David A. Prior (October 24, 1955 – August 16, 2015) was an American director, screenwriter, and producer.[1] Prior started his career with the horror film Sledgehammer (1983), and the action film Killzone (1985). Shortly after, he co-founded Action International Pictures (AIP),[2] his first directorial effort with this enterprise were Deadly Prey, Aerobicide, and Mankillers released in 1987. Subsequently, Prior made action films until the late 1990s.
David A. Prior | |
|---|---|
 Photo of David A. Prior on a film set, taken between 2007 and 2015 | |
| Born | October 24, 1955 Newark, New Jersey, U.S. |
| Died | August 16, 2015 (aged 59) Mobile, Alabama, U.S. |
| Occupation(s) | Film director, screenwriter, producer |
| Years active | 1983–2015 |
| Relatives | Ted Prior (brother) |
Many of these films would star his bodybuilder brother Ted, and many of their collaborations became cult films.
From 2000 to 2006, Prior went on a hiatus. From 2007 to his death in 2015, he continued directing films including Lost at War (2007), Zombie Wars (2008), Night Claws (2012), Deadliest Prey (2013), and Relentless Justice (2015).
Career
edit1983-1985: Early films
editIn 1983, Prior made his directorial debut with the horror film Sledgehammer. Katie Rife of The A.V. Club said the film "has the distinction of being the first shot-on-video slasher movie. That film established patterns that would persist throughout Prior’s career, namely, extremely low budgets, hammy dialogue, outrageous action, and, most importantly, the presence of his brother Ted".[3]
In 1985, he directed the action film Killzone.[3]
1987-1999: Action and horror film director
editAround this time Prior met with veteran producer and director David Winters, and with him he founded Action International Pictures also known as AIP. In 1987, Prior's directorial efforts that AIP released were the horror film Killer Workout,[4] the action films Deadly Prey, and Mankillers. The made for VHS film gained a second audience two decades later as cult film that found its way on the internet.[5][6]
In 1988, he directed Operation Warzone, an American Vietnam War film, Night Wars and Death Chase.[7]
In 1989, he directed Rapid Fire, Future Force a science-fiction film starring David Carradine,[8] and Hell on the Battleground.
In 1990, he is credited as the director of following films White Fury, Invasion Force, The Lost Platoon, Lock 'n' Load, Invasion Force, Future Zone,(Future Force's sequel) and The Final Sanction. That year, he was credited with the screenplays for Born Killer and Deadly Dancer.[9][10]
In 1991, he produced Dark Rider and The Last Ride. That year, he wrote and directed Raw Nerve.
In 1992, he wrote and directed the film Center of the Web, starring Robert Davi, Tony Curtis, Charlene Tilton, and Charles Napier.[11] He also produced Armed for Action and Blood on the Badge, both starring Joe Estevez.[12][13]
In 1993, AIP was rebranded West Side Studios, to signal that the company would work with bigger budgets and become more mainstream.[14] With the advancements of the company, Prior directed two films. One of them is Double Threat, with Sally Kirkland and Andrew Stevens.[15] The other horror-thriller film Night Trap (which won a Gold Award at the WorldFest Houston for best Fantasy/Horror), starring Robert Davi.[16][17]
In 1994, he directed the thriller Raw Justice (which won a Bronze Award at the WorldFest Charleston for best Theatrical Feature Film – Dramatic), starring Pamela Anderson, David Keith, and Robert Hays.[18][17]
In 1995, he directed Felony and Mutant Species. Also that year he wrote Codename: Silencer.
In 1997, he produced The P.A.C.K..
In 1999, he directed Hostile Environment with Brigitte Nielsen, Matthias Hues, and Darren Shahlavi.
2000 to 2015: Hiatus and final projects
editFrom 2000 to 2006, Prior was on an hiatus.[19]
In 2007, Prior returned to directing with Lost at War.[19]
On March 15, 2009, Prior's Zombie Wars, a zombie apocalypse film, screened at the first Paranoia Horror Film Festival.[20][21]
He also wrote the screenplay of The One Warrior released in 2011.
