Growing up I was into horror movies, not only the good or classics but the cheesy ones as well. I liked how it brought some intensity in my life and fed my imagination.

Then, came the movie Prom Night. I wondered if it would be the new “Scream” of the new generation.

The 2008 Summary

Donna’s senior prom is supposed to be the best night of her life, one of magic, beauty, and love. Surrounded by her best friends, she should be safe from the horrors of her dark past. But when the night turns from magic to murder, there is only one man who could be responsible, the man she thought was gone forever.

Now, Donna and her friends must find a way to escape the sadistic rampage of an obsessed killer and survive their Prom Night. — Davi Silva, IMDb

Back in 1980

The Original Summary

For six long years, Hamilton High School seniors Kelly Lynch, Jude Cunningham, Wendy Richards, and Nick McBride have been hiding the truth of what happened to ten-year-old Robin Hammond the day her broken body was discovered near an abandoned convent.

The foursome kept secret of how they taunted Robin – backed her into a corner until, frightened, she stood on a window ledge… and fell to her death. Though an accident, the then-twelve-year-olds feared they would be held responsible and vowed never to tell.

But someone else was there that day… watching, and now, that someone is ready to exact murderous revenge on prom night. — Echo Bridge Home Entertainment

The Scream Queen

Originally, back in the year 1980, the Canadian movie Prom Night released on the big screen. While the movie made its money back, I must say that at the time, Jamie Lee Curtis was already too old to play a Senior High School girl. Right from the beginning I was a skeptic at how I could oversee the apparent age of Jamie Lee despite her beauty and good acting.

Fast Forward to 2008

When a young teenager, the movie Scream came out, and it was the horror movie of my generation. When Prom Night came out, at the time unaware it was a remake, I thought that one might be the horror movie of the next generation. I was somewhat wrong.

I enjoy serial killer movies; I do, they entertain me quite a bit. Especially those from high schools because they always end up cheesy at the exception of Scream which was unique and well thought of with the twist at the very ending.

From the movie poster, I had hope for the movie. Prom Night instead had all the cliches you could think of from the beginning of teenage horror movies. Nothing to do with the original in the sense that killer himself had other reasons than revenge, it still yelled at your face, “typical killer movie.”

The movie has nothing original to it with dead bodies coming out of every corner possible, slowly working its way into the main character’s mind who’s past surfaced and comes back to haunt her. Her friends, just like in all other horror movies, die one by one leaving her alone with her boyfriend at the end.

Lack of Originality

I won’t lie, it’s a cheesy movie, but it is quite enjoyable in the sense that you can amuse yourself calling all the predictable cliches about to happen. The acting isn’t as bad as one would think and the budget good.

It’s a 2008 replica of all those typical movies of the same genre! There’s nothing else really to say about it. To be honest, the original movie might not be a masterpiece, but is quite better than its reboot which got a sequel, believe it or not!

Teenage Killing

I guess teenagers enjoy watching other teenagers, well in their twenties playing teens, getting killed by serial killers? I don’t get tired of it; it’s always funny in so many ways. Despite it being stereotypical, I recommend it just for the fun and laugh.

Don’t expect a new Scream as I did, watch it for the pure entertainment it provides. My thoughts? 5/10. It’s halfway decent like something’s there, but all the cliches took it’s potential away.

The OCD Vampire,
Alexa Wayne