Hello Mary Lou: Prom Night II (1987)
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Hello Mary Lou: Prom Night II Is a Surprisingly Great Horror Sequel
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Old horror sequels, save for a special selection, tend to be regarded as bad films. They usually aren't good, in the traditional sense, but any horror classic or lovable slasher that spawned sequels has enough fans to come to the defense of mediocre "2s," "3s", and beyond. In the early to mid 80s slasher heyday , flicks like Halloween and Friday The 13th led to profitable sequels, which quickly turned to profitable franchises, so lower tier slashers oh so ambitiously hoped to do the same.
You know, many faulty follow-ups to less renowned slashers have their place. The Sleepaway Camp movies all have a unique, ridiculous appeal. I'm a sucker for any Slumber Party Massacre . These days I'll look into any sequel to a slasher I may have missed just in case it has anything fun to offer. Seeing "2" next to hardly classic horror titles, in combination with frequently absurd, sloppy cover art, makes sleepers easy to overlook.
One sequel that might escape people and shouldn't any longer is Hello Mary Lou: Prom Night II , a 1987 follow-up to the Jamie Lee Curtis number Prom Night , which is widely regarded as one of better slashers that isn't Halloween , etc. While the original Canadian slasher from director Paul Lynch is a straightforward slice 'n' dice romp, Prom Night II takes a very different angle from its predecessor, serving a fresh new story of vengeance, straying from the standard slasher routine, and becoming something fantastical and supernatural.
It's a surprise; a visually fun one with original exciting scares, well-crafted characters to actually enjoy following, and a stockpile of funny lines. A ghastly possession tale in slasher clothing, Prom Night II isn't just great for a horror sequel, it's a damn good horror movie.
Following the slasher framework, director Bruce Pittman takes a young social group in a quaint small town school setting and descends things into a surprisingly ethereal, sexually charged nightmare world in glossy late 80s packaging, where the scares are bad dream material, kills are inventive, and the laughs and weird situations keep rolling.
The film opens in 1957. We meet a foul-mouthed, sex-hungry degenerate teen lady named Mary Lou Maloney (Lisa Schrage,) who walks into a big intimidating church and confesses her sins proudly to a priest in the booth beside her. She admits to sinful relations with "many of the boys in the school," and she claims to have "loved every minute of it." Mary Lou writes a "for a good time call..." message in lipstick in the church confessional and leaves.
We cut to the Hamilton High prom, where Mary Lou's in attendance with her boyfriend. He gives her a cross necklace as a loving gift and leaves to grab her punch. She sneaks off with another guy to drink booze and have sex behind a curtain. The boyfriend angrily confronts them, but Mary Lou sees no issue with her unfaithful ways and tells him off: "It's not who you come with, it's who takes you home."
She ends up winning prom queen. During her acceptance speech the disgruntled boyfriend throws a firecracker on stage and sets her on fire.
What I've just detailed is an almost unmatched opening few minutes, from Mary Lou rubbing her skankiness in a priest's face, to her openly cheating on her boyfriend at prom, to her being set on fire. Just minutes in it's hard to deny Prom Night II rocks.
It transitions to the present day. We're introduced to Vicki Carpenter (Wendy Lyon,) a pretty high school girl and only child in a strict religious home. She's dating motorcycle-riding Craig Nordham (Louis Ferreira,) who's the son of the high school principal, Bill (Michael Ironside.)
Prom is approaching and Vicki is a shoe-in for prom queen, according to boyfriend Craig. Her only competition is Kelly (Terri Hawkes,) a stuck-up fashionista who seems to be widely hated. Vicki's friend Jess (Beth Gondek) is a lonely artist; her other good friend is a wise-cracking dork.
Vicki wanders down into the school basement to a theater prop room, and for some reason busts open a trunk. As she does, an old class photo from Mary Lou's 1957 class that hangs in Principal Nordham's office cracks. He thinks back to that horrid evening.
Vicki's pal Jess is alone in the school art studio when the ghost of Mary Lou makes her first appearance: A radio turns on playing an old tune with 'Mary Lou' in the lyrics, and an unseen force drags Kelly across the floor, wraps a curtain around her neck and hangs her, then tosses her body out of a window.
Vicki's starts seeing haunting visions - Blackboards turning into pools, a corpse surfacing from a vat of liquid behind the lunch counter, and her rocking horse coming to life. Her behavior shifts - She's growing colder, angrier, hornier. She starts seducing her friends. Tortures a local priest. The icing on the cake, she makes out with her father.