In 2012, he directed the bigfoot horror film Night Claws, starring Reb Brown.[22]
In 2013, he wrote and directed Deadliest Prey, a sequel to Deadly Prey.[23][24] On making a sequel, Ted said that he and David "decided to do a sequel based on fan mail, screenings, and all that stuff. I’ve talked to lot of fans of the movie, and after having all kinds of ideas thrown at us, Dave and I have decided to stick to the basic formula as the original. Fast pace and hard hitting."[25]
In 2015, he was as writer for the screenplay of David Winters's Dancin': It's On!.[26] Also he wrote and directed Relentless Justice starring Leilani Sarelle.[27][28]
Death
editPrior died on August 16, 2015, at the age of 59. His death was described by his brother Ted as "a long battle of failing health".[29]
Filmography
edit| Year | Title | Director | Writer | Producer | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1983 | Sledgehammer | Yes | Yes | No | First shot-on-video slasher movie |
| 1985 | Killzone | Yes | Yes | No | |
| 1987 | Mankillers | Yes | Yes | No | |
| Killer Workout | Yes | Yes | Co-producer | Also editor | |
| Deadly Prey | Yes | Yes | No | ||
| 1988 | Operation Warzone | Yes | Yes | No | |
| Night Wars | Yes | Yes | No | ||
| Death Chase | Yes | Yes | No | ||
| 1989 | Jungle Assault | Yes | Yes | Executive | Also cameo role as "Drug Runner" |
| Rapid Fire | Yes | Yes | Yes | Also casting director | |
| Hell on the Battleground | Yes | Yes | No | ||
| Future Force | Yes | Yes | No | ||
| 1990 | Lock 'n' Load | Yes | Yes | No | |
| White Fury | Yes | Yes | No | ||
| Born Killer | No | Yes | Executive | Also second unit director | |
| Invasion Force | Yes | Yes | No | Also uncredited cameo as "Director in final shot" | |
| Future Zone | Yes | Yes | No | Also editor | |
| The Final Sanction | Yes | Yes | No | ||
| Deadly Dancer | No | Yes | No | ||
| 1991 | That's Action | Yes | Yes | Executive | Documentary film Also editor |
| The Lost Platoon | Yes | Yes | No | ||
| Raw Nerve | Yes | Yes | No | ||
| 1992 | Center of the Web | Yes | Yes | No | |
| 1993 | Double Threat | Yes | Yes | No | |
| Night Trap | Yes | Yes | No | ||
| 1994 | Raw Justice | Yes | Yes | No | |
| 1995 | Mutant Species | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
| Felony | Yes | Yes | No | ||
| Body Count | No | Yes | No | ||
| 1997 | The P.A.C.K. | No | Yes | Executive | |
| 1999 | Hostile Environment | Yes | No | Yes | |
| 2007 | Lost at War | Yes | Yes | Yes | Also editor |
| 2008 | Zombie Wars | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
| 2011 | The One Warrior | No | Yes | Executive | |
| 2012 | Night Claws | Yes | Yes | Yes | Also editor |
| 2013 | Deadliest Prey | Yes | Yes | Yes | Also editor, casting director and cameo role as "Man in Van" |
| 2015 | Dancin': It's On! | No | Yes | No | Posthumously released |
| Rentless Justice | Yes | Yes | Executive | Uncredited executive producer and also editor Posthumously released | |
| TBA | Assassin's Fury | Yes | Yes | Yes | Uncompleted; Also editor Shot in 2015 before his death with post-production being stopped cause of that. |
Executive producer only
edit- The Last Ride (1991)
- Presumed Guilty (1991) (Co-executive; Uncredited)
- Dark Rider (1991)
- Armed for Action (1992)
- Blood on the Badge (1992)
Assistant director
edit- Space Mutiny (1988) (Uncredited director: BellerIan Sequences)
- The Hostage (1998)
References
edit- ^ Massaccesi, Francesco (March 31, 2011). "Intervista a David A. Prior" (in Italian). www.nocturno.it. Archived from the original on January 18, 2013. Retrieved November 1, 2012.
- ^ "R.I.P. David A. Prior Dies At Age 59". Bloody Disgusting. August 17, 2015. Retrieved August 18, 2015.
- ^ a b "R.I.P. David A. Prior, direct-to-video legend and director of Deadly Prey". The A.V. Club. August 18, 2015. Archived from the original on April 8, 2019. Retrieved January 14, 2017.
- ^ "Blu-ray Special Features Revealed for KILLER WORKOUT, SHOCK 'EM DEAD & More". Daily Dead. August 7, 2015. Archived from the original on April 8, 2019. Retrieved April 8, 2019.
