Baile de Formatura

A pretty mediocre slasher - one of the duller and more forgettable entries in the genre. Paul Lynch's 'Prom Night' has too many characters and doesn't bother to develop any of them other than with a few rushed clichés here and there. You end up with shallow characters you don't care about. The buildup takes too long while the killings are really artificial and lacking suspense. None of the acting is worth mentioning. Not even Jamie Lee Curtis is good here.

In truth, this is standard fair for a slasher. Only slightly above the level of many other slasher outings at the time. The killer only gets active during the last half hour of the movie, his identity easily guessed in the end (naturally revolving around a trauma from his past). The red herring is also very obvious. Lots of disco-dancing too in this one. At the time, I imagine it became mildly notorious because of one decapitation scene and gained a little recognition because of scream queen Jamie Lee Curtis starring in it. If you're a slasher fan, this is one you ought to see, even if it's not the most exciting watch you'll ever have.

This 80s slasher film is a bit of a snooze. The storyline is interesting but too much time is spent on the high school drama. The slasher kills are obviously low budget, but they mostly work.

I saw Prom Night when it was released back in 1980. So in honor of my 16 year old son's prom this past week, I decided to re-visit this clunky classic and see if I can re-capture my youth. And you know what? I think I enjoyed Prom Night better the second time around. There was actually a pretty good red-herring or two thrown in the mix to "confuse" the viewer into thinking who the killer really was. As a matter of fact since it's been so long, I forgot who the really turned out to be (I was after only 16 myself when I saw this movie 30 years ago!) and was actually surprised at the reveal.

Although there were and still are certain things that ruin the movie for me (like the fact that most of the actors look to be well in their 30s and that disco had already made a quick exit), it's kinda fun to see how campy the film really is. I recommend watching it at least once and enjoy it for what it really is: a time capsule to those lost years of the early slasher movies.

All of these characters look too old to be in high school, and it is a bit distracting. Jamie Lee Curtis looks too old for the part, even though she's just 21. She is rather ho-hum in Act I, but comes alive in Act III and especially the finale.

There's an effective, if rather by the book, setup to the movie, and that really is its saving grace, aside from a good score and willing cast. A little suspense, a decent mystery, and it is an alright slasher flick. Nothing overly special, but it is rather decent. I watch it maybe twice a year.

Decent enough, and if you are a slasher fan, it is a must own.

Semi-classic