Bodies pile as Vicki goes weirder. The priest, Father Cooper (Richard Monette,) suffers from nightmares and decides to take action. Principal Nordham also experiences visions and takes on a heroic role, sensing very well Mary Lou's spirit is making a return. All of the killing and debauchery and Vicki's regression leads up to the finale at prom, an electrifying evening where violence heightens and practical effects go haywire.
Prom Night II is an absurd late 80s ride into possession that has the right nasty slasher elements to fit the genre and a wild sensibility all its own, with imaginative scares and neat practical effects. As Vicki is overtaken by the spirit of promiscuous, disrespectful old Mary Lou, we reap all the fun benefits and visual thrill. First Vicki's friends get picked off in hands-off ways. Then Vicki, AKA Mary Lou, starts wreaking havoc more directly, through telekinesis. She burns a teacher's dick with a Bunsen burner, and crushes a locker in which her friend is hiding from her. To my surprise and anybody's, Prom Night II has a few great original bits of horror, of the fantastical sort, that feel inspired by Nightmare On Elm Street but have an authentic place in such a vehicle.
In one of Principal Nordham's terrifying visions, he watches as a dark vehicle drives through the school hallway; figures in the backseat stare at him, and blood gushes from his forehead.
The scene when Vicki's rocking horse first comes to life is a great practical effect display and rich piece of horror. Her bedsheets constrict around her, the horse's eyes glow red, it grits its teeth, and it's brought to life. Bruce Pittman didn't have a deep history in horror prior to directing this strangely late supernatural slasher sequel, but he serves a hearty helping of shocks, including several nightmare bits and crafty kills that will have you smiling with impressed delight.
What's just as vital as the horror knack is Pittman has a handle on tongue-in-cheeky funny. Prom Night II is as funny a comedy as it is an entertaining horror. The film kicks off with a hysterical bang, and the laugh-worthy lines and strange situations don't stop coming.
Maybe a nude girl chasing her friend around the school locker room in attempt to have sex isn't your brand of humor. Perhaps that same girl seducing her father isn't your cup of tea either. If that's the case, Prom Night II might just be trash to you, but it's funny for the rest of us sickos.
I can't call this a horror classic, nor can I make some remark of high horror praise like, " Prom Night II is nightmare fuel!" Pittman and cast aren't working to scare the pants off you, but you'll be marveling at much of the horror. You'll have fun getting sucked into this innocent teen world that quickly becomes a hallucinatory nightmare, where the vengeful ghost of a sex-crazed, narcissist maniac is trying to have sex with and kill everybody. Prom Night II is entertaining as a crazed killer flick, but it's fun fantasy horror on top of that. Its anti-religious themes are enjoyably exploitative, and aptly tasteless. There's no gruesome slashing going on, but Pittman gives us new kinds of kills, and visuals galore. On top of that, he maintains a strong inclination towards jokes while inventive terror is at play.
Ultimately, Prom Night II is a super creative gem of a follow-up to what was a standard slasher. Sure, Jamie Lee Curtis may have solidified herself as the "Scream Queen" in Prom Night , and strictly as a slasher the original film is a fine flick. Prom Night II , though, goes where so few sequels go. It throws out its predecessor's stock elements, takes a new path, cranks up the insanity, and has a lot of fun with itself. This just may be one of best sequels in horror; surely one of the best sequels to a slasher. It's time we stop treating it like it's a film called Prom Night II . You can check out Hello Mary Lou: Prom Night II , and the original Prom Night on Peacock.
- Hello Mary Lou: Prom Night II (1987)
Review: Prom Night II (1987)
by Michael DeFellipo May 4, 2015, 1:09 pm 0 Comments
Prom Night II is written by Ron Oliver and directed by Bruce Pittman. Cast members include Michael Ironside ( Top Gun , Total Recall ), Wendy Lyon (“Happy Town,” “Sailor Moon”), Louis Ferreira (“L.A. Complex,” “Stargate Universe”), Lisa Schrage, Richard Monette, Terri Hawkes, Brock Simpson, Beverly Hendry, Beth Gondek, Wendell Smith and Judy Mahbey.
