Unseen Terror 2018: Day 24

It is with the utmost apologies that I must retract a statement made on yesterday's post. After sitting through Prom Night III, I had concluded that the franchise was going into the same direction that Sleepaway Camp did (initial film is serious, sequels become progressively sillier). Thanks to Prom Night IV: Deliver Us from Evil, I'm not quite sure of what the hell this series wants to do anymore. After heading into the realm of horror-comedy, the fourth film in the Prom Night universe decides to go back to basics. There's no supernatural elements, over-the-top humor, or Mary Lou. Just a demented killer (in this case, a priest that has suffered a psychotic breakdown from years of sexual abuse and must punish sinners) stalking adult actors that are playing promiscuous, older teenagers. It also chooses to emphasize the "slow burn" ala the first movie, rather than go for a relentless bloodbath. So, with these decisions in mind, does it amount to a decent little flick?

Boy, I'm legitimately shocked by how much I disliked this follow-up. Prom Night IV sacrifices any of the potential excitement that was present in the second and third entries, and those choices amount to something that you wouldn't even bat an eye towards if it came on at 3:00 A.M. while you were drunkenly channel surfing. While the first Prom Night wasn't exactly a barn burner, it at least had the addition of Jamie Lee Curtis to prevent boredom from kicking in, and it rewarded your patience with some nice kills along with a fairly memorable finale. The same can't be said for this flick though. Here, the list of performers does boast some surprising finds, including Fringe showrunner J.H. Wyman, Nicole de Boer from Star Trek: Deep Space Nine and Cube, and future Degrassi and Donkey Kong Country (remember that show?) star Joy Tanner. None of them are particularly bad, but the material that they're working with is another level below substandard and with how ridiculously sluggish the pace often is (much like its ancestor, it takes close to an hour before any real slaughtering begins), it makes the movie a real chore to get through. There's a scene involving Tanner playfully trying to "seduce" de Boer's character that while obviously is a cheap ploy to arouse the males in the audience, ends up coming across as slightly homophobic when you look at it now. Perhaps the only decent part of Prom Night IV's story comes from the not-quite-subtle criticism of the Catholic Church in the form of the evil Father Jonas, but even he's a fairly bland slasher villain when compared to pretty much everyone else out there, and ESPECIALLY when you remember that he's supposed to be our replacement for the charismatic and fun Mary Lou Maloney. Besides, it's likely that you'll never be able to top Lester Lowe from Silver Bullet, so don't even try son.


I'm always upset whenever I see a promising franchise either end on a whimper (Critters) or just outstay its welcome by churning out crappy sequel after crappy sequel (Hellraiser). Much like someone I know who does read this blog (sup Maddux!), I feel like the best thing that one can do with Prom Night IV is what they did with the aforementioned Sleepaway Camp: recommend the first three pictures, actively tell them to avoid the fourth, and reiterate that they should REALLY not bother with it should they offer you a halfhearted chuckle in return. However, if you are committed to finishing this damn franchise like I am (not counting the remake), then sure, go ahead and drop close to thirty dollars on the DVD that comes packed with its far superior predecessor. Or go stream it on Amazon Prime. Or just lock yourself in your room and google search for more photos of Courtney Taylor from Prom Night III.

Tomorrow, I think I'm done with slashers, and I feel like it's time to restore some dignity back to Unseen Terror. Much like before, maybe Criterion can provide me with some quality entertainment?

Unseen Terror 2018: Day 23

For last year's Unseen Terror, I kicked it off with 1980's rather infamous and influential slasher Prom Night. Several weeks afterwards, I dove right into what was to be the first in a line of sequels. Much to my surprise, I found Hello Mary Lou: Prom Night II to be rather enjoyable, if not a bit standard. Heck, if I'm allowed my first "Bold Horror Statement" for the 2018 iteration of this blog-o-thon, it would be that I prefer that picture to the original. Initially, I was just going to let sleeping corpses lie, but when I discovered that Prom Night III: The Last Kiss was available for free on the addicting dumpster fire known as YouTube (and that the quality wasn't complete garbage), I had to dive right in.


