At long last, the Prom I never really had!
Granted- I went to a Private School, didn't care about any of that and only mention this now for the joke.
This is Prom Night, a 1980 Slasher Film that came right at the start. Did it inspire so many Films that would follow? Was it uneventful? Is it very common to find in multi-Film sets for whatever reason?
Yes to 2 of those. Find out which below.
The Film is *technically* Canadian (shot there to be cheaper) and is, of course, notable for being part of Jamie Lee Curtis' early Scream Queen Career. Kind of crazy to think that she's come back to that in the late '90s and in the last few years, right? It is a shame that Tubi couldn't have sprung for her in their Terror Train Remake (or its Sequel).
The Plot involves a killer at Prom Night. Is it someone with a grudge? Is it a random weirdo? Is it the escaped killer? Is it the one they obviously set up and not the red herrings?
Last but not least, it is worth mentioning that Director Paul Lynch has been featured here a few times in the past.
To find out if this is an often overlooked classic, read on...
The Film opens with a bunch of kids chasing around/scaring one of them. Is this a Children of the Corn Film?
They make them back up out of a window...and then seem surprised that this happened.
Kids are dumb.
Years later, the kids are all grown up and it is nearly Prom Night.
You should name a Film that!
They start to get mysterious calls from a breathy person...who is definitely not Ghostface.
Let's not worry about this too much though.
You all need to get Dates.
You all need to Disco Dance!
The terror seems to be real eventually as the Night approaches...for a few minutes.
In the meantime, let's introduce an Escaped Killer into the Story...in Reshoots.
Thanks, Detective Not Appearing in the Original Footage.
It is the Third Act, so the killer finally gets off their butt and starts killing folks.
Finally! I mean...darn?
Can anyone stop the killer?!?
Will they find out who it is in time?
This reveal made a List of Most Disappointing Killer Reveals, so...not great. I won't SPOIL it here though.
A decent Film, just know what to expect from it. It is not Friday the 13th. It is not A Nightmare on Elm Street.
Early Slashers like this tried to be more cerebral and about the mystery. Did they always succeed? No.
They sure tried though.
So just know that this Film is front-loaded with setup and then packs all of the kills (save one) for the Third Act. It isn't bad Setup. It is not boring. It just isn't what you're probably expecting.
It is funny to see how much this Film did influence other Films. Aside from the mentioned ones, we have the Plot of I Know What You Did Last Summer (and yes, it is loosely based on a 1973 Book) and the look of the killer in The Prowler. It isn't called or treated like a big influence, but it was one.
Amusingly, some stuff slips by that doesn't obey the rules, like a Virgin Character being targeted for death. How absurd!
Prom Night is a very different kind of Slasher...since it was made so early in the Sub-Genre. I just want you to go in with realistic expectations. I hate to see you get disappointed.
Next time, let's check out the Remake. I mean, they call it that...but it isn't really. You'll see. Stay tuned...
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