Prom Night III: The Last Kiss (1990)

Redundant and unnecessary.

i must have seen a different film!!

Let me be very fair here, this is not the best movie in my opinion. But, this movie is fun, it has purpose and is very enjoyable to watch.

what a terribly boring film. I'm sorry but this is absolutely not deserving of best picture and will be forgotten quickly. Entertaining and engaging cinema? No. Nothing performances with flat faces and mistaking silence for subtlety.

This is very much a horror/comedy mixture (both genres being equally present this time, taking it a couple comedic steps further than the previous installment in the "Prom Night" series, "Hello Mary Lou"), and as such it's pretty entertaining. Our beloved Mary Lou character returns from hell, though played by a different actress (Courtney Tayler) in this sequel. She falls in love with average student Alex Grey and immediately goes on a killing spree for him, disposing of all the competition (like irritating jocks) and annoying high school teachers. A few amusing kills - not unlike the inventive ways of killing Freddy Krueger started to portray in the later "A Nightmare On Elm Street" sequels - and a funny ending make this one an okay, albeit silly 90 minutes time-waster.

Wicked and seductive femme fatale 50's prom queen Mary Lou Maloney (deliciously played to the perfectly vampy hilt by the gorgeous Courtney Taylor) escapes from hell and returns to the normal world to wreak all kinds of nasty havoc. Mary Lou falls for amiable, but average and underachieving nice guy Alex (a solid and likable performance by Tim Conlon). Pretty soon Mary Lou is bumping off anyone who gets in Alex's way. It's up to Alex's sweet girlfriend Sarah Monroe (a winning portrayal by the fetching Cyndy Preston) to save Alex from Mary Lou's evil clutches. Directors Peter Simpson and Ron Oliver (the latter also wrote the witty script) deliver a delightfully outrageous horror comedy riot that unfolds at a constant snappy pace, maintains an engagingly breezy and campy tongue-in-cheek tone throughout, and offers a handy helping of suitably over-the-top graphic gore (grisly highlights include electrocution by jukebox, two fingers being accidentally cut off with a pair of scissors, an annoying guidance counselor getting drenched with battery acid, an especially inspired impalement on a metal spiked football, and a heart being yanked out). The humor might be pretty crude and lowbrow, but it's still awful funny just the same. For example, Alex and Mary Lou make love on top of the American flag. Moreover, there's a hilarious parody of vintage 50's histrionic classroom VD scare films and the PA announcements are absolutely sidesplitting. Plus the wacky dialogue is simply priceless (all-time favorite line: "I don't get mad; I bake"). Conlon and Preston display a spot-on charming chemistry in the lead roles while Taylor has a field day as the sexy, yet sinister Mary Lou. Nice supporting contributions by Dylan Neal as cocky jock Andrew Douglas, David Stratton as Alex's easygoing smartaleck friend Shane Taylor, Jeremy Ratchford as the hopelessly geeky Leonard Walsh, Roger Dunn as bumbling principal Mr. Weatherall, and George Chuvalo as jerky biology teacher Mr. Walker. Rhett Morita's lively cinematography makes nifty use of crazy tilted angles and boasts plenty of hyperactive camera-work. Paul Zaza's shuddery score likewise hits the shivery spot. A real hoot.

Let me open by saying this review is in regards to the edited DVD that Artisan released as a double bill with Prom Night IV. I've not seen the film in all it's uncut glory, but I can't imagine gore and nudity changing my opinion about anything. Oh, who am I kidding? I'm sure it makes the film at least watchable. As it stands, Prom Night III: The Last Kiss is a pretty abysmal horror/comedy. However, this is the only film in the series that tries its hand at continuity. It actually picks up from the events of the last film and has Mary Lou Maloney as the antagonist once again (played by a different actress natch). Where Prom Night II was a Nightmare on Elm Street rip-off, this film feels more like the later Elm Street sequels. It trades scares for laughs, most of which don't work. I rented this disc because I'd rather go back and watch these crappy sequels than the new remake. And as bad as this was, I know I made the right decision. I'm actually going into Prom Night IV with higher expectations since they couldn't possibly make a film worse than this one. We'll see.

this is not what you would term a horror movie.it's basically a black comedy,and i found it pretty effective as such.it doesn't take itself seriously at all,which is why i think it works.it's outrageously over the top at times,and there are some very good lines in this movie.the acting is not what i would call great,but it works with the film.as long as you approach it being tongue in cheek,and enjoy the campiness you should have fun with it.if you take it seriously,you probably won't like it.i enjoyed this movie more than the two previous installments,but that's just me.my vote for Prom Night III:The Last Kiss is a 6/10