MovieChat Forums > Prom Night (1980) Discussion > Ending

Ending

posted 14 years ago by gljbradley
19 replies | jump to latest

I don't know why but makes me very sad. It was sorta obvious that Kim's brother was the killer and he was getting back the ones who were responsible for their sister's accidental death. He had to be stopped in order to not kill anymore innocent people that would've gotten in the way.
Though, the way it was played out was heartbreaking. Kim holding him in her arms at the end and then fades in to the old building where their sister was tormented and killed at was haunting and depressing.

Anyone agrees or have a different thought about it?

[–] startide77 14 years ago

Absolutely! This is what the people who say "it sucks" or "it's boring" don't get from Prom Night. The film itself is not that fabulous, but the parts are better than the whole, and this downbeat, sombre ending is exactly what makes Prom Night stand out from the crowd. The first time I saw it I shed tears, and I haven't seen a horror film since that's led me down that emotional path. It just doesn't happen that you empathise with the killer, who is usually some crazed super-human that simply refuses to die, no matter what you throw at them.

You can rest your mind at last, you've resolved the horrors past...

[–] WaterlooBridge 14 years ago

It just doesn't happen that you empathize with the killer, who is usually some crazed super-human that simply refuses to die, no matter what you throw at them.

So true. At the end I was teary-eyed. I really felt so sorry for him. It was an emotional shot with her holding her brother.

[–] Movie_Piranha_1979 14 years ago

Completely agree!

Prostitute: What the *beep* are you doing?
Johnny: I'm gonna kill a bunch of people.

[–] 14 years ago

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[–] fiatlux-1 14 years ago

I found the ending very sad indeed, I really felt sorry for Jamie Lee Curtis's character as she will likely never be *right* again. Her face at the Prom while holding her brother spoke volumes.
And I momentarily felt sad for the killer as I understand aching loss and others being responsible.
But I can't REALLY feel sorry for him in general, because he killed completely INNOCENT people too! Like that nerdy guy, for instance.
He didn't do anything besides be in the wrong place at the wrong time. It seems in any revenge tale the psycho killer always has to pick off a couple innocents too i.e. the film "Valentine", as if we wouldn't be as *scared* by the movie if they didn't.
Frankly, I'd like to see more films where someone takes justifiable revenge and does not kill any innocent people or pets.
Ala "Death Wish".

"I'd say this cloud is Cumulo Nimbus."
"Didn't he discover America?"
"Penfold, shush."

[–] lenlarga 14 years ago

"But I can't REALLY feel sorry for him in general, because he killed completely INNOCENT people too! Like that nerdy guy, for instance."

It is not clear that the killer deliberately killed Slick. He may have just been trying to disable him momentarily by knocking him out or tying him up. Note he threw down his weapon before lunging at Slick.

The beheading of Lou was totally inadvertant, though I don't think the work 'innocent' exactly fits Lou.

[–] dg-7 14 years ago

Yeah, the entire making of "Prom Night" including the ending is covered in the new Jamie Lee Curtis book called "Jamie Lee Curtis: Scream Queen" by David Grove.

[–] startide77 14 years ago

David, enough with the promotion already. Lest I report you for spamming the MB. :)

Any ideas on where the best price is? The Aussie dollar has hit an all time high on the USD, at least as long as I have been purchasing from o/s, and I wouldn't mind a copy. Need more books for my Prom Night collection, there aren't that many thus far.

You can rest your mind at last, you've resolved the horrors past...

[–] Woodyanders 13 years ago

I thought the ending was very sad and poignant as well.

I'm a totally bitchin' bio writer from Mars!

[–] IFeedPigeons 13 years ago

Same here. Jamie played it beautifully.

[–] EvolutionVIII 12 years ago

I, too, felt empathy for the killer. Surprised no one has mentioned the haunting song that begins playing right after he dies. I felt it really added an extra element of sadness to the already tragic ending.

[–] startide77 12 years ago

I thought that was a given (read my sig). Fade to Black neatly sums up the film in 3 and a half minutes, and indeed the entire soundtrack is special and is certainly unique to me, in some way or another nearly all the songs mirror the on screen action. Musicals aside, I don't think I've ever seen that before (or since).

You can rest your mind at last, you've resolved the horrors past...

[–] antonio8885 12 years ago

The most haunting, devastating scene in this or any other slasher film was the moment that Kim recognized Alex's eyes through his glittery black ninja mask after sideswiping him with the axe on the disco floor during his confrontation with Nick! The editing was absolutely phenomenal & 30+ years later still like a knife in the gut!

[–] beatlesfan2 12 years ago

I absolutely agree.

[–] pixnstuff2003 12 years ago

Antonio, You hit the nail in the coffin. That was one of the most haunting and memorable moments ever in a horror film. When Jamie Lee identifies it his her brother thru the ninja mask with the camera zooming in on the brother's eyes and Jamie. The looks of " shock/disbelief on jamie's face and the pain/sadness in the brother's eyes as it was saying I was trying to avenge our sister's death and how could u hurt me"...The best shot scene in the movie. This along with the chase scene in the middle-end of the movie were the best and made Prom Night memorable. Hey the disco music was pretty good too!

[–] antonio8885 12 years ago

What separates PROM NIGHT from all the other post-HALLOWEEN slashers is that we actually cared about the characters! What makes JLC's Kim Hammond role so special is that even though she wasn't on the hit list & surprisingly under-jeopardized (unless you count the creepy scenes of Kim & Kelly during the girls' locker room mirror smashing plus Kim's suspicions of obligatory creepy custodian Mr. Sykes while she walked through the deserted school hallways after hours!), she still remained the centerpiece a.k.a. "heart & soul" of this film (as all the characters were connected through her!)...plus the killer garnered mucho sympathy, as did original targets Nick, Wendy, Jude & Kelly! Anne-Marie Martin's portrayal of bad girl ringleader/rival Wendy is one of the absolute best in the genre! Think about it as compared to Nancy Allen's similar role in CARRIE! Allen's Chris Hargensen character didn't garner as much rooting value from horror fans as Wendy did! "Run girl, RUN!" HaHaHa!

[–] chancedelhomme 8 years ago

Devastating all the way around! Kim unknowingly kills Alex, and learns that Nick was responsible for Robin's death, alongside her best friends Jude and Kelly who were both murdered by Alex along with Wendy, Lou and Slick! The whole Kim/Alex finale is a stunning heartbreaking scene scored to the haunting Fade To Black sung by producer Peter Simpson's wife Gordene!

[–] 8 years ago

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