Prom Night

Year of Release: 2008
Genre: Teen / Thriller
Rating: PG-13 for violence, terror, sexual material & language.
Director: Nelson McCormick
Starring: Brittany Snow, Scott Porter, Jessica Stroup, Dana Davis, Kelly Blatz, James Ransone, Johnathon Schaech, Idris Elba.

Date Of Review: April 2008

Hmmm, just what we need, another teen slasher flick permeating our multiplexes? “Prom Night” is a so-called remake of the 1980 film of the same name. Some plot devices have been slightly changed but it‘s still the same sort of slice-em-and-dice-em entertainment you would expect.  The original film was a low-budget teen exploitation flick shot on location in Canada. It starred 1970s “Scream Queen” Jamie Lee Curtis and funnyman Leslie Nielsen in an uncharacteristically serious role. The original “Prom Night” was pretty ordinary to say the least but it nevertheless still managed to notch up a good profit at the U.S. box office (nearly $14.8 million) as it was made for such a measly amount ($1.6 million). In fact the original film was popular enough to spawn 3 sequels, “Hello Mary Lou: Prom Night II” (1987) which was released in cinemas and two straight to video entries in the 1990s, “Prom Night III: The Last Kiss” (1990) and “Prom Night IV: Deliver Us From Evil” (1992).

Now, in the new millennium “Prom Night” is back on the big screen and has been re-invented for a new generation but quality-wise things haven’t really improved much.  “Prom Night” is a fairly routine slasher flick with a real TV movie kind of feel to it. In fact, this film could have gone straight to DVD just like the earlIer sequels and I don’t think it would have mattered much.  This new film marks the big screen debut of Nelson McCormick, a veteran Television director who has clocked up a variety of TV credits since the early 1990s including “VIP”, “Alias”, “The West Wing”, “ER”, “Nip/Tuck” and “Prison Break” to name just a few. For McCormick it’s a leap from TV to the big screen in terms of distribution but script and plot-wise there is barely enough meat and characterization in Prom Night’s running time to equate to a decent TV episode. 

If you have seen a few slasher flicks in your time or seen the original film for that matter it is a road that has been pretty well traveled. Actually the title “Prom Night” is a rather fitting name for this type of schlock. You have seen it all before and everything is strictly by the numbers. You know all the scares that are coming before they even happen, the plot is predictable and the story goes through its generic paces, offering nothing fresh and nothing new. Also, the film is devoid of any humor which is sometimes necessary if a film is to have a fun factor. Humor is an important ingredient especially in the teen genre, the category that this film falls into. A few lighter moments would have helped audiences connect with the characters better.

For Donna (Brittany Snow) this prom night is supposed to be the night of her life but unfortunately her deadly past catches up with her and turns this prom night into a living hell not only for her but also her friends.  The plotline is summed up in the film quite effectively with a brief flashback and a narration by a detective who was involved in Donna’s previous nightmare. It goes something like this, “Three years ago, a high school teacher got obsessed with a female student... He went psycho!  He's been in a maximum security prison until three days ago”. Now with a madman like this on the loose, we quickly expect the expected and that’s exactly what we get… murder and mayhem at every turn. The psycho checks into the same hotel as the teenagers and decides to pick them off one by one until he gets his hands on Donna. Ultimately, the prom itself is a bore and not a lot goes on, even the killer stays away fom it preferring to wait it out in the hotel room. It’s no wonder that the students find their hotel room much more exciting than the actual function room the Prom is held in. Heck, their hotel room contains a killer and there is more nervous energy in that room than there is on the dance floor at the prom.

Brittany Snow who impressed me in the film “John Tucker Must Die” is unfortunately limited with the material on offer and doesn’t have a great deal to do, apart from being asked to look panicked and scared at the appropriate moments. This is something Brittany does do well but it’s a rather thankless lead role without much depth and no real standout moments for her to shine. As for the villain of the piece, the killer is none other than Christina Applegate’s former husband Johnathon Schaech. You may remember Johnathon from a few films in the 1990s most notably, “Welcome To Woop Woop” (1997) and “Hush” (1998) but he is probably best remembered from his starring role in the Tom Hanks teen musical “That Thing You Do!” (1996). In “Prom Night” Johnathon is given virtually no dialogue whatsoever and is asked nothing more than to wield a knife and look menacing and he does that quite well. In fact his character goes through a slight transformation, appearance-wise, going from long hair and beard in the flashbacks to short hair and hat in the present, a less conspicuous option for a killer. Aside from Brittany Snow and Jonathan Schaech the film features a cast of relative unknown teens, most of who do what is asked of them….nothing more, nothing less. The supporting cast goes through the paces just like everybody else.

On the plus side the film is well-paced with the slasher scenes unfolding rapid fire. The body count I must say is high but surprisingly there is very little blood and gore which I consider a plus when it comes to these types of films. Instead the Director is successful in blending elements of suspense and mystery with pulsating sound effects that are chilling to say the least. This technique is used to good effect and compensates well from the lack of gruesome visuals and bloodletting. Cutting out a lot of the gore has made this film much more accessible to a younger teen audience and should help it at the box office. It could be summed up as really more of a teen thriller than a teen horror.

All in all, “Prom Night” is a clichéd, run of the mill teen slasher flick with very little going for it other than mediocre performances, a few scares, some grisly kills, lots of suspense and a rather brisk running time (88 minutes). “Prom Night” is certainly not the best example of a remake, it has nearly 10 times the budget of the original (the new film was made for $18 million), yet there is very little improvement on the earlier film or its sequels for that matter. The film lacks a novelty factor and resuscitating an old franchise such as this is not going to work without it. Nevertheless, the film should still please the audience that it is aimed for; die-hard slasher fans or teen’s looking for cheap thrills. For adults, “Prom Night” should probably come with the tagline “Watch At Your Own Peril” but for teens looking for escapism and a bit of a scare with their friends then the film’s tagline, “A Party To Die For” might be exactly the ticket they’re looking for.

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The Original "Prom Night" & Sequels Now on DVD:

Prom Night (1980) [DVD]
The biggest night of any high school senior's year turns into a nightmare of terror, thanks to a mysterious killer who's gruesomely killing off disco-dancing teens (okay, so maybe he's doing the world a service!). Jamie Lee Curtis, Leslie Nielsen, Casey Stevens star. 94 min. Widescreen; Soundtrack: English.

Hello Mary Lou: Prom Night II (1987) [DVD]
She was the hottest date (literally) at the senior prom 30 years ago, when she accidentally burned to death. Now, Mary Lou's back to claim the crown that was rightfully hers...and to wreak unholy havoc on anyone near her. Grisly goodie stars Wendy Lyon, Michael Ironside, Lisa Schrage. 97 min. Soundtrack: English.

Prom Night III: The Last Kiss (1989) / Prom Night IV (1991) [DVD]
Who knew that the prom could be so frightening? Thirty years after dying in a fire at her high school, Mary Lou returns to kill more classmates. Is there any way to stop the slaughtering spectre? Tim Conlon, Cyndy Preston and Courtney Taylor star. Then in Prom Night IVa monk with an aversion to sex escapes from his monastery and focuses his hate against some fun-loving teens vacationing at their parents' summer house. Alden Kane, James Carver and Nikki de Boer star. 192 min. total. Soundtrack: English.

Original "Prom Night" Movie Posters Now Available:

Brittany Snow DVD Collection - Now Available:
Click here for Brittany Snow Movies on DVD

Johnathon Schaech DVD Collection - Now Available:
Click here for Johnathon Schaech Movies on DVD

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