In Prom Night II , it’s prom night in 1957 and the bitchy, conniving slut Mary Lou Maloney has just been selected as Prom Queen. Before she even gets to wear the crown, her jealous very recent ex-lover accidentally sets her on fire, both killing her and causing her vengeful spirit to latch onto the tiara. 30 years later, the girl next door, virginal Vicki Carpenter inadvertently releases Mary Lou’s spirit just a few days before prom. Mary Lou’s spirit quickly overtakes Vicki with a strong possession and it becomes clear that Ms. Maloney is out to finish what she started: to officially be crowned…and she’ll do whatever it takes to get the tiara, even if it means killing everyone in her path to do so.
So, obviously, Hello Mary Lou: Prom Night II has almost absolutely nothing in common with the original Prom Night . In a 2011 interview, Michael Tough (who played Alex in Prom Night ) divulged that the sequel was supposed to be directly related to his character, but major re-writes took place. Instead of continuing with the slasher theme, it now takes a supernatural horror route and forms its own unique villain. Now, I said that there is almost nothing in common because there are tiny shreds that make both films related to each other. First, both Prom Night and Prom Night II take place around prom night at the same high school, Hamilton High. Secondly, both features have characters saying the slogan, “It’s not who you go with, it’s who takes you home.” And third, actor Brock Simpson appears in both films, although he plays two completely different characters. As I understand it, Ron Oliver held the rights to Prom Night through Simcom Limited and marketed the film as a sequel to gain extra moment for its release.
Is it fair for me to compare Prom Night to Prom Night II ? Not so much. While the first film was a financial success, Prom Night II was only in theaters for ten days, where it bombed and only made $2,500,000 in ticket sales. Still, it exists as its own entity and I will critique it as such. Trust me, going into my viewing I expected to find utter crap, something to be laughed at, when in actuality I ended up finding a hidden gem. Prom Night II isn’t perfect in any sense of the word, but it was fun, unique and is a good representation of lower budget horror films of the mid-1980s. Its most enchanting quality is the little nods to great horror predecessors before it like The Exorcist , Carrie and Prom Night . It’s kind of like all of those iconic titles thrown into an oven, let to cool down for a few hours and then served. There’s nothing too outstanding about it, but it definitely has a little bit of something for everyone. I can only imagine would could have been if the producers turned up the camp and gore factors just a few notches more.
My only real complaint lies with that the gore effects and the campiness. I thoroughly enjoyed all of the actors, the production quality was way higher than Prom Night and it was a good ghost story. However, I feel that the special effects team was always apprehensive about going there with the gore. The epic locker room squish scene, Mary Lou’s rebirth… It’s obvious that the special effects team were extremely talented and they brought forth a lot of awesome practical effects and pyrotechnics, but when it came to the blood and guts in certain scenes they really kind of tip toed around it. Maybe this was to save on the overall budget or to make the film more enjoyable to younger fans, but this ended up being the movies biggest downfall. It’s sad to see how talented they were and yet they were not used to full potential. I mean, I can’t complain about the lack of camp because there is a long semi-lesbionic shower scene, but the rest of the script was on the bland side. At least there were little notions here of greatness, a look at what could have been, and yet it left me wanting more.
Hello Mary Lou: Prom Night II is far from perfect, but it’s not as bad as some other reviewers make it out to be. Judging it on its own merit, there’s not a lot to criticize. A solid production which now becomes a peak at the career of a few actors before they made it big. A supernatural horror film with tons of old school homages. And a product that is capable of calling you back to your most important day of high school.
Final Score: 6.5 out of 10
Michael DeFellipo
(Senior Editor)
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Summary 30 years after her accidental death at her 1957 senior prom, the tortured spirit of prom queen Mary Lou Maloney is back to get her revenge.
Directed By : Bruce Pittman
Written By : Ron Oliver
Hello Mary Lou: Prom Night II
Where to watch, lisa schrage, mary lou maloney.
Michael Ironside
Bill nordham, vicki carpenter, louis ferreira, craig nordham, richard monette, father cooper, terri hawkes, kelly hennenlotter, brock simpson, beverley hendry, monica waters, beth gondek, jess browning, wendell smith, walt carpenter, judy mahbey, virginia carpenter, steve atkinson, young billy nordham, robert lewis, young buddy cooper, lorretta bailey, mary lou (creature), howard kruschke, dennis robinson, michael evans, matthew dante, john pyper-ferguson, larry musser, mr. o'bannon, glen gretzky, critic reviews.
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The Haunting of Hamilton High Reviews
For all the filmmakers' deftness with story and visual style, it's a shame they didn't apply their talents to something more original.
Full Review | Original Score: 2/4 | Aug 19, 2021
A witty horror comedy with its tongue planted firmly in cheek. Lisa Schrage cements Mary Lou Maloney as an iconic horror villain.
