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The Prey

2-Disc Limited Edition

Debbie Thureson (Actor), Steve Bond (Actor), Edwin Brown (Director) Format: Blu-ray
4.1 4.1 out of 5 stars 275 ratings
IMDb4.4/10.0
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April 20, 2020 		—
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October 1, 2019
2-Disc Limited Edition
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Product Description

It s not human, and it s got an axe! One of the most underrated efforts to hail from the slice-and-dice boom, The Prey at last emerges from the VHS wilderness in a brand new 2K restoration from the recently unearthed original camera negative.

Three young couples set off into the mountains for a weekend of climbing, drinking and lovemaking. But little do they know that they are stumbling into the terrain of a fearsome predator - a wild man, horrifically burned as a child many years ago in a fire which engulfed his gypsy camp and left only him alive. Now he roams the woods in search of his next human prey.

Filmed in 1979-1980 - making it a contemporary, rather than an imitator, of the likes of Friday the 13th - but not released until 1984 when it was picked up by New World Pictures, The Prey is a unique woodsy slasher gem ripe for reappraisal in this extras-packed, 40th anniversary edition!

LIMITED EDITION 2-DISC BLU-RAY CONTENTS


  • Limited to 3,000 units

  • Exclusive slipcover featuring original UK home video artwork

  • Three versions of the feature: Original US Theatrical Cut, International Cut and Composite cut!

  • High Definition Blu-ray (1080p) presentation

  • Original uncompressed mono audio

  • Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing

  • Reversible sleeve featuring newly commissioned artwork by Justin Osbourn

  • Limited edition booklet featuring new writing on the film by Ewan Cant

DISC ONE - US THEATRICAL CUT


  • Brand new 2K restoration of the filmmaker-approved US Theatrical Cut from the original camera negative

  • Brand new audio commentary with producer Summer Brown

  • Brand new audio commentary with Amanda Reyes and Ewan Cant

  • Audio Interview with director Edwin Scott Brown

  • Brand new on-camera interview with actress Debbie Thureson

  • Brand new on-camera interview with actress Lori Lethin

  • Brand new on-camera interview with actor Carel Struycken

Brand new on-camera interview with actor Jackson Bostwick
  • In Search of The Prey - Ewan Cant and actress Debbie Thureson revisit the original shooting locations in Idyllwild, California

  • Q&A from Texas Frightmare Weekend 2019 with Lori Lethin, Carel Struycken and Jackson Bostwick

  • Texas Frightmare Weekend 2019 Audience Reaction Track

  • VHS Trailer and TV Spot

  • Original Script (BD-ROM Content)

DISC TWO - INTERNATIONAL & COMPOSITE CUTS


  • Brand new 2K restoration of the International Cut featuring the infamous gyspy flashback footage, added at a later date by the producers without the approval of the original filmmakers

  • Composite Cut combining footage from both the US Theatrical and International Cuts, for the ultimate The Prey fan experience!

  • Extended Outtakes reel - 45 mins of never-before-seen outtakes

Product details

  • Product Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 0.7 x 7.5 x 5.4 inches; 8.32 ounces
  • Director ‏ : ‎ Edwin Brown
  • Media Format ‏ : ‎ Widescreen, NTSC, Anamorphic
  • Run time ‏ : ‎ 1 hour and 20 minutes
  • Release date ‏ : ‎ October 1, 2019
  • Actors ‏ : ‎ Debbie Thureson, Steve Bond, Lori Lethin
  • Studio ‏ : ‎ Arrow Video
  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B07TJKBH6V
  • Number of discs ‏ : ‎ 2
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.1 4.1 out of 5 stars 275 ratings

