Hello Mary Lou: Prom Night II (1987)

It was called "the Blue Velvet (1986) of high school horror movies" by the Los Angeles Times, and it's an apt description. This ain't your typical horror sequel, as you'll soon see...

CHARACTERS

• Mary Lou (Lisa Schrage)
• Vicki (Wendy Lyon)
• Vicki's mother (Judy Mahbey)
• Vicki's father (Wendell Smith)
• Kelly (Terri Hawkes), the popular girl
• Monica (Beverley Hendry), Vicki's friend,
• Principal Bill Nordham (Michael Ironside)
• Craig Nordham (Louis Ferreira), Principal Bill Nordham's son

RATING: ☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆ 9/10

REVIEW: This ruled in every conceivable way. The acting was amazing, the nostalgia factor off-the-charts, unexpected full-frontal nudity, and just a shit-ton of insanity that kept me glued to the screen - a demonic rocking horse, inter-dimensional chalkboards, a zombie emerging from a girl's stomach, father-daughter tonguing, and wonderful homages to other horror flicks. Lastly, I'll just say Wendy Lyon kicked total ass. She is all-in, playing it to the limit, without being hammy or overboard. This film is way better than a sequel to Prom Night has any right to be.

But lets talk about that one scene.... Wendy Lyon delivers what may very well be the greatest nude scene in the history of cinema - and I don't say this lightly. I remember actually seeing this film in a mall movie theater in San Bernardino and nearly choked on my popcorn when Lyon strolls into the locker room completely nude. It has the Just One of the Guys (1985) factor, where it comes completely out of nowhere. Like, no nudity at all and suddenly a long full frontal. Even the film's writer was shocked: "Writer Ron Oliver was supposedly stunned when he saw the film, with Vicki fully nude, as his screenplay had her in a towel." I suppose the one thing that might detract from its number one contention is that the scene is in a steamy room, making it a tad obscured. The clarity of a well-lit room only comes when the full frontal part is mostly over.

Wendy Lyon played Prissy Andrews on the Anne of Green Gables TV series a couple years prior. Pretty shocking to find an actress from such a wholesome show doing a scene like this (and don't get me started on Judy Inch). Add to that, Lyon was originally supposed to wear a towel, but she actually wanted to do it totally nude.

SYNOPSIS

Mary Lou (Lisa Schrage) is Hamilton High's most popular girl, and tonight is her night. But she fools around with another man, and her prom date, Bill, decides to get even. He throws a firecracker (?) on stage and it lights her dress on fire, killing her.

Decades later - we meet the Carpenters: Vicki (Wendy Lyon), her mother (Judy Mahbey) who's like Carrie's mom - a puritanical zealot, and her father (Wendell Smith) a weak-willed loser.Vicki finds a trunk in the basement of Hamilton High and becomes possessed by the spirit of Mary Lou. One of Vicki's friends soon becomes the first victim... She dies a horrible death in the arts-and-crafts room. Meet Kelly (Terri Hawkes), the snotty, miss popularity who thinks she deserves to be prom queen. Vicki's friend, Monica (Beverley Hendry), hates her guts. Bill (Michael Ironside) , the guy who killed Mary Lou by setting her dress on fire, is now principal of Hamilton High. Principal Bill Nordham's son, Craig (Louis Ferreira), is dating Vicki. Monica is hanging out with a guy that reminds me of Duckie from Pretty in Pink, which came out the year before. He's attracted to her, but he's just so damn goofy and annoying.... like Duckie.

Vicki and Monica attend gym class. Vicki is knocked out by the volleyball and ends up in a spirit world where the "Volleyball Ghosts" close in on her. Back at home, Vicki does some drawing. When her pencil falls to the floor, she reaches for it and subsequently attacked by spirits. Her giant rocking horse comes to life. Back at school, Vicki sees "Help Me" written backwards on the chalkboard. She's swallowed up into the chalkboard, taking her again to the spirit world. Craig, Monica, and Duckie wonder what the hell has gotten into Vicki lately. She's been acting strange.When her chemistry teacher Mr. Craven flirts with Vicki and touches her butt, she uses telekinesis to have a science experiment blow up on his crotch. Monica notices what Vicki has done. She realizes that her friend has become possessed or something.

Monica confronts Vicki in the locker room, but to no avail. Vicki is clearly in another world. Vickie follows Monica to the shower wearing absolutely