- ^ "INTERVIEW: David A. Prior from Deadly Prey | Cinedelphia". cinedelphia.com. Archived from the original on April 8, 2019. Retrieved April 8, 2019.
- ^ Rigney, Todd (August 18, 2015). "Killer Workout Director David A. Prior Passes Away". Dread Central. Archived from the original on April 8, 2019. Retrieved April 8, 2019.
- ^ Budnik, Daniel R. (2017). "Operation Warzone". '80s Action Movies on the Cheap. North Carolina: McFarland & Company Inc. p. 190. ISBN 978-0-7864-9741-6.
- ^ Budnik, Daniel R. (2017). "Future Force". '80s Action Movies on the Cheap. North Carolina: McFarland & Company Inc. p. 220. ISBN 978-0-7864-9741-6.
- ^ Now and Then We Time Travel: Visiting Pasts and Futures in Film and Television, By Fraser A. Sherman - Page 208 Future Zone (1990)
- ^ Comeuppance Reviews, 5/15/2018 - Invasion Force (1990)
- ^ "Center Of The Web | TV Guide". TVGuide.com. Retrieved April 10, 2019.
- ^ "Armed For Action | TV Guide". TVGuide.com. Retrieved April 10, 2019.
- ^ "Blood On The Badge | TV Guide". TVGuide.com. Retrieved April 10, 2019.
- ^ Klein, Richard (February 26, 1993). "AIP renamed West Side Studios". Variety. Retrieved April 8, 2019.
- ^ "Double Threat | TV Guide". TVGuide.com. Retrieved April 10, 2019.
- ^ "Mardi Gras For The Devil | TV Guide". TVGuide.com. Retrieved April 10, 2019.
- ^ a b "Davis Winters". Dance Mogul Magazine. July 1, 2012. Retrieved May 11, 2019.
- ^ "Raw Justice | TV Guide". TVGuide.com. Retrieved April 10, 2019.
- ^ a b "Direct-to-Video Pioneer DAVID A. PRIOR - The Career Restrospective [sic]". We Are Movie Geeks. September 12, 2018. Archived from the original on April 8, 2019. Retrieved April 8, 2019.
- ^ Gingold, Michael (March 5, 2009). "CA's Paranoia Fest debuts with strong movie lineup". Fangoria. Archived from the original on April 5, 2009. Retrieved December 2, 2013.
- ^ Dendle, Peter (2012). The Zombie Movie Encyclopedia: Volume 2, 2000-2010. McFarland Publishing. pp. 232–233. ISBN 978-0-7864-6163-9.
- ^ Standal, Jeanne (November 22, 2012). "First trailer & poster for Apex Predator aka Night Claws!". FilmoFilia. Archived from the original on April 8, 2019. Retrieved April 8, 2019.
- ^ Tal, Tim (January 28, 2014). "Director David A. Prior talks "Deadliest Prey" (exclusive)". BZFilm.com. Archived from the original on April 8, 2019. Retrieved April 8, 2019.
- ^ "THE MUSCLE OF HORROR RETURNS! An Interview with David Prior: Deadly Director". Tavern of Terror. February 9, 2014. Archived from the original on April 8, 2019. Retrieved April 8, 2019.
- ^ "Interview with cult B-action film actor Ted Prior". August 15, 2011. Retrieved February 17, 2023.
- ^ Dancin' It's On! (DVD). Hannover House. 2014. HH4468.
- ^ "David A Prior |". Archived from the original on April 8, 2019. Retrieved April 8, 2019.
- ^ "INTERVIEW: Bristol Bad Film Club speaks to David A. Prior, director of Deadly Prey". Bristol Bad Film Club. September 16, 2014. Archived from the original on April 8, 2019. Retrieved April 8, 2019.
- ^ JonathanBarkan (August 17, 2015). "R.I.P. David A. Prior Dies At Age 59". Bloody Disgusting!. Archived from the original on April 8, 2019. Retrieved April 8, 2019.
Works cited
edit- Dendle, Peter (2012). The Zombie Movie Encyclopedia: Volume 2, 2000-2010. North Carolina: McFarland Publishing. ISBN 978-0-7864-6163-9.
- Budnik, Daniel R. (2017). '80s Action Movies on the Cheap. North Carolina: McFarland & Company Inc. ISBN 9780786497416