deserved it." Stine also commented on the film's gore, calling it "standard," and noted the monster makeup as "shoddy." Home media Thorn EMI Video released the film on VHS in the United States in 1988, featuring the original 80-minute theatrical cut. The Prey remained unavailable on DVD and Blu-ray until 2019, when Arrow Films announced a 2-disc Blu-ray release, featuring a new restoration and three different cuts of the film. The restored theatrical version of the film was screened at the 2019 Texas Frightmare Weekend with stars Lori Lethin, Carel Struycken, and Jackson Bostwick in attendance. The Blu-ray was released on September 17, 2019 in the United Kingdom, with a street date of October 1 in North America. Alternative cut An alternative international home video cut of The Prey, which runs approximately 97 minutes, incorporates an expository flashback and eliminates 6 minutes of the nature footage present in the original 80-minute cut. The flashback, set in 1948, elucidates the origins of the film's killer, only alluded to by the forest ranger, Lester Tile, in the theatrical cut. The flashback entails two men who commit arson at the gypsy commune after one of the men finds that a gypsy has had sex with his wife; it is implied that the killer, then a child, was maimed in this fire. The additional footage featured in this sequence was shot by an unknown director in the summer of 1981, and was incorporated as a campfire story told by Joel to his friends. In order to make the insertion of the footage more seamless, dubbing from an unknown actor was used in place of Steve Bond. This flashback sequence is present on several international VHS editions, including the Japanese release, and was added at the insistence of Essex Productions executive Joseph Steinman, who wanted the film to contain more nudity. The flashback features several sex scenes. Edwin Brown stated in 2019 that he had no involvement in the writing or filming of this footage, and felt it was "badly shot and badly edited." Notes and references Notes References Sources External links 1983 films 1983 horror films 1983 independent films 1980s horror thriller films 1980s mystery films 1980s serial killer films 1980s slasher films 1980s teen horror films American independent films American monster movies American natural horror films American slasher films American teen horror films Backwoods slasher films 1980s English-language films Films set in forests