Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.5
Audio		4.0
Extras		4.5
Overall		4.0

Prey Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf February 27, 2018

The behind-the-scenes story on 1977’s “Prey” is extraordinary, with the picture conceived, shot, and released in a matter of months, delivering a sci- fi/horror tale with the minimum of second thoughts, basically committing to the screen anything that was conjured during production. It’s important to remember such creative speed while watching the feature, with the low-budget endeavor often struggling to find things to do between scenes that advance the story. “Prey” is minor, but director Norman J. Warren does what he can with his frightening creative challenge, preserving a few provocative ideas screenwriter Max Cuff inserts into the work.

Landing in a remote area of England, alien Anders (Barry Stokes) is on a mission to discover an alternate food source for his home planet, venturing out into the world to see what Earth is all about. He makes his way to a manor house occupied by lovers Jo (Sally Faulkner) and Jessica (Glory Annen), who welcome the seemingly injured stranger into their home, making him part of the daily routine of the house. Jessica is younger and more responsive to the new presence, but Jo is protective of all she has, working to humiliate and intimidate Anders, who only sinks deeper into the dysfunction of the couple, learning about human behavior as he samples local cuisine and animals, focused on his original mission.

The alien aspects of “Prey” are minor at best, as the production has very little money to spend on the creation of advanced make-up, leaving glory shots of Anders in his true form few and far between, with most emphasis on his blood-red eyes. The writing periodically reminds the viewer of the otherworldly influence, hearing Anders file progress reports to his boss back home, but the majority of “Prey” remains in psychodrama mode, watching the stranger come between a lesbian couple experiencing a profound throttling of their passion.

“Prey” doesn’t have a lot of plot, but Cuff strives to make things interesting by positioning Jo as a different type of predator than Anders, with her volcanic possessiveness driving her to violent extremes the movie only hints at, pouring her energy into keeping Jessica near. Warren isn’t about to let the film go by without a gratuitous sex scene between the lovers, but the rest of “Prey” identifies their blunted communication, inspiring the young woman to attach to Anders. The change in sexuality triggers jealousy, creating unusual hostility that blurs lines of loyalty and even gender, with Anders finding himself dressed up as a female for a dinner party. Such additions are certainly unexpected, keeping the viewing experience periodically surprising.

Prey Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

With its limited locations and handful of actors, "Prey" isn't a visual feast to begin with, but the AVC encoded image (1.67:1 aspect ratio) presentation does a terrific job making the feature seem alive in HD. Detail is key here, with the viewing experience enjoying facial particulars, including make-up achievements (limitations of application are easily spotted), which come through as crisply as possible here. Clothing is fibrous, and the manor house setting is open for examination. Colors are capable, best with period fashion and decorative touches around the house. Violent encounters enjoy a bold blast of blood red. Skintones are natural. Delineation preserves evening encounters. Source is in strong shape, though some mild speckling and a rough reel change are detected.

Prey Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The 1.0 DTS-HD MA sound mix manages to capture the semi-eerie vibe Warren is hunting for, with emphasis on synth coming through with vigor, generating necessary unease without slipping into fuzziness. Dialogue exchanges wrestle with some sibilance issues but remain loud and commanding, handling accents and screaming matches, which take over the third act. Atmospherics are acceptable, keeping wildlife in play with bird chirps.

Prey Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Commentary features director Norman J. Warren and actress Sally Faulkner.

• Interview (21:57, SD) sits down with Warren for a more direct discussion of "Prey," beginning with his extremely tight schedule, tasked with putting the feature together in ten days for a limited budget. Casting choices are examined, along with the use of space at Shepperton Studios, with the production creating a rural environment to work in. Warren also praises his crew, which managed to pull off a small miracle with their professionalism. The helmer also shares a few anecdotes concerning the use of real animal innards for a gore sequence, and Stokes's struggle with painful contact lenses, requiring shots of muscle relaxer injected straight into his eyes. Yikes.

• Interview (13:56, SD) with Faulkner is more focused on character interpretation, with the actress discussing Jo's motivations and secrets, showing pride in her work on "Prey." Faulkner details the lightning pace of the shoot, immersing herself in daily work (demanding steak to keep herself going), and examines her relationships with co-stars and Warren.

• Interview (7:17, SD) is a brief conversation with producer Terry Marcel, who highlights the pressure to put the film together in a matter of weeks, working off moviemaking momentum generated during the making of a "Pink Panther" feature. He also explores plans for the "Prey" sequel that never came together, which included a full-scale alien invasion.

• And a Theatrical Trailer (1:01, SD) is included.

Prey Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

"Prey" doesn't stretch inspiration far enough, creating a few dead spots where Cuff gives up on providing incidents to explore, and the last act involves a substantial amount of hysterical behavior, which is hard on the sense and does little for the performances. It's a tiny movie with limited goals, but Warren labors to generate something exciting, adding some creepy imagery and blasts of overt violence that highlight so-so special effects. Amazingly, "Prey" sticks the landing, finding way to close out conflicts with some "Tales from the Crypt"-style turns, exiting the picture with a genre sugar rush that almost makes up for the sluggishness of the midsection. Still, despite some gaps in imagination, the film has an appreciation for the macabre and the disorienting, looking to do something a little odder than the average alien visitation effort.