Prom Night III: The Last Kiss (1990) Poster

User Reviews

Review this title
58 Reviews
Sort by:
Filter by Rating:
5/10
Prom Night III: The Last Kiss
Toronto857 April 2011
Prom Night III continues with the Mary Lou storyline, but takes it in a lighter and more humorous direction. Mary Lou (Courtney Taylor) unleashes herself from hell using a nail file to cut the chains. It's from there that she begins to stalk a student named Alex (Tim Conlon). Her mission is to get Alex to be with her forever. There is just one thing standing in her way. Alex's girlfriend Sarah (Cynthia Preston). She starts to kill some of the people that get in his way for success. When he struggles in biology, she finishes his test and then turns his bio teacher into a human banana split. A guidance counsellor questions Alex's grades, so she kills her off using battery acid. This goes on and on and each time Alex has to dispose of the bodies by burying them in the football field. With Prom Night looming, the police eventually find the corpses and of course point the finger at our lead character. Will Alex escape and send Mary Lou back to hell, or will she claim her man and get rid of Sarah?

Prom Night III definitely has the best special effects of all the films in the series. The banana split murder in particular is pretty unique and visually well done. There is just something about this one that seems kind of cheap. It's like a cheap version of part II. The actress that plays Mary Lou in this one is different from the previous installment. She isn't as good as the Mary Lou from the second film. She was darker and more sinister in part II. In The Last Kiss, they try hard to make her seductive and humorous, much less evil and dark. The performance isn't as good.

I also don't understand the decision making from the lead character Alex. He knows this dead chick is killing all these people, and instead of telling anyone else, he just continues implicating himself by burying the bodies. This movie also has a 60's and 70's 'Grease' feel to it as well with Alex's leather jacket and the greased back hair. Prom Night III seems to suffer with a personality disorder. It tries to be funny, tries to be supernaturally spooky, and tries to add a bunch of different elements to it as well. It's all over the place and not as good as part II.

Mary Lou is completely different from the vixen we knew her as in "Hello Mary Lou". The ending is also very bizarre, but original at least. Prom Night III doesn't take itself very seriously, and neither do I.

5/10
5 out of 7 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
5/10
Campy, Fun Horror.
drownsoda907 August 2006
"Prom Night III: The Last Kiss" is the third installment of the series, following Part II, which was virtually unrelated to Part I. Mary Lou continues her rampage again at Hamilton High School. This time, Mary Lou's ghost falls for a teenage football player named Alex. She begins appearing to him, and she seems to be able to give Alex what ever he wants, when he wants it. But what he isn't aware of is that Mary Lou is an evil spirit, and she begins killing off all of his enemies and rivals, and he ends up losing his girlfriend too. Since Mary Lou is a ghost and nobody can see her, Alex is the only link to the murders and he becomes the prime suspect.

I'm not sure if this sequel was intended to be scary or funny, because to me it was a heck of a lot funnier than it was scary. The whole setup of the movie is a bit random, and there are some genuinely funny scenes. Cheesy, but funny. Prime examples of this campy humor are when when Mary Lou appears to Alex at an ice cream stand in the biology classroom, and when Alex wakes up naked in the school and has to wrap himself in a flag. There are lots of gory scenes throughout the movie, but none of it is really taken seriously and the special effects aren't great. The acting was alright, and the plot was unrealistic. But it's what you would expect from a movie of this type.

Overall, "Prom Night III: The Last Kiss" is a campy but funny horror flick. It's not scary at all, it turned out to be much more funny than terrifying. It's an okay way to pass an hour and a half. 5/10.
7 out of 11 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
5/10
It's Freddy Krueger's niece from hell in love with a high school student...
Vomitron_G8 August 2011
This is very much a horror/comedy mixture (both genres being equally present this time, taking it a couple comedic steps further than the previous installment in the "Prom Night" series, "Hello Mary Lou"), and as such it's pretty entertaining. Our beloved Mary Lou character returns from hell, though played by a different actress (Courtney Tayler) in this sequel. She falls in love with average student Alex Grey and immediately goes on a killing spree for him, disposing of all the competition (like irritating jocks) and annoying high school teachers. A few amusing kills - not unlike the inventive ways of killing Freddy Krueger started to portray in the later "A Nightmare On Elm Street" sequels - and a funny ending make this one an okay, albeit silly 90 minutes time-waster.
4 out of 6 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
Lots Of Cheezy But Fun Horror!
movies2u26 July 2003
Prom Night III: The Last Kiss (1989)

