Hello Mary Lou: Prom Night II

A hedonistic prom queen is accidentally killed on stage in 1957. When her spirit is inadvertently released thirty years later, she wreaks havoc on prom night seeking to be queen again, not to mention obtaining revenge. Michael Ironside plays the principal of the school, the man responsible for the girl's death decades earlier.

Sometimes subtitled "Hello Mary Lou," "Prom Night II" (1987) is disconnected from the original 1980 film with Jamie Lee Curtis, although there are some trivial links. This one discards the disco dancing while upping the ante with the "Carrie" (1976) elements and mixing in components from the first two "A Nightmare on Elm Street" flicks (1984/1985), like the illusions and possession.

The original was more of a coming-of-age drama/whodunit with a masked assailant appearing in the last act whereas this sequel is actually a little better in that it adds creative horror pizazz, which some might say makes it "cheesy." In any case, Wendy Lyon stands out as the winsome protagonist who's shown totally nude on a few occasions in the second half which ties-in with the possession angle.

If you favor any of those other horror films noted above, "Prom Night II" is arguably on par, although I suppose "Carrie" is superior on a technical level.

The movie runs 1 hour, 37 minutes and was shot in Edmonton, Alberta, with other stuff (post-production) done in Toronto.

GRADE: B

This one is simply too much devilish fun! An unrelated, stand-alone sequel much more in the supernatural slasher vein of the at the time very popular "A Nightmare On Elm Street" movies. There's some black humor & genre references present (the film winks at "The Exorcist" and "Carrie"), but it does deliver in the creepy horror department also. Lisa Schrage is delicious as the evil Mary Lou Maloney and Michael Ironside is running around in it also as the principal of Hamilton High (always a nice bonus in any movie, this man). Wendy Lyon (as the possessed Vicky Carpenter) provides some very unexpected full frontal nudity, resulting in a scene featuring the best kill of the movie. This is a fine example of how much crazy fun an '80s slasher movie can get.

The film centers around the ghost of one Mary Lou Maloney, a girl who was accidentally killed during her prom queen crowning in the 50s. Her spirit is accidentally released by a girl named Vicki when she finds her supposed prom queen regalia in the school's prop room. Mary Lou possesses her, and sets out to get revenge on those responsible for her death and become the prom queen once more.

I usually prefer Hammer horror films or 80's horror with light gore and an emphasis on atmosphere and story and this 1987 sequel has plenty of atmosphere, moments that make you jump, builds progressively to the climax and the gore isn't too heavy - it's more special effect-laden like the Nightmare on Elm street series. Has some inventive effects and the characterisation is good, though it gets a little longwinded and tedious towards the end. The interesting aspect is that the would-be victim or the one vulnerable is the male - usually in horror film it's the female who is either the final girl or in the dangerous situation.

The Prom Night series probably takes the cake as one of horror's more negligible series due to its lack of continuity, trite plots, and severe emphasis on Christianity. However, I think Mary Lou is probably the best installment in this series. Vicki Carpenter is the quintessential goody two shoes who's raised by strict and deeply religious parents who've done a fine job at making her feel guilty for having "sinful" thoughts about her boyfriend and using the Lord's name in vain. But with her interest in the prom queen who died thirty years earlier, it's obvious that she's torn between a her own world and one that can be considered more sinful. The spirit of Mary Lou does a helluva job at corrupting this little Miss Perfect by exposing her to violence, revenge, lust, and even homosexuality that she's pondered for years. While the film bears no major relevance to its predecessor much like the subsequent two films, it provides a reflection of what teenagers have been going through for years while they were trying break free from the parents who drove them crazy, discover more about themselves, or just try, by any means necessary, to be the most popular person in their school. After all, weren't those the elements that John Hughes filled his 80s teen movies with?

Your attitude going into Prom Night II will determine how much joy you take away from the film. If you're expecting a horror masterpiece, look elsewhere. If you like campy movies that are rather fun to watch unfold, you'll like this. Lisa Schrage has the time of her life playing an over the top Mary Lou and Wendy Loyd channels Schrage's rage perfectly during her time "possessed".

Not classic cinema but a fun way to kill a couple of hours with a wicked ending.