The Prowler (U.S.A, 1981)

Cast:
Director: 
Joseph Zito

Writers: 
Glenn Leopold, Neal Barbera

Stars: 
Vicky Dawson, Christopher Goutman, Lawrence Tierney
Movie:
The year is 1945, the troops are finally returning home after the horrific events of World War II. In the small, picturesque town of Avalon Bay a scorned soldier finds his ex-girlfriend Rosemary canoodling with another man at the graduation dance, so naturally he impales them both with a pitch fork. 35 years later and the troubled dance is about to start up again, no sooner have they hung the decorations, when a fresh batch of killings by the masked solider begins.
Have to admit I’m still not sure about this one, on my first viewing I was left feeling fairly disappointed, having expected something far nastier and livelier from its cult reputation. While the direction by future 'Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter' director Joseph Zito is more than adequate, and the actors are all fine in their perspective roles, I just can't shake the feeling that it could be so much more. What you do get is a seemingly endless amount of scenes with the two main characters Pam (Vicky Dawson) and Sheriff Fraser (Farley Granger), creeping around barren rooms in vast houses. I actually laughed out-loud to myself - okay I was drinking - as the Sheriff and Pam go on their second snoop. I remember thinking: did I just sit on the remote? Haven’t I seen this already? Their endless wandering for clues always brings to mind the antics of Scooby and The gang. The ending especially is pure Scooby Doo nonsensehead exploding aside - it’s a definite case of Old Man Withers:  "I would have gotten away with it if it wasn’t for you pesky kids", as the glaringly obvious killer is revealed, then again it could just be me.
So what does work in 'The Prowler'? Well the Savini mastered murders are particularly great. I especially love the infamous knife through the head gag, as the poor victims eyes go a milky white as the blade digs deeper into his skull...nice! There’s also a number of other vicious delights lurking within, from the numerous pitch fork murders, to the brutal, misogynistic boot in the face moment inflicted on a nude female swimmer. While I certainly understand the cult following this has earned since its release, I guess I just prefer a different flavour of  slasher, maybe I’m just too much of a sucker for the campy 'so bad they're good' slicers (Killer Workout, Sleepaway Camp), well as they say: "To each their own". 

Rating:
'The prowler' is a good slasher, just maybe not a fun one, while there are certainly worse examples in the genre, there’s also much better ones too. I guess it’s just too normal, if that’s the right word, for me, lacking the strangeness that is so inherent in the genre, still those Savini effects are a must see for horror fans.