This movie, was strangely funny and cheezy, but had some horror elements thrown into it. It is about Alex, who has a great girlfriend, and their relationship begins to crumble as Alex begins having visions and experiences with Mary Lou Maloney, who was killed in a fire at the school 33 years ago. Mary Lou begins to give Alex anything he's ever wished for, but in the process, she begins killing people in Alex's way, and the police come after Alex! There were many gorey but funny scenes in the movie, like when Mary Lou appears at the ice cream stand in the classroom. It tried to be scary, but turned out more funny and entertaining. I give Prom Night III a 6/10.
13 out of 16 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
3/10
I'm Sorry Mary Lou, But I'm Over You
callanvass17 April 2015
Warning: Spoilers
Mary Lou is brought back from the dead once more to wreak havoc at Hamilton High. Alex Grey is the poor sucker that has to do her bidding. The only movie in this series that I like is Prom Night 2. It's actually one of my favorite horror movies, and extremely underrated. Yes, the second movie was campy, but it was actually suspenseful as well. They throw the suspense out the window in favor of laughs. Not only is it terribly unfunny, but downright boring. I didn't care about anybody in this movie except for one person, and that was Sarah (Cynthia Preston) She felt like the only real person in this movie. Even Mary Lou bugged me in this movie. There is gore in this movie, but it's played for laughs. Most of the deaths are stupid. Tim Conlon makes for a bland lead. I wanted to slap him silly at times. Cynthia Preston is very solid as the love interest. She comes out of this crap looking like a champ. Courtney Taylor is nowhere near as seductive and sexy as Lisa Schrage was as Mary Lou. She tries hard, but just doesn't have the charisma or the script to work with. The ending is a real downer and p*** me off.

This movie is marred by a lot of rampant stupidity. The second movie had the perfect balance of scares and humor. This movie focuses way too much on silly comedy. I'd skip it if I were you

3.3/10
4 out of 6 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
3/10
campy without being funny
SnoopyStyle28 January 2016
Prom queen Mary Lou Maloney has escaped from Hell and is killing in Hamilton High School once again. Alex Grey is an average student and unlikely to get into medical school. His best friend Shane Taylor is another idiot. He is always bullied on the football team by star Andrew Douglas. He forgets his anniversary with girlfriend Sarah Monroe. Late one night, he has a sexual encounter with Mary Lou. Mary Lou starts appearing helping him academically and athletically. He helps her bury the bodies.

This is trying to be campy. The problem is that it's not funny. When it tries to be funny and fails, the movie feels deficient. Courtney Taylor has the pin-up beauty of Mary Lou but she doesn't have the charisma of Lisa Schrage. None of the movie is actually scary. The last act in Hell doesn't have any real intensity. In fact, the people suffering in Hell are so lifeless that it makes the movie stumble crossing the finish line.
4 out of 8 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
4/10
Amazingly, not the last in the series.
BA_Harrison5 October 2019
Just how silly does tongue-in-cheek horror Prom Night III get? Well, ghostly antagonist Mary Lou pins a mans hands to a counter-top with ice-cream cornets and pushes a whisk through his skull, That stupid enough for you? Or howsabout the scene in which she throws a football, the ball turning into a drill that screws her victim to the goalposts? The Last Kiss is full of such nonsense, making it a mindless way to pass the time, but not a scary one, nor a particularly funny one.

Courtney Taylor plays malevolent spirit Mary Lou Maloney, who falls for high school jock Alex Grey (Tim Conlon), killing anyone who upsets her beau or threatens to get in the way of their relationship. Alex takes to burying the bodies under the football field, but is soon found out and arrested for murder. Alex's girlfriend Sarah believes that he is innocent and tries to free him from the sexy ghost's grasp.

