Prey (1978)

Country of Origin: UK
Year of Production: 1977
Running Times: 73 mins 43 sec (UK video (18 rated version))     85 mins
Length: 7614 ft
Format: Eastmancolor     35mm
Ratio:
Sound:

PRODUCTION
Production Company: Tymar Film Productions
Executive Producer: Kevin J. O'Driscoll
Producers: Terry Marcel, David Wimbury
Production Supervisor: Derek Kavanagh

SCRIPT
Script: Max Cuff
Story: Quinn Donoghue, David Wimbury, Terry Marcel

DIRECTION
Director: Norman J. Warren
Assistant Directors: Iain White, Nigel Goldsack

PHOTOGRAPHY
Lighting Cameraman: Derek Browne
Cameras and Lighting: Lee Electric

EDITING AND POST PRODUCTION
Editor: Alan Jones

MUSIC
Music: Ivor Slaney

SOUND
Sound Recordists: Robin Gregory, Terry Sharrat, Bob Jones, Doug Turner
Sound Editor: Jim Roddan
Sound Services: Delta

MAKE UP AND COSTUMES
Make Up: Harry Frampton
Costumes: Tiny Nicholls

DESIGN AND SET CONSTRUCTION
Art Director: Hayden Pearce

MISCELLANEOUS
Continuity: Zelda Rubinstein
Production Accountant: Kevin J. O'Driscoll
Production Assistant: Beryl Harvey
Assistant to Producer: Francine Taylor
Publicity: Lyna Levy

LOCATIONS
Studio: Shepperton Studios, London, England, UK

STUNTS
Stunt Coordinator: Eddie Stacey

CAST
Glory Annen (Jessica)
Sally Faulkner (Jo)
Barry Stokes (Anderson / Kator)
Sandy Chinney (Sandy)
Eddie Stacey (1st policeman)
Gerry Crampton (2nd policeman)

A carniverous alien, Kator, comes to Earth and adopts human guise. He finds his way into the secluded home of lesbian couple Jessica and Josephine who take him in. But the possessive Josephine becomes increasingly unstable while the alien, christened Anderson by the women, has its own deadly agenda to fulfill...

Another of those undervalued 70s British horror movies that have seen better critical times in recent years. Though at times a bit sluggish (that torturous slow motion scene in the pond was a big mistake), the film has a strange, off-kilter atmosphere that marks it apart from its contemporaries. There's an air of mental and sexual malaise that runs throughout the film that is well realised by both Warren and his cast - Faulkner in particular is excellent as the clearly deranged Josephine. The climactic gore scenes are among the most jolting in any British horror film.

UK
Theatrical Distributor: Supreme
Video Distributors: Videomedia; Stablecane; Vampix; Redemption

USA
Video Distributor: Cinema Group Video; Comet Video; Continental Video

UK
Rating: X; 18
18 version cut by 11 seconds in 1995

1977
May
23: UK - production begins

November
2: UK - rated X by the BBFC

Alien Prey - US title

MAGAZINES

Flesh and Blood no.5 (September 1995) p.14 (UK)
illustrated article

Monthly Film Bulletin vol.45 no.533 (June 1978) p.119 (UK)
credits, synopsis, review

Screen International no.87 (14 May 1977) p.5 (UK)
illustrated note (Technicians to make own film)

Screen International no.89 (28 May 1977) p.9 (UK)
credits

Screen International no.91 (11 June 1977) p.6 (UK)
illustrated article (Ready, steady, film...! by Colin Vaines)

BOOKS

Elliot's Guide to Films on Video p.619
credits, review

English Gothic p.230
review (by Jonathan Rigby)

Ten Years of Terror pp.282-284
illustrated credits, review (by Tim Greaves)

aliens, lesbianism, shapeshifters, rape, ufos, cannibalism

Last Updated: 1 January, 2009