BADass SINema Unearthed - Blu-ray 4K UHD Review

Movie Review

Aliens in drag serving up a hot mess of sexploitation stew? A thousand times YES!

Zombies from outer space have landed and they are in search of, at least in this movie, leggy lesbian protein packs on two legs. Luckily, the earth is loaded with these “easy” targets – especially if your human disguise is of an attractive male. If that set-up doesn’t peak your interest in checking out this rich festival of rock and schlock sleaze, then you just might be dead inside already. Prey, directed by Norman J. Warren (Satan’s Slave, Terror), is as seriously disturbing as it is a rich commentary on the unforeseen consequences of control and jealousy.

This odd science fiction horror movie – hailing from an experimental time in British cinema that is sorely missed – is what happens when the alien lust in The Man Who Fell to Earth crosses paths with the sudden brutality of Straw Dogs. It’s wickedly irreverent in a sort of way that immediately suggests the cheeky territory of Roger Corman by way of the BBC and yet stays on point as a slow burn of a meditation on the nature of separatism as two lesbians find themselves housing a killer alien named Kator (Barry Stokes) who has it in for their pet bird, some swans, a fox, and, thanks to their own jealousies, them.

After a few mundane and cheesy kills in the woods, Prey reveals itself to be more than just unintentionally hilarious thanks to the rather wonky dialogue that was probably created on the spot as this one was filmed in a quick 10 days with pocket change and 35mm ends. This is a film that wants to examine power and authority within a strange relationship already existing between a bitchy woman and her rather innocent and uninformed lover. You can tell all is not well and that’s even before the alien comes to reside in their home.

Soon enough, the couple – when their dark secrets are uncovered – turns its tables on this alien who thinks he’s at a protein buffet in an isolated manor as the women, Jessica-Ann (Glory Annen) and Josephine (Sally Faulkner), make him the pawn in their game of jealousy and chicken killing. Thing is, he’s far too unconcerned – DO SOMETHING BESIDES SIT THERE, DAMN IT – to be caught up in their hit parade of makeshift graves and confrontations to do anything but feed on meat.

This bizarro film is rather laid back in its obligation of creating suspense and lets the idyllic locations of the English countryside dominate the senses. Every once and awhile, though, it shocks viewers awake again. At the midway point, there is a scene of drowning that will fill your own lungs with water. It’s brutal, raw, and absolutely works in providing an unnerving sense of unease through the remainder of this weird title.

Prey is the absolute high-water mark for Warren’s film output. I’m not saying it is the best movie ever made about aliens and lesbians but it certainly is one of the most memorable. What other film is there in which the three main characters throw a hide-and-seek themed party about the killing of a fox? The movie is now available on blu-ray thanks to Vinegar Syndrome’s region free Blu-ray/DVD combo pack.

Film Details

MPAA Rating: Unrated.
Runtime: 85 mins
Director: Norman J. Warren
Writer: Max Cuff
Cast: Barry Stokes, Sally Faulkner, Glory Annen
Genre: Horror |Sci-fi
Tagline: His savage hunger makes us all... Alien Prey.
Memorable Movie Quote: "Kator calling command ship, send advance parties immediately. I've now established humans high in protein... and easy prey."
Theatrical Distributor:
Official Site: Release Date: November 16, 1976
DVD/Blu-ray Release Date: February 27, 2018
Synopsis: An alien craft carrying a being with foxlike features has landed in the middle of rural England. After brutally murdering a young couple, the being animates himself into the body of the man he killed, adopting the name Anders. Upon being discovered by a reclusive lesbian couple, who mistake him for an injured drifter, they invite him to recover in their isolated home, unaware of his innate bloodlust...

Blu-ray Details

Special limited edition embossed package (designed by Derek Gabryszak) limited to 1,500 units!
Home Video Distributor: Vinegar Syndrome
Available on Blu-ray - February 27, 2018
Screen Formats: 1.66:1
Subtitles: English SDH
Audio: English: DTS-HD Master Audio Mono
Discs: Blu-ray Disc; Two-disc set
Region Encoding: Region A

Newly scanned in 2K, Vinegar Syndrome’s 1.66:1 HD release of Prey is another fantastic entry in their continuing output of forgotten B-movies. Colors are pumped up thanks to the color correcting. Shadows are more defined than ever. Interior scenes have depth and warmth and the exterior shots feel alive and vibrant. There are textures in the clothes of the cast and in the greens surrounding the manor. Overall, there is more vibrancy to what has previously been issued on 1080p. The sound is presented in a thunderous DTS-HD Master Audio Mono that adds a bit more thump to some of the action scenes.

Commentary:

Provided by director Norman J. Warren and actress Sally Faulkner, Prey’s commentary sheds some light on this film’s 10-day shoot.

Special Features:

With new interviews from Norman J. Warren, Sally Faulkner, and producer Terry Marcel, the supplemental items are solid entries into this film’s weird history. The release features a special limited edition embossed package that is designed by Derek Gabryszak and is limited to just 1,500 units.