Prey (1977 film)

Prey
File:Prey (1977 film).jpg DVD cover
Directed by	Norman J. Warren
Produced by	Terry Marcel David Wimbury
Screenplay by	Max Cuff
Story by	Quinn Donoghue
Based on	The Fox (1922) by D. H. Lawrence
Starring	Barry Stokes Glory Annen Sally Faulkner
Music by	Ivor Slaney
Cinematography	Derek V. Browne
Edited by	Alan Jones
Production company	Tymar Film Productions
Distributed by	Premier Releasing
Release dates	1977
Running time	85 minutes
Country	United Kingdom
Language	English

Prey (also known as Alien Prey) is a 1977 British independent science fiction horror film directed by Norman J. Warren and starring Barry Stokes, Glory Annen and Sally Faulkner. Its plot, which focuses on two lesbian lovers and the interruption of their secluded lifestyle by a male (and extraterrestrial) outsider, is influenced by D. H. Lawrence's 1922 novella The Fox.

Plot

A bloodthirsty, shapeshifting alien named Kator, the scout of an invasion force, lands in rural England. Murdering a young couple, he assumes the identity of the boyfriend. Going by the name Anders, he is then taken in by a lesbian couple, Jessica and Josephine, who live in a manor house nearby. His arrival tests the relationship between the two women, who harbour a dark secret of their own. Killing and sampling the meat of chickens, a fox, a pet bird and two policemen, Kator then brings his carnivorous nature to bear on Jessica and Josephine.

Cast

• Barry Stokes as Anders/Kator
• Glory Annen as Jessica
• Sally Faulkner as Josephine
• Sandy Chinney as Sandy, Anders' girlfriend
• Eddie Stacey and Jerry Crampton as Policemen

Production

The basic story concept was devised by producer Terry Marcel and pitched to Warren, who was intrigued by the proposal and immediately agreed to direct the film. Warren describes Prey as his "most hectic" production but also "an amazing experience and a lot of fun".

The film's entire cast, limited by the small budget, was sourced from a single agent. Barry Stokes and Glory Annen would go on to appear in Warren's science-fiction sex comedy Spaced Out (1979).

Production designer Hayden Pearce hired Littleton House in Littleton Park, Surrey (the original site of Shepperton Studios) to serve as the location of Jessica and Josephine's country house. The crew were allowed to redecorate the rooms as necessary and, to this end, were permitted to use any of the items in the studios' prop store. According to Warren, the "crazy" mixture of styles reflected the lifestyle of the characters and "certainly helped create the right atmosphere".

As scheduling at Shepperton was tight, Warren was given just three weeks for pre-production and ten days for the actual filming. He recalls that "everyone was working flat out – there wasn't any sitting around waiting." The use of an experienced crew, who had previously been assigned to a Pink Panther film, allowed the production meet its deadline. The filming was also helped by the weather, which was sunny and warm throughout.

Filming started without a finished script, the cast receiving new lines every morning. According to Warren, "dear old Max Cuff was trying to keep up with us. He was writing like mad." Some scenes – including a sex scene between the two female leads – were largely or completely improvised. Warren describes the premise of the film as "intimate" and situation-driven, arguing that the light script and small cast allowed the characters to become more developed over the course of filming. He states that, because of the favourable weather, he wanted to tell the story in a "leisurely and relaxed way" while maintaining an "underlying sense of tension and uncertainty"; he believes that the slow build-up made for a more shocking conclusion.

At Marcel's insistence, a prolonged slow-motion sequence in which Jessica and Josephine prevent Anders/Kator from drowning in a lake was left uncut in the finished edit. The scene was filmed on the first day of shooting. Film crews had been using the lake as a dumping ground for years, with the result that the water had become stagnant, and – according to Warren – smelt "horrendous". Actress Glory Annen was unable to swim at the time.

Although the score is mostly synthesised for budgetary reasons, it does feature a number of traditional instruments, including a piano, which composer Ivor Slaney played himself. Slaney also scored Warren's next film, Terror (1978).

Edits

• In the UK, in 1977, Premier Releasing submitted the film for certification to the British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) for a cinema release. The film was certified "X", precursor of the "18" certificate after unspecified cuts had been made. The submitted running time was 85 minutes.
• In Canada, in 1984, Studio One Film and Video Inc released an unrated 85 minute edition on VHS cassette in the NTSC format under the title Alien Prey.
• Subsequently, further editions of the film were shortened by about 4 minutes. Using the Studio One edition as a reference, the deleted scenes and clips are: at 00:30:00, Jessica talks to Anders about being scared, Josephine talks about music, in the bedroom Jessica and Josephine argue about Anders, and finally in the kitchen Jessica and Anders talk. This sequence is three and a half minutes. At 00:36:15 a 10 second shot of Anders sitting in a chair is deleted, at 01:15:00 a door opening is shortened by 1 second, at 01:21:15 a 10 second sequence of Anders eating flesh and Josephine running down a corridor is deleted.
• In the UK, the BBFC has certified a shortened version of the film "18" for home entertainment on three occasions: in 1986, Stablecane Ltd issued a video after 10 seconds of cuts had been made; in 1995, Arthouse Productions Ltd issued a video after 11 seconds of cuts had been made; in 2004, Anchor Bay Entertainment UK Ltd issued an extended cut of the film as part of the Norman J. Warren Coffin-Box DVD Collection but the four minutes of deleted scenes were not part of this edition.
• In the USA, Salvation Films, using its Redemption label has issued unrated editions of the film on DVD on two occasions, in 2004 and in 2009. Both editions are of the shortened version.
• In France, in 2006, NEO Publishing issued the film on DVD in the PAL format under the title, Le Zombie venu D'Ailleurs. Again, this is the shortened version despite NEO claiming it to be of 85 minutes duration.

Home media

As well as releases on home video on VHS in NTSC and Pal formats, the film has had several releases in DVD format. Perhaps the best known is as part of Anchor Bay's Norman J Warren Collection. The DVD of 'Prey' contains several extra features including a making-of, still gallery, and audio commentary with Norman J. Warren. Terry Marcel and Sally Faulkner, alongside Hayden Pearce and Alan Jones the editor are interviewed for the making-of. Barry Stokes, who has retired from acting, declined to take part.

External links

• Prey at IMDb
• Prey at AllMovie
• Prey at Rotten Tomatoes
• Anchor Bay Entertainment official UK website
• Salvation Films company website