Movie Info:
Writer: J. S. Cardone
Director: Nelson McCormick
Cast: Brittany Snow, Johnathon Schaech, Scott Porter, Jessica Stroup, Dana Davis, Collins Pennie, Kelly Blatz, James Ransone, Brianne Davis, Kellan Lutz, Mary Mara, Ming-Na, Idris Elba
Rating: PG-13
Studio: Sony

Release Info:
Theatrical Release: April 11, 2008
DVD Release Date: August 19, 2008
Online Availability: Amazon for $16.99

I generally don’t like remakes of movies. I especially don’t like those films that are named to imply they are remakes, but really just stole the name from the original to garner publicity. I also don’t like Brittany Snow. It’s nothing personal. I think she’s an arrogant little brat, having met her personally before and having witnessed her Paris Hilton diva-like qualities first hand. Off camera impressions aside, as an actress, she’s fair. I’ve seen her in stuff where she stinks and in things where she’s decent. While she won’t be winning any Oscars anytime soon (or ever), she isn’t so bad that I won’t watch a movie if she’s in it. That’s reserved for Cameron Diaz.

So, yeah I wasn’t exactly thrilled about this movie. First of all, the first Prom Night was awesome. It’s hard to compare with an 80’s horror movie that has Jamie Lee Curtis in it. Sure, the original was typical, 1980s, horror cheese, but that’s what’s so great about 1980s horror! The truth is, the 2008 version of Prom Night isn’t really a remake. It’s about the horror-based events that happen to a group of kids on their Prom Night. That’s about the extent of the similarities between the two films.

I am not going to say I hate Prom Night. I am not even going to say I hate Brittany Snow in this movie. I will say that it has its moments of thrill and its moments of cheesiness, but considering I expected a major dud of a movie, I was actually surprised that the 2008 version of Prom Night was more enjoyable than I thought. With elements of suspense and fairly decent acting, especially by the incredibly creepy (who knew?) Johnathon Schaech, Prom Night is one of those movies that are excellent for a Friday night movie night with friends or your favorite evening date. More fun than entertaining, Prom Night isn’t going to be winning any major awards, but hey, what horror movie is?!

Prom Night Plot
Three years ago, Donna Keppel (Brittany Snow) came home from a seemingly normal night out with her friends to find her father and brother murdered. While she hid under the bed, she watched her mother being murdered, all because of her. You see, Donna’s teacher, Mr. (Richard) Fenton (Johnathon Schaech) is obsessed with her and anyone or anything standing between their love is the victim of his murderous wrath.

Three years later, Donna has moved to her Aunt and Uncle’s house. She is still dreaming about the events of three years ago. She’s also on medication and seeing a therapist to cope. Still, Donna has tried to move on. Luckily, she has a great support system, which includes her boyfriend, Bobby (Scott Porter), and her friends, Lisa (Dana Davis), Claire (Jessica Stroup), Ronnie (Collins Pennie), and Michael (Kelly Blatz). The six of them are preparing for their senior prom, with the prospect of college and graduating from high school looming in the distance.

Speaking of college, despite getting a full scholarship to an Ivy League school, Donna is frightened at the prospect of leaving her tight knit community. She hasn’t been away from them since the murders occurred and she even considers going to the nearby, state college with her boyfriend, Bobby. Donna’s on edge attitude is quite understood based on all she has been through. Yet, despite everything, Donna is still excited about the prom, which is being held at a nearby hotel.

As prom night arrives, so does a call to local law enforcement. Richard Fenton has escaped from the asylum where he has been since a jury ruled he was guilty by reason of insanity. There is only one place he’s headed and nobody has let Donna know he’s on the loose. With the police, including Detective Nash (James Ransone) and Detective Winn (Idris Elba), at the prom, keeping an eye on Donna, and police officers staked out around her house, they think they have everything under control, but do they?

Storyline/Plot:
Replayability:
Acting:
Directing:

Audio/Visual:
The video quality for Prom Night is actually quite good. I only saw very minimal instances of dirt and grain, though that was rare. This movie looks exactly like you would expect of a newly released film. The colors are vibrant, with realistic skintones. The black and gray tones have depth to them. The contrast and sharpness is just right to define the action on screen, but not overpixelate things. Presented in anamorphic widescreen at a 2.40:1 aspect ratio, unless you’re looking for the flaws as you watch this, you won’t find them.

The English Dolby Digital 5.1 surround track is excellent. Seriously, the sound comes through with depth and a resonance that mimics that of what you’d hear at the theater. The speakers are used wisely. The dialogue is crisp and clear, while music and sound effects have a vibrant quality. This is what surround is supposed to sound like. Obviously, no volume toggling was necessary. Both closed captioning and subtitles are available in English.

Visual:
Audio:

Bonus Features:
There is an abundance of bonus features on the Prom Night DVD. That’s one of the most appealing things that make this disc actually worth the purchase if you like the movie. The first bonus is an audio commentary. This is presented with Nelson McCormick, Brittany Snow and Johnathon Schaech. While this isn’t the best commentary I’ve ever heard, it is kind of a fun commentary. You’ll have to be the judge of whether this is good or not because I could go either way. I’ve heard better and worse.

Next up is a series of deleted scenes. I can see why all of them are deleted. There isn’t really much there. There are five scenes in total with close to five minutes of footage. Commentary is optional on each scene. There is an alternative ending. While this is a typical bonus for a DVD where an alternative ending was filmed, this ending is just plain stupid and doesn’t really deviate from the original ending all that much. It just leaves some of it out. This will be the most disappointing bonus in the set.

This is where the real fun begins. The gag reel (two minutes worth) is actually pretty funny. There is also a set of four bonus featurettes. These are the meat and potatoes of the bonus section. The first featurette, “A Night to Remember: The Making of Prom Night“, is a typical “making-of” featurette. This is a very interesting featurette. My favorite featurette, “Profile of a Killer”, is the profile of Richard Fenton. This takes a look at the murderous, deranged killer. This also provides a great look into the mind and motivation of the character. The next featurette, “Gothic Spaces: Creating the Pacific Grand Hotel”, looks at the set design from the hotel location where the majority of the movie takes place. Finally, there is a featurette, “Prom Night Photo Album: Real Prom Stories from the Cast” on proms. The cast members of Prom Night talk about their own memories of their prom.

There is a copy of the video yearbook that plays at the prom. The featurette “Bridgeport High Vikings Video Yearbook” is interesting merely because it shows exactly how much thought went into the making of this movie. This looks like it could be a real video yearbook! The bonuses wrap up with a theatrical trailer for the movie and a TV spot. All in all, there is a lot of material here. So, if you’re a fan of the movie, investing in this copy of Prom Night is worth it.

Just for reference, there are previews for 21, Quarantine, The House Bunny, Lakeview Terrace, Vantage Point, Made of Honor, You Don’t Mess with the Zohan, Starship Troopers 3: Marauder, Resident Evil: Degeneration, 88 Minutes, Redbelt, Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story, 30 Days of Night, I Know Who Killed Me, and Persepolis.

Bonus Features:

Bottom Line:
Prom Night is one of those movies that you’ll enjoy when you have a movie night. This makes it the perfect movie to rent. If you like it then you’ll know if you’ll want to buy it, but I don’t think this movie is going to be for everyone. While the acting is better than in most horror films, the cheesiness that is present and the subhuman quality of the killer (he reminds me of Michael Myers in how he’s able to get around without being detected by police) is part of what ruin what could have actually been an amazingly terrifying horror film.

Overall Rating:

Technorati Tags: Prom Night, DVD Review, Sony, Brittany Snow, Johnathon Schaeck, horror, 2008 remake

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