6 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 3.0 | |
Overall | 3.0 |
Six campers jaunt off to North Point, where they're promptly stalked and killed by a ghoulish man who ultimately is just looking for a little love.
Starring: Steve Bond, Lori Lethin, Jackson Bostwick, Jackie Coogan, Ted HaydenHorror | 100% |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.85:1
English: LPCM Mono (48kHz, 24-bit)
English SDH
Blu-ray Disc
Two-disc set (2 BDs)
Slipcover in original pressing
Region free
Movie | 2.5 | |
Video | 4.0 | |
Audio | 4.0 | |
Extras | 4.0 | |
Overall | 3.0 |
The Prey continues Arrow Video’s love affair with cult horror cinema, and in this case they’ve evidently made the dreams of a superfan named Ewan Cant come true, as Cant contributes some goofily enjoyable supplements to this release. Cant seems to either have worked or perhaps even continues to work for Arrow as an acquisitions expert, if sites like LinkedIn are to be believed, but he’s on hand here as an unabashed fanboy, touting what he believes to be a criminally underappreciated slasher film. The Prey is both rather unusual in at least some of its elements while also relentlessly predictable in a number of other elements, if those two don’t seem too mutually exclusive. There’s a certain ecological or perhaps more accurately Darwinian subtext running through the film, at least in its original theatrical cut, a version which offers a lot of interstitial footage of various forest beasties, birds and insects foraging through the wilderness. There’s also a somewhat odd reference to “gypsies” (despite this film taking place in Big Bear, California, to my knowledge not exactly a refuge for Roma types) that underpins some of the plot mechanics, but in several other ways, this is a pretty routine “lost in the woods” slasher entry, though it should be noted that the film was actually shot in 1979 (despite not seeing the theatrical exhibition arc light of day until several years later), which predates some of the better known films in this now rote subgenre.
The Prey is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of Arrow Video with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 1.85:1. Arrow's insert booklet contains the following information on the restoration:
US Theatrical CutAs the back cover of this release states, The Prey "at last emerges from the VHS wilderness", and anyone who has experienced the film in any previous home video incarnations is sure to be impressed with this transfer, despite some occasional deficiencies (as alluded to in Arrow's own verbiage, above). As might be gleaned from the fact that both cuts were at least partially assembled from the original camera negative, I noticed no huge quality differences between them. The palette is rather nicely saturated and detail levels are generally quite pleasing. Some of the nature footage, some of which I'm assuming is stock footage, is pretty rough looking at times, and can have pretty substantial damage (see screenshot 19). Some of the additional footage included in the so-called International Cut is kind of sepia toned (see screenshot 3). There are less noticeable blemishes that dot the premises from time to time, but on the whole, this is a nicely organic looking presentation that should easily please fans.
The 35mm original camera negative of The Prey was scanned in 2K resolution on a 4K pin-registered Arriscan by OCN Labs, USA. Color grading was performed using DaVinci Resolve 16, and all image restoration was performed using Nucoda by Digital Vision. The soundtrack was transferred from the original 35mm optical soundtrack negative and restored using ProTools and Audacity.
Note: Due to severe fading in many of the film's optical effect sequences, there is periodic color flicker and hue inconsistencies.
International Cut
All footage for this version of the film were sourced from its 35mm original camera negative and scanned in 2K resolution on a 4K pin-registered Arriscan by OCN Labs, USA. Because no complete picture element for the International Cut of The Prey was apparently ever made, this version of the film was reconstructed using a video master as a reference.
The Prey features a robust sounding LPCM Mono track. As mentioned above, Don Peake's music is a real standout and sounds energetic but not overly strident or bright here. Dialogue (and screams — lots of screams) sound full bodied and problem free. Ambient environmental effects are generally realistic sounding.
Disc One
- TV Spot (1080p; 00:35)
- Home Video Trailer (1080p; 1:24)
- Audio Interview with Director Edwin Scott Brown plays as a kind of alternate soundtrack to the film, lasting to around the one hour mark, give or take. Ewan Cant interviews.
- Audio Interview with Producer Summer Brown plays exactly as with Edwin Scott Brown's interview, albeit this time lasting to around 1 hour and 15 minutes. Ewan Cant interviews.
It's not human, and it's got an axe! may not exactly be the most memorable tag line in the history of movie marketing, but it perhaps gives a clue as to the kind of "low rent" sensibility of this odd, but kind of engaging, slasher flick. Those who don't mind a bit of "not quite ready for prime time" acting, along with (in the theatrical version, at least) a lot of interstitial nature photography may find this an okay diversion, but it's the supplementary material here that may really be the calling card for many fans. Technical merits are solid for those considering a purchase.
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