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Justin's Halloween Special:
'A Night at the Prom'
What’s Prom Night you ask? Most have probably been aware of the Prom Night Remake which came out early 2008 but most are probably unaware that while it is a remake of a film made 28 years prior it is also the fifth entry in one of the most criminally underrated and underseen horror franchises ever. In honor of this Halloween season, I’ll take you to a NIGHT AT THE PROM! (cue scary music)
Prom Night
I know I just raved about the franchise but for some strange reason, the series starts out very poorly. It’s not very often that a horror franchise starts out so badly. Well, bad is being a little harsh but the film is pretty mediocre. There are definitely a few moments that I really enjoyed here and there but overall the film is clean cut slasher formula; done with little flair or creativity.
The plot is very, very simple and if you’ve seen “I Know What You Did Last Summer”, you’ve basically seen this film in terms of the plot. A group of kids accidently cause the death of a young girl after a game/prank goes awry. Then many years later on the night of their senior Prom, an unseen killer starts to pick them off for the horrible crime that they had kept a secret for so long. As I said, it’s really by the book type stuff. I think what hurts the movie the most is the pacing. Nothing happens for a long time and the bodies don’t start to fall until very late the film and even then, not many do. The build up wouldn’t so painful if the characters weren’t painfully bland and uninteresting. Jamie Lee Curtis acts as the poster child coming off of her Halloween fame (for no reason there’s an incredibly drawn out scene where she dances at the prom) but even she isn’t very interesting. Everything is taken way to seriously as well so it never really is a ‘so-cheesy-and-bad-that’s-it-good’ type of deal. The movie also has a significant lack of gore or any real scares or tension meaning that the actual horror is kind of absent. It doesn’t help the killer’s appearance and mannerisms are not threatening in the least. So if the film isn’t fun or scary, it kind of misses both key targets of a horror film. There was one scene in particular that I rather enjoyed where the killer phones up all of the potential victims before the prom. This scene in which we only see the killer’s hands as he operates the phone is simple yet actually effective and creepy but one of the only such scenes in the film. ‘Prom Night’ is a mediocre slasher film at best and nothing more. Its characters are two dimensional crash dummies simply taking up screen time for a long while before they bite the dust. There’s little to no gore or actual scares and the final reveal at the end is just as mediocre as the rest of the film. If you really feel like checking it out to check out the whole series by all means go for it, but given the fact that the plot of the sequels has absolutely nothing to do with this film, I would just pass it up.
Final Rating: 2.5/5
The plot is very, very simple and if you’ve seen “I Know What You Did Last Summer”, you’ve basically seen this film in terms of the plot. A group of kids accidently cause the death of a young girl after a game/prank goes awry. Then many years later on the night of their senior Prom, an unseen killer starts to pick them off for the horrible crime that they had kept a secret for so long. As I said, it’s really by the book type stuff. I think what hurts the movie the most is the pacing. Nothing happens for a long time and the bodies don’t start to fall until very late the film and even then, not many do. The build up wouldn’t so painful if the characters weren’t painfully bland and uninteresting. Jamie Lee Curtis acts as the poster child coming off of her Halloween fame (for no reason there’s an incredibly drawn out scene where she dances at the prom) but even she isn’t very interesting. Everything is taken way to seriously as well so it never really is a ‘so-cheesy-and-bad-that’s-it-good’ type of deal. The movie also has a significant lack of gore or any real scares or tension meaning that the actual horror is kind of absent. It doesn’t help the killer’s appearance and mannerisms are not threatening in the least. So if the film isn’t fun or scary, it kind of misses both key targets of a horror film. There was one scene in particular that I rather enjoyed where the killer phones up all of the potential victims before the prom. This scene in which we only see the killer’s hands as he operates the phone is simple yet actually effective and creepy but one of the only such scenes in the film. ‘Prom Night’ is a mediocre slasher film at best and nothing more. Its characters are two dimensional crash dummies simply taking up screen time for a long while before they bite the dust. There’s little to no gore or actual scares and the final reveal at the end is just as mediocre as the rest of the film. If you really feel like checking it out to check out the whole series by all means go for it, but given the fact that the plot of the sequels has absolutely nothing to do with this film, I would just pass it up.
