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Prom Night (2008 film)
Encyclopedia
Prom Night is a 2008 horror film
from Screen Gems
directed by Nelson McCormick
and starring Brittany Snow. The film is a re-imagining of the 1980 Canadian horror film of the same name.
), her former teacher who is obsessed with her, kills her mother in front of her. Three years later, she has been in therapy and she tells her therapist (Ming Wen
) about the recurring dream of that night.
Donna is now living with her Aunt Karen (Jessalyn Gilsig
) and Uncle Jack (Linden Ashby
), and is about to graduate from high school. She and her friends are getting ready to attend their senior prom that night. While at the salon with her friends, she thinks she sees Fenton watching her from across the street, but when a bus passes, he's gone. Donna's boyfriend, Bobby (Scott Porter
), arrives at her house, along with her friends Lisa (Dana Davis
), Claire (Jessica Stroup
), and their boyfriends, Ronnie (Collins Pennie
) and Michael (Kelly Blatz
).
At the town's police station, Detective Winn (Idris Elba
), who imprisoned Fenton three years ago, learns that Fenton has escaped from prison and warns Donna's aunt and uncle. At the prom, Fenton arrives at the hotel disguised as a man named Mr. Ramsey, and takes a room on Donna's floor and kills the housekeeper to get the master key. On the dance floor, Claire has a fight with her boyfriend Michael and goes up to her room with Donna to calm down. After Donna leaves, Claire is alone and hears noises. She then sees Fenton, who proceeds to take Claire into a room, stabs her and kills her. Detective Winn arrives and warns the hotel staff to be on the alert. Fenton kills a hotel employee looking for the maid and takes his uniform. When Claire doesn't return, Michael goes upstairs to see her. Fenton hides in the room's closet, but Michael sees him shut the closet door. Michael opens the closet, expecting to see Claire, and is jumped by Fenton. Fenton brutally stabs and kills Michael.
Lisa and Ronnie head up to the room, Lisa bumps into Fenton in the elevator. While making out Lisa realizes that it was Fenton and runs off to warn Donna, but after taking the stairs she's caught by Fenton. She is chased down to the basement of the hotel where construction is taking place and she hides herself from Fenton, but after her boyfriend calls her name from the elevator, Fenton finds her and slits her throat.
Winn and his assistant Nash (James Ransone
) find the body of a man named Mr. Ramsey in a car in the hotel parking lot. Winn goes up to the room and finds the housekeeper's body. Knowing for sure that Fenton is in the building, Winn sounds the emergency alarm and has the entire hotel evacuated. Donna goes back to the room to retrieve her mother's shawl and runs into Fenton. Realizing Donna is still inside Winn races back up to the room. Donna escapes Fenton. SWAT and police search the hotel, but find no sign of Fenton. Winn discovers the body of the employee Fenton killed earlier. Winn realizes Fenton left the hotel in the employee's uniform.
Winn now races back to Donna's house and finds Detective Nash dead in his squad car. Inside Donna goes to the bathroom and returns to find Bobby's throat has been slit. She sees a shadow out in the hall and she hides in her closet, thinking the shadow is Fenton's. The person in the hall is Detective Winn and Fenton grabs Donna in the closet. Winn is about to open the closet but then hears a scream from Donna's aunt, from noticing the dead officer on the ground outside so Winn runs to her bedroom. Donna bites Fenton on the hand and tries to escape out of the closet but trips on the floor. Fenton tries to hold her down but Donna continues to struggle and kick him. When Fenton is above Donna and tries to stab her, Winn runs in and shoots Fenton several times, killing him. Donna cries over Bobby's dead body and Winn tells her it's over.
and Newmarket Films
in association with Alliance Films
, which holds the rights to the original franchise, along with sequel rights. It was released in the United States
by Screen Gems
, in Canada
by Alliance Films
, and in Australia
by Sony Pictures. The film was shot in South Pasadena, California
.
reported that 8% of critics gave the film positive reviews, based on 59 reviews. On Metacritic
, the film has an average score of 17 out of 100, based on 12 reviews.
and Canada
, ranking #1 at the box office and averaging $7,705 per theater, despite harsh critical reviews.
In Australia, Prom Night opened at the #3 position making $854,514, just behind Superhero Movie
and The Spiderwick Chronicles
. In the United Kingdom, Prom Night opened at the #4 position making £507,985, just behind Sex and the City
, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull and Superhero Movie
. The film has a domestic gross of $43,869,350 and a foreign gross of $12,728,210 for a worldwide total of $56,597,560. It is currently ranked 14th on boxofficemojo.com's Horror Remake list.
Horror film
Horror films seek to elicit a negative emotional reaction from viewers by playing on the audience's most primal fears. They often feature scenes that startle the viewer through the means of macabre and the supernatural, thus frequently overlapping with the fantasy and science fiction genres...
from Screen Gems
Screen Gems
Screen Gems is an American movie production company and subsidiary company of Sony Pictures Entertainment's Columbia TriStar Motion Picture Group that has served several different purposes for its parent companies over the decades since its incorporation....
directed by Nelson McCormick
Nelson McCormick (director)
Nelson McCormick is an American director and producer of film and television.Some of his television directing credits include NYPD Blue, V.I.P, Alias, House, Third Watch, ER, Prison Break, 24, The Closer, Southland, Nip/Tuck, The West Wing and among other series.He also directed the feature films...
and starring Brittany Snow. The film is a re-imagining of the 1980 Canadian horror film of the same name.
Plot
In 2005, Donna Keppel (Brittany Snow) returns home to find her father and brother dead. She hides under the bed as Richard Fenton (Johnathon SchaechJohnathon Schaech
Johnathon Schaech is an American actor, writer, and director.-Early life:Schaech was born in Edgewood, Maryland to Joseph, a Baltimore City law enforcement officer, and Joanne Schaech, a human resources executive. He is of German and Italian descent, and was raised Roman Catholic...
), her former teacher who is obsessed with her, kills her mother in front of her. Three years later, she has been in therapy and she tells her therapist (Ming Wen
Ming-Na
Ming-Na is a Macanese-born American actress. She has been credited with and without her family name, but most credits since the late 1990s have been without it...
) about the recurring dream of that night.
Donna is now living with her Aunt Karen (Jessalyn Gilsig
Jessalyn Gilsig
Jessalyn Gilsig is a Canadian actress known for her roles in the television series Boston Public, Nip/Tuck and as Will Schuester's ex-wife Terri Schuester in Glee...
) and Uncle Jack (Linden Ashby
Linden Ashby
Clarence Linden Garnett Ashby III , best known as Linden Ashby, is an American actor and martial artist.-Early life:...
), and is about to graduate from high school. She and her friends are getting ready to attend their senior prom that night. While at the salon with her friends, she thinks she sees Fenton watching her from across the street, but when a bus passes, he's gone. Donna's boyfriend, Bobby (Scott Porter
Scott Porter
Matthew Scott Porter , better known as Scott Porter, is an American actor and occasional singer known for his role as Jason Street in the NBC television drama Friday Night Lights. His character was injured during a football game in the pilot episode and became a paraplegic...
), arrives at her house, along with her friends Lisa (Dana Davis
Dana Davis
Dana Davis is an American actress, most notable for playing Carmen Phillips on the TNT television series Franklin & Bash and Chastity Church on the ABC Family television series 10 Things I Hate About You.-Biography:...
), Claire (Jessica Stroup
Jessica Stroup
Jessica Leigh Stroup is an American actress and fashion model. Stroup is best known for her role as Erin Silver on The CW television series 90210, a spin-off to the original Beverly Hills, 90210...
), and their boyfriends, Ronnie (Collins Pennie
Collins Pennie
- Personal life :Pennie was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York. He lived in several different foster homes until the age of 15 when he moved out on his own.- Career :...
) and Michael (Kelly Blatz
Kelly Blatz
Kelly Steven Blatz is an American actor and singer.Blatz made his acting debut in The Oakley Seven . He had a brief role in the horror film Simon Says and appears in the 2008 remake of Prom Night. Blatz played a role in the independent feature film April Showers...
).
At the town's police station, Detective Winn (Idris Elba
Idris Elba
Idrissa Akuna "Idris" Elba is a British television, theatre, and film actor. He has starred in both British and American productions. Elba grew up in Canning Town, East London. One of his first acting roles was in the soap opera Family Affairs. He has worked in a variety of TV roles including ...
), who imprisoned Fenton three years ago, learns that Fenton has escaped from prison and warns Donna's aunt and uncle. At the prom, Fenton arrives at the hotel disguised as a man named Mr. Ramsey, and takes a room on Donna's floor and kills the housekeeper to get the master key. On the dance floor, Claire has a fight with her boyfriend Michael and goes up to her room with Donna to calm down. After Donna leaves, Claire is alone and hears noises. She then sees Fenton, who proceeds to take Claire into a room, stabs her and kills her. Detective Winn arrives and warns the hotel staff to be on the alert. Fenton kills a hotel employee looking for the maid and takes his uniform. When Claire doesn't return, Michael goes upstairs to see her. Fenton hides in the room's closet, but Michael sees him shut the closet door. Michael opens the closet, expecting to see Claire, and is jumped by Fenton. Fenton brutally stabs and kills Michael.
