Blyss's Movie Review for:

Main Cast of Characters:

Michael Ironside...........Bill "Billy" Nordham

Lisa Schrage..........Mary Lou Malony

Wendy Lyon..........Vicki Carpenter

Justin Louis.........Chris Nordham

Terri Hawkins..........Kelly Hennenlotter

Brock Simpson...............Josh

Beverly Hendry...............Monica Waters

Richard Monette...............Father Cooper

Beth Gondak...............Jess Browning

Steve Atkinson...............Young Bill Nordham

Robert Louis...............Young Bud Cooper

Loretta Bailey...............Creature Mary Lou

1987; Rated: R. Genre: Horror; 97 minutes

Ever seen a truly hot Prom Queen?

Prom Night, 1957. Just like every other night in any teenager's life. The guy, Billy Nordham, is thrilled to be going out with the shoo-in for Prom Queen, Mary Lou Maloney. The night starts out great when he presents her with a gift. The night would have been normal except Mary Lou "got around" so to speak and ended up with hottie Bud Cooper making out in the back instead of staying with Billy. Billy finds them and is devastated. Mary Lou does not seem to care who she hurts as long as she gets what she wants. That night, all she wanted was to be Prom Queen. Finally, she is announced as Queen and she is thrilled. But before she gets to enjoy being crowned, a freak accident occurs and she is killed. The guy she came to the Prom with is responsible for her death even though he never meant to kill her. Thirty years later, Billy is grown and has a son of his own, Chris. Chris is dating Vicki Carpenter, one of the most beautiful girls in school, and who is also running for Prom Queen against Kelly Hennenlotter. Vicki leads a subdued life because of her overly religious mother and she resents her for it. The father tries to help Vicki but seems helpless to the mother. After her mother refuses to let her father give her money for a new Prom dress, Vicki releases Mary Lou's spirit in the prop room where the crown and cape are being stored. She finds a dress she can use for Prom and takes it home with her. Shortly after, killings begin to occur. First, one of Vicki's best friends. Then Vicki's behavior starts to change in strange ways. She starts dressing and acting differently? Is she going through a time warp fashion crisis or is it something more?

I have seen all of the Prom Night movies and this one is my favorite. Most people claim ghosts of all kinds are here because they have some type of "unfinished business" on Earth. It was strange that getting crowned Queen was Mary Lou's unfinished business, or so it seemed. I liked the 1950's theme at the beginning with Mary Lou/Bud/Billy. Even though Mary Lou was an evil teenager, you almost had to feel sorry for her for not being able to fulfill her dream. Remember, I said almost!

I really identified most with the character of Vicki. My parents never tried to hold me back like Vicki's mother did but I did feel like there were other obstacles in my life holding me back from the things I wanted to accomplish. Some of those things still are. I could also identify with the way Vicki was treated by Kelly. There is always one in every bunch that acts and talks down to people like Kelly. Also there are those that will go to any length to win just like her.

As far as features of the movie go, the makeup on Mary Lou, the creature, was very well done for the time in which this film took place. Some of the other special effects were a little corny considering again the time. The scene in Vicki's room with the carousel horse was purely ridiculous though. I guess a horse with red eyes and its tongue waggling out is supposed to be scary but I found it very amusing and not establishing the effect that it was supposed to. It was also strange to watch a dated movie and see the computers they were using at the Prom. Very dated!

Overall, the movie was great with a few downfalls in effects

On a scale of 1 to 10, I give this movie a 9

Blyss