Directors Ron Oliver and Peter R. Simpson keep a brisk pace and manage a few impressive shots (I love the camera careening down corridors), but they're unable to get the balance of horror and comedy right, with the gags falling flat (the announcements over the school tannoy are cringeworthy) and the supposed scares too comical to ever be disturbing. It all flashes past the eyes easy enough, but the film's frivolous nature and an ending that feels like an afterthought leaves one wondering 'what was the point?'.
3 out of 6 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
7/10
"I don't get mad, I bake."
ryan-1007523 May 2018
Now I know I am likely in the minority here (based on ratings of each individual Prom Night movies), but I think this is the best and my personal favourite of the series. A sequel really to HELLO MARY LOU: PROM NIGHT II and not the original as Mary Lou Maloney returns for new blood at Hamilton High. Ron Oliver penned this script as he did in part 2 and co-directs with Peter Simpson who produced each Prom Night movie. Mary Lou is played by Courtney Taylor this time and is more angry, more violent and sexier than ever. This time she is after 'Average Joe' Alex Grey (Tim Conlon), who she starts setting his life up pretty well as long as he can just return it with love. Problem is she leaves corpses in her wake. Interesting, clever and original deaths along with a great sense of humor make this one I really have enjoyed over the years. It is more of a comedy-horror film. Also starring Canadian and former boxing great George Chuvalo as Alex's teacher Mr. Walker. Give it a chance and maybe you will enjoy it, too.
7 out of 8 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
3/10
At Hamilton High..it's prom night!
Scarecrow-8821 April 2007
Warning: Spoilers
Alex(Tim Conlon, quite terrible in the lead;he resembles Zach Galligan to me)is just your average guy flunking high school and a loser on the football team. He meets up, one night, with the demonic presence of ole Mary Lou Maloney(Courntey Taylor)who we see explode from her grave at the opening and they have a tumble. The next day she's gone and he only has the American flag as covering for his nude body when students walk in ready for classes while Alex scurries to the restroom. Alex has a steady girlfriend, Sarah(Cynthia Preston, a cutie pie)and best friend, Shane(David Stratton), but all that changes when Mary has an impact on his daily doldrums in high school life. She kills teachers that stand in the way of his passing school(Mary Lou even fixes his term paper to an A+ passing grade)and gives him the supernatural ability to score winning touchdowns. All she wishes is for him to be hers. With Sarah in the way and guilt regarding his burying the bodies of Mary Lou's victims, Alex begins regretting his ever meeting this ghoul. Soon, Alex breaks up with Mary Lou, as preposterous as that sounds, and let's just say she doesn't take it lying down. Mary Lou's wrath will be aimed at Sarah(..and his friends and school mates)with poor Alex being sent to jail for the murders of his teachers when the corpses are found buried on the football field underneath the sod grass. Of course, a showdown will occur on Prom Night with Alex breaking free from jail and meeting with Mary Lou face to face. In a bizarre state of affairs, Alex agrees to go to "zombie hell" with Mary Lou in exchange for her ceasing the bloodshed. Though he does this, Sarah won't just give him up that easy.

Bird-brained, really stupid exercise is drenched in clichés..as a matter of fact the flick is drowning in them. Alex is a weak protagonist because Conlon is so awful. Attempts at tongue-in-cheek humor fall flat because most of Mary's quips aren't very funny or even slightly amusing. The school intercom jokester has most of the funny lines. The ending in zombie hell sums up the moronic approach of all involved. And, really the string of outrageous killings, committed by Mary, are quite unnecessary. Mary has really been turned into a joke.
4 out of 10 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
6/10
Campy and Dumb Fun
kevinfbarker21 October 2020
One of the few sequels in the series that's actually related to the previous installment which brings back evil prom queen Mary Lou for one more go as she tries to manipulate a high school boy into spending eternity with her in hell by murdering everyone close to him and making him look like a murderer. A concept like this could go either way - dark or comedic - and The Last Kiss decides to go mostly for the comedy even if it does end on a really sour, mean spirited note.
1 out of 1 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
3/10
too much comedy, not enough horror
dien20 September 2012
The title pretty much sums up the whole problem with this film. For the third instalment in the series the producers decided to go with a mix of comedy and horror films popular in the early nineties (which involved hell, demons, the dead,etc, just think of Pinhead or a film like 976-Evil and you get the idea). In my opinion, this was not a very lucky move. The comedy elements aren't funny and don't produce even a giggle yet alone a real laughter. This also limits the effect of the scares which are too few and too childish. I liked the fact that they continued the Mary Lou story arc from the previous film, but they left the ending open and didn't follow with it any further. Also the fact that Mary Lou is played by a different actress doesn't help at all. I was bored by the film and couldn't wait for it to wend. This one is really not recommended.
2 out of 4 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
10/10
Humor and Horror Mingled Well: Thanks, Canada!
jay-bethke12 May 2005
I'm a bit surprised by all of the negative reviews of this film ...it's got more wit and grue than 90% of the films of its genre and era, yet it's called "crap" (which says little for everything else). Yes, PN3 is very juvenile, but so is the intended audience - the evil heroes of horror of the late 80s and early 90s generally play to such tastes. The male lead is easy to like (the chemistry between he and his girlfriend reminds me of that of the lead guy and his girlfriend in "Fright Night"), as is the actress portraying Mary Lou. The film doesn't pretend to be anything more than a "USA Up All Night" flick, but the dialog, style and gore of the movie are all above average (I think of "Girlfriend From Hell" as the prototypical decent "USA Up All Night" film, and this one is definitely in a class above). The horror just erupts from nowhere in this film, like the scene in which the principal cuts off his finger and wind starts blowing all over, slamming doors shut ...my reaction to this was a big laugh: what a great, madcap way to foreshadow. I love films in which the hell just starts right away and keeps going until the end (Evil Dead 2 is probably the best example of that). And I laughed a lot while watching PN3, but perhaps one needs a rather free - and yet very juvenile - sense of humor to get the most out of it. If you ever snickered at the humor and one-liners of Freddy Krueger, Angela Baker, or even the Wishmaster, you'll probably like this incarnation of Mary Lou. In any case, this film is very representative of its time and genre, in good ways and bad, depending on your take.
19 out of 23 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
6/10
The Return of Mary Lou
kennymasterson12 October 2020
Undead prom queen Mary Lou returns to seduce a high school boy into joining her in hell even if it means killing off everyone close to him. The Last Kiss turns Mary Lou from the good time girl in the last film to a man hungry and lovestruck Glenn Close in Fatal Attraction type and I'm not sure if it was the best choice. There was something somewhat feminist about Mary Lou in the last film and in this one she's reduced to another jealous girlfriend cliche. It's still not as bad as many would say and it's amusing enough to distract you for 90 minutes.
0 out of 0 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
2/10
Terrible
MrBlahh1 October 2003
The best word I can use to describe this movie was boring. Nothing really happens until about halfway into the movie. Mary Lou pretty much just kills anyone that looks at Alex wrong. The only good reasons to watch this movie are to catch few of the funny PA announcements (which is the only reason I didn't give this movie 0 stars) or if you are interested in watching the entire Prom Night series (but I'd still recommend to skip this crap).
2 out of 4 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
First impressions do NOT last!
marcfantozzi7 July 2001
When I first watched Prom Night III: The Last Kiss, I thought it was a load of rubbish. Recently, though, I re - watched the film again and really loved it. I liked the humour in this film and found it to be entertaining. I take back what I said about it in my user comment on Prom Night IV: Deliver us From Evil. Actually, I like it more than Prom Night IV. The acting was okay also, as were the gore effects!
7 out of 9 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
5/10
Lucky charm?
kosmasp22 May 2020
This is closer to the sequel than the original. Then again the sequel had nothing much in common with the original apart from the title. But here we go with the story of Mary Lou. I almost feel like this may become real or at least gets into my brain which infests intself.

Talking about going crazy, that can be attested to the characters. But who wouldn't if you would be faced with ... I don't actually know exactly what I should call her. A demon? I really didn't care enough to think about it. Bog standard but there are worse movies especially in the horror genre. If you like slashers, I guess you might like it more than others
1 out of 2 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
5/10
Sweet Mary Lou, I'm STILL in love with you!
Coventry6 January 2023
"Prom Night II: Hello Mary Lou" is one of my absolute favorite guilty pleasure slashers of the 80s, and my nostalgic love for that film undoubtedly contributed to me being a lot more tolerant and forgiving towards part III. "The Last Kiss" is a much worse film, but still vastly enjoyable and recommended to fans of late 80s/early 90s slashers.

"Hello Mary Lou" was a genuine slasher with a couple of comical touches. "The Last Kiss" is an out-and-out comedy with a handful of noteworthy slasher moments. Mary Lou resurrects again in the dungeons of Hamilton High, although this time in the luscious body of Courtney Taylor. Taylor is a prettier actress than Lisa Schrage - in my humble opinion, at least - but the latter had a lot more evil-witch charisma. Mary Lou takes control over the average-on-all-levels student Alex Grey, and her influence promptly turns him into a grade-A student and the best quarterback in the football team. Whoever questions Alex sudden progress, teacher or student, dies in horrible freak-accidents.

The kills in "Prom Night III" are gory, juicy, and sardonic, but not the least bit shocking. There's a teacher who gets impaled by ice cream cones (!) and a mixer shoved through the head, someone receives a battery acid shower ("Oh, she wasn't a person. She was a guidance counselor"), and there's a nice showcasing of a deadly touchdown. There's also straightforward slapstick, like when the principal cuts off his own finger during the festive opening of the gym, or through the announcements via the hallway intercoms ("Today's chess tournament is cancelled. All participants are requested to go to the library and play with themselves").

It's all good and cheesy fun for an hour or so, but after that "Prom Night III" quickly becomes dull and repetitive. The actual prom should be the high point of the film, but instead it feels like the longest and most redundant twenty minutes of the film, with Mary Lou dragging Alex into hell of some sort, and it looks a lot like the Hamilton High Prom of 1957.

PS: tip for all bachelors out there - find yourself a partner who starts baking cooking whenever she's upset or angry!
1 out of 2 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
4/10
Half decent fun but it's not really horror movie
atinder25 January 2013
This third movie in the series which ends up being a really fun comedy at times.

If you looking for Horror movie this is not one at all, As this sequel to second bring back Mary lou again.

This movie was no were near as good as Part 2, I not sure if liked this better then first at the moment.

I did find some of this movie more fun to watch then the first prom night movie.

Some of the deaths were very, what that word I am looking for, Fizzy , yeah go with that.

I didn't really like Hell scene in the movie, seem out of the place and the acting in this movie was not bad,

I give 4/5 out of 10
1 out of 3 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
6/10
"Just a question : Why fruits?!". Sexy, cheesy entertainment.
insomniac_rod19 November 2004
Warning: Spoilers
Overall, "Prom Night III : The Last Kiss" is a funny 80's slasher with black humor and intentionally funny death scenes. There's plenty of gore that looks very comical but it fits correctly in the movie's atmosphere. The acting is really good for the movie's standards. Tin Conlon delivers a funny performance when necessary. Courtney Taylor steals the show because she's extremely beautiful and she isn't afraid to show her delicious body. She isn't the best actress out there but she gives a sexy, funny performance. The rest of the cast is just okay. The movie is filled with cheesy one-liners and some comical situations with funny music in the background (for example, anytime the police men talked there was funny music).

"The Last Kiss" has also an extra spice. The sex scenes are steamy and sensual. Courtney Taylor is probably the hottest ghost seductress ever to appear in a Horror movie. She is worth the watch but be sure to get the unrated version. The movie has many highlights in different fields. The death scenes are decent, the comical situations are well done, and the always beautiful Courtney Taylor demonstrates she's gorgeous every time she's on screen. Thanks for wearing that sexy nurse uniform Mrs. Taylor.

Watch this movie if you are into cheesy slasher flicks with gore and black humor. This isn't a great movie by any means but it deserves a watch. Or in the other hand, if you like beautiful women like Courtney Taylor watch this movie! I watched only for her to be honest.

Meet Alex, a geeky student with a normal life. He was a best friend that always tries to help him, a pretty girlfriend, and a perfect family. His life seems to be normal but it lacks of a "spark". His fate changes when he suddenly meets Mary Lou Maloney, a hot ghost that falls in love with him. Alex, little by little also falls in love with her because she helps him with his grades, in the football team, and in his life overall. The main problem is when he realizes too late that Mary Lou is a ghost that enjoys killing people.

At some point, Alex admits to his best friend that he is in love with Mary Lou. But that's when things start to get worse because more people are started to get killed and he's the prime suspect. He also regrets about his romance with Mary Lou because he is cheating on his girlfriend. The life Alex always wanted has become a true nightmare. After police goes after Alex, things really get ugly for him. A shooting starts and he's taken to jail, but guess who rescues him? Mary Lou comes to his aid before interrumping the Prom Night dance at Alex's school. In one of the most bizarre endings in the 80's slashers, Alex and his girlfriend face Mary Lou in hell. Yes, that is meant to be hell.
2 out of 4 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
1/10
TERRIBLE!!!!!
psycho_15328 December 1999
It's getting worst. The first one started good, but since then the series has gone on a steady down fall. This one and the one before have nothing to do with the original movie. The acting was bad, the story was bad, bad directing bad everything, the whole movie is TERRIBLE!!!!!!
1 out of 5 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
6/10
Punchdrunk Prom Night
Mr_Censored20 June 2010
The third film in the "Prom Night" franchise continues to steer the series further away from its slasher origins and closer to the supernatural and, well, corny. Mary Lou, the undead bombshell from the previous film, returns to Hamilton High and takes a liking to Alex Gray, a football player who is bored with his current situation and craves a bit of spice in his life. When the two hook up, Alex gets more than he bargained for, although, strangely enough, doesn't seem all too shocked or surprised by a lover who is more than thirty years past her expiration date and who will do literally anything for him, which includes killing his teachers and classmates in only the most ridiculous ways possible.

"Prom Night III: The Last Kiss" is the sort of film that doesn't take itself too seriously, and upon viewing it, neither should you. There are no serious thrills to be found in this often cartoonish and over-the-top sequel, but there is plenty of fun to go around. From the silly death scenes, which are complimented by comically underwhelming reactions from star Tim Conlon, who appears to have little to no regard for the value of human life. Likewise Mary Lou, played this time around by where-is-she-now Cyndy Preston, gives Freddy Krueger a run for his money with the amount of cheesy one-liners that are thrown around and with the way she lashes out with those ridiculously long fingernails (side-bar: I'd hate to be Alex's back). There are also other little moments, such as the school-intercom gags and the Charlie Brown-ish phone call that Alex makes to his parents. These bits ensure that the film is hardly threatening in the slightest, and at best, is a light-hearted late-night romp that takes a certain sort of mood to appreciate. Put simply, it's a stupidly funny horror comedy that won't fail to entertain, even if it tends to induce a few facepalms. This film is best taken with a grain of salt.
1 out of 2 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
1/10
BOY! Does this film BLOW!
preppy-312 May 2004
A nerdy high school kid (Tim Conlon who looks WAY too old for the role) is possessed by an evil, dead high school girl to get revenge or something. Whatever.

Even as a made for video horror flick this is pretty bad. For one thing it tries to mix humor with horror. Too bad all the humor is terribly unfunny. And as for horror...HA! There's not one even remotely scary moment in this drivel. Add bad acting, real lame special effects, boring gore and a lousy script. I give the film credit in one area--no gratuitous female nudity. Instead we get gratuitous MALE nudity (but it's brief and only one shot). I KIND OF liked the ending (which I'm ashamed to say I didn't see coming) but not enough to recommend this. AVOID! A pathetic waste!
1 out of 8 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
8/10
A hugely enjoyable horror comedy romp
Woodyanders30 March 2009
Warning: Spoilers
Wicked and seductive femme fatale 50's prom queen Mary Lou Maloney (deliciously played to the perfectly vampy hilt by the gorgeous Courtney Taylor) escapes from hell and returns to the normal world to wreak all kinds of nasty havoc. Mary Lou falls for amiable, but average and underachieving nice guy Alex (a solid and likable performance by Tim Conlon). Pretty soon Mary Lou is bumping off anyone who gets in Alex's way. It's up to Alex's sweet girlfriend Sarah Monroe (a winning portrayal by the fetching Cyndy Preston) to save Alex from Mary Lou's evil clutches. Directors Peter Simpson and Ron Oliver (the latter also wrote the witty script) deliver a delightfully outrageous horror comedy riot that unfolds at a constant snappy pace, maintains an engagingly breezy and campy tongue-in-cheek tone throughout, and offers a handy helping of suitably over-the-top graphic gore (grisly highlights include electrocution by jukebox, two fingers being accidentally cut off with a pair of scissors, an annoying guidance counselor getting drenched with battery acid, an especially inspired impalement on a metal spiked football, and a heart being yanked out). The humor might be pretty crude and lowbrow, but it's still awful funny just the same. For example, Alex and Mary Lou make love on top of the American flag. Moreover, there's a hilarious parody of vintage 50's histrionic classroom VD scare films and the PA announcements are absolutely sidesplitting. Plus the wacky dialogue is simply priceless (all-time favorite line: "I don't get mad; I bake"). Conlon and Preston display a spot-on charming chemistry in the lead roles while Taylor has a field day as the sexy, yet sinister Mary Lou. Nice supporting contributions by Dylan Neal as cocky jock Andrew Douglas, David Stratton as Alex's easygoing smartaleck friend Shane Taylor, Jeremy Ratchford as the hopelessly geeky Leonard Walsh, Roger Dunn as bumbling principal Mr. Weatherall, and George Chuvalo as jerky biology teacher Mr. Walker. Rhett Morita's lively cinematography makes nifty use of crazy tilted angles and boasts plenty of hyperactive camera-work. Paul Zaza's shuddery score likewise hits the shivery spot. A real hoot.
6 out of 10 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
6/10
whatever - it's good!
ethylester16 September 2002
Whoever said this movie sucked needs to go watch Alien again or something, because it's a campy horror movie and that's what it's all about! Who said serious horror movies are good anyway? This movie is good, I enjoyed it quite a bit. It's way better than any of the prom nights I've seen and I (in the minority, here) actually thought the acting was good. The guy that played Alex Grey (I wonder if they're alluding to the artist alex grey) was convincing and made me laugh. He just seemed like a cool guy. And the relationship between him and his girlfriend actually seemed realistic rather than stereotypical.

The ending really didn't make any sense to me, though. I had to rewind it and watch it again, hoping I'd catch something I didn't catch the first time... but I still didn't get it... why is he laughing??

It's a good movie, nice and campy - the way I like it! Canadian movies are usually good anyway.
1 out of 3 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
3/10
Bad movie but its still fun to watch
monkey-man31 July 2005
Warning: Spoilers
This movie is really bad and the acting by the hole cast is bad and the story line is bad but i have seen worse horror movies like Jack Frost 2: Revenge Of The Mutant Killer SnowMan.In this movie the plots about how Mary Lou has came back from hell once again and she gets a living boyfriend to take to the prom and she starts to kill heaps of people that get in her way.There are some OK gore scenes in this movie like when Mary Lou rips out a mans heart and the scene when she threw a foot ball at a man on the football field and it kills him and he gets pinned up on one of the goal posts.Over all this movie was bad but it is still a fun way to spend an hour and a half and my rating is 3 out of 10.
0 out of 3 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
An error has occured. Please try again.

See also

Awards | FAQ | User Ratings | External Reviews | Metacritic Reviews


Recently Viewed