Lisa and Ronnie head up to the room, Lisa bumps into Fenton in the elevator. While making out Lisa realizes that it was Fenton and runs off to warn Donna, but after taking the stairs she's caught by Fenton. She is chased down to the basement of the hotel where construction is taking place and she hides herself from Fenton, but after her boyfriend calls her name from the elevator, Fenton finds her and slits her throat.
Winn and his assistant Nash (James Ransone
James Ransone
James Ransone is an American actor and former musician from Baltimore, Maryland. He is best known for his roles as Ziggy Sobotka in the second season of HBO's The Wire, and Corporal Josh Ray Person in the Iraq War-based mini-series Generation Kill...
) find the body of a man named Mr. Ramsey in a car in the hotel parking lot. Winn goes up to the room and finds the housekeeper's body. Knowing for sure that Fenton is in the building, Winn sounds the emergency alarm and has the entire hotel evacuated. Donna goes back to the room to retrieve her mother's shawl and runs into Fenton. Realizing Donna is still inside Winn races back up to the room. Donna escapes Fenton. SWAT and police search the hotel, but find no sign of Fenton. Winn discovers the body of the employee Fenton killed earlier. Winn realizes Fenton left the hotel in the employee's uniform.
Winn now races back to Donna's house and finds Detective Nash dead in his squad car. Inside Donna goes to the bathroom and returns to find Bobby's throat has been slit. She sees a shadow out in the hall and she hides in her closet, thinking the shadow is Fenton's. The person in the hall is Detective Winn and Fenton grabs Donna in the closet. Winn is about to open the closet but then hears a scream from Donna's aunt, from noticing the dead officer on the ground outside so Winn runs to her bedroom. Donna bites Fenton on the hand and tries to escape out of the closet but trips on the floor. Fenton tries to hold her down but Donna continues to struggle and kick him. When Fenton is above Donna and tries to stab her, Winn runs in and shoots Fenton several times, killing him. Donna cries over Bobby's dead body and Winn tells her it's over.
Cast
- Brittany Snow as Donna Keppel
- Scott PorterScott PorterMatthew Scott Porter , better known as Scott Porter, is an American actor and occasional singer known for his role as Jason Street in the NBC television drama Friday Night Lights. His character was injured during a football game in the pilot episode and became a paraplegic...
as Bobby - Dana DavisDana DavisDana Davis is an American actress, most notable for playing Carmen Phillips on the TNT television series Franklin & Bash and Chastity Church on the ABC Family television series 10 Things I Hate About You.-Biography:...
as Lisa Hines - Jessica StroupJessica StroupJessica Leigh Stroup is an American actress and fashion model. Stroup is best known for her role as Erin Silver on The CW television series 90210, a spin-off to the original Beverly Hills, 90210...
as Claire - Collins PennieCollins Pennie- Personal life :Pennie was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York. He lived in several different foster homes until the age of 15 when he moved out on his own.- Career :...
as Ronnie Heflin - Kelly BlatzKelly BlatzKelly Steven Blatz is an American actor and singer.Blatz made his acting debut in The Oakley Seven . He had a brief role in the horror film Simon Says and appears in the 2008 remake of Prom Night. Blatz played a role in the independent feature film April Showers...
as Michael - Jana KramerJana KramerJana Rae Kramer is an American actress and country music singer.-Career:Kramer played Noelle Davenport on Friday Night Lights and Portia Ranson on 90210. She played a sorority girl interested in Turtle in Entourage...
as April - James RansoneJames RansoneJames Ransone is an American actor and former musician from Baltimore, Maryland. He is best known for his roles as Ziggy Sobotka in the second season of HBO's The Wire, and Corporal Josh Ray Person in the Iraq War-based mini-series Generation Kill...
as Detective Nash - Brianne DavisBrianne DavisBrianne Davis is an American model and actress, most recognizable by her roles in Jarhead and Prom Night.- Filmography :* Dawson's Creek .... Ashley...
as Crissy Lynn - Kellan LutzKellan LutzKellan Christopher Lutz is an American fashion model, and film and television actor, who is best known for playing Emmett Cullen in the Twilight series.-Early life:...
as Rick Leland - Mary MaraMary MaraMary Mara is an American TV and film actress from Syracuse, New York known for her recurring role as Inspector Bryn Carson on Nash Bridges and primetime dramas ER and Law & Order. She also appeared in Mr. Saturday Night....
as Ms. Waters - Ming WenMing-NaMing-Na is a Macanese-born American actress. She has been credited with and without her family name, but most credits since the late 1990s have been without it...
as Dr. Elisha Crowe - Johnathon SchaechJohnathon SchaechJohnathon Schaech is an American actor, writer, and director.-Early life:Schaech was born in Edgewood, Maryland to Joseph, a Baltimore City law enforcement officer, and Joanne Schaech, a human resources executive. He is of German and Italian descent, and was raised Roman Catholic...
