Prom Night is ridiculous, convoluted, and probably one of the cheesiest slasher films I've ever seen. However, this doesn't mean it doesn't offer some entertainment value. If you're looking to laugh get a few scares here and there this Halloween season then Prom Night should definitely be on your list.
Prom Night came out a time when slasher films were all the rage in the 80's. After the success of Halloween there were a string of imitators with Friday the 13th becoming wildly popular. If anything, Friday the 13th showed filmmakers that slasher films didn't have to be smart. They could be merely entertaining throwaway flicks that make a quick buck but lack artistic integrity. So after Friday the 13th the slasher movie machine began pumping out flick after flick of slasher mediocrity and this is definitely one of them. The only thing truly significant is that they some how got Leslie Nielson to star in this and Jamie Lee Curtis would further solidify herself as the scream queen of the late 70's and early 80's.
The plot has classic slasher movie conventions written all over it. A girl plummets to her death while fleeing from the taunts of four vicious classmates. Years then pass and now it's prom night for the children that survived the incident. Soon someone begins taking vengeance against them for their childhood sin but whoever can it be?!? My biggest problem with Prom Night is that it has the potential to be something pretty good. The plot could be quite effective but you can tell the fillmmakers had no intention of making this at all memorable, at least not for the right reasons. The film has developed a bit of a cult following on video and DVD but not because it's scary or, even good. The following is based on how incredibly flawed the movie is and lets not forget the insanely funny disco soundtrack. If anything Prom Night represents a time in the 80's where slasher films portrayed all their characters as stupid cardboard cutouts who are just featured to be killed in horrific ways. I own the film and I know I'm panning but as a fan of the slasher genre it is a rather entertaining movie watch and make fun of with friends. Sometimes slasher films exist for that purpose alone.
None of the acting is worth mentioning. Not even Jamie Lee Curtis is good here and you can tell this was her trying to wide the success she had with Halloween. Of all the horror films she appeared in after Halloween, this is certainly her at her weakest. The rest of the cast consist of unknowns who haven't seemed to have gotten much work lately. I wonder why? Then there is the ski mask killer of the piece who is a rather weak and unimpressive presence in the film. The creepy phone call thing works the first few times then it just gets stale and while he is effective during a chase scene towards the end of the film, the scene isn't quite long enough to really register. He also takes a bit too long to make an appearance. The film is practically almost over before he makes his first full appearance.
If you want to have a cheesy horror movie night with friends for Halloween then Prom Night should be on your list. It's completely mediocre but at 94 minutes it could provide you with some big laughs and a few cheap scares. Plus there is a disco dance off in it, you at least need to witness THAT moment!
Prom Night came out a time when slasher films were all the rage in the 80's. After the success of Halloween there were a string of imitators with Friday the 13th becoming wildly popular. If anything, Friday the 13th showed filmmakers that slasher films didn't have to be smart. They could be merely entertaining throwaway flicks that make a quick buck but lack artistic integrity. So after Friday the 13th the slasher movie machine began pumping out flick after flick of slasher mediocrity and this is definitely one of them. The only thing truly significant is that they some how got Leslie Nielson to star in this and Jamie Lee Curtis would further solidify herself as the scream queen of the late 70's and early 80's.
The plot has classic slasher movie conventions written all over it. A girl plummets to her death while fleeing from the taunts of four vicious classmates. Years then pass and now it's prom night for the children that survived the incident. Soon someone begins taking vengeance against them for their childhood sin but whoever can it be?!? My biggest problem with Prom Night is that it has the potential to be something pretty good. The plot could be quite effective but you can tell the fillmmakers had no intention of making this at all memorable, at least not for the right reasons. The film has developed a bit of a cult following on video and DVD but not because it's scary or, even good. The following is based on how incredibly flawed the movie is and lets not forget the insanely funny disco soundtrack. If anything Prom Night represents a time in the 80's where slasher films portrayed all their characters as stupid cardboard cutouts who are just featured to be killed in horrific ways. I own the film and I know I'm panning but as a fan of the slasher genre it is a rather entertaining movie watch and make fun of with friends. Sometimes slasher films exist for that purpose alone.
None of the acting is worth mentioning. Not even Jamie Lee Curtis is good here and you can tell this was her trying to wide the success she had with Halloween. Of all the horror films she appeared in after Halloween, this is certainly her at her weakest. The rest of the cast consist of unknowns who haven't seemed to have gotten much work lately. I wonder why? Then there is the ski mask killer of the piece who is a rather weak and unimpressive presence in the film. The creepy phone call thing works the first few times then it just gets stale and while he is effective during a chase scene towards the end of the film, the scene isn't quite long enough to really register. He also takes a bit too long to make an appearance. The film is practically almost over before he makes his first full appearance.
If you want to have a cheesy horror movie night with friends for Halloween then Prom Night should be on your list. It's completely mediocre but at 94 minutes it could provide you with some big laughs and a few cheap scares. Plus there is a disco dance off in it, you at least need to witness THAT moment!
