Hello Mary Lou: Prom Night II

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.

Though this movie often gets skewered on the message boards it is a delight for those who appreciate the high school horror films of the 80's. The acting is stale, the story is one we've all heard before but this film had some memorable touches. The locker room scene is one of my all-time favorite death scenes and this film used the art class paper cutter as a weapon way before Josh Hartnett wielded one in "The Faculty". The "living rocking horse" is definitely something viewers wont easily forget and that scene reminds me of horrors historical roots in cinema: that scene screams German Expressionism as much as the title sequence in "Nightmare on Elm Street". If you don't like camp, this movie will be hard to swallow, but if you're a fan of the B movies you rented as a kid just because the cover art looked creepy: bon apetit.

'Hello Mary Lou: Prom Night 'is a sequel in name only to the 1980 disco slasher flick 'Prom Night' starring Jamie Lee Curtis. While the original was more of a straightforward teen slasher flick, the 2nd film in the series goes for a more supernatural revenge direction and it's an entertaining effort that features some unsettling moments, bizarre and cool death scenes, and creates a memorable killer in the form of Mary Lou Maloney.

The Plot = Beginning in 1957 at Hamiliton High where bad girl Mary Lou Maloney (Lisa Schrage) is about to be crowned prom queen until her jilted former boyfriend Billy Nordham (Steve Atkinson) attempts to play a prank on her, but it goes horribly wrong resulting in her death. Now 30 years later, a young high school girl Vicki Carpenter (Wendy Lyon) accidently unleashes Mary Lou's vengeful spirit and possesses her body to seek revenge.

When I first saw 'Prom Night 2' I was sorely disappointed as I was hoping for more of a continuation of the original and plus, I wasn't a fan of the new direction this sequel took. However, many years later I gave this another shot and found it rather enjoyable and appreciated it for what it was. I'm a big fan of the original, and while this doesn't quite compare, its still a solid effort. The supernatural elements introduced to the plot does help it stand out and leads to creating many creative and interesting set pieces with plenty of fun death scenes and a healthy dose of sleaze. The movie may be lacking in scares or tension, but the introduction of the new villain Mary Lou almost more than makes for some of these shortcomings and adds a layer of fun and humorous moments.

The cast here are pretty solid with an excellent performance from the legendary Michael Ironside as the school's principal, he's awesome as usual. Wendy Lyons gives a good performance as Vicki and does a good job playing both sides of her character. Then finally Lisa Schrage provides an entertaining performance as the fun and sexy killer Mary Lou.

Overall 'Prom Night 2' is a very underrated supernatural slasher flick, sure its cheesy as hell, but on the whole it's a fun guilty pleasure romp that deserves more attention.

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.

A prime example of 1980s b flick horror done right. You don't find movies like this anymore, at least not with the budget they have to work with here. While lower budget compared to Hollywood blockbusters it's far above the shot on digital video with shoddy computer effects we generally see today. Likable characters, well done make up effects, nudity, twists and effectively creepy moments. Michael Ironside delivers his usual strong performance and the main cast in general are stronger than what you may have come to expect from this type of flick. There are obvious "homages" to Carrie but not to the point of embarrassing ripoff levels. It's far more interesting and thrilling than the first film and it's easily the best of the franchise (including the remake of the first film). A must watch for fans of the low budget 80s horror genre.