A remake in name only decides to jettison the plot of the original film and comes up with something even less original than the film that’s being remade. This prom night is more likely to induce snoozing than any sort of good time. I’d find another date.
Donna (Brittany Snow) was stalked by her obsessive teacher Richard Fenton (Jonathan Schaech) to the point that he broke into her house and killed her family. She was the only one to escape.
Three years have passed and Donna has recovered enough that she’s able to attend her senior prom. Fenton breaks out of prison and also makes sure that he’s in attendance at the prom, instead of a corsage he brings a knife and ups the body count.
To be brutally honest, prom night sucks. The original shocker at least had scream queen Jamie Lee Curtis. This remake only really has the name of the film and setting of the mayhem is about all this version has in common with the 1980 original.
Sadly any pretense at suspense is thrown out the window as the film plays all the cards up front and really has no mystery to it. They could’ve kept Fenton in the background and revealed his motivations later in the film, but alas they spill it all out at the beginning of the film.
Fenton isn’t exactly one to create any suspense either since he’s a sombalist of a serial killer and more apt to put you to sleep as Schaech does nil to create a character. Even worse is Snow who blubbers her way through the film in wide-eyed (mascara running the whole time) shock mode.
Director Nelson McCormick should be taken to the nearest asylum and a long needle be inserted into his brain to destroy the part of the gray matter that inserts a “jump scare” into a film.
The film is rife with them and they’re used ad nauseum. Too bad an ounce of creativity could’ve been substituted for any of them. This version is the 88-minute theatrical cut and has even been drained of any potentially entertaining gore to keep the PG-13 rating.
An unrated version is available separately, adding one more minute to the running time, but I highly doubt that it will improve the film any.
Prom Night is presented in anamorphic widescreen (2.40:1) and is enhanced for 16x9 televisions. Special features include a commentary with director Nelson McCormick, Brittany Snow, and Jonathan Schaech. Next are 5 minutes of deleted scenes, a 36 second alternate ending, both with optional commentary, and a 2-minute gag reel. Believe me, I already gagged enough at the film.
Next is the “Bridgeport High Vikings Video Yearbook” (5 minutes), the 12 minute “Night to Remember” making of, the 6 minute “Profile of a Killer,” the 4 minute “Gothic Spaces” about the design of the hotel, the 6 minute “Prom Night Photo Album” in which the cast remembers their proms, the 2 minute theatrical trailer, and a 17 second TV spot. Finally, there are some previews of other Sony product.
This PG-13ized remake is so awful and unoriginal that I’d much rather have been watching the supernatural slop Prom Night sequels than this dreck. I’d suggest that you’d save the money on this rental to pay for the keg and limo and not this atrocious film.
Prom Night (Rated) is now available at Amazon . It is available for pre-order at AmazonUK for an Oct. 13th release. Visit the DVD database for more information.
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