Final Rating: 2.5/5
Hello Mary Lou: Prom Night II
From now on I’ll just refer to the film as ‘Prom Night 2’ to avoid confusion. Never have I ever seen a sequel make such an enormous turn around in every way shape and form. The quality of the story, acting, effects, style, overall atmosphere: literally everything about the film is been pumped full of life. This is without a doubt THE most underrated horror film I’ve ever seen and one of the most underappreciated movies I’ve ever seen in general. It nails everything that a fun 80’s horror should be. First of all the tired and boring slasher premise has been swapped out for a more supernatural story which all in all plays out 100 times better. The film begins during Hamilton High’s 1957 prom where the cold and sinister Mary Lou Maloney is accidently killed by her vengeful boyfriend. 30 years later, he is now the principal of the school and Mary Lou’s demonic spirit possesses his son’s prom date. She then proceeds to exact her revenge working her way back to the man who caused her death in the first place. It’s a straightforward plot but it’s deeper than the previous installment and more interesting by a long shot. I actually think it will be hard for me to review this film because I just simply had a blast watching it. It was completely unexpected. It was cheesy in the best kind of way but It also had a surprisingly hefty amount of legitimately creepy moments. Mary Lou also makes a great villain and a surprisingly ruthless one at that. The film features a lot of cool and creative camera work as well, not to mention some really awesome effects scenes like a scene where a girl is sucked into a liquefied chalkboard or another scene where another girl hiding in a locker is crushed as the lockers close in around her. The movie also just flows incredibly well. While the first film dragged for what seemed like forever, I didn’t want ‘Prom Night 2’ to end. Even the simple fact that the film is competently made with decent acting, editing and an excellent score/soundtrack also took me by surprise.Now I’m sure some of my praise for this film comes from the fact that it follows a very bland first attempt not to mention that a quick search on the internet will reveal that this isn’t the most positively remembered film. But still I can’t deny that it is still a great horror film that does just about everything it should and does it right. It’s gory, slick, creepy, intense and damn entertaining. If there’s one ‘Prom Night’ to check out it is most certainly this one.
Final Rating: 5/5
Final Rating: 5/5
Prom Night III: The Last Kiss
‘Prom Night 3’ follows the same basic storyline of the previous film, keeping the Mary Lou as the villain. In fact it feels somewhat like a remake/sequel hybrid. In a few ways I actually like it better than ‘Prom Night 2’ but it definitely has it’s faults. This time around when Mary Lou is brought back to life she chooses an innocent student named Alex to be her escort. She hypnotizes him into helping her commit acts of revenge in which he has to clean up afterwards in order to save his own skin. Eventually Mary Lou tries to take Alex back to Hell to forever be her prom date. That may sound a little disjointed and that’s because it isn’t the clearest in the film. This time around the film definitely strives for black humor over actual horror and the films plays out like a typical dark comedy type plot with Alex having to constantly bury/dispose bodies after Mary Lou is done with them. I wouldn’t say it’s funny but it is humorous. There are definitely some pretty interesting and creative kills this time around, one involving ice cream being one particular death worth noting. What really, really makes the film for me is the last half hour or so where things really get kicked into high gear. I don’t want to spoil much but the words “zombie prom” may be involved. It actually becomes a totally different movie at this point which actually bumps up my score a fair bit. There’s even a seen resembling something from ‘Evil Dead’ where Alex is alone in his house wielding a shotgun. ‘Prom Night 3’ is most certainly a step down from the last installment mainly because it looks and feel a hell of a lot cheaper (poorer visuals, lame score, etc). The humor isn’t always on key either. Yet still somehow the movie managed to keep me watching and I’m glad I made it to the end because it really took me by surprise. I would also say that this one may not be as accessible to everyone as compared to ‘Prom Night 3’ because of its ultra low budget appearance but horror fans capable of stomaching cheaply made shlock should definitely watch it.
