Prom Night (2008) Discussion

[Ting Ting]

Yesterday marked the release of the remake of the 1980 horror flick, <i>Prom Night</i>. If you haven't heard about it yet, the new version stars Brittany Snow and Scott Porter.
(Click here to view the trailer.)

I went with a group of friends to see it last night, expecting it to be just another lame, teen horror flick, and I was right...but I LOVED it. Sure, it was cheesy, the writing was lame, it was completely predictable, and they might as well have had "THIS FILM IS FOR A TEEN AUDIENCE ONLY" scrolling across the bottom of the screen. But it was just a whole lot of fun (though part of that may have had to do with my prom night being tonight. )!

And the funny thing about it was was that the audience was extremely loud, screamed at every pop-up scene, and laughed throughout the entire movie...but I actually enjoyed it. It seriously made watching the movie even more fun.

If you're a teenager (or enjoy teen films) and haven't seen it yet, I highly suggest that you check it out (but ONLY with a big group of friends). But don't go into it expecting a masterpiece, because it <i>is</i> stupid; I can promise you that much. But that's what makes it so much fun!

[PixarFan2006]

I am avoideing this at all costs as I do with most remakes of bad movies.

[CornyCollins]

So I just got back from the movie and it was...well...a teen movie. I've never actually saw the original - although I should have. I went expecting a movie that would at least be scary but when I found out it was PG-13 (found out once I got to the theater) I knew it wasn't going to much of anything. The crowd was HORRIBLE! Nothing but 11 year olds in large groups - screaming before the movie even started! The movie has typical jump back in your seat scenes for a horror movie, but really nothing spectacular.

"Prom Night" is strictly a teen movie - at least that's how I saw it. When I was a teen (I'm in my 20's now) I saw movies like "Scream" and "I know what you did last summer" and I guess I expected "Prom Night" (while being a "teen" movie") to still be shocking and/or smart - otherwise I probably wouldn't have gone.

It wasn't the worst movie i've seen though, it's just not something i'd buy or watch again.

[dvdjunkie]

This movie should make everyone's Top Ten list for the WORST movie ever made, or even conceived. Why has Hollywood reverted to making remakes of old movies? This movie was bad in the original release and now this remake with a bunch of unknowns that is just in time for the Prom Season and hoping to rake in a lot of cash from unsuspecting 'kids' who think they are seeing a horror film, which should be spelled "Horrible".

Please avoid this one like the plague it is.

[Atlantica]

Was the original any good at all ? Wasnt Jamie Lee Curtis in it, the original scream queen ?

[dvdjunkie]

Yes, Jamie Lee Curtis was in the original made in 1980, and it was her third 'scream' film. Her first was "Halloween", followed by John Carpenter's "The Fog" and then she was in the really poorly received film, which is basically about her death, and mostly told in flashbacks. Leslie Nielsen is the star of the movie, if that tells you anything. He was at one time a pretty good dramatic actor, but after all of his recent stints in comedy, when you look at this film, as well as some of the others he was in, you just can't take him seriously.

"Prom Night" tried to cash in at the time on the "Friday the 13th" craze that was going on, and failed miserably.

[Atlantica]

Ah, ok, thank you for the info dvdjunkie . It's a pity Jamie didnt have more taste, and not do this movie. For me, she is the one and only scream queen. Possibly followed by Sarah Michelle Gellar.

So it looks like I wont be seeing this one then !

[castleinthesky]

No

I try not to watch bad movies.

Even though last year I unfortunately saw Pirates 3, Shrek the Third, and Enchanted to name a few.

[Siren]

I like horror movies. But every time the trailer for this movie comes on tv, I have a case of nympholepsy.

[Just Myself]

I think the most irritating thing about this shitty movie is the fact that all these tweens are buzzing it as the next Disturbia film. That's definitely not the case. I had the misfortune of being dragged to see this last Saturday, and my lord if this is not the worst movie to come out this year, I fear what really is the worst. The audience was exactly the same as Disturbia's audience was last April, but the difference is while Disturbia was actually a quality thriller that appealed not only to tweens but to anyone else who likes old school thrills, Prom Night '08 was a scare-less, dull and rediculously uneven attempt to get 12-and-unders to waste their petty cash on this drivel while their older siblings go to real proms. The same people that will see this are the ones who flock to all these godawful spoof movies and other PG-13 horror remakes, like When A Stranger Calls and The Grudge.

Avoid this film if you like quality or a sensical plot. The worst film I've seen since Premonition.

Jeers,
JM

[Ting Ting]

Looks like I'm the only one who liked it!



Oh well!

[Chernabog_Rocks]

Honestly it can't be worse than When A Stranger Calls, talk about boring

Also I heard/read somewhere that they weren't intending to make it a remake of the original, it was to be a different film with similar plot etc. etc. I don't know if it's true, don't care too much either.

I'll wait until it comes out on dvd, rent it and probably like it more than most crap that comes out these days for horror. I found the original movie to be a tad dull, the whole dancing scene was odd it felt out of place but also I see why they had it in there, the music in the Prom scenes was annoying. But my major complaint is the film is too bloody dark to see anything going on, of course that's a complaint I have about most older horror films.

For those interested enough, the mother in Life With Derek starred in Prom Night 4. The only reason I know this is because one of my movie channels played all four Prom Nights back to back the other night and I was listening to them while on the computer.

I predict it'll be 3/5 stars for me

[DwtS_Ultimate_Fan]

The movie is said not to be a remake but a similar story line and title. There are obvoisuly different characters and reasons for the murderer on the rampage. I recall in the old film with Jamie Lee Curtis that a little girl in the beginning dies and the people who picked on her keep it quiet for a long time. That isn't in the new film. I saw it and it was what I expected. Fort those who have not seen the original, the new one may seem great!