Customer reviews

4.1 out of 5 stars
4.1 out of 5
275 global ratings
A monstrously unique slasher that you'll grow to love
5 Stars
A monstrously unique slasher that you'll grow to love
Beating Friday the 13th's disfigured-man-child-stalking-the-woods routine by a good three years (depending on who you ask) 1980's The Prey has all the conceits of a routine slasher. But creative team Edwin and Summer Brown, whose previous experience was confined to pornographic features, deliver something decidedly left of center. Following three couples on an overnight camping trip who stumble into the hunting grounds of a monstrous gypsy burned in a forest fire, the film pads its short running time (in the theatrical cut) with Nat Geo-style nature footage of birds, raccoons and insects. Combine that with an often improvisational feel from the cast and The Prey sets an unusually soothing tone for a movie with the tagline "It's not human....and it has an axe!"It's a sleeper in more way than one. Fans raised on the more intense pace of '80s slashers are in for a snooze. But there's something so unique and likeable about this little-known knock-off (and the cute as a button cast as well), that it might just be one of those you grow to love. And there's no better way to discover it than Arrow Video's new two-disc limited edition. The 2K restoration is see-it-to-believe-it beautiful and includes the theatrical cut, international cut (with 20 minutes of raunchy gypsy flashback footage) and a fan cut that combines the best of both. Extras are exaggeratedly extensive, including interviews with most of the cast, commentary, 45 minutes of outtakes, and separate audio-only interviews with Edwin and Summer Brown (Summer is your go-to source for the most info). Limited to 3000 copies, this one is really something special.
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Top reviews from the United States

B-Movie Man
5.0 out of 5 stars Simply underated because it's good (arrow version)
Reviewed in the United States on October 6, 2019
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The Prey has a lot of "meh" attached to it. Old reviews are down on it. New reviews are down on it too a bit with caveats out the ears. I'm a big collector, so I have to own all old slashers. I was really disappointed in "The Chill Factor" despite the release being spectacular. I feared The Prey would be the same. Slow, boring, and without much of a pay-off.

To a small extent, the movie doesn't deliver the heavy heaping doses of gore and nudity. There are kills. They are effective. The pace is slow in parts. There's way too much nature footage going on. Yet somehow, it still works. I was engaged the whole time. The atmosphere saves this one more than anything else, and that odd ending. Very unexpected. I was surprised.

I get why reviews are very critical of this thing. But once I watched it and had the experience, I was very happy I made the purchase. I don't feel ripped off. The Prey is underrated, and now, back and better than ever. Lori Lethin is awesome. Now there's a real scream queen. Liked her in Return to Horror High and Blood Birthday as well.
7 people found this helpful
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ThatMovieNerd
5.0 out of 5 stars Another fun release from Arrow Video!
Reviewed in the United States on April 2, 2020
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Arrow Video releases another stellar release! I’ve never heard of this film, but when I heard it was announced to be released from them, I did some research and knew I had to check it out! Might not be a slasher film that everyone knows of, but if your in the mood for a slasher flick to watch besides the usually franchise films, I’d recommend checking this one out. The features alone and restoration Arrow Video did for this release is incredible, & will be one I’ll revisit every now and then!
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Bobby
4.0 out of 5 stars It's not human, and it's got an axe!
Reviewed in the United States on July 8, 2013
What a great tagline this film has huh? It couldn't be any better if it tried. Anyways I'm not gonna lie, The Prey isn't one of my personal favorites or anything, but I do like it quite a bit, and it would be nice to see it get a dvd release. So many other more unknown film have been rescued from obscurity, so why can't The Prey get a nice little release too?

6 friends decide to go hiking and camping in the woods. Overall they just wanna have a good time! But sadly their good time is cut short when a mysterious killer soon stalks the group. Who is the killer? Is it even human? The plot here reminded me somewhat of Just Before Dawn. Not that it's as good as that film or anything, but some of the ingredients that made that film so good are sprinkled throughout here too. It's got the overall non existent and extremely quiet score that suits the film perfectly and gives it the right atmosphere, and of course it has it's setting. The woods always tend to work in horror movies. And it works here very well. The movie is able to capture a place that is as far away from society as possible. A place that is quiet and peaceful one minute, to dark and frightening the next. It's easy to see why a setting like this was such a popular staple in the early 80's, and the director here does a very good job.
Sadly though the film isn't perfect. I really wish it was, but it isn't. One of the main complaints you hear often regarding this film is it's pacing. Now I personally didn't find the film boring, but it was somewhat slow. There seems to be a whole lot of hiking, a whole lot of chit chat, and a whole lot of nature shots going on. I do see where the director was going with it (it's all about the atmosphere!), but a few less animal shots definitly wouldn't have hurt, and I do think we could've got one or two more suspense set pieces. It would've done wonders for the film.
The acting here is a real mixed bag, but overall it's not bad. Jackie Coogan (The Addams Family) drops by, and former soap actor Steve Bond (who I read also maybe did Playgirl in the 80's? Which doesn't honestly surprise me. The camera does seem to like him, in particular during the water scenes towards the end) is one of the leads. Don't get me wrong, none of the acting here is great, but even in it's worst moments (cheesy dialogue and all) it adds to the film. Nothing wrong with a little bad acting in our favorite genre. It can add to the charm!
The Prey is rated R. There's a couple scenes of gore (the effects look pretty good), and the film also has some mild sexual content and brief nudity.

Overall I liked The Prey! Sure it has a few slow moments, and maybe a few too many animal shots, but it's still a good time overall! It's definitly not for people who don't enjoy the genre, but if you like slasher films from the 80's than it's worth a watch.
Now where's the dvd?
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L. N.
3.0 out of 5 stars Not a top tier slasher by any standard
Reviewed in the United States on December 24, 2019
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Really no complaints about Arrow's restoration work on "The Prey". They typically do no disappoint.
I can only award 3 out of 5 because I wasn't impressed with the film itself.
I am a huge lover of horror and exploitation cinema. Slashers can be a mixed bag, and I never dive in with outrageous expectations.
That being said, "The Prey" failed to deliver in my opinion. The last ten minutes were fun, and the killer's makeup work was interesting despite clearly copying some of the features of a young Jason Vorhees, only this guy is about 6 foot 11".
I dunno, too little too late is how I felt when the credits began to roll.
I'll still give it space on the Arrow Blu shelf despite it's obnoxious cast and plodding pace.
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Jofer Jeff Productions
5.0 out of 5 stars A must for any 80s slasher fan.
Reviewed in the United States on November 24, 2019
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Avoid the extended cut like the plague. It adds WAY too much extra footage of the gypsy backstory. Sometimes, less is more!

The picture and sound are great. I've been waiting for this movie for a long time. Glad to see Arrow did a top-notch job on the transfer.
2 people found this helpful
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nathan long
2.0 out of 5 stars a one-time watch kind of movie
Reviewed in the United States on October 19, 2019
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This is truly a weak movie, it's not cheesey in the way of horror movies like Blood Rage or Evil Ed. Both titles that were put out by Arrow, for example both Rage and Ed are fun movies in this genre and have the classification to be class as Campy. With The Prey it seems to try to fit in as a serious Horror Movie as Friday 13th, but doesn't add to the excitement nor fun. This a one time watch for me and a waste of money, next time I will watch any movie that has mixed reviews at such a low level as this on Amazon, IMDB and Rotten Tomatoes on YouTube. I will advised you do the same.
2 people found this helpful
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Brian
5.0 out of 5 stars Monster lurking in the woods, beware!
Reviewed in the United States on December 28, 2019
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Whacky lost gem that gets the royal treatment from Arrow. Made for TV originally, but produced and acted well. Great fun slasher in the woods! 👍🏻
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Diane
5.0 out of 5 stars Awesome slasher
Reviewed in the United States on October 9, 2019
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Loved this early slasher! There are alot of animal shots and great color in this movie.
2 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

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Daniele D.M.
1.0 out of 5 stars Articolo arrivato con custodia completamente distrutta.
Reviewed in Italy on September 2, 2023
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Cover e custodia completamente distrutte. Una vergogna.
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Gerd
3.0 out of 5 stars Unterdurchschnittlicher Film, Top Blu Ray VÖ
Reviewed in Germany on September 21, 2021
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Die Blu ray Veröffentlichtung von Arrow ist wie immer Top, schickes Retro Cover, gute Bildqualität, es gibt nichts negatives. Arrow ist wie eh und je eine Top Adresse für Sammler von Klassikern. Im Grunde sollte man auch dankbar dafür sein, dass es ein Film den wahrscheinlich kaum jemand kennt überhaupt auf Blu Ray geschafft hat, Ohne Arrow wäre das wahrscheinlich kaum passiert. Die Liste mit 80ziger Slashern ist unendlich lang, viele Filme habe es nie nach Deutschland geschafft, der harte Kern sind vielleicht 100 Filme, darüber hinaus gibt es noch hunderte. Wer weiß schon genau was sich für Perlen oder für Rohrkrepierer dahinter verbergen. Ich persönlich freue mich über jede VÖ. Allerdings zählt „The Prey“ zu den ganz schlechten Machwerken. Leider! Schlechte Darsteller, miese Tricks, schlechter Soundtrack, null Spannung. Lediglich ein paar schöne Naturaufnahmen gibt es zu bewundern. Ein paar Nostalgie Punkte gibt es für das 80ziger Flair, ansonsten ist der Streifen nur ganz hartgesottenen 80ziger Fans zu empfehlen die gern sammeln und vielleicht manchmal mehr Wert auf die Qualität der Veröffentlichung legen, als auf den Film selbst.
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mark
5.0 out of 5 stars horror movie of the 80
Reviewed in Canada on January 13, 2020
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once of the best horror movie of the 1980
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Hooper's Cigar
2.0 out of 5 stars Coogan's Guff
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on September 25, 2019
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Even though my advancing years have altered my brain to think more about mortgages and what I might be having for dinner, I still hold a soft spot for the much maligned slasher subgenre from my youth. Sure, most of them were never any good - but for every 'Madman' or 'Final Exam' you always had a 'Halloween', 'The Burning' or 'Friday the 13th Part 2' - so even in its up and downs, they still managed to keep my (then) teenage brain engaged. Which brings us to this; 'The Prey' - one that had initially got away from my mid '80s VHS renting self but now with the advent of Arrow Video's blu-ray release, was time to give the old fella a spin.

