Nelson McCormick, Prom Night

by Melissa Kinard
04/12/2008

A remake of the 1980 Prom Night in name only, Nelson McCormick’s Prom Night leaves much to be desired, almost like an actual prom night.

For Donna Keppel (Brittany Snow) and her friends, prom is supposed to be a night to remember. Donna sees it as the next step in her three-year recovery from the trauma of her family’s murder by the science teacher who became her stalker.

The killer, Mr. Fenton, is locked up 2,300 miles away in a maximum-security mental asylum. Unfortunately for the teens, Fenton (Johnathon Schaech) has escaped and is now at the prom searching for Donna. As the incompetent cops scramble to catch Fenton, he continues slashing everyone in his way.

While the plot has the potential to be a good horror film, that potential is never realized. The characters lack development, and we’re left with stereotypical high school kids and a couple of dumb movie cops. They do one stupid and predictable thing after another, which left me more annoyed than afraid.

Most likely an attempt to garner the PG-13 rating, there is also a lack of blood and gore. There are numerous murders, but they are not actually seen. The victims are later shown sporting thin red marks in place of blood.

However, the movie will probably still be mildly successful, at least among the 15-year-old crowd. Judging by the PG-13 rating, bloodless deaths and superficial dialogue, that is the target audience. This wasn't really a slasher film - it was more like a teen flick with killing.

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