I am not above the cheap thrills of exploitation films- the sight of blood spewing from a creative kill just tickles the little sicko in me. And the nudity! I mean, I didn't say I was proud to say I looked on at the sight of cinema's cheapest special effect. What I can't get behind is a film that chooses these tawdry elements out of blind nostalgia instead of having a vision of its own. "Fear Street: Prom Queen" is unfortunately one of these cases.
And there isn't even any nudity! What a tease!
It's too bad, because the bloody mayhem is done quite decent, a far cry from the repugnant gore of "Terrifier 3," but you see no less than two hands chopped off from a paper trimmer, an arm detached thanks to the swing of an ax, an impaling, among others. But there's no love for the craft on display- take, for example, when a side-character is electrocuted, their body just shakes and, well, that's it. Their head doesn't explode, there's no foaming at the mouth, just some convulsions and the filmmakers called it a day! At one point on the wall of Megan's room you can see a poster for the 1979 classic "Zombi 2" a movie whose creators truly understood how to film a death. This is no "Zombi 2."
Wait, sorry, who's Megan? The girl played by Suzanna Son. Who's that? Oh right, the plot, there's gotta be a plot to all this right? There is, in the loosest sense of the word. See, Megan is an outcast and best friends with fellow outcast Lori Granger (India Fowler), but while Megan is content with her horror movies and drawing, Lori wants more. In particular, she wants jock Tyler (David Iacono), who is currently dating the infinitely more popular Tiffany (Fina Strazza).
Oh, and to be prom queen; this ain't "Fear Street: How to Steal a Boyfriend," though it might as well be.
Anyway, Lori also has to contest with her family history: it's explained (far too late in the runtime, I might add) that her parent's prom was canceled after her father was found dead. Everyone suspects that her mother Rose (Joanne Boland) killed him, but it couldn't be proven. Lori's got her work cut out if she's ever going to win, especially on prom night itself, when bodies start piling up.
Most of the brisk ninety some odd minute runtime takes place during the actual senior grade event, and all the obligatory high school scenes happen, from couples fighting to the mean girl losing her friends, all handled with the subtly and grace of an episode of Degrassi. That isn't a jab at the young actors, who all play their parts well enough, but that the script by cowritten by Donald McLeary and director Matt Palmer has nothing new to say about students that isn't a cliche. Not to mention what on earth two dudes know about the pains of young women, but let's not bring that up.
What I should probably bring up is how the action takes place in 1988, though aside from a few establishing shots of old cars and the prom's playlist, you'd never really tell. Even the outfits and hairstyles only occasionally look vintage; this might as well have taken place today and just called an "80's prom." But whatever. I'm getting pretty nitpicky here because I was pretty bored.
This boredom grew to irritation when I watched the same logical errors happen that plagued the films this inspired; adults mysteriously disappear when needed, characters disregard how several teenagers have gone missing, that sort of thing. Another logistical issue? Lori's mom, who's shown at the beginning to be a cop, is not there at the end when the police are finally called to her daughter's school after the rampage. Tsk, those latchkey parents.
I suppose I should commend the lack of false jump scares, but then again, that may have woken me as I began to nod off. At least I think I did, I mean, at least I finished my box of candy.
"Fear Street: Prom Queen" wants to recreate the slasher films from decades ago, but despite all the blood we see, it doesn't come from the heart- it comes from the special effects department.
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