Seriously, I've never seen a decent looking print of this movie on any format and since it has yet to be released on blu-ray I'm beginning to assume it doesn't. Who owns the right to this flick? Hard to believe a film with a cult following like Prom Night has yet to receive the special edition treatment from Scream Factory or Anchor-Bay!
shareRights currently sit with Alliance, AFAIK. Or at least whoever bought them out. Unfortunately all they seem to want to do is release the same old print, and I agree with you - it looks horrendous!! Granted, it's been a while since I watched in full, but the blacks look like I downloaded a file off the internet!
You can rest your mind at last, you've resolved the horrors past...
The 1997 Anchor Bay DVD/VHS release is the best print that I've ever seen. Unfortunately, it's pre-hi-def, non-anamorphic, and the only extra is a sole trailer, but you can actually see what's going on in the nighttime scenes (the other VHS/DVD releases are so dark, washed-out and ghosted that you can't tell WTF is happening half the time). I'd have to check, but if memory serves, that release was duped from a nice print, not the IP negative. I presume that if the original negatives still existed, Anchor Bay (particularly at that time) would have given it a regal special edition... but since the masters of "Manos: The Hands of Fate" were recently found, you can never say never.
shareThe Echo Bridge DVD apparently has the best print so far, but it's still not great. I have not seen the Alliance DVD collection copy or the Anchor Bay version.
Perhaps Shout! will re-release the film with new special features someday.
http://www.freewebs.com/demonictoys/
I'd love a new release of this with extras. I've got the Echo Bridge dvd and it looks pretty good overall.
shareI should mention that when I say Alliance I also speak of Echo Bridge, they are one and the same. (EB acquired Alliance's properties.)
The EB DVD is horrendous. The PAL variances all look pretty much the same, but I do add I have not compared them side by side and I do not know at which point the "new" print emerged, but I would think the early 00s. (There aren't many PN releases I don't own.)
You can rest your mind at last, you've resolved the horrors past...
The best DVD version as far as quality is the Echo Bridge 2007 release with a quote from my friend John Fallon (horror critic from the ARROW IN THE HEAD website) on the misleading cover (JLC with the axe) praising it as: "One fun movie!"
I've owned several VHS & DVD copies through the years but this one is by far the best!
Synapse films is working on it right now. Probably be out next year! Yay!!!
shareYes, this is exciting news! It's about time Prom Night and Curtains, both slasher classics, get the recognition and attention they deserve. While it's unfortunate that Prom Night's negative is supposedly in poor condition, it sounds like they're really digging their heels in for this restoration. It seems that the condition of the Curtains negative is unknown at this point. Either way, I absolutely cannot wait for these Blu-rays.
For anyone interested, here's a link to the article:
http://www.joblo.com/horror-movies/news/synapse-films-prepping-restora tion-of-horror-classics-prom-night-and-curtains&order=asc
I saw a print of this on the big screen and, while the whole film was shot in this very 70's style with strange vaseline covered TV movie filters, it was never meant to be as dark as it's always looked on home video.
shareI saw this movie when it first came out back in July or August of 1980, but I was too young to remember how the print looked; I assume it was on par with similar films of that era, but again I have no way of verifying that. Every version I've seen of Prom Night since that first theatrical viewing has been of VHS and DVD, so, like others, I've become accustomed to the dark, grainy look of the film. I'm dying to see what Synapse can accomplish with their restoration.
shareI kind of like the grainy, daytime scenes. It gives the movie a foggy, creepy feel to it. That combined with the 60s/70s school architecture reminds me of high schools located along the northern California coast.
shareThe grainy, hazy look does lend the movie a cool (maybe underappreciated?) visual aesthetic. And I do love that Brady Bunch high school, too.
shareSynapse reported that the original print is not in ideal condition but they said they will work on it to make it look good:
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=653755104652498&set=np.5930181.100004730890113&type=1&theater¬if_t=notify_me
So coming soon to blu-ray in at least decent blu-ray quality, hopefully!
Nice! Thanks for sharing the link.
shareHey guys, just to let you know that I was in the studio two days ago recording a commentary track - along with my best buddy, director Paul Lynch - for the new Blue Ray DVD of Prom Night. From what I saw, the darkness issues have been solved. The film looked pristine. Thanks for remembering it at all!!
Bill Gray
Awesome! Thanks for the post :) Can't wait to for this release.
shareI didn't realize how bad the Echo Bridge 2007 edition of this film was until I watched it for the first time in about 5 years. I remember thinking it was a hell of a lot better than my old VHS copy and it is, but it's still not great.
shareI'm watching it now, one of the very rare times it's been on Encore and while I've seen worse it's really not great.
I'm guessing this has been worked on so it's probably one of the DVD releases but it still looks it's age, although remembering it back in the 80's on HBO it was badly shot from day one. Like someone said, it may have looked good in a theater but it didn't transfer to home viewing well.
It's over exposed in the daylight shots and terribly lit for the dark scenes.. Looks like a really bad filter was used that gave it a dreamy look. Not sharp at all.
I just watched the print that is being used on the "Encore Channel" and its is bad. There is a halo effect and the film dark scenes are way too dark. I am glad the film is getting a restoration because it is a beloved horror film.
I just am getting worried about the other horror films that were made in the 1970's and 1980's. Most of them were not made by major studios so who knows how good of shape the original negatives are. Some of the films in question
1) Don't Go in the House
2) Don't Go in the Woods
3) The Boogeyman (1980 Version)
4) Night Warning
5) Without Warning
6) Madman
7) Fade to Black
All films need to be preserved and protective
I'm watching it now, one of the very rare times it's been on Encore and while I've seen worse it's really not great. I'm guessing this has been worked on so it's probably one of the DVD releases but it still looks it's age, although remembering it back in the 80's on HBO it was badly shot from day one. Like someone said, it may have looked good in a theater but it didn't transfer to home viewing well.
I am trying to find the clip on facebook by Synapse. I think the film is very good and as a horror film its one of my favorites. This was also the first film I ever rented on VHS in 1981...
share[deleted]
I am currently watching a collection called "10 Big Box Movies of Horror" which includes Prom Night and Prom Night 2: Hello Mary Sue. I am presently watching Prom Night (the Jamie Lee Curtis version - there has been a remake made in 2008). I am having no problem with it but then again I have some problems with my eyes - a bit of shortsightedness, a bit of farsightedness and slight astigmatism so any problems I see I might be attributing to my eyes even though some of it might be actually attributable to the quality of the actual movie and how it was made). The collection that I am watching was put out by Echo Bridge and has a copyright of 2014.
Michelle T. aka Pegasus
I watched it on a high definition TV last night. The picture quality looked very good, but it didn't suit an early 80's low budget slasher film.
Don't put the devil in the picture, cause' the religious groups won't wanna see it.