Hello Mary Lou: Prom Night II (1987)

Hello Mary Lou: Prom Night 2: Directed by Bruce Pittman and written by Ron Oliver. The original Prom Night was a classic slasher that was part of the original run of horror films where Jaime Lee Curtis was front and center. Her main scream queen phase. It was a tough sit for me. It had an odd hazy look about it almost like they rubbed bacon grease on the camera lens. It was honestly very odd. But the sequel is a completely different animal all together. This movie comes after the success of the Elm Street movies. They make the villain of this movie, Mary Lou into a supernatural villain much in the vein of Freddy Krueger in Freddy's Revenge. Mary Lou after jilting her date for a cooler kid to get busy with. He gets revenge on her by setting her on fire and killing her. 30 years later the demonic version of Mary Lou is trying to find her way back to the world through a young religious girl. The one thing right off the bat to mention is this is definitely not a scary movie. I'm not entirely sure it's even trying to be scary. It's over the top in a fun way. Mary Lou is in a corporeal state for the majority of the film. The deaths are wild and over the top. A stalking sequence in a girls locker room and shower with both characters completely nude. Even with this weird movie, this came out of left field. But then it comes to the eventual prom scene and this honestly felt like the ending of Carrie. It didn't have all the same details mind you. The mechanics were similar and the feeling was similar as well but the nuance was different. It does get wild and crazy in parts and Michael Ironside is pretty good in this but he's good in most of anything he does. This is the definition of a whatever movie. It's fine mostly. It's not scary. It's not funny. It doesn't offend your sensibility cinematically. I give this movie a C.

Oh, those capitalistic 80s. Like Troll 2, this had less to do with the original and more with mimicking what worked over the previous two decades.What an odd pair of films in one. The movie, while mimicking the Carrie finale, begins with promise and actual laugh out loud scenes. But, then our demonic title character returns and the second, especially incoherent film, begins.I got it, though. Thoroughly tongue-in-cheek, the movie sets out to be meta before meta became meta. Granted, there were some effective special effects, ideas and comedy, the movie is all over the place and the worst offense: the lamest use of Michael Ironside I've ever seen.He's one of my all-time favorite actors. I grew up with him on V (the miniseries and regular TV series) and in any movie I could catch him in. I loved his voice, charisma and snarky presence. Here, he models Daniel Craig's waning interest in Bond: bored, sleepwalking and disinterested.In this name and event-only sequel/rip-off, consequences mean nothing, horrific actions forgotten and undeveloped side characters are forgotten. Basically, badass Mary Lou – the best character in the film, gets her just deserves by burning to death in 1957 at her prom and is inadvertently resurrected 30 years later to cause random FX on her old school.Ahhh, the 80s. Things just happen and characters simply accept them without much depth. For example: the first kill is a fun blast as the victim is almost decapitated, hung up to die and then tossed out a window. This, of course, in 80s fashion, is considered a suicide. No questions asked.The movie would've worked better with a few more rewrites as it had ideas, a few good actors and budget for gore. But, they slapped it together and hoped to cash in on the numerous horror movies' notorieties before it.Not hundred percent avoidable, but…Won't see you later…alligator. ***Final thoughts: I've ALWAYS loved this title and movie poster. So, 30 years after 30 years after this movie begins, I had to finally see it on Day 2 of October for this a part 2. While it sounds like I dissed this movie, I don't regret finally seeing it. Horror Movie Bucket List…checked off.

The hit prom night series spawned an anthology of sorts since none follow where the last left off except 3 following the infamous Mary Lou character seeking revenge against those who watched her burned in 1957. Following the lives of Bill, his son Craig and his girlfriend Vicky as they try to rid Hamilton High of this ghastly evil spirit before she leaves no one left alive to graduate.While I wonder where they could take Kim's character next I find myself enjoying the film for going deeper themes of prom from dates, prom royalty, dancing and thinking about the future once high school is over. Lisa Schrage is more scary then Fred Kreuger in my opinion for her burnt flesh, powers that exceed any horror villain before and her nightmarish world only dreamt of in hell. Wendy Lyon is a beautiful finale girl you feel empathy, strength and voyage from. On the other hand Louise Ferreira isn't given a While lot to do and surpassed by Michael Ironside as the leading man.The music is fabulous, the sets are creative adding great atmosphere and the mixing of religious themes adds depth and layers really draws you into the mythology set up making it feel eerily real.My only complaint is Mary Lou's motivations seem confusing at times as she builds up a body count yet targets a new generation who never knew her and vies for the crown denied her before. Another is possessing Vicky's body when she could exist in her natural form all along. Besides these minor inconveniences it was a wonder addition and if the writers kept up the character she could be the next iconic villain in the likes of Jason or Freddy.