Unbeknownst to me, the third entry is a continuation of the story found in Hello Mary Lou, as it concerns the titular, undead prom queen, this time portrayed by new actress Courtney Taylor, returning to the world of the living yet again. Unlike before, when she escapes hell, she arrives on Earth with no particular motive other than wanting to kill people and occasionally get in the pants of a high schooler named Alex (played by Party of Five part-timer Tim Conlon). He is the very definition of the "Average Joe," as he doesn't excel at any subject in particular, dreams of working in a field that he is likely not qualified for, and is having difficulties with his girlfriend (Cynthia Preston). When Mary Lou comes into his life, she magically causes everything to become wonderful, but insists that he has to clean up any "damage" that she causes on the side. Sooner than later, the faculty body count starts to rise just as high as Alex's grades do.


In stark contrast to the first flick, Prom Night III closely resembles a parody of the slasher genre that was so huge at the time, and features a HEAVY emphasis on the comedic aspect of the "horror-comedy" tag. Sure, the second film had its funny moments here and there, but it was played relatively straight for most of its running time. I wasn't shocked to find out that just like its predecessor, the writers had no intention of this ever being connected to the Prom Night universe, but it appears as though that was changed to potentially make it more sellable to moviegoers. In some regards it works, but tonally this thing can't quite seem to make up its mind. The few moments of gruesome deaths that are to be found are certainly gory, but nothing this time around feels particularly scary, and the humor that's provided for the actors to deliver isn't good either. Comprised of the easiest and cheapest of jokes (i.e. fat people eat a lot, women who work out have to be manly, etc.), it feels like something that would better fit a bad early-90s Fox Network sitcom.


On the plus side, the two leads are exceptionally entertaining. Alex may not go down in the books as one of the slasher genre's all-time great heroes, but he's easy to sympathize with and Conlon gives him a sort of naïve, yet endearing attitude. As mentioned above, we also have a new Mary Lou, and while I mean no disrespect towards the previous actresses who played her in Prom Night II, Courtney Taylor might be the perfect choice for the character. The decision to transform this villain into essentially a sultry, slightly crazed female version of Freddy Krueger (complete with puns) does come across as pandering to the mainstream audiences, but she's having so much fun with the role that it's hard to truly get mad. She's also striking to look at (note: she's a dead ringer for Twin Peaks' Sherilyn Fenn!), so I'm certain that such an attribute could be beneficial for the more superficial folks watching these type of pictures.


Prom Night III: The Last Kiss is a bit on the messy side, but it's a surprisingly watchable sequel. What it might lack in uniqueness, it tries to make up for with some fun kills and entertaining performances from the aforementioned cast. It helps to keep it from ever being boring, which I'd argue is worse than being a straight-up awful or forgettable flick. If I'm allowed to make one more comparison, this franchise's spiral into unabashed silliness is very similar to what happened with Sleepaway Camp: start with a fairly serious film, then get progressively wackier with each follow-up. If you don't mind paying a pretty penny, you can grab this one alongside the next entry (which may or may not be coming soon) on DVD.




Tomorrow, I'll hopefully be well-rested, and I'm keeping my fingers crossed that I don't fall behind in my reviewing habits!

Unseen Terror 2017: Day 29

It's 1957, and cocky, promiscuous Mary Lou Mahoney is setting out to have a blast at her high school prom. Unfortunately, a series of freakish events result in the woman burning to death that very evening at the event. Thirty years later, the young Vicki Carpenter is searching for a dress to wear to her own prom and comes across a trunk that contains all of the departed Mary Lou's accessories and belongings. After opening the container, she unknowingly unleashes the vengeful spirit of the would-be queen of the dance, who returns to seek revenge for her untimely demise, and if possible, find a new permanent host for her essence.



As you may recall, this year's Unseen Terror marathon kicked off with my first time viewing of 1980's proto-slasher Prom Night. I found that even with some fairly obvious flaws, the flick was lively in all the right areas, and ultimately worth a recommendation. As with many franchises that have made appearances on this blog over the span of seven years (Hellraiser comes to mind), the temptation to check out all three follow-ups and its unwanted remake was high, but not vital. Alas, I did hear some good feedback from people on social media about how Hello Mary Lou: Prom Night II was actually worth a watch. Thanks to various websites/services still refusing to cooperate with me, original choices Inseminoid and Breeders were thrown back into the pile once more. Room must be made for a motion picture that features a spectacled Michael Ironside accidentally murdering someone with a stink bomb.


From the get-go, the tone of Hello Mary Lou feels drastically different than its predecessor. Supernatural and psychological horror elements permeate throughout its crisp running time, which wasn't present in director Paul Lynch's slow burn. It may not come as a surprise to hear that independent film company Samuel Goldwyn got a hold of something that was not related to Prom Night whatsoever and suggested that it be tweaked and marketed as a continuation of the motion picture that came out seven years earlier. New film head Bruce Pittman doesn't seem to believe in patiently building to a big bang of a climax (though its own third act is quite wonderful), but rather to score home runs as soon as possible. This can be a disappointment when you factor in how calm the first Prom Night was during its first hour, and it felt as though the new studio heads wanted this sequel to follow traditional "modern" slasher guidelines. Still, there are a great number of franchise entries that share only the most basic of similarities with the movies that preceded them (Aliens comes to mind). And sometimes you just want to watch a body count pile up over time.


Speaking of that, the first victim, who resembles a more "80s"-fied version of Angela Kinkade in the first Night of the Demons, is the recipient of a death that hints of extravagance, but teases the audience with something that unfortunately doesn't occur. Perhaps watching that 4K restoration of Suspiria yesterday was a bad idea since it spoiled me on the visual aspect of lives being ended. Regardless, the kills in Hello Mary Lou have more impact considering that its cast of characters are far more likeable this time around. During the first Prom Night, nearly every single soul was a different shade of unsympathetic asshole, and it just made you a bit impatient since all you wanted was to see them die as horrible a death as possible. Lead actress Wendy Lyon (Anne of Green Gables) adds a very innocent, personable quality to Vicki, and you're just fascinated by her constant visions. She's a very underrated performer in the "scream queen" field, and has the aura of a young Daryl Hannah. Without going too much into spoiler territory, Lyon's protagonist does a complete 180 towards the end of Hello Mary Lou's second act, becoming completely unhinged and reveling in devilish behavior.


If you can ignore the fact that Hello Mary Lou's full title features the words "Prom Night" on the marquee and home video releases, you actually have an engaging, if not somewhat standard slasher picture at your disposal. The pacing is good enough that you never feel bored, the acting is fairly solid, and the whole shebang is just plain fun. I'd even go so far as to say that I personally enjoyed it more than the Jamie Lee Curtis-led vehicle that was released around the end of the disco era (side note: why didn't you do an updated version of the Prom Night theme?!). As of this writing, the first sequel is available for streaming over on Amazon Prime, and if you're feeling ambitious enough, it can be purchased for either paltry or absurd amounts of cash. I have to offer some advice on the former DVD though: it contains the infamously bad Full Moon Entertainment release known as Killjoy.



.....wait a minute, have I even seen that particular one? Ugh, might have to do some rearranging.....again.




Tomorrow, we're closer to the end, and hopefully we are NOT concluding with Killjoy.

Unseen Terror 2017: Day 1

Well, that gif of Mr. Burress can mean only one thing: I'm exhausted from attending my first horror convention this weekend. That, and I have officially finalized my listing for the seventh (oy) year of my "Unseen Terror" series that I manage to craft during every October. If you are unfamiliar with the concept, the short version of my explanation is this: I dig up at least thirty-one different motion pictures that deal with the more macabre side of life to watch during this month that I have never managed to see until now. Some are cherished pieces of art that should be seen by all (Rosemary's Baby, The Return of the Living Dead, I Saw the Devil), some are hidden gems that deserve to be given a second chance after an initial, unfair thrashing by critics (House II, Black Roses, Popcorn, Suck), and others should be buried deep underground after being set on fire (Clownhouse, Pinocchio's Revenge, any Hellraiser sequel post-Bloodline).

So, with that basic introduction out of the way, let us begin! As always, I welcome discussion and comments on here, any major social media network (using the hashtag #UnseenTerror will find me), or the new Letterboxd service that I have signed up for and am thoroughly enjoying thus far (search for me as "Woodshatter1985").

