Scalps (1983 film)

The film was re-edited by the distributor. Ray later recalled:

The cut we turned in was the one we wanted. Unfortunately being pretty green about that end of the business we also gave them, the distributor, the trims and outs and the result was their "improved" version. The Lion head was only meant to be seen for one or two seconds, but we shot a lot of it in order to have footage to choose from. It was a big mistake giving 21st Century the leftovers, but I don't think anyone would have guessed what was going to happen with it. They also cut in some shots of the killer Indian before he actually appeared in the story. It was maddening.^[2]

The film was given a limited release theatrically in the United States by 21st Century Film Corporation beginning in December 1983.^[3]

The film was released in the U.S. on a double feature video format by Continental Video alongside another feature - The Slayer. It was cut by five minutes or so, in order to make room for the second feature, but all the gruesome scenes and violence are intact.^[4]

The film was released on DVD by Olen Ray's Retromedia Entertainment in 2004.^[5] This release is currently out of print.

Ray says the film mentioned at the end, Scalps 2: The Return of D.J. was a joke, one he used on Phantom Empire and Hollywood Chainsaw Hookers. "I used to promise sequels where I never intended to do them." He says, though, that a fan once sent him a fan-made sequel.^[2]

The film was loosely remade in 2004 as Blood Desert by Stegath Dorr.

88 Films released the film on Blu-ray in 2016.

• Scalps at IMDb
• Review of film at Hysteria Lives