Hey there Los Angeles Fright fans!
Time for another Friday Night Frights! (like us on Facebook!) This week my co-host Sebastian O’Brien and I have cooked up our biggest show yet at The Cinefamily! This Friday we are throwing a motherfucking full-fledged prom. We’re talking dancing, spiked punch, plus screenings of Carrie and the underrated and underseen Hello Mary Lou: Prom Night II. So put on your swankiest duds (or sweatpants, whatever) and join us!
Here is the lowdown:
Carrie – 8:00pm
The ultimate high school horror film, Brian De Palma’s adaptation of Stephen King’s first novel Carrie proved to be a rare perfect blend of story and artistic vision. De Palma really pulls off a balancing act here, deftly juggling comedy, melodrama and horrific hysteria, making it seem effortless all the while. He’s at the top of his camera spinning, split-screen lovin’ game here — the climactic pig-blood prom freakout will forever remain an iconic moment in the pantheon of horror. The cast is also stellar, led by young, hot Sissy Spacek, batshit crazy Piper Laurie, and rounded out by strong turns from Nancy Allen, Amy Irving, Betty Buckley and a pre-fame John Travolta. If you’ve never seen this masterpiece on the big screen, now’s your chance! If you miss this one — they’re all going to laugh at you!
Dir. Brian de Palma, 1976, 35mm, 98 min.
Senior Prom Dance Party – 10:00pm
After Carrie, the front row couches slide to the side, and the dance party begins, with DJ Tuna spinning tunes deep into the night!
Hello Mary Lou: Prom Night II – midnight-ish
Wisely departing from the slasher angle of the original 1980 Prom Night — which, by 1987, was essentially the product of a different era — Hello Mary Lou: Prom Night II forges its own territory — by shamelessly aping A Nightmare On Elm Street via Carrie! The results are wildly entertaining without veering into the almost-inevitable camp direction that most horror films would soon head; veteran Canuck director Bruce Pittman knows what he’s going for and achieves it with style. The story follows the resurrected ghost of ‘50s psychic/prom queen/slut Mary Lou, as she possesses a hapless ‘80s teen girl in order to reap revenge on those who wronged her decades ago. The film has its tongue planted firmly in cheek as evidenced by character names like Henenlotter and Carpenter, and it has no trouble keeping the gory good times going — and if that’s not enough, it also features a wacko performance from perennial ‘80s horror hanger-on Michael Ironside (Total Recall, Scanners). This is one prom you don’t want to skip!
Dir. Bruce Pittman, 1987, 35mm, 97 min.
For theater info or ticket purchases go here.
CONTEST
As always I am giving away some free tickets (each with a +1) as well as a reserved couch for the first place winner. To enter all you need to do is send an email to wormmiller@gmail.com with PROM in the subject line and tell me what kind of horror movie disaster you wish would have happened to your senior prom. Include your full name. I will only be contacting the winners.
Good hunting!