When teenage couples Nancy and Joel, Bobbie and Skip, and Greg and Gail arrive at North Point, Keen Wild national forest in the Colorado Rocky Mountains - they think they are going to spend a fun time hiking. However, when they are systematically hunted down by a crazed, deformed maniac whose only intention seems to murderize all and sundry, they soon learn their vacation plans may have to alter in order to stay alive. Cue the usual genre staple of horny teens, untrustworthy authority figures (yup, that really is ‘The Adams Family’s Jackie Coogan as a ranger) and diabolical lunatics (with an axe!) as the rest of the movie plays out pretty much exactly as you think it will…

Being an annoying self appointed slasher know-it-all, I wasn’t aware of producer/director team Edwin and Summer Brown, but it seems their previous forays into cinema revolved around titles like ‘A Thousand and One Erotic Nights’ and ‘For the love of Pleasure’ - which, y’know weren’t my usual tipples so going into ‘The Prey’ I didn’t quite know what to expect. To be fair, its well shot with strong cinematography from Joao Fernandes (he of a slew of later Joseph Zito/Chuck Norris flicks) and the locations are certainly memorable. There’s no point in taking apart the lacklustre screenplay - which is typical of the genre but what really hurts the movie is the slow plodding pace that feels like an age to get anywhere, with little urgency or invention. The bread and butter of this genre are the kill scenes and although deployed by the late John Carl Buechler - they too aren’t especially evocative or interesting. Sure, its an okay movie but on the basis of it potentially being some long forgotten ‘gem’, you may need to look elsewhere…

Luckily, the fine folks at Arrow have given ‘The Prey’ a right royal treatment with a wonderful 2k restoration which truly looks stunning (it always amazes me how low budget, older movies look great when added to blu-ray whereas new flicks shot on digital cameras always look so fuzzy with ‘strip light’ style colour palettes). Alongside this we get a brand new audio commentary tracks with Summer Brown, fans Amanda Reyes and Ewan Cant followed by all new retrospective interviews with the cast, which are in-depth and fun but I would have preferred them to be cut into one documentary if honest - the piece meal nature of the interviews slows down the flow of information and feels very flat in terms of presentation. You also get a Q&A from the 2019 Texas Frightmare Weekend, a trip back to the shooting locations with fan Ewan Cant and lead Debbie Thureson, VHS trailers and an audio interview with director Edwin Brown. Rounding out the presentation is the International cut featuring the ‘infamous gypsy' sequence and a composite cut of this and the theatrical cut. All in all, its a stellar release and kudos again to Arrow for a fine release all wrapped up in a very nice package. Sadly, its another case of ‘great release, but subpar film’ and strictly one for devout horror fans who absolutely have to every slasher movie in their collection. Others should be sufficed with a one-shot watch. 1 for the movie, but a solid 4 or 5 for Arrow’s attention to detail.
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Amazon Customer
2.0 out of 5 stars Average movie ,excellent limited edition set
Reviewed in Australia on December 23, 2020
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Good product as always by arrow video but not much of a movie especially the theatrical cut with all the animal and insect shots I tried the theatrical cut and the international version I just couldn't get into the movie into either version ,I love slasher movies and some of the lesser known ones but wish I'd never purchased this one , I'd read one review comparing it to Just before dawn but that movie is far better than this one , The Prey has the odd effective scene but overall the movies parts are better than its whole
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