80’s Slasher Throwback: “Prom Night” (1980) Review

MPW-17439

Yesterday I saw Prom Night (1980) for the very first time, also as part of the ‪#‎80sHorrorWeek‬. I did see the 2008 remake by name only and I absolutely hated that movie. Well I’ve finally seen the original Prom Night and I must say I liked it. The movie begins interesting but the middle act is very slow and drags a lot. The story is well thought out however with developing the characters and setting up the story. Performances were all around modest to great, the standouts definitely were Jamie Lee Curtis, Leslie Nielsen, Eddie Benton, Casey Stevens and Michael Tough. Not all characters were exactly likeable or given some sort of backstory but the cast did a great job none the less. The screenplay felt fresh even though one can easily call it a rip-off from classics in the horror genre like Carrie and Halloween. The death scenes were very creative and one particular chase scene was very well executed.

The final act was truly brilliant and very fun to watch. The disco scenes were perfect yet hilarious and the soundtrack was easily one of the stronger and more memorable aspects of this 1980 slasher. The killer felt very human (read: imperfections) even though he could’ve been more menacing. The reveal of the killer was surprising and gave the movie a shocking but dramatic twist ending. For me the ending worked good as it ended like a drama and is just an extension of the high-school drama setting most of the film carries. The first hour of the movie plays more like a mystery/crime but the final act definitely gives slasher fans in particular something to chew on and then some. Paul Lynch did a great job directing this film, the detail to color is stunning and the 80’s style looks terrific. Its really flawed at parts and there needed to be more tension in the middle act but I still appreciated and enjoyed this 1980 slasher for what it was.

Some of the police scenes should’ve been left out as they lead to nowhere and only added to the running time. Also more detail to the dialogue would’ve had been pleasant. Still this 1980 slasher is MUCH better and superior in every sense of the word to the godawful 2008 remake by name only. I highly recommend Prom Night (1980) to the die-hard slasher fans, this is one slasher you have to have seen at least once in your life. The movie doesn’t come without its problems but the positive outweigh the negative. I’ve seen much better slashers though…

–Ferdi Akkulak

Share:

Slashers We Love: “Prom Night” & “My Super Psycho Sweet 16”

Today we are featuring two mini reviews from fellow fans of the slasher genre as they each talk about their slasher favorites. Thank you Kevin and Sean for sharing your slasher favs! Go to the Slasher Studios Facebook Page and select a picture from your favorite slasher movie and do a small write up and we will feature you and your review on our site. One special review will win a free autographed copy of Teddy!

Kevin T. Smith-“Prom Night”

I have a huge list of slashers I LOVE, but one personal slasher favorite would be PROM NIGHT. Cuz, I love the use of the rules it shoved forth such as Red Herrings, Great chase scenes (Wendy’s chase scene,to me, is still one of the best slasher chase scenes PERIOD!), a AWESOME killer who can run like hell & swing a axe like a champion, plus all the small campus “stalker” bits involving cutting yearbook photos out & putting them in their lockers w/ shards thru them. It just rules :)

Sean Wells-“My Super Psycho Sweet 16”

I don’t know how to start this, to be honest. I truly adore the salsher-genre of horror films, so it’s actuall hard for me to pick just one film. In all honesty, my favorite slasher changes with the seasons, but, my heart will ALWAYS have room for the made-for-tv film My Super Psycho Sweet 16.
I remember seeing a TV spot for it on MTV back in the begining of October 2009, about a month before it’s release. I had low expectations for the film because of the act that it was attatched to MTV, but, when I saw it, I fell in love.

My Super Psycho Sweet 16 stays true to the 80’s slashers with it’s cliche characters, catchy, quotable dialouge, and fun deaths, which makes the film really enjoyable. The acting was actually really good, too, considering most of the actors weren’t really ‘experienced,’ if you will. Especially the minor characters, they definitely deserve to be in more films, and I’m sure they will be.

As for the special effects, they’re probably the best you’ll see in a made-for-tv film, and they’re not even that bad. While using a perfect amount of CGI, the kills were put together really good.

All-in-all, this film was truly an amazing film, with every cliche a horror film can have, this film is probably one of the best slashers this generation will get. Spawning 2 sequels, this film seems to have a cult following in the future.

Share: