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THE PROWLER (1981) aka Rosemary's Killer Rating: Tag-lines: ‘It will freeze your blood’, ‘The human exterminator’, ‘If you think you're safe... you're DEAD wrong!’, ‘The film that shocked America!’ Death Toll: A mere eight, but what value-for-money deaths they are. As usual, the first seven are the killer’s victims, and the last is the killer himself. Was that giving too much away? We didn't think so... Cutting Remarks: Director Joseph Zito’s particularly nasty slasher is one of the genre’s finer moments, and it's great to see it getting the full-on, quality DVD treatment from Blue Underground. Starting on an unusual note, it shows real footage of American GIs returning from war, then runs through a ‘Dear John’ letter from one Rosemary to... who? At a Graduation dance in 1945, two young lovers are gruesomely pitchforked together, before we flash forward to Avalon Bay in 1980. What follows is quintessential slashing fun - particularly in the uncut version, which includes some genuinely unpleasant moments such as a young lady being pitchforked in the shower. Our killer has a great look, too - being kitted out like a soldier of war - and is for once a figure of fear.          The film’s second half admittedly slows considerably, with a little too much searching around the campus on the part of the Sheriff’s young Deputy, but it‘s also creepy and quite suspenseful. The identity of the killer comes as no great surprise given the lack of suspects, but the end struggle and its final head explosion is a classic. The effects came courtesy of one Tom Savini, which accounts for their unnervingly high standards. The ending is a strange one, however, and feels tagged on at the last minute. Did that corpse really come to life?          UK fans of this flick will be delighted to hear that this is the uncut version. The one released on Entertainment In Video was certainly gory enough, but was still trimmed - most notably that aforementioned pitchfork/shower interface! Most Memorable Demise: The knife plunged down through the head. This is a rarity - a gore effect that actually manages to frighten, as the victim’s eyes pop open, minus pupils. Look Out For: An obvious moment of padding, involving an obnoxious fat bloke who works in the motel where the Sheriff is staying. Amusing, though. Killer Quote: "This is our last night together. Some of us'll never see each other again" - a young lady in Chapter Five of this DVD. She's not kidding, either. DVD Details: You certainly get more than you could reasonably expect from a relatively obscure movie like this one. Tom Savini and Joseph Zito deliver a highly entertaining audio commentary, in which neither appears to look down on the movie in the least. There's also an excellent - if crudely edited - special effects featurete, showing home video-style clips of Savini at work. You also get the creepy trailer, which includes most of the murders, and a poster/stills gallery. Very impressive indeed. Tech-heads should note that this appears in widescreen in 1.85:1/16:9. Release Date: Out now in the US. Go get it. [Check it out at Amazon.com] [Reviews Menu] [Home] © Copyright Slasherama 2002-present