Slasher films look a lot differently now as opposed to their formal introduction with John Carpenter’s Halloween (1978). Building upon the roots introduced in Hitchcock’s classic, Psycho (1960), Carpenter tapped into the essence of horror rooted in reality – The unpredictability of psychopaths, and the inability to harness control over them. Presenting an amalgamation of faceless killers, innocent teens, and unadulterated violence, horror fans were forever changed in terms of expectation. Frothing for more, this kickstarted an unrelenting cinematic movement, in which films of similar nature were being produced all around the globe. Canada was not only no exception to the trend, but was also home to one of the highest grossing horror films in the peak of the madness – Prom Night (1980).

Many similarities exist between both Halloween and Prom Night, and though this can be attributed to the slasher mania of the early ’80s, it is worth noting that director Paul Lynch developed the film shortly after meeting with a producer who had previously worked on Halloween. Wanting to follow suit and centre around a relatable event, it was decided the killings would revolve around a high school prom – something commonly associated with joyous, lustrous feelings. This would also serve as Jamie Lee Curtis’ third role as our long beloved scream queen, Prom Night being the first without the direction of John Carpenter and her first Canadian-made slasher.

Like many films before it, the opening scene kicks off with a tragedy. The life of a child is lost in the company of her classmates, who allow the fear of reprimands keep them from reporting it. Fast-forward six years postmortem, and we follow the now teenaged tots who witnessed the accidental death of Kim’s (Curtis) younger sister. With a still grieving family still puzzled by the mysterious cause of death, the six year anniversary seemingly draws in a strange succession of events. Beginning with ominous phone calls, those involved in that ill-fated day begin dropping like flies at the hands of a masked murderer. With a handful of suspicious candidates including a strange janitor, a grieving family member, and a recently escaped disfigured schizophrenic, tension runs high. As far as slasher targets go, Prom Night nails the bullseye on every single one of them.

I’m the first to admit Prom Night is slightly stale in contrast to the majority of its counterparts. There are some very redeeming qualities to be found however, some unique to the film, others not so much. I’ll start off by acknowledging the importance of our leading lady. Any horror film, no matter how flat it may be, is immediately redeemed by the presence of Jamie Lee Curtis. Mentioned time and time again, Halloween is such an integral blip on the radar of horror history, essentially making it the AC/DC of the genre, and Jamie undoubtedly rules the screen as our metaphorical Bon Scott. I believe I speak for many when I state with confidence that the love felt for her is deeply unconditional. Also, something about her really makes her the perfect sibling for psychos. What is that all about?

Timing is another external element that works in favour of Prom Night when it comes to aging gracefully. Existing within the brief four year window considered the golden age of slashers, its mission was to genuinely terrify the audience by anchoring the plot securely in realism. Comedic elements were left by the wayside… Well, intentional humour to say the least. Which leads me to my next point.

It would be a cardinal sin not to point out the glittery sign reading ‘Welcome to Disco Madness’ gracing the entrance to the gym serving as a slaughterhouse for our masked madman. With an abundance of slashed jugulars and one grisly, public decapitation, the throats of these teens were likely safer in the third act of Road House (1989).

Also worth noting, not many films fall under the blanketed term of ‘disco slasher’. I’m very grateful to tell y’all that this is one of the dazzling few. May I momentarily digress and say that it ought to be a more prevalent sub-genre, something about the exceptionally long dance sequence gracefully executed by Jamie Lee is just so deliciously outlandish and perfect. Though it may be clearly attempting to tap into the success of Halloween, Jamie is right at home in her sassy, confident role. This isn’t Laurie Strode round two, in fact this isn’t the only disco slasher she dominates. Jamie Lee Curtis is a total disco scream queen, and it isn’t what the world of horror may have wanted, but we got it anyway and that feeds my soul like very few other things.

In summation, do I think Prom Night is perfect? Not even close. Do I think it is exceptionally good? Honestly, probably not. I do, however, think it is a very important film as it kicked off arguably one of the funnest cult franchises to date. Plus, it kicked total ass in the drive-in circuit the year of its release, which is totally worth bragging about for northern horror fans that only enjoy nice weather for three months out of the year.