A
group of kids play a game at an abandoned
school. They play a game similar to hide
& seek. One girl goes into the
abandoned school and she seems to be the
victim of their game and falls out of a
window and dies. They all keep it a
secret but someone outside of the school
witnessed the murder.
Six years later they are getting ready
for their senior prom dance and a strange
caller calls all of them and crosses out
their name after he calls each and every
one of them. They gets pictures of
themselves stuffed in their lockers with
a shard of glass stabbed in the pic. Some
suspect that it's the strange janitor
that eyes the girls that walks past him.
Then it is prom night and a killer in a
ski mask with an axe starts hacking the
people away that are responsible for the
little girls death 6 years ago.
We have great shots in an abandoned
school with kids playing a sort of hide
and seek game with them running and
hiding.
Nice look at them pushing young Robin which
looked disturbing to do to a poor child
looking like a real bullying act.
There's a good camera shot up on other
three children screaming KILL towards Bourne as
well as a good shot on her backing up and
trying to get a way.
A nice moment on Mrs. 'Vi' Hammond breaking down and crying with Mr. Hammond embracing her.
We spot a perfect present day shot at a
graveyard mainly focused on Kim and Alex placing some flowers on a tombstone.
A good dark shot on a phone cord leading
up to a phone with a hand dialing a
number as well as a nice effective growly
whisper on the phone along with a shot on
a pencil hitting a notepad. This really grabbed my attention that this will be the mysterious killer.
Nice effect on Lou Farmer smoking a cigarette in a
highschool hallway and trying to approach Kim and her friends when they
try to avoid him. This left me a real impression on a school bully trying to look for trouble as well as making me want to watch for more on what he will do next.
Nice mysterious moments when some of the girls at the school tease a disturbed and quiet looking janitor at the school with one of them mooning him as it leaves an impression wondering if he'll be a suspect in the story.
Nicely focused moment with the rich snob Wendy Richards towards Kim in a gymnasium
telling her after the prom it's all over
trying to make her feel bad about her new
boyfriend. This for sure grabs your attention big time on jerks in school.
A nice struggle between Kim when Lou tries to grab her in
a cafeteria wearing a ski mask along with
nice moment between Alex and Lou fighting. I enjoyed this moment showing a triplet brother trying to protect his sister. These moments looked quite strong.
I also liked the moment when both Lou and Alex were called into the office and Mr. Hammond suspends troublemaking Lou until further notice and being a disgrace to the school as well as this bully making out to Alex that it's not over yet. This was a perfect add for the story on highschool life.
A nice setting between Nick McBride and Kim walking
on top of a cliff near an ocean having a
nice romantic discussion as well as him trying to force out his words too
hesitant to tell her what happened to her
sister during the game he played at that
abandoned school. This for sure left a true psychogical feel on someone's guilt that he had to hide over the years. It leaves a good and strong impression by wondering if she will dump him if he spits it out. This moment makes you watch real carefully wondering if someone will cut in before he says anything about it.
We spot a real funny conversation with a prom
queen and king rehearsal that involved
a teacher instructing as well as Kim and Nick practising along
with Alex rehearsing with the
crowns and Nick by getting
sarcastic about the kissing which offers
a few chuckles.
A scene that grabbed my attention is Wendy having Lou be her prom date in which makes me wonder what a beatutiful teen sees in a grease monkey like him but it leaves me an impression that she's using him after what she told Kim earlier on it's not who you go to the prom with it's who takes you home. Some of these scene's reminded me of what I saw in Carrie.
A nice moment with 'Vi' acting
nervous and like a basket case towards Kim when they all prepare for the
prom.
Great setting with the disco
dancing floor in the gymnasium with
people dancing.
Good conversation between Kim and Mr. Hammond dancing together at the
prom as daughter and father.
A dynamic disco dancing performance by Kim and Nick together and totally
showing their stuff.
Nice shot on Lou and Wendy dancing together. As well as him stupidly realising that she left the dance floor later on.
Nice making out moment between Jude Cunningham and her boyfriend Seymour in the van and outside with
a camera shot on the killer watching.
There's a perfect slasher timing with her lying down in the van with the door
opening and the masked killer constantly
stabbing her. This showed great timing for a slasher flick.
There's great fast paced panicking shots
on Seymour driving in his van
with the killers hands grabbing him along
with a perfect shot on the van falling
off a cliff and exploding.
Many good dark shots on Wendy running away in the hall and the killer
standing holding his axe and chasing her. We spot a nice shot on her standing beside a corner crying and
trying to hide away from the killer. Many
good shots on the axe coming down and
crashing into things.
Another great moment when Lou and his friends punch out Nick to pull a prank on Kim when it's time for the prom king and queen seassion as well as a nice surprising moments on the killer ready to strike.
Nice light and static effects as well as
good shots on the people at the prom
screaming after spotting a decapitated
head and running out of the gymnasium.
A great struggling moment that involved
Nick in the gymnasium trying to
protect himself from the killer and
Kim trying to do something about it. Plus great action moments on them trying to dodge the killer in the ski mask with an axe which looked exciting to watch.
Great close up shots on Kim when she
discovers who the killer is along with a
nice close up shot on the killer in his
ski mask.
The ending was perfect that
involved Kim and Alex but I won't get into it as that would be
a spolier as it was very sad and can make
you cry.
Ahh yes, those
were the days when there was disco
dancing, roller skating as well as Atari
and Colecovision video games.
