Year of release question

From my understanding this wasn't released theatrically until 1983, even though it was made in 1981. It's a highly underrated little chiller, but you need to be in the right mood for it, while forgetting Bill Paxton was pretty much just starting out.

You can rest your mind at last, you've resolved the horrors past...

My poster for the movie has a 1983 copyright. That would be the year of its theaterical release.

The film was in pre-production as early as 1980, but was filmed between April and July 1981 in and around Los Angeles. It sat on the shelf until it was picked up by Film Ventures International and released to screens regionally in 1983 and again in 1984. Because of the huge glut of slasher films made in the wake of HALLOWEEN and FRIDAY THE 13TH many films struggled to get distribution, and this was one of them.