David A. Prior

In 1983, David A. Prior made his directorial debut Sledgehammer with his brother Ted. The film tells the story of a young boy who murdered his mother and her lover with a sledgehammer. Ten years after the murder and the child's mysterious disappearance, a group of teens stay in the house for a weekend when they are terrorized by the ghost of the little boy.

In 1985, he made action film Killzone. Both early films were shot on location in southern California.[4]

Around this time Prior met by veteran producer, and director David Winters and with him the founded Action International Pictures also known as AIP. In 1987, AIP released three of his directorial efforts. The first was Killer Workout, where the story revolves around a Los Angeles fitness club owner, whose twin sister was burned in a tanning salon two years ago. A detective begins to investigate the gym, after several of its members are brutally murdered by an unknown attacker.[5] Second was, Deadly Prey tells the story of a former soldier (Ted Prior) who is kidnapped for participation in a human safari. Third was Mankillers, about an all-female combat squad to Colombia to stop a renegade agent who has hired himself out to a drug cartel and white slaver. Unfortunately, the agent's recruits consists of prison convicts - murderesses, sociopaths, bank robbers, etc. These women are guaranteed clean slates on their records if the mission is successfully pulled off. The made for VHS film gained a second audience two decades later as cult film that found its way on the internet.[6][7]

In 1988, he directed Operation Warzone, an American Vietnam War film. The film is about three U.S. Army soldiers, Sgt. Holt, Butler and Adams, survive a Viet Cong ambush and rescue two undercover American agents, named Hawkins and Jensen, whom are seeking out a mysterious Intelligence agent, known only as 'the General' who has classified documents detailing an illegal arms deal between a corrupt general.[8] That year he also directed Night Wars and Death Chase.

In 1989, he directed Rapid Fire about a former government agent, is forced to come out of retirement by his former superior officer. That year he also directed Future Force a science-fiction film starring David Carradine, where he plays a bounty hunter, must protect a woman reporter from a gang of renegade cops.[9] His third film that year was Hell on the Battleground.

In 1990, he directed six films White Fury, Invasion Force, The Lost Platoon, Lock 'n' Load, Invasion Force, Future Zone, and The Final Sanction. He also wrote the screenplays for Born Killer and Deadly Dancer.[10][11]

In 1991, he produced Dark Rider, starring Joe Estevez, and The Last Ride. The year he wrote and directed Raw Nerve, starring Glenn Ford (in his last film role), Jan-Michael Vincent, Sandahl Bergman and Traci Lords.

In 1992, he wrote and directed the film Center of the Web, starring Robert Davi, Tony Curtis, Charlene Tilton, and Charles Napier.[12] He also produced Armed for Action and Blood on the Badge, both starring Joe Estevez.[13][14]

In 1993, he directed Double Threat, with Sally Kirkland, Andrew Stevens, Richard Lynch, Sherrie Rose, Anthony Franciosa, and Chick Vennera, and the horror-thriller film Night Trap (which won a Gold Award at the WorldFest Houston for best Fantasy/Horror), starring Robert Davi, Michael Ironside, Lesley-Anne Down, Margaret Avery, John Amos, Lydie Denier, and Mike Starr.[15][16][17][18]

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, Robert Hays, and Stacy Keach.[19][20]

In 1995, he wrote Codename: Silencer, co-starring Steven Bauer, Brigitte Nielsen, Sonny Chiba, Brigitte Nielsen, and Jan-Michael Vincent. Also that year he directed Felony and Mutant Species.

In 1997, he produced The P.A.C.K..

In 1999, he directed Hostile Environment with Brigitte Nielsen, Matthias Hues, and Darren Shahlavi.

From 2000 to 2006, Prior was on an hiatus for unknown reasons. He eventually partnered up with an investor and continued directing this started with the release of Lost at War in 2007.[21]

In 2008, he wrote and directed Zombie Wars. The film is about a zombie apocalypse, humanity is enslaved by zombies. Bred in captivity for food, these humans receive no education or training. Bands of free humans work to free the captives and turn the tide against the zombies.

He also wrote the screenplay of The One Warrior in 2011.

In 2012, he made the horror film Night Claws, the film tells the tale of a killer Bigfoot who terrorizes a small town. The cast consists of Reb Brown, Frank Stallone, Leilani Sarelle, Sherrie Rose, and, Ted Prior.[22]

In 2013, he wrote and directed Deadliest Prey, a sequel to Deadly Prey. Many of the same cast returned and it was well received.[23][24]

In 2015, he was as writer for the screenplay of David Winters' Dancin': It's On!.[25] Also he wrote and directed Relentless Justice the film stars Leilani Sarelle, Vernon Wells, Lisa Langlois, Mark Rolston, Sherrie Rose, and Eric Roberts.[26][27]