So, raise your hand if you thought there would be a resurgence of interest in the “Prom Night” series now that a full blown remake is headed to theatres. (Yes, my hand is raised, too.) Of course we all know the remake won’t be anywhere near as good as the original, uh… not that the original was all that great. Though I will say the sequel (which will inevitably get a remake) was actually pretty darn decent as far as 80’s campy horror films go. “Hello Mary Lou: Prom Night II”, didn’t go the route that most sequels do. Instead of continuing the original story, which involved a death of a young person who is avenged years later by… oh I don’t want to spoil it if you haven’t seen the movie… this sequel came up with an entirely new plot. And this time the writers added an element of the supernatural, not just a sadistic killer.

Here we are introduced to Mary Lou Maloney (Lisa Schrage), Hamilton High’s Prom Queen of 1957. Her physical appearance in the film is rather short lived however as she ends up both jilted by her boyfriend and consumed by fire. (Definitely not a good way to end a prom night...) We then jump forward to 1987 where we meet the newest prom queen nominee, Vickie (Wendy Lyon). Up until now there haven’t really been any new problems with prom queens, but unfortunately Vickie is dating the school principal’s son (Justin Louis). Why is this a problem you might ask (go ahead… ask…). Well the principal is none other than the guy who jilted Mary Lou 30 years prior. This somehow sends Mary Lou on a rampage, but not exactly on her own.

It appears the best way to fit in before going on your typical killing rampage is to inhabit the body of someone who already fits in. This is where Vickie begins to have issues. She begins to exhibit very odd behavior, going so far as to show up for school in some vintage clothing. Of course, these little quirks are nothing compared to a little vengeful killing so when that occurs it becomes apparent that a little intervention might be necessary.

So as I mentioned “Prom Night” is about to hit theatres as a remake, so MGM has opted to deliver “Hello Mary Lou: Prom Night II” out on DVD this month. There are no extra features at all, but considering that the film has not been available on DVD prior to this, it is still a real coup for those looking to complete their “Prom Night” Collection. So far there are four films in the series (only the 2nd and 3rd have Mary Lou as the protagonist) so this certainly helps. I will say that this sequel was actually a bit better than the original film, but the 1st film had something that this one surely could have used… Leslie Nielsen… and don’t call me Shirley…

Directed by: Bruce Pittman
Starring: Michael Ironside, Wendy Lyon, Justin Louis, Lisa Schrage, Richard Monette
Extras: None
Specs: Widescreen, English Mono, English Stereo
Studio: MGM / Fox
Release Date: 4/1/2008
Region 1
MPAA Rating: R
Website

We'll give Hello Mary Lou: Prom Night II a C.