Stars: Brittany Snow, Idris Elba, Dana Davis
Directed by: Nelson McCormick
Reviewed by: Adam Mast, Zboneman.com
Grade: D-
The year is young but Prom Night is a heavy contender for worst film
of 2008. This forgettable slasher film has virtually nothing in common
with the early 80's Jamie Lee Curtis picture. The only traits the two
films share are the title and setting. The original Prom Night isn't
exactly a horror classic but it's an absolute masterwork compared to
this garbage. Besides, it has the whole nostalgia thing going for it.
In this plodding, ridiculous shlock-fest of would-be horror flim, Brittany Snow is Donna Keppel, a teenager plagued by deep rooted nightmares that stem from the murder of her family – an incident she was forced to witness. Thankfully, the dastardly cad (played by Johnathon Schaech) responsible for the devilish act is caught and locked up. As is often the case in films of this ilk, the psycho in question manages to escape and due to a boner in the penal system, no one bothers to pass this important information along to the authorities who put the sicko behind bars in the first place. Meanwhile, Donna is ever so closer to moving on with her life. She has the perfect boyfriend, a college life on the horizon, and a prom to look forward to. Unfortunately, her worst nightmare comes back to haunt her on what should be the happiest night of her life.
It's discouraging that Prom Night won't be picked on as much as, say, Hostel. Why? Because this movie is PG-13 and aimed squarely at the tweener crowd. What's even more disheartening is that this movie boasts as great a body count as numerous as Hostel. Why all the hoopla where Eli Roth's film is concerned? The answer is simple. That movie evoked a response because it was a visceral assault. Yes, it was perverse and sadistic, but the violence was shocking and there was a certain level of realism on display. Love him or hate him, Roth has talent as a film maker. Prom Night, by comparison evokes nothing. When a character dies in this movie, the film makers clearly want us to feel something, but I felt absolutely nothing. Not because I'm heartless, but because Prom Night is complete soulless banality.
The cast is somewhat attractive but it's hard to root for anyone here because these characters, most notably the police officers, are too stupid to give a crap about. Had the movie offered up one decent scare, perhaps I could have forgiven it for it's plethora of other flaws. Not only are the scares telegraphed well before they happen, but Prom Night offers up a positively dull villain in the form of That Thing You Do pretty boy Johnathon Schaech. What a shrewd career move!
Derivative and familiar don't have to be dirty words. Look at last year's Disturbia. Very derivative and extremely familiar, but the performances were strong, the direction energetic, and the tension palpable. Prom Night is simply excruciating to sit through. It's an insult to the intelligence of the audience, tweener or otherwise.
The worst part is, Prom Night has been a modest success, so now Hollywood is going to tarnish the sterling reputation of under-seen 80's slasher gems like My Bloody Valentine, Terror Train, and Hell Night. Oh, the humanity!
