In Comparison: Prom Night 1980 vs Prom Night 2008

Remakes aren’t at all new, but more and more seem to be greenlit as time goes on. Prom Night was no exception.

Okay, so this one isn’t actually a remake, it was more or less just marketed as such. It’s like seeing a bunch of songs that have the same title, but are entirely different both musically and lyrically. To be fair, I think calling the 2008 film a remake put a tremendous amount of unnecessary pressure on fans of the original, as well as the creative team behind it. Why, you may ask? Well, for those of you who have seen the remake and not the original – or vice versa, both stories are quite different. So different that, calling Prom Night Prom Night, is like calling Prom Night, Carrie, simply because of the story’s setting.

Prom Night aired on NBC in 1981 as a Movie of the Week – Courtesy of Peter R. Simpson and Richard Simpson

Prom Night (1980)

Directed by Paul Lynch, Prom Night is a low budget Canadian slasher whodunit, starring Jamie Lee Curtis and Leslie Nielsen. Although it was financially successful, critics tore it apart. The film opens in the early to mid 1970s, at an abandoned building wherein a group of children play after school. What unfolds over a game of hide and seek is tragic and, if you’ve never seen it, shocking.

The rest of the first act gives us insight into who those children grew up to be, 6 years later. They’re anticipating prom and struggling with their relationships – or lack thereof. Fun fact: the actress who plays Wendy, Eddie Benton, had a cameo in Halloween 2 (she’s the one nurse Karen promised a ride home to.) Once the prom begins, so does the chase.

The soundtrack is made up of disco songs meant to sound like actual hits that were far too expensive to utilize. Paul Zaza, who also did the score for the original My Bloody Valentine, wrote the disco tracks, and Carl Zittrer (who scored the original Black Christmas) helped compose the movie’s score. The soundtrack, unfortunately, has not been released in the US, but thankfully the songs are down-loadable in great quality via Youtube. It’s a terrific soundtrack overall, but I especially recommend Fade to Black performed by Gordene Simspon. It’s a very sad song that sums up the movie.

Jamie Lee Curtis gives a wonderful performance as Kim; the prom queen and easily the best dancer there. Early on in the movie, there’s some subtle foreshadowing. Some of the characters have their yearbook photos cut out and sliced by mirror glass, almost if to say that it’s a reflection of things to come if they don’t watch out. It’s not a gory picture, nor is there a huge body count. This is one slasher that chose storytelling over excessive bloodshed. It’s pretty obvious which of the kids the killer hates most. The film’s final moments delivers a tragic twist that leaves you wondering what happened next.

As good a story Prom Night is, there are things that don’t quite work with it. The idea of taking something potentially fun and memorable that virtually everyone can relate to, such as prom, and adding a character who is hellbent on exacting revenge on that night, works well as a contradistinction. On one hand, you’ve a teen movie filled with angst and avidity, but on the other, it’s a typical slasher flick. The teenagers speak of prom with vigor and alacrity, all while the killer speaks of it as a pejorative. What doesn’t work, is the subplot of an escaped sicko utilized entirely as a red herring. There’s also a lot of conveniences for the killer in this movie. 

For people who haven’t seen this movie since the initial DVD release, the Blu Ray release is the best for this film, as the lighting is fixed and the sound quality is fantastic.

Prom Night 2008 – Does this look scary to you – Courtesy of Sony Pictures

Prom Night (2008)

 It’s not the worst, but it’s certainly not one of the best. PG-13 rating aside, you know who the killer is, you know their motive, and the way they delve into that character’s arc is flat and uninteresting. It’s neither compelling nor scary, whatsoever. In fact, I’d argue the film’s casting is indicative of that. It’s all sexy people running around in seemingly expensive, well-fitting attire, at a location that doesn’t seem realistic. My prom was on a boat in the middle of a lake. You’d think they’d elect to keep proms in a high school gym, but over the years, the location has become part of the celebration. Even still, setting a prom in a huge, glamorous hotel just seems a little cockamamie. Oh, and the school never expected teenagers to get a room, really?

Even the killer is cast as eye candy with one foible being murderous with an obsessive predilection for fancying a high school student. Early in the movie, the murderer looks sort of like Charles Manson or Tex Watson, which would have helped disguise some of the actor’s appearance to a point of the audience actually being creeped out and disgusted by him. Regardless if they’re wearing a mask or not, someone chasing after you is scary, but for some reason, this movie fails to put its audience into that state of terror.

The most likable character in the movie is Dana Davis as Lisa, but we’re not given much insight into that character. She’s just there to support Brittany Snow’s character. 

The score isn’t particularly memorable, but the soundtrack is interesting. It does feature some covers – one of which was utilized in the trailer, but not in the movie. On its opening weekend alone, the movie raked in more than its estimated production budget. Frankly I’m not even sure how, as the it falls short in every conceivable way. The acting isn’t particularly memorable or good. The script was a total letdown, the dialogue wasn’t interesting, as realistic as it tried to be.

However you choose to look at it is entirely up to you. For better or worse, Prom Night was never safe from remaking. How does it rank with all the others? Which do you prefer and why? Let us know below.