"Prom Night" took a long road towards becoming a horror series. Seven years after the original, a sequel finally rolled out. The slasher subgenre was played out by then and the original story presented little opportunity for a follow-up. "Hello Mary Lou: Prom Night II" took the series in a radically different direction, one of quasi-comedic supernatural horror. The stories are totally unrelated, connected only by the high school, prom setting. It's no surprise to read that the screenplay wasn't written as a sequel at all and was, instead, slapped with the "Prom Night" connection in post."Hello Mary Lou" is so much better then you'd expect an in-name-only sequel to a minor slasher flick to be. Its premise is successfully played for both humor and chills, featuring plenty of slimy special effects and an unexpectedly erotic streak. Back in 1957, promiscuous, rebellious prom queen Mary Lou Mahoney was accidentally set ablaze by her jilted boyfriend. Thirty years later, good girl Vicki Carpenter stumbles upon Mary Lou's tiara in an old store room. Slowly, the vicious spirit of the undead prom queen begins to possess Vicki, once again making prom night a night for terror at Hamilton High."Prom Night II" takes it time setting up its premise. The opening flashback is rather brilliantly presented, the camera swooping in and out of an old storage truck at the start and end. Vicki's eventual corruption by Mary Lou's spirit is a gradual process. She has disturbing hallucinations during the school day. Some of these are humorous, like the volley ball net transforming into a spider's web, her teammates turned into pasty-faced zombies. Others are genuinely off-putting and weirdly creepy. In her bedroom at home, her childhood rocking horse gains red, reptilian eyes and a perversely long tongue. The lunch lady in the cafeteria is suddenly spooning out corpse soup with a side of fresh cockroach. A subtle one has the face of a taunting schoolmate transforming into Mary Lou's grinning face. Vicki's final nightmare sees a chalkboard morphed into a pool of black sludge. The creepy rocking horse returns for a late moment of incestuous kissing, easily the film's most disquieting bit.The stand-out moment of "Hello Mary Lou" comes after Vicki is completely taken over by the evil ghost. After her changed behavior annoys a close friend, Vicki-Lou decides to seduce the girl while they're both in the gym shower. Unexpected for 1987, both actresses show full nudity as light-kissing turns to heavy petting. The audience gets a thrill but the character doesn't buy it. The stalking scene that follows features no music, only the possessed girl humming a tune, running her hands over the locker doors. The suspense builds nicely and the gory pay-off is impressive. The rest of the movie is more of a campy guilty pleasure but that one moment combines titillation and horror fantastically.The film mostly plays its supernatural elements for humor. While stabbing a priest to death, the possessed Vicki reflects on the truths of the afterlife. A high school teacher with grabby hands gets his comeuppance comically. The culture clash of a 1950s teenage getting launched into the eighties provides some amusing antics. An attempt to rig the prom queen vote goes awry for the AV nerd, probably the movie's funniest bit. The film's jokey side mostly manifest in horror film in-jokes. Characters have familiar sounding last names, like Carpenter, Henenlotter, Browning, Craven, Wood, Waters, and O'Bannon. Mary Lou's climatic reappearance goofs on "Carrie." There are numerous shout-outs to "The Exorcist." It's apparent the film was made by fans of the genre.Keeping the film sincere among its goofiness and nastiness are surprisingly well-acted and rounded characters. Wendy Lyon is immensely likable as Vicki. Her wide-eyes and innocent good-girl looks gets the audience's sympathies. Lyon plays a girl loosing her sanity very well. Once possessed, she has no problem playing the other side of the coin. She camps it up fantastically, delivering silly one-liners. Lisa Scrage doesn't have much screen time but makes an impression as Mary Lou. She's looks fantastic with her bright blue eyes and tight prom gown. She, too, has a good time playing a campy horror villain. The commitment to character is clear when the subplots that otherwise would have been drool actually hold your attention. Vicki's best friend has a startlingly confession early on, the camera not cutting away. You wouldn't expect such a moment of honest emotion in the middle of your trashy horror sequel.And that's why "Prom Night II" is awesome. The script is refreshing and smart. The performances are committed and strong. The direction is stylish. The film gets both laughs and scares. This is a sequel that is vastly superior to the original.