Prom Night (1980)

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I am a huge fan of 80s slasher flicks, and if you didn't know, now you do. Prom Night is one of those movies I'd heard about, but until recently hadn't really gotten the chance to actually see. The first act of the movie is a bit of a mixed bag. On the one hand, I do appreciate the small use of character development, even if it is unnecessary. I also like the direction a good deal of the time. The writing and directing is solid enough when building atmosphere and tension. The only downside I have to this is that at times, I feel that it does drag a touch. The movie's climax is fantastic. This is the point where the killer finally begins his spree, and these are the moments where the building of the tension and suspense really paid off. The acting can be hit and miss. For example, I thought Jamie Lee Curtis and Leslie Nielsen were great in the movie. On the other hand, the kid actors near the beginning of the movie weren't the best. I do want to compliment the killer's look as well. The black ski mask is simple, but effective. I do wish he wouldn't have discarded the mirror shard for the axe, mostly because a broken shard from a glass mirror is a rather unconventional weapon. Ultimately, the final result is what I consider to be a pretty good, albeit imperfect, slasher flick that I can certainly see helped write the rules we all know today. Despite its small flaws, I still recommend this movie to any fans of the slasher genre.

8 / 10