Full Review | Original Score: 4.5/5 | Dec 30, 2020
A splendid example of what imagination can do with formula genre material.
Full Review | May 29, 2020
There's just so much to enjoy with "Hello Mary Lou" as despite its derivative premise, it takes the whole idea to new levels while embracing the inherent camp of the whole concept.
What makes this film enjoyable is its clever, often subversive script and its surprisingly good actors for a low-budget Canadian movie.
This movie is great fun. Way smarter than it needs to be or is expected to be and Mary Lou is every bit the queer icon that I hoped she would be.
Full Review | Original Score: 4/5 | May 26, 2020
Lisa Schrage and her heart-shaped face are fabulous as the villainous undead prom queen Mary Lou.
Full Review | Mar 26, 2020
Mary Lou may be the devil inside, but Vicki is also on her own journey of self-discovery, and her sexual awakening - if perhaps not all the associated murders - is just part of growing up, no matter what the decade.
Full Review | Nov 15, 2018
Every scene, every exchange and delivery lacks finesse, and actors move through the motions of a choppy screenplay with all the charm of underachievers in an after-school special.
Full Review | Original Score: 1.5/4 | Oct 7, 2016
If the film ends up being an outlier among late-'80s slashers, it is still *part* of the late-'80s slashers, and that's just not a very great place to be.
Full Review | Original Score: 6/10 | Aug 5, 2013
... stacks up as a nice sleaze fest.
Full Review | Original Score: 2.5/4 | Oct 8, 2008
As ineffective as its lackluster predecessor...
Full Review | Original Score: 1/4 | Jul 25, 2008
Full Review | Original Score: 0/5 | Oct 15, 2005
Full Review | Original Score: 1/5 | Mar 25, 2004
Really cheap horror. Schlocky and fun.
Full Review | Original Score: 3/5 | Jul 30, 2003
Bruce Pittman, the director, and Ron Oliver, who wrote the screenplay, have constructed the movie as if it were a gourmet banquet for toddlers. From the first course to the last, it's all ice cream.
Full Review | May 20, 2003
Full Review | Original Score: 2/5 | Jul 25, 2002
"Hello Mary Lou: Prom Night II" may be derivative, but for the most part it's clever enough to trade on its sources with humor and class.
Full Review | Jan 1, 2000
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Hello Mary Lou: Prom Night II (1987)
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A review by Wuchak
Written by wuchak on november 5, 2018.
More kinetic and imaginative than the dramatic original
A hedonistic prom queen is accidentally killed on stage in 1957. When her spirit is inadvertently released thirty years later, she wreaks havoc on prom night seeking to be queen again, not to mention obtaining revenge. Michael Ironside plays the principal of the school, the man responsible for the girl’s death decades earlier.
Sometimes subtitled “Hello Mary Lou,” “Prom Night II” (1987) is disconnected from the original 1980 film with Jamie Lee Curtis, although there are some trivial links. This one discards the disco dancing w... read the rest.
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GAMES, BRRRAAAINS & A HEAD-BANGING LIFE
Horror Movie Review: Hello Mary Lou: Prom Night 2 (1987)
The original Prom Night was a classic 80’s slasher movie that had a decent ‘guess the killer’ plot. Many of our modern slasher films were clearly inspired by Prom Night such as I Know What You Did Last Summer & Scream.
Hello Mary Lou: Prom Night II is best thought of as a stand-alone movie though as it shares nothing in common with the original beyond the Prom setting.
In 1957 Mary Lou Maloney attends confession where she spills all to a priest before announcing her enjoyment of it & leaving her number in the confessional booth alongside the message ‘for a good time call Mary Lou’. Yep, Mary Lou is a bad girl & she just doesn’t care…
That night at prom she sends her date, Billy off to get some punch & starts messing around with another boy called Buddy. Billy sees them & is humiliated by Mary Lou. Angry, he decides to play a prank on her & as she is receiving her prom queen crown he drops a stink bomb on her head that accidently ignites her dress. She goes up in flames & dies…
30 years later Vicki is searching the school prop room for a dress as her religious mother won’t get her one when she comes across several of Mary Lou’s prom queen stuff locked away & unwittingly releases her spirit when she takes them.
It’s not long before the spirit takes over Vicki’s body & sets about getting revenge on those who killed her 30 years ago.
