‘If you’re not back by midnight… you won’t be coming home!’
Prom Night is a 1980 American/Canadian slasher film directed by Paul Lynch and starring Leslie Nielsen (Grizzly; Repossessed) and Jamie Lee Curtis. The original music score was composed by Paul Zaza and Carl Zittrer.
The film was given a limited release in the United States on July 18, 1980 (eventually going wide on August 15) by Avco Embassy, and was very popular, especially within the drive-in circuit. It was released in Canada in September that year and went on to become the country’s highest-grossing horror film of 1980.
During the video rental boom years, it spawned three unconnected-except-by-title sequels: Prom Night II: Hello Mary Lou (1987), Prom Night III: The Last Kiss (1990) and Prom Night IV: Deliver Us From Evil (1992). A remake, Prom Night, was released in 2008.
Plot:
For six long years, Hamilton High School seniors Kelly, Jude, Wendy, and Nick have been hiding the truth of what happened to ten-year-old Robin Hammond the day her broken body was discovered near an old abandoned convent. The foursome kept secret how they taunted Robin – backed her into a corner until, frightened, she stood on a window ledge… and fell to her death.
Though an accident, the then-twelve-year-olds feared they’d be held responsible and vowed never to tell. But someone else was there that day… watching. And now, that someone is ready to exact murderous revenge on prom night…
According to director Paul Lynch in the documentary Going to Pieces: The Rise and Fall of the Slasher Film (2006), he was having difficulty securing financing until Jamie Lee Curtis signed on.
Once the film was shot, Paramount expressed interest in distributing the movie. However, they only wanted to open it in 300 movie houses, whereas Avco Embassy Pictures offered to release it theatrically in 1200 locations. As a result, Avco released Prom Night. and Paramount released another independent slasher film in 1980… Friday the 13th.
Buy: Amazon.com
Buy Blu-ray: Amazon.com
Buy the Prom Night Collection Box Set from Amazon.co.uk
Trailer:
