| | | A Night to Die For.
Features: DVD, Rated PG13, Widescreen, Aspect Ratio 2.40:1, Dolby Digital (5.1), English, Subtitled
Three years ago, Donna (Brittany Snow, John Tucker Must Die) watched in horror as an obsessed predator (Johnathon Schaech, That Thing You Do!) murdered her family. Tonight is her senior prom and although she's anxious about the past, she's excited to celebrate her future with her friends. What Donna doesn't know is that the deranged psychopath has escaped from the asylum. He's returned to hunt her down, intent on killing anyone who gets in his way. As the night races towards its heart-pounding conclusion, the question becomes not who will be prom queen, but who will survive the killer's rampage.
"A surprisingly effective teen-skewing thriller..." Joe Leydon, Variety
"...this reworking of the fondly remembered high-school slasher picture works surprisingly well on its own terms." Maitland McDonagh, TV Guide
Editor's Note
It's been three years since her family was murdered by a teacher obsessed with her, and Donna (Brittany Snow) is getting ready to go to the prom with her boyfriend, Bobby (Scott Porter). Now living with her aunt and uncle, Donna has just started having nightmares again about the tragedy, especially the part where she was hiding under the bed as she watched the teacher, Richard Fenton (Johnathon Schaech), kill her mother. On prom night, Detective Winn (Idris Elba), who handled the original case, is suddenly told that three days ago Fenton had broken out of the psychiatric hospital where he was imprisoned, and is now missing. With a strong suspicion that Fenton will be heading after Donna to fulfill what he believes is his destiny--to be with her--Winn and Detective Nash (James Ransone) go to the prom, which is being held in a lavish hotel, to keep their eyes on Donna and to watch out for Fenton. But Fenton is a crafty villain, already on another murderous rampage as he makes his way toward Donna, who he believes belongs to him and only him. Nelson McCormick's remake of the 1980 thriller PROM NIGHT, which starred scream queen Jamie Lee Curtis, has been completely reimagined by screenwriter J. S. Cardone. Instead of focusing on the body count and grisly methods of murder, McCormick--who has directed episodes of such hit television shows as E.R., COLD CASE, and HOUSE--delves more into the mind of the characters, especially Donna, Fenton, and Winn. The creepy mood is enhanced by cinematographer Checco Varese's shadowy photography and Paul Haslinger's eerie score. Dana Davis gives an excellent supporting performance as Donna's friend Lisa, who is determined to be named prom queen over snobby rich girl Crissy Lynn (Brianne Davis).
| Features | Alternate Ending, With Optional Audio Commentary With Director & Cast | | Audio: English Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound | | Cast & Director Audio Commentary | | Deleted Scenes, With Optional Audio Commentary With Director & Cast | | Featurettes: A Night To Remember - The Making Of Prom Night, Bridgeport High Vikings Video Yearbook, Profile Of A Killer, Gothic Spaces - Creating The Pacific Grand Hotel, & Prom Night Photo Album - Real Prom Stories From The Cast | | Interactive Menus | | Scene Selection | | Subtitles: English |
| Technical Info
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Release Information
| | Studio: Sony Pictures |
| Release Date: 9/22/2009 |
| Running Time: 89 minutes |
| Original Release Date: 2008 | | Catalog ID: 26721 | | UPC: 00043396267213 | | Number of Discs: 1 |
Audio & Video
| | Original Language: English | | Available Audio Tracks: English | | Video: Color |
Aspect Ratio | | Anamorphic Widescreen 2.40:1 |
| Cast & Crew
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| | Professional Reviews | ReelViews 5 of 10
By its nature, the slasher film is not a terribly deep or complicated effort. To be successful, all such a movie needs is a sympathetic victim/protagonist, an implacable killer, a suspenseful buildup, and (most importantly) a cornucopia of blood and gore. The 2008 version of Prom Night misses on all four counts, making it virtually worthless by any measure of the genre. Despite having the same title and a similar premise to a 1980 Jamie Lee Curtis flick (kids getting slaughtered on prom night), this is not a remake. In fact, it really doesn't have much of a plot. It's basically The O.C. with a body count...It's a bore, even taking into account unintentional moments of humor that resulted in audience members jeering. This is a case study for Filmmaking Ineptitude 101. Director McCormack is so bad at his job that he can't even execute an effective "boo!" moment - one of those things that even the worst horror movies seem to get right. While the PG-13 rating will undoubtedly allow Prom Night to score some extra money at the box office, it has eliminated any possible guilty pleasures associated with the viewing experience. Why did slasher movies become so popular during the '80s? Blood, guts, and T&A. Those were the elements that kept Michael, Jason, and Freddy coming back repeatedly. Take them away and what are you left with? Prom Night. - James Berardinelli
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