Now this is a fun film…
There a number of stand-out scenes & visual effects that really make it special, the earliest being Mary Lou’s death scene – any burning scene done well will always get the nod of approval from me.
The scene where Vicki is taken over by Mary Lou’s malevolent spirit sees her dragged into a watery chalk-board is pretty cool & with Mary Lou in charge the actor really gets to strut her stuff (which she does in the nude as well).
Going from the nice & quiet Vicki to the loud & confident Mary Lou is a hell of a transformation. Some of the following deaths are well-done & none more so then the locker room splat. Mary Lou, after having tried to get it on with her friend in the school showers, who is angry with her change in character, stalks her around the locker room. Eventually she hides in a locker so Mary Lou squishes it together resulting in her bloody bits pouring through the holes. Nice…
A movie like this all about the big ending….the payoff & it is a good one with a crispy looking Mary Lou bursting out of Vicki’s body & going all Carrie on the prom guests. It is brilliant but it does have an unnecessary sequel baiting final scene.
Oh & Michael Ironside is in it which is always a winner in my books.
Prom Night 2 isn’t a family film…what with the sexual undertones, the full-frontal nudity & the gory bits which really impress. It seems like the kind of film that wouldn’t take itself seriously but it does…dead serious & it’s better for it.
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Hello Mary Lou: Prom Night 2
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Hello Mary Lou: Prom Night II Reviews
- 48 Metascore
- 1 hr 37 mins
- Horror, Fantasy, Suspense
- Watchlist Where to Watch
The vengeful spirit of Mary Lou Maloney inhabits the body of would-be prom queen Vicki in the hopes of reclaiming her title.
A sequel to PROM NIGHT (1980) in name only (although Peter Simpson repeats his chores as producer), this film begins with a prolog set in 1957, as prom queen Mary Lou Maloney (Lisa Schrage) is accidentally burned to death by her jilted boy friend just as she is about to receive her tiara. Thirty years later the culprit, now played by Michael Ironside, is the principal of the school, his past indiscretion seemingly forgotten. It's just a few days prior to this year's prom and wholesome teen Vicki (Wendy Lyon) is a nominee for queen. Unfortunately, the vengeful spirit of Mary Lou possesses Vicki and we're off to a gore-a-thon. Director Bruce Pittman, who was Oscar-nominated for his 1984 short, "The Painted Door," shows promise, and does manage to squeeze some suspense and surprise out of a few scenes, especially a confrontation between the possessed Vicki and one of her girl friends in the school locker room. There are also good special effects from Jim Doyle, who worked on A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET and used his budget well to achieve some fine, eerie moments, including a hobby horse that comes to life and a blackboard that suddenly turns into a swirling black pool. But ultimately it's all too predictable. Followed by PROM NIGHT III: THE LAST KISS.
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Film review: hello mary lou: prom night 2 (1987).
Todd Martin 10/25/2014 Uncategorized
Back in the 50’s prom queen Mary Lou Maloney died during the prom after a prank went horribly wrong. Now she’s back and she isn’t happy.
Even though it doesn’t really have anything to do with the original Prom Night (other than the fact that it takes place at the same high school) I have always been a big fan of Hello Mary Lou: Prom Night 2 . As a matter of fact I think that it rules and I have seen it countless times over the years. It’s one of those movies that I can definitely watch a million times (if not more) and never get tired of and I think it actually gets a little bit better with each new viewing. I first saw it on VHS back when I was in middle school in the late 80’s (I really wanted to see it at the theater after I saw the trailer on television but I never got the chance to do so) and I can say that it still kicks as much ass now as it did then. It holds up a lot better than some of the other movies I loved when I was younger and it is without a doubt one of my favorite horror films from the 1980’s (which is saying a lot as it is my favorite decade for horror flicks).
One of the many reasons that I dig this movie so much is the fact that it is just a lot of fun in general. I think that the premise is awesome and if you are into films that revolve around the spirit of a dead person resurfacing years later seeking revenge for his or her death then you will get a kick out of this one. It doesn’t take itself too seriously and the people behind it threw in some subtle humor from time to time that is actually pretty funny and adds to the overall appeal of the movie. I always have a blast when I watch it and it is one of those films that I just don’t want to end because I am having such a great time with it.