Although this film is cheesy nonetheless
it is still well done and reigned as a
cult classic. It influenced many other
cheesy teenage slasher films during the
same era like Graduation Day,
Hell Night and Happy
Birthday to Me.
I loved the disco dancing sequences plus
this film inspired two other flicks in
the late 90's titled Scream and
I Know What You Did Last Summer. Followed by 3 more sequels that beared no
relationship to this one which was an
awful shame as they weren't that great
like this one but again this film had a
beginning and an end so there couldn't be
a continuation. Anyhow why should there
be as this movie stands out perfectly as
is.
The acting is
cheesy and a little off but I wouldn't
change it at all since it suits the film
itself. Leslie Nielsen (Mr. Hammond) played a
terrific loving father and school
principal with a perfect strict and
serious attitude. Shows off a great sharp attitude in his office when he suspends on onscreen troublemaking student as he was very believeable while behaving this way.
Jamie Lee Curtis (Kim Hammond) was at the top of
her scream queen famedom due to this film
as she struts her stuff well like she
always does as one of the triplets and
can play a great popular teenager
perfectly. Does well with her sarcasm in a certain scene towards someone else at a highschool hallway. Also shows great energy when trying to dodge away from the killer being pitted at the prom.
Casey Stevens (Nick McBride) really knew his part
as the funny and outgoing one in the film
as he will always be fondly remembered
for his role in this film and really
standing out well. Plus almost showed a good emotional attitude in the middle of the story nearlyu telling someone about what he did as a child and being hestitant as he studied this scene greatly.
Anne-Marie
Martin (Wendy Richards) looked terrifically beautiful
and stunning as the rich bitch which she
was perfect at doing in this film. One of
the best cast members in the film. A real effective response on her by with the prank call telling
the caller to get lost. Also shows off a nice prickly attitude towards one of her fellow actresses in the gymnasium about the upcoming prom as she really delivered her lines well. She was very sharp while delivering her lines here. Shows grerat adreanaline while trying to escape from the killer.
Michael Tough (Alex Hammond) was good as the other
triplet with his quiet attitude and
innocent behavior. He had that perfect
boy next door type of look to him. Comes across as almost a shy type of person as he stood out convincingly by behaving like this. Plus does well letting it out with his emotional sobbing at the end of his performance making this truly believeable.
David Mucci (Lou Farmer) lived to play a punk in
this film showing a great nasty attitude
to his part as his role. Shows off a good nasty and sarcastic behavior and was convincingly obnoxious as well as arrogant. He for sure had a don't mess with me attitude. Had the right brawny and tough guy looks as he was a perfect choice playing a school bully.
Mary Beth Rubens (Kelly) had that right shy
girl outsider type of appeal to her
although her part was a little different
which she's passable at doing.
Joy Thompson (Joy Cunningham) had the best 80's curly
hairstyle to her role and really knew how
to act outgoing in this film.
Antoinette Bower (Mrs. 'Vi' Hammond) had the nice
supporting role in the film as the basket
case mother as she came across nicely by
doing so. She showed off a great devastated attitude after the tragedy of her onscreen daughter making this come to life and not being with it later on while her onscreen kids are preparing for the prom still shaken up years later which she knew on how to make this realistic too.
Very brief nudity
performed by Mary Beth Rubens
who takes a shower but you could barely
see her. There's another scene where she
is making out with her boyfriend but it
is dark but you can see a bit of her
breast.
Pita Oliver moons someone by
exposing her butt.
Just some bloody
stabbings but there is a very gory scene
when a bully's head is chopped off and
shown.
The music was composed by Carl
Zittrer. It's cheesy violin
sounding. Kinda like Friday the
13th like but a little uneven.
However, the songtracks are excellent.
We get alot of disco tunes at the prom
dance all composed by Paul Zaza
(One of them they borrowed the beat
heavily from Gloria Gaynor's "I Will Survive"). It's fits in well at the prom dance this will always bear in my mind especially the high pitched keyboard synthesizer playting and beats. Plus we have the fast stompin theme song which is the best out of the bunch which sounded powerful especially with the two main characters strutting their stuff on the dance floor. Great beats and clap sounds to it all. Plus nice powerful vocalising too.
There is another track titled "Fade
to Black" by Glorene Simpson which is a slow ballad sounding a bit sad for the closing credits sounding marvellous for a film during it's decade. Worked well after the ending on what happened here. Seems most of the music scores fit in perfectly.
Young
Nick: [after Robin falls out the
window and dies] We've got to get
somebody, quick.
Young Wendy: Are you crazy?
They'll put us in jail. If we tell
anybody they'll say it's our fault. Who
would believe it was an accident?
Young Nick: But what if...
Young Wendy: Listen to me, we'll
go home now and never ever tell anyone.
No one but us will ever know. Jude,
swear?
Young Jude: I swear.
Young Wendy: Kelly? Kelly!
Young Kelly: I don't want to go to
jail!
Young Wendy: Swear?
Young Kelly: I swear.
Young Wendy: Nick? Nick!
Young Nick: I won't tell anyone.
Young Wendy: Good, let's go.
Lou:
Now I know why Kim won't go out with
me... She likes girls
Kim: Better than kissing an
ashtray
Kim
Hammond: You seem a little anxious,
Wendy. By the way, who are going with
tonight?
Wendy Richards: It's not who you
go with, honey. It's who takes you home. |
