The Prowler (1981)

"I want you to be me date, Rose." - The Prowler

aka: Rosemary's Killer
A masked killer terrorizes a small town.
Starring: Vicky Dawson, Christopher Goutman, Lisa Dunsheath, David Sederholm

Link to IMDB

It's 1945 and a WWII soldier is returning home to a small New Jersey town, but when his girlfriend, Rosemary, breaks his heart he savagely kills her and her lover at a college graduation dance!
Fast forward to 1981, and the town is getting ready for their first graduation dance since that horrible night 35 years ago.
Pam and her friends are excited about the dance, but not everyone in town is glad to see the festivities return on such a grim anniversary. Pam is also friends with Deputy Mark London, a young man eager to be working his first weekend alone since the sheriff is out of town, but Mark is soon going to have a problem he's not ready for.

Mark                                                             Pam

Prowling intensifies

As the dance commences, someone dressed in full army gear with a black mask is prowling around the campus killing students! The killer from 1945 was never caught, so has he returned now as an old man for more blood!? Everyone is unaware of the murders, of course, so the dance continues, but when Pam suspects she's being stalked, she and Mark begin to investigate the disturbances at the campus.


Although this is very much a slasher, there's also a good mystery story here as Mark and Pam try to understand what is going on and how the "prowler" is connected to the town's past.
The plot gives you a few ideas on who the killer could be without jamming red herrings in your face, and it nicely adds to the already thick suspense and creepiness that's being built.
As the body count rises, so does the danger that Pam and Mark find themselves in, and you just know there's going to be some surprises in store for everyone!



This is a definitely an overlooked gem, made before franchise tedium had flooded the genre. There's some real talent in the production and the plot's more engaging than just a mindless murder spree. The death scenes are also top quality. Handled by the great Tom Savini, they are violent and bloody enough to make your eyes pop, and the camera shows us every detail as the Prowler attacks with knives and pitchforks.
My main complaint is that there's too many scenes of people just wandering around in the dark, and that often stalls the pace. Overall, The Prowler is still a solid effort worth seeing.

Be sure not to miss:
- Mark has the dimmest flashlight ever.
- Everything about the lazy hotel clerk.
- Major Chatham is played by Lawrence Tierney, but he doesn't get much to do.
- Rats enough!

Internet review:
"I'd fuck this movie if I wasn't married." - BrianB

Should I watch it?
Yes, it's an underrated slasher.

Where can I find it?
Vidzi links here. There is a YouTube version, but it's poor quality and seems edited for TV.

The Prowler gets...