as Richard Fenton - Idris ElbaIdris ElbaIdrissa Akuna "Idris" Elba is a British television, theatre, and film actor. He has starred in both British and American productions. Elba grew up in Canning Town, East London. One of his first acting roles was in the soap opera Family Affairs. He has worked in a variety of TV roles including ...
as Detective Winn - Jessalyn GilsigJessalyn GilsigJessalyn Gilsig is a Canadian actress known for her roles in the television series Boston Public, Nip/Tuck and as Will Schuester's ex-wife Terri Schuester in Glee...
as Aunt Karen Turner - Linden AshbyLinden AshbyClarence Linden Garnett Ashby III , best known as Linden Ashby, is an American actor and martial artist.-Early life:...
as Uncle Jack Turner
Production
The budget for the film is $20 million. It was produced by Original FilmOriginal Film
-Films:-TV series:...
and Newmarket Films
Newmarket Films
Newmarket Films is an American film production and distribution company which is a subsidiary of Newmarket Capital Group. It was founded in 1994.-Brief summary:...
in association with Alliance Films
Alliance Atlantis
Alliance Atlantis Communications Inc. was a Toronto-based media company that operated primarily as a specialty service operator in Canada. Alliance Atlantis also had offices in Halifax, Los Angeles, London, Dublin, Madrid, Barcelona, Shannon and Sydney.Alliance Atlantis was acquired by Canwest...
, which holds the rights to the original franchise, along with sequel rights. It was released in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
by Screen Gems
Screen Gems
Screen Gems is an American movie production company and subsidiary company of Sony Pictures Entertainment's Columbia TriStar Motion Picture Group that has served several different purposes for its parent companies over the decades since its incorporation....
, in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
by Alliance Films
Alliance Atlantis
Alliance Atlantis Communications Inc. was a Toronto-based media company that operated primarily as a specialty service operator in Canada. Alliance Atlantis also had offices in Halifax, Los Angeles, London, Dublin, Madrid, Barcelona, Shannon and Sydney.Alliance Atlantis was acquired by Canwest...
, and in Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
by Sony Pictures. The film was shot in South Pasadena, California
South Pasadena, California
South Pasadena is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. As of the 2010 census, it had a population of 25,619, up from 24,292 at the 2000 census. It is located in in the West San Gabriel Valley...
.
Critical reception
Prom Night was not screened in advance The review aggregator Rotten TomatoesRotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is a website devoted to reviews, information, and news of films—widely known as a film review aggregator. Its name derives from the cliché of audiences throwing tomatoes and other vegetables at a poor stage performance...
reported that 8% of critics gave the film positive reviews, based on 59 reviews. On Metacritic
Metacritic
Metacritic.com is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows and DVDs. For each product, a numerical score from each review is obtained and the total is averaged. An excerpt of each review is provided along with a hyperlink to the source. Three colour codes of Green,...
, the film has an average score of 17 out of 100, based on 12 reviews.
Box office performance
In its opening weekend, the film grossed $20,804,941 in 2,700 theaters in the United StatesUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, ranking #1 at the box office and averaging $7,705 per theater, despite harsh critical reviews.
In Australia, Prom Night opened at the #3 position making $854,514, just behind Superhero Movie
Superhero Movie
Superhero Movie is a 2008 American spoof film written and directed by Craig Mazin, produced by David Zucker and Robert K. Weiss, and starring Drake Bell, Sara Paxton, Christopher McDonald, and Leslie Nielsen...
and The Spiderwick Chronicles
The Spiderwick Chronicles (film)
The Spiderwick Chronicles is a 2008 fantasy film adaptation of Holly Black and Tony DiTerlizzi's bestselling series of the same name. Set in the Spiderwick Estate in New England, United States, it follows the adventures of Jared Grace and his family as they discover a field guide to faeries, battle...
. In the United Kingdom, Prom Night opened at the #4 position making £507,985, just behind Sex and the City
Sex and the City
Sex and the City is an American television comedy-drama series created by Darren Star and produced by HBO. Broadcast from 1998 until 2004, the original run of the show had a total of ninety-four episodes...
, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull and Superhero Movie
Superhero Movie
Superhero Movie is a 2008 American spoof film written and directed by Craig Mazin, produced by David Zucker and Robert K. Weiss, and starring Drake Bell, Sara Paxton, Christopher McDonald, and Leslie Nielsen...
. The film has a domestic gross of $43,869,350 and a foreign gross of $12,728,210 for a worldwide total of $56,597,560. It is currently ranked 14th on boxofficemojo.com's Horror Remake list.