If you ask me Mary Lou (played by the lovely and talented Lisa Schrage who obviously had a ball playing the part) makes the movie. She is such an awesome villain that you can’t help but like her. She is a badass bitch and I had loads of fun watching her take out her victims in a number of cool and creative ways. Even though she’s a horrible person (even before she dies and becomes an evil, vengeful spirit) I found myself rooting for her and wanting her to win in the end regardless of all the terrible things that she does to other people. She’s genuinely creepy at times, throwing around Freddy Krueger-like one-liners at others, and just an all around awesome horror film antagonist in general (plus she’s easy on the eyes in an old-fashioned kind of way). I love Mary Lou Maloney and I’m a little surprised that she never really got the love and respect that she deserved from horror fans as I thought that she was nothing short of awesome in every conceivable way and had the makings of a horror film icon for a lot of reasons.
The rest of the cast is great too (plus it’s cool that many of their character’s last names are nods to other horror film directors such as Browning and Carpenter). Wendy Lyon is good as Vicki, the final girl who becomes possessed by Mary Lou for a period of time during the movie. I also liked Louis Ferreira who plays Vicki’s boyfriend Craig and I absolutely loved Beverly Hendry as Monica, Vicki’s best friend (I had one hell of a crush on her when I first saw this movie back in the day). Other than Mary Lou my other favorite character was Bill Nordham, played by the always awesome Michael Ironside. He does a great job as usual as Craig’s dad, the school principal (and Mary Lou’s accidental murderer) and it was nice to see him playing a nice guy for once (even if it was a little odd since I am so used to seeing him as the bad guy). Overall Hello Mary Lou: Prom Night 2 has an excellent cast and everyone delivers.
Did I mention that it has some pretty cool death scenes? Mary Lou doesn’t play around when it comes to killing people and the results are pretty damn awesome. We get a whole slew of some entertaining death scenes which includes someone being burned to death, an electrocution, a unique hanging, and my personal favorite that involves someone getting crushed to death by lockers. Of course we get a whole Carrie -like scene at the end when all hell breaks loose at the prom thanks to Mary Lou and people start dying off left and right which is just the icing on the cake. There isn’t a shortage of death in this movie and I couldn’t have been happier.
If you couldn’t tell I really love Hello Mary Lou: Prom Night 2 and think that it is an underrated gem. I’m not entirely sure why it is so overlooked by most horror fans as it deserves much better. If you’re in the mood for a classic 80’s horror flick that is a load of fun then give this movie a shot, you won’t be disappointed.
Tags Brock Simpson Bruce Pittman Hello Mary Lou: Prom Night 2 Lisa Schrage Louis Ferreira Michael Ironside Prom Night Prom Night II Richard Monette Wendy Lyon
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Loved the review of Hello Mary Lou. Many thanks!
Bruce Pittman
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Hello Mary Lou: Prom Night II
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Why 'Hello Mary Lou: Prom Night 2' Damaged its Reception by Switching From Standalone Film to Sequel Your changes have been saved Email is sent Email has already been sent Please verify your email address. You’ve reached your account maximum for followed topics. The 10 Best R-Rated Horror Movies of the 2010s, RankedThe 10 best torture horror movies, ranked, 10 horror movies from the 1970s that are perfect from start to finish. During an interview with Terror Trap , producer Peter R. Simpson reflected on one of his most polarizing releases: Hello Mary Lou: Prom Night II (1987), formerly known under the title The Haunting of Hamilton High . The low-budget Canadian supernatural horror film was met with a fairly mixed reception upon its release. Simpson posited that had the film been released as a standalone film as opposed to a Prom Night sequel, then the reaction would have been much more positive. After an extensive amount of reshoots, changing over half of the film, the rebranding of The Haunting of Hamilton High was complete by giving it an obtuse linking to the original Prom Night film and a new title courtesy of the production company Simcom. But in the grand scheme of things, what did this film really gain as a sequel? 1980's Prom Night , directed by Paul Lynch and featuring the talents of Leslie Nielsen and Jamie Lee Curtis , garnered a successful box office run, becoming Canada's highest-grossing film of the year. Critics varied on just how much appreciation the film warranted, but it has undoubtedly become a cult classic. This surely would warrant the film to receive a sequel or two, especially in the slasher-saturated decade of the 1980s. Like many slasher sequels, Prom Night II would ideally have a fair number of connections to the original film. It's been seen time and time again in slasher franchises, from A Nightmare on Elm Street to Halloween and many more. Original cast members occasionally return, or the locale and villain recur in some facet. Unless a film series is being anthologized, it pays to make connections between sequels and the previous films, as it's what fans expect to see. The premise