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Author Topic: Prey (Norman J. Warren, 1978)  (Read 23570 times)

Andrew Monroe

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Prey (Norman J. Warren, 1978)
« on: 26 Jul 2008 - 19:16 »

Didn`t turn up an existing thread, so...what`s the consensus on this one? Despite the almost universal drubbing it gets I think it`s a pretty damn creepy film. Sure, it`s slow going at times, but even the early scenes have a sort of simmering uneasiness. Just a few years after doing the criminally underrated THE CORRUPTION OF CHRIS MILLER, Barry Stokes again plays someone who intrudes on an uneasy relationship between two women, a relationship where one woman is being manipulated by the other. The slow-motion drowning scene is often mentioned as long to the point of being silly, and it is to an extent, but for me the weakest link in the film is the utterly ridiculous alien makeup. If they`d just left off that ludicrous doggy nose it would`ve been much more effective. Still, it`s an offbeat little shocker, second to INSEMINOID of what Warren films I`ve seen. Still need to see SATAN`S SLAVE though. There`s something about Warren`s films I really like, they have a nasty, mean edge you don`t find in many horror films of the time, Pete Walker`s stuff being the only exception. PREY would make a nice double bill with XTRO.
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Re: Prey (Norman J. Warren, 1978)
« Reply #1 on: 27 Jul 2008 - 14:06 »

A review in Video Watchdog mentions that PREY was likely inspired by Mark Rydell's updated adaptation of D. H. Lawrence's THE FOX.  I haven't seen that film but PREY does owe a lot to the original novella.

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Just a few years after doing the criminally underrated THE CORRUPTION OF CHRIS MILLER

That one seems a bit forced and contrived to me compared to Moncada's scripting for BELL FROM HELL.  CHRIS MILLER seems as though it was intended to be another Carroll Baker giallo.  Marisol's performance doesn't really help (it would've been more interesting with someone like Maribel Martin or Cristina Galbo).

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Re: Prey (Norman J. Warren, 1978)
« Reply #2 on: 28 Jul 2008 - 12:26 »

Didn`t turn up an existing thread, so...what`s the consensus on this one?

I rate it as one of the best 70s British horror films. Never understand why it gets slagged-off. Great atmosphere. And what a soundtrack!
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Re: Prey (Norman J. Warren, 1978)
« Reply #3 on: 28 Jul 2008 - 13:39 »

I really rate Norman's three seventies horrors (SATAN'S SLAVE, TERROR, PREY). Very much underrated, and unfortunately he tends to get overshadowed by Pete Walker. I was fortunate enough to see them all on the big screen back in the early nineties at Eurofest in London....   Those were the days!
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Andrew Monroe

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Re: Prey (Norman J. Warren, 1978)
« Reply #4 on: 28 Jul 2008 - 14:36 »

I`m surprised you don`t care much for CHRIS MILLER, ecc. That`s one of the finest Spanish horror films for my money. Didn`t feel contrived to me, and the killer`s attack on an entire family is scary stuff. I agree that Marisol`s role might have been better with another actress though. Interesting thought about it feeling like a Carroll Baker giallo, I can see certain similarities there, but this one has an atmosphere of perversity I don`t sense in the typical Baker film of the time.

Glad to see some others like PREY though, and Kev, I`m jealous you saw those Warren films on the big screen! I`m looking forward to finally seeing SATAN`S SLAVE when the region 1 disc comes out.

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Kevin Coed

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Re: Prey (Norman J. Warren, 1978)
« Reply #5 on: 28 Jul 2008 - 14:48 »

When is it due out? Be nice to see if it will be a fully-scoped version of the continental print as Marc seems to think.
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Andrew Monroe

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Re: Prey (Norman J. Warren, 1978)
« Reply #6 on: 28 Jul 2008 - 15:00 »

When is it due out? Be nice to see if it will be a fully-scoped version of the continental print as Marc seems to think.

It`s coming Sept. 16 as part of a double feature with TERROR from BCI, DVD Drive-In says widescreen for both but I`m not really expecting pristine prints judging from the BLACK CANDLES/EVIL EYE disc. I`ve already got TERROR anyway, just getting this for SATAN`S SLAVE.

They`re also releasing COUNT DRACULA`S GREAT LOVE (as CEMETERY GIRLS)/VAMPIRE HOOKERS the same day.
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Kevin Coed

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Re: Prey (Norman J. Warren, 1978)
« Reply #7 on: 11 Sep 2008 - 17:41 »

Sadly the BCI DVD of Satan's Slave is cut to fuck....

http://www.dvddrive-in.com/reviews/n-s/satansslave767879.htm
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R-T-C Tim

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Re: Prey (Norman J. Warren, 1978)
« Reply #8 on: 11 Sep 2008 - 18:54 »

On the topic of Prey - I really enjoyed this, the relationship between the couple was very realistically handled and not just a case of WOW Lesbians, lets make them have sex a lot and talk about sex when they are not... like so many other films. This made the film a lot more tense and believable.

Prey review
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Andrew Monroe

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Re: Prey (Norman J. Warren, 1978)
« Reply #9 on: 03 Oct 2008 - 19:16 »

Sadly the BCI DVD of Satan's Slave is cut to fuck....

http://www.dvddrive-in.com/reviews/n-s/satansslave767879.htm

Yeah, I shitcanned my pre-order after reading that review. Ended up getting that AB UK Warren set and even though I only needed SATAN`S SLAVE, I`m glad I did. Loved that film, Warren really hit the ground running with his first horror film. The typically unsettling atmosphere is there in spades and some pretty damn gnarly splashes of gore (the satanically-induced suicide springs to mind, dig that bone sticking out of his leg!). SATAN`S SLAVE immediately hopped up near the top of my Warren hit parade. The special features on the set really sealed the deal, I`m loving those making-of docs.
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Re: Prey (Norman J. Warren, 1978)
« Reply #10 on: 03 Oct 2008 - 19:20 »

Yes, it seems that the widescreen elements in the Crown catalog for SATAN'S SLAVE are less complete than not only the old fullscreen master but also the UK edition.

Andrew Monroe

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Re: Prey (Norman J. Warren, 1978)
« Reply #11 on: 21 Oct 2008 - 16:35 »

Mysterious blogger Arbogast has a good post on PREY and specifically Sally Faulkner as part of his 31 Screams Halloween series: http://arbogastonfilm.blogspot.com/2008/10/31-screams-sally-faulkner.html
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bdc

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Re: Prey (Norman J. Warren, 1978)
« Reply #12 on: 06 Oct 2009 - 19:59 »

Love it!
Just heard there exists a 90 min Japanese version?
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Re: Prey (Norman J. Warren, 1978)
« Reply #13 on: 06 Oct 2009 - 22:09 »

When is it due out? Be nice to see if it will be a fully-scoped version of the continental print as Marc seems to think.

Well, the BCI version wasn't but I listened to the commentary on the AB disc recently and it seems like the softer version of the bedroom scene was added by Warren from another print for this release so it seems that the harder version still exists in scope format in UK hands.

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Re: Prey (Norman J. Warren, 1978)
« Reply #14 on: 07 Oct 2009 - 04:53 »

so it seems that the harder version still exists in scope format in UK hands.

It was screened at the ART OF THE NASTY festival in London back in July; looking a bit more worn than when I saw it in Hampstead in the early nineties.
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