Final Rating: 4/5
Final Rating: 4/5
Prom Night IV: Deliver Us From Evil
The series abandons its supernatural Mary Lou plot and heads back to its slasher roots while creating a far more intriguing premise than the original. It’s got the cheap low budget visuals of the last installment but it’s got enough flair and fun to make it an actual worthwhile slasher romp.The film starts in the 50’s at Mary Lou’s prom as a not-so-subtle nod to the previous films. A crazy priest (Father Jonas) convinced that teenagers are horrible sinners for their lack of morals, offs a couple teens making out in a parked car and is subsequently held captive by the church. Over the years, Father Jonas stays locked away but eventually escapes and follows four teens to their post-prom “festivities” at a small country home. They get picked off one by one and so-on and so-forth. Standard stuff but it’s paced decently with a decent amount of tension before the blood begins to flow. Like the last two reviews, I think I’ll find it a little difficult to pin point exactly what was good about the film. It’s just so shocking that the fourth entry in a series (not to mention straight to video) with such poor visual aesthetics could entertain me so much. The story is entertaining and Father Jonas does a decent job as the villain and actually isn’t as goofy or overacted as one might think. He’s creepy and his motives are clear. With only four characters, we get to know them well and while there’s really nothing to write home about, the acting is competent and I was never really bored with any of them. The special effects and camera work are also decent but not as good as some of the other installments: sacrificing the supernatural elements doesn’t leave as much creativity and freedom with special effects.Overall the film has taken a step down from the cheese of the last film and tried to go more straightforward while still trying to have a bit of fun. It works. By no means is it a great film but it’s entertaining and another worth while entry in the franchise.
Final Rating 4/5
Final Rating 4/5
Prom Night (2008)
I feel the overpowering urge to apologize for recommending this series and in turn recommending this horror travesty. A good way to sum up way the film looks and feels is that it almost appears to be a film that would appear on a Saturday afternoon on the Disney channel. There is no style, there is no humor, there is no blood (almost) and even the substance is about the lowest grade of horror that you could possibly find. It’s got glitz and it’s got glamour but it’s flash can’t blind you long enough to realize that the film is a lifeless grab for money. The film is a loose reimagining of the original ‘Prom Night’. In the film, Donna witnesses her family get slaughtered by her stalker/former teacher. A few years later at her senior prom, he escapes from an asylum to finish what he started killing anybody who gets in his way. Given that most of the ‘Prom Night’ films haven’t had all that spectacular plots I won’t pick on it too much. However I feel the need to pick on the film’s horrendously contrived and predictable pacing. Given that the prom in the film takes place at a luxurious hotel, one by one, individual characters will say, “Oh, I have to run up to the room for a second” where they are killed shortly thereafter. It is such a back and forth pacing that is just plain boring. it almost feels to be arranged that a character will die every couple minutes like clockwork. The scenery doesn’t spice things up either. Most of the deaths take place in the one hotel room where the killer simply slits their throats every time. Speaking of the killer, we know who he is from the get go: there is NO suspense and absolutely NO mystery built around the character and he isn’t scary or creepy in the least. Given that he is obsessed with protagonist, you’d expect him to be a little more off the wall but he’s undeveloped along with his morals and warped state of mind . Even the actual prom is boring, you’d expect the visuals during scenes like that to be incredibly engaging but there’s actually very few scenes in/at the prom and the few that exist are simple and visually flat and lifeless. There were a few (and only a few) scenes where the film showed a small flicker of style within some of its shots but these got lost amongst everything else. I wouldn’t say the acting was terrible but it’s stale and everyone sort of just phones in their performances. It’s void of emotional depth despite some of the dark subject matter (particularly in the opening scene). The film relies heavily on its attractive leads, glitzy subject matter and overabundance of jump scares. The film is clichéd and formulaic in just about every way. There is no fun to be had here as the film takes itself dead serious and the utter lack of any sort of real suspense or tension means that their really isn’t anything to be afraid of either. The film didn’t have to be goofy like the rest of the series but if you’re going to take it in a new direction, do it well. This is the bottom of the barrel for horror films.
Rating: 0.5/5
Rating: 0.5/5
Prom Night After Party: A Brief Conclusion
It’s a strange little thing this franchise. The two films that one would expect to have the most merit in the series turn out to be the two worst in the series (one being one of the worst damn horror films I’ve ever seen). However parts 2, 3 and 4 are 100% worth tracking down and checking out for their creativity and wicked bland of tongue-in-cheek humor and actual thrills and chills. They’re underrated and criminally unknown films that any horror fan should have in their collection. However, like with many of the films I tend to review, you have to have a good sense of humor to watch these or odds are you’ll wonder what the hell I’ve been going on about. If you enjoy camp and cheesy production values I definitely encourage you to spend a few nights at the prom!