of Hello Mary Lou starts in 1957 and follows the story of Mary Lou Maloney ( Lisa Schrage ), whose promiscuity she flaunts even in the confessional booth. After being given a ring by Billy ( Steve Atkinson / Michael Ironside ), one of her many flings, she is caught making out with another boy at Hamilton High's senior prom. To get revenge, Billy attempts to drop a stink bomb on Mary Lou after she wins the title of Prom Queen. However, the stink bomb's fuse lights Mary Lou's dress, setting her on fire and killing her in front of the entire crowd. Fast forward to 1987, an innocent Hamilton student named Vicki Carpenter ( Wendy Lyon ) discovers Mary Lou's prom night belongings in an old trunk, inadvertently releasing her spirit. It isn't long before Vicki falls under Mary Lou's influence, racking up a body count and using every ounce of seduction to her advantage.  What's confounding about Hello Mary Lou is how little it's connected to the original Prom Night . Aside from the film's title, which is one part Prom Night connection and one part reference to a Ricky Nelson song, the only connection between the sequel and the original is that the films both take place at the same high school. The original Prom Night was a slasher in the conventional sense, while Hello Mary Lou takes on a supernatural theme. There's nothing wrong with changing things up, but if Hello Mary Lou didn't have Prom Night in its title, most watchers would likely be completely unaware that it had anything to do with the 1980 slasher flick. One could even argue that Hello Mary Lou has more references and homages to other slasher films of the 1980s than connections to the film it's supposed to be a sequel of. Director Bruce Pittman and writer Ron Oliver were very clearly inspired by the likes of A Nightmare on Elm Street , Carrie (1976), David Lynch 's thriller Blue Velvet (1986), and Italian Giallo films, and this shows in the cinematography and references. When you have a Prom Night sequel referencing just about everything except Prom Night , why brand it a sequel at all? It's likely that as a low-budget Canadian film, some people working on the film believed that attaching The Haunting of Hamilton High to a known property would improve its chances at catching on at the box office, both in Canada and abroad. Since Prom Night had been successful in its box office gross, it likely seemed like a natural fit. RELATED: The Sentimentality of Mike Flanagan’s Netflix Horror Series With so little linking it to its predecessor, Simpson remarked in his interview that Hello Mary Lou received much of Prom Night 's "baggage," but not really any of its success. One of the most notable parallels that many horror fans are likely familiar with is the story of Halloween III: Season of the Witch (1982), where Tommy Lee Wallace and John Carpenter sought to convert the Halloween series into an anthology film series featuring different stories centered around the concept of the Halloween holiday. Fans flocking to theaters naturally expected to see something connected to the previous two films, continuing the blood-soaked escapades of the Shape, Michael Myers ( Nick Castle / Dick Warlock ). Instead, fans were met with a story concerning witchcraft and pagan child sacrifice during the times of Samhain. As expected, many fans were upset, leading to a critical and box office botch. Despite the film eventually garnering respect in years past when viewed as a standalone horror movie, Halloween III wasn't even really viewed as a "true" Halloween sequel.  Hello Mary Lou is a film heavy on the supernatural, utilizing styles from many classic horror filmmakers, and even throws in a heaping helping of satire towards organized religion. If that doesn't sound anything like the original Prom Night , that's the exact problem. Although Prom Night wasn't technically a series until Hello Mary Lou 's release, the title still placed the film in an uphill battle commercially and critically. Viewers entered theaters to watch a Prom Night sequel, and they got a film more akin to Carrie or The Exorcist (1973). When you place a known name in horror in your film title, expectations come along with it. It's why Season of the Witch struggled, and Hello Mary Lou inevitably met the same fate. Had the film been released as intended, as The Haunting of Hamilton High , there's no guarantee it would have been more successful with critics or with its box office gross. However, viewers would have been going in understanding this low-budget indie horror film was attempting to stand on its own merits. Instead of seeing it as a stepping stone in a slasher series, Hello Mary Lou would live or die on its own presentation instead of how well it continued the story and approach of Prom Night . It's a pitfall many horror series have fallen into, and for Simpson, hindsight is clearly 20/20 for him as an executive producer.
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Lisa Schrage plays the vengeful ghost of a prom queen who died in a car accident in 1957. She returns to haunt and kill her former classmates and their dates at the prom in this slasher horror film.
A hedonistic prom queen is accidentally killed on stage in 1957. When her spirit is inadvertently released thirty years later, she wreaks havoc on prom night seeking to be queen again, not to mention obtaining revenge. Michael Ironside plays the principal of the school, the man responsible for the girl's death decades earlier.
