Does 'Prom Night' (1980) still hold the record for the longest killer-chasing-victim scene in any horror movie?
I've heard that Wendy running through the school in spiked heels is considered the best chase in the horror genre.
Yeah, I guess I wanted my family to be more like a sea monkey family.
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You're probably right. Wendy's paved the way, though!
shareWell, I timed both chase scenes, and Wendy's is longer by 3 seconds. Sarah Michelle Gellar's clocked in at 7:24 and Wendy's clocked in at 7:27.
shareYAY, Wendy is still on top! LOL.
shareI hate to burst your bubble, but I think the chase scene in Curtains where Tara is being chased by the killer goes on for at least 10 minutes, and beats Wendy's scene. I have the movie and I'll time it tomorrow.
shareThe Tara chase scene sucks.
shareAnd the reason it sucks is because...
shareI've seen the movie three times and it's never left an impression on me. I don't really think it's suspenseful or anything either. It's just there when it comes to horror movie chase sequences. The ice skating rink scene is far more effective in a much shorter length. It's why it's what the film is remembered for. You very rarely ever hear anyone mention Tara's chase sequence.
shareI disagree. It's my favorite chase scene of all time. I thought it was creative, VERY suspenseful, and made excellent use of the setting. I really thought she was going to make it as well
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I had no idea who she was before the scene, so I never thought of her as the final girl ever.
I timed the Tara chase scene, and it goes on for a little over 10 minutes. So it beats Wendy's scene.
shareI’m always confused by this?Wasn’t it Laurie Strode from “Halloween” who paved the way?
shareYes that is for sure that Wendy did the pave the way for other slasher films of the 80's to possibly follow and use but in different scenarios though.
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Quality over quantity! It set the standard for all the slashers that followed! Aside from the sole survivor characters like Laurie Strode or any of the F13 gals, this doomed rich bitch with remarkable sympatico really made her mark! Still loving you 30+ years later, Wendy! Run girl, run! (The only cop-out was her kill scene...Paul Lynch could have at least filmed one axe hit to the torso before he faded to black!). Yeah he was saving the money shot for Lou's head on the disco floor but one quick lick wouldn't have upstaged even that!
shareLOL, Lou's head. That was so classic - the actor sticking his head through a false floor. I love Prom Night.
"Nothing's happening so fast!"
This scene is way scarier then any other chase scene in any other slasher 0_0 it freaks me out that the killer RUNS after her. He is always on her tail and when she trips in the gym and he comes running in I nearly scream lol. And the corridors are dark and he could be anywhere.
Best chase scene and done really really well.
Agree!
"Nothing's happening so fast!"
This superior sequence broke the mold in the genre for several reasons: horror fans are still talking about it 30+ years later, many films since have attempted to copy this aspect of the formula (Sarah Michelle Gellar's chase scene in I KNOW WHAT YOU DID LAST SUMMER is a very distant second!), the killer toyed with her in a game of cat & mouse since she was the ringleader from the get-go (he could have easily killed her so many times before the actual axing!), and this type of set-up is usually reserved for the heroine or final girl in the slasher genre but Anne-Marie Martin's truly unforgettable sexy bad girl/rich bitch yet sympathetic characterization reeled the audience in & forced us to care about her plight even though the killer's revenge motive was totally justifiable!
shareI also love the scene when the killer first enters the girls' room, when she was plastering on black mascara and lipstick while disco music played in the distance. I was impressed that she did the chase in high heels on a tile floor!
"Nothing's happening so fast!"
I agree I have always loved this scene, funny that there's a post about it. I remember watching this like 5+ years ago and just being like OMG just get her I can't take this any longer! It was so tense and drawn out but so good!
shareThis was a great chase scene! Long, drawn-out chase scenes are always reserved for the final girl, who is always the good girl who survives, but Wendy is a bad girl who ends up hacked to pieces. Throughout the chase the audience experiences conflicting emotions: we hate Wendy for being bad, but we hope she escapes.
shareTruly one of the best chase scenes ever. Outside of the final-girl chase scenes in FT13 (Alice) and Halloween and Halloween II (Laurie), Wendy's is tops in my book, followed very closely by Alana's in Terror Train. The best modern-day equivalents would be Helen in I Know What You Did Last Summer and Sasha in Urban Legend. Many have tried to duplicate Wendy's chase scene in Prom Night. And many have failed.
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I see your point, but some people would argue that a more passive killer is even more terrifying because he comes across as unpredictable. Just look at Hannibal Lecter in "Silence of the Lambs." What makes him frightening is that you don't know what he'll do.
shareI agree. Curtains has a couple of great chase scenes. Tara's is really suspenseful . . . the chase through the storage area (with all those mannequins and costumes) is so tense. And there's something about watching Christie (Lesleh Donaldson) being chased by the killer that really gets to me. I like how she's perplexed at first as she sees the hag coming towards her in the distance, then quickly becomes terrified when she sees the sickle. Her screaming is very effective. Tara's screams are also extremely effective as she's pulled into the duct and murdered off screen. Very underrated film.
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Yeah, when you think the girl being chased actually has a chance to survive (at least temporarily), the suspense is heightened that much more. TBH, I never thought Tara had a chance (however, her chase scene is still awesome), but with Wendy and Helen (IKWYDLS), they seemed SOOOO close to getting away that the suspense and tension were really over the top!
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I agree with all those that think Wendy's chase is the best in the horror genre. It really is nerve-racking, and, despite being bitchy, you still want her to get out alive! The part in the closet at the end used to scare me so badly! Very, very well done.
I Know What You Did Last Summer is a close second, though.
I would have to give the best chase to SMG in IKWYDLS, but this is a close second! Helen was just so likeable (way more than Julie) & she was sooo close if she hadnt turned around!!!
shareSorry, but nothing like Laurie Strode on Halloween!
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I think the Nurse in Maniac had a longer chase scene if you count when she was hiding in the subway restroom.
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