While playing a routine game of hide and seek in an abandoned, dilapidated building, four children harass and tease a younger girl named Robin Hammond for wanting to join in. Unfortunately, the youths back Robin into a smaller area and inadvertently cause her to fall out of a window, where she immediately dies upon impact. Instead of reporting this incident to the local authorities, the accidental murderers vow to keep this to themselves and to never tell a soul. Six years pass, and Robin's surviving siblings just so happen to be attending the same high school as their sister's killers. As the entire collective of students highly anticipate the upcoming prom, specific ones begin to receive threatening, ominous phone calls from someone who may be seeking vengeance over one particular incident from their past.

1980's proto-slasher Prom Night has been on my radar since I began doing this yearly tradition back in 2011. For reasons that I can only attribute to laziness and forgetfulness, it just never quite made the final cut or listing. Obviously that has now changed, but did this unintentional delaying make my viewing experience any better or worse? Well, I suppose that you can say that it borrowed an equal amount from column A and column B.

For starters, the movie is absolutely drenched in all things that were affiliated with the late 1970s and early 1980s. There's the prototypes for every character seen throughout these type of pictures (the bad boy, the preppy girl, the awkward nerd, the red herring), the unabashed affinity for Disco music (more on that later), and appearances from fan favorites such as Halloween's Jamie Lee Curtis and Leslie Nielsen of The Naked Gun and Airplane! fame. In fact, the latter's performances manage to lift Prom Night off of the ground as they seem genuinely invested in the project and clearly came to the set every day with the best of intentions. The rest of the supporting cast is fine too, although because of the way that the script is structured, you may find yourself struggling to sympathize with the rest of these kids since, regardless of their ages, they're inarguably dicks for nearly all three acts. Oh, and they are also MURDERERS. Still, you earn a can of coke for trying to make us identify with the lot of them.

Since we are still on topic, we as moviegoers and purveyors are very likely anticipating seeing these other players meet their grisly demise. Unfortunately, this is where I felt that Prom Night stumbles, though not majorly. While the third act and finale of this picture is quite invigorating (and features one hell of a great decapitation), it takes nearly one full hour for the first drop of blood to spill, which means that technically, you can classify this motion picture as a "slow burn." Normally, I have no qualms about such decisions being made by the writers and directors, but considering that this effort barely scrapes by the ninety-minute mark, it may easily frustrate the more insatiable, impatient gorehounds that populate this strange, but endearing community that I am often happy to be a part of. Disappointingly, Prom Night does feel like it has a rather abrupt, it not blunt ending too, but a part of me ponders about whether budgetary reasons or time restraints had something to do with that.

Still, even with those complaints, I had a rather enjoyable time with Prom Night. Those with a more open mind and appreciation for attempts at telling stories, even ones as overused as this one, will also likely get a kick out of this quick watch. Considering that it was made for a very meager $1.5 million, it is competently shot and manages to accentuate the positives while hiding the negatives. Hell, its influence can even be seen on assorted films from throughout the decades (I Know What You Did Last Summer borrows heavily from this bad boy). If you're planning a slasher marathon in the near future with your friends or colleagues, this is a pleasant one to throw into the mix. At the time of this writing, you can view director Paul Lynch's hidden horror gem for free on Amazon Prime and YouTube, although it appears as though the folks there tracked down a Betamax rip rather than an actual DVD-quality print. Instead, it may just be easier for you to track it down on home video, as I'm certain that it makes for an inexpensive purchase no matter what format is available to you.

Oh yeah, I was going to mention the disco music, wasn't I? Well, there just so happens to be a gloriously cheesy moment where Jamie Lee Curtis and her date have to piece something together that feels like it belongs in another, entirely different genre flick. And we are subjected to this insanely catchy jam.

So, stick that in your pumpkin and....uh....play it?

*sigh*  I'm far too tired to be making puns or lousy jokes this early on. Let's just move on.

Tomorrow, we say hello to the men who gave us a myriad of releases such as The Fly, The Brood, and Maximum Overdrive. What little flick could they have ties to? Well, perhaps if one could see the future, we'd all know what I'm referring to.