This just may be one of best sequels in horror; surely one of the best sequels to a slasher. It's time we stop treating it like it's a film called Prom Night II. You can check out Hello Mary Lou ...
Rated 4/5 Stars • Rated 4 out of 5 stars 09/08/23 Full Review B Rad I know this movie as Prom Night 2, Hello Mary Lou. By any name it's a shitty movie. Being a fan of 80's horror I never watched ...
So, obviously, Hello Mary Lou: Prom Night II has almost absolutely nothing in common with the original Prom Night. In a 2011 interview, Michael Tough (who played Alex in Prom Night) divulged that the sequel was supposed to be directly related to his character, but major re-writes took place. Instead of continuing with the slasher theme, it now ...
A 1987 Canadian slasher film about a high school student possessed by Mary Lou Maloney, who died in a fire at the prom in 1957. The film is a sequel to Prom Night (1980) and features Michael Ironside, Wendy Lyon and Lisa Schrage.
The Samuel Goldwyn Company. 1 h 37 m. Hello Mary Lou: Prom Night II. Metascore Mixed or Average Based on 5 Critic Reviews. 48. User Score Generally Favorable Based on 16 User Ratings. 6.6. My Score. Hover and click to give a rating Saved.
A witty horror comedy with its tongue planted firmly in cheek. Lisa Schrage cements Mary Lou Maloney as an iconic horror villain. Full Review | Original Score: 4.5/5 | Dec 30, 2020. Kevin Thomas ...
Thirty years after her accidental death at her 1957 senior prom, the tortured spirit of prom queen Mary Lou Maloney returns to seek revenge.http://www.fight-...
When Hamilton High's Prom Queen of 1957, Mary Lou Maloney is killed by her jilted boyfriend, she comes back for revenge thirty years later. ... Login to write a review. A review by Wuchak. 70 % Written by Wuchak on November 5, ... Sometimes subtitled "Hello Mary Lou," "Prom Night II" (1987) is disconnected from the original 1980 film ...
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To continue our Shocktober celebration, we review the surprisingly feminist horror sequel "Hello Mary Lou: Prom Night 2." This movie is bonkers and was a lot...
Hello Mary Lou: Prom Night II is best thought of as a stand-alone movie though as it shares nothing in common with the original beyond the Prom setting. In 1957 Mary Lou Maloney attends confession where she spills all to a priest before announcing her enjoyment of it & leaving her number in the confessional booth alongside the message 'for a ...
Check out the exclusive TV Guide movie review and see our movie rating for Hello Mary Lou: Prom Night II
SYNOPSIS: Back in the 50's prom queen Mary Lou Maloney died during the prom after a prank went horribly wrong. Now she's back and she isn't happy. REVIEW: Even though it doesn't really have anything to do with the original Prom Night (other than the fact that it takes place at the same high school) I have always been a big fan of Hello ...
Cooper tries to warn Billy, the father of Vicki's boyfriend Craig (Justin Louis, who has appeared in tons of TV shows, and genre films like Saw IV and the Dawn of the Dead remake). All three have become Mary Lou's biggest targets. Gore fans will be disappointed, as Pittman decides to cut away during the carnage.
Thirty years after her accidental death at her 1957 senior prom, the tortured spirit of prom queen Mary Lou Maloney returns to seek revenge.
Fast forward to 1987, an innocent Hamilton student named Vicki Carpenter (Wendy Lyon) discovers Mary Lou's prom night belongings in an old trunk, inadvertently releasing her spirit. It isn't long ...
In 1988 or 89' I used to walk to the neighborhood pharmacy that had a vhs rental section with a note from my mother that I had permission to rent any horror movie I wanted and feel free to call her to verify. I rented Prom Night 2 so many times, love it and so glad to see it getting some love. 🖤
Hello Mary Lou Prom Night 2 movie review and spoiler discussion! Directed by Bruce Pittman. Written by Ron Oliver. Stars Michael Ironside, Wendy Lyon, and Lo...
Hello Mary Lou: Prom Night II is a 1987 Canadian slasher film and the second installment of the Prom Night franchise. It features the vengeful spirit of Mary Lou Maloney, who was burned to death in 1957, and her connection to the original film's characters.
Review of the underrated 80's sequel Prom Night 2.
Alright yall! We are back with Prom Night 2 and our girl Mary Lou is proving that you can't keep a mean girl down! Gretchen and those other heffas ain't got ...