity, Graphic Language and a mild sex scene.

markhaazen If you're making a list of must-see 80s slashers, The Prowler should definitely be one of them. Yeah, the plot isn't all that great, the pace of the movie drags in places, and several questions ultimately go unanswered - but I was genuinely surprised at the identity of the killer (who is pretty intimidating in his killing garb), the lead actress is fairly cute, and - as is always important for us gorehounds - I was absolutely delighted at the spectacle of blood and gore on display. The filmmakers really let makeup/special effects genius Tom Savini go hog wild. Where other slasher movies give you a quick cut shot of a knife slicing a neck open or a pitchfork going all the way through a body, The Prowler lingers deliciously on such gruesome sights. You get to see that last little convulsion as he raises a skewered body up, with the tines of the pitchfork scraping against the tile; you watch him working his knife back and forth as if he has trouble removing it from his victim's neck - it's these little details that show you just how much Savini cares about his gruesome craft. Admittedly, one death is wholly and patently fake, but you still have to appreciate the effort and intent of the shot.The story begins in 1945, when a young woman and her beau are ruthlessly murdered on the night of the big college graduation dance; while their killer was never caught, it is made quite obvious that the murderer was the young woman's former boyfriend, to whom she had sent a Dear John letter while he was still fighting overseas. 35 years later, the college prepares for the first graduation dance since that awful night

Scott LeBrun Joseph Zito's "The Prowler" is overall decent as slashers go. It has a respectable body count, some highly effective atmosphere, extremely sinister music by Richard Einhorn, and of course some of Tom Savini's best ever work for this genre. It's more for the kind of slasher enthusiast who watches these things for the extreme violence; otherwise, it would be strictly standard fare, with a plot and killer fairly similar to that in "My Bloody Valentine" (1981).It begins in 1945, when one of many U.S. soldiers returning home after serving his country in WWII is greeted with a letter from his sweetheart which states that she couldn't wait for him. This is enough to spur him to mete out bloody revenge, with his ex-girlfriend and her new beau meeting their fate at the end of a pitchfork. Fast forward 36 years, and the town of Avalon Bay is holding its first graduation dance since that fateful night. And that long ago rejected soldier is back, too, to do what he does best. An ineffective deputy sheriff (the bland Christopher Goutman) and his spunky leading lady (the lovely and appealing Vicky Dawson) work the clues as the killer begins to hack his way through the student bodies, and anybody else unlucky enough to get in his way."The Prowler", upon reflection, really doesn't work that well as a whodunit - most people should be able to figure out who the killer is - but it's still pretty entertaining, thanks to the ambiance of the Cape May shooting location, and the punchy murder set pieces. Our maniac uses a bayonet, a pitchfork, and other sharp implements to great effect. What really works against the film is the pacing as there are a few too many scenes that drag needlessly. But things do nicely work their way towards a kick ass finale with another fine Savini exploding head gag.The actors basically get the job done without being remarkable in any way; Zito utilizes the services of veterans Farley Granger and Lawrence Tierney, although one has to wonder why cast Tierney at all as he has barely anything to do. Familiar faces in the supporting cast include Bryan Englund ("Crazy Mama"), Thom Bray ('Rip Tide'), Cindy Weintraub ("Humanoids from the Deep"), and Playboy Bunny Lisa Dunsheath ("They All Laughed").Aficionados of the slasher are well advised to seek this one out, as it truly has to be one of the most sadistic films of its kind. It may have its problems, but it's still good entertainment that gets by thanks to great effects.Seven out of 10.

ManBehindTheMask63 "The Prowler" was one of many slasher films released in the 1980's during the 'slasher craze'. But what elevates "The Prowler" to the top of the heap is the impressive and brutal kills created by special effects legend Tom Savini. The killer strikes quickly but the deaths are long and painfully realistic. The film opens in the 1940's and the period piece (cars, wardrobes, dialog) is done rather well. Giving the film a bit of class and scope that other slashers of that period didn't have. The plot revolves around teens being killed off during a dance by a murderer wearing WWII fatigues. A "Dear, John" letter is the catalyst for the slaughter."The Prowler" is shot effectively and director Zito does a great jump of building tension. And tension is what separates great slashers from generic slashers. A sub-genre that was heavily produced in the decade. There are quite a few shots and kills that have gone on to become cliché. But at the time, we're quite innovative for the genre. It's a rather fierce and hard hitting slasher. The film has a certain savageness about it that makes it feel nastier than most films of the sub-genre."The Prowler" features nudity, death by pitchfork, plenty of red herrings, a nice shotgun beheading, an annoying redneck receptionist, and Farley Granger slumming it up.Till next time horror hounds and fright fanatics, beware the darkness