The Prowler (1981)
The Prowler (aka known as Rosemary’s Killer) is an American slasher film from 1981 directed by Joseph Zito. Starring Vicky Dawson, Christopher Goutman, Lawrence Tierney and Cindy Weintraub.
Plot
In 1944, a woman named Rosemary writes a letter to her boyfriend serving as a soldier breaking up with him. A year later she attends a graduation dance with her new boyfriend, they go out to lovers’ lane. 
Then they are attacked by a mysterious prowler wearing an army combat uniform, who impales them both with a pitchfork and leaves behind a red rose.
Forty years later, college senior Pam MacDonald is making last-minute arrangements for that night’s graduation ball, the first to be held since the 1945 murders when strange things start to happen…
Notable scenes
The impaling scenes
Making of the Prowler
Tom Savini considers this to be his best work.
This film was the reason that director Joseph Zito was later selected to direct Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter (1984).
The cemetery scenes were shot at an actual cemetery on Halloween night of 1980. The open grave used in the film was an actual open grave in the cemetery that was awaiting a funeral.
Shooting the film’s special makeup effects would usually take a full day for each setup. The film’s entire shooting schedule was built around the filming of the effects.
Director Joseph Zito once told a guard at a movie theater where the film was being screened, that he was the director of this film. To this the guard responded, “You really DID kill those people, right?”.
Tom Savini was brought in to do the special make up effects after he finished working on another slasher film, Maniac. Savini did all of the Prowler’s kills wearing the Prowler costume in each death scene. Savini in 1984, returned with Director, Joseph Zito for Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter and helped Jason actor, Ted White with the death scenes in that film.
Released internationally as “Rosemary’s Killer”.
The film is named after an unseen character. There are several mentions in the film of a prowler in a nearby town on the loose, and the character suspect that he is the killer. Later in the film, Deputy Mark London learns that the prowler was arrested hours before, and that he had an alibi for at least one of the murders.
Our view on the Prowler
The Prowler is an underrated horror film from the golden age of slashers. Directed by Joseph Zito and the master Tom Savini did the special effects just after he finished Maniac. After the Prowler Joseph Zito and Tom Savini also teamed up for Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter.The Prowler is a chilling and gory horror. It also landed on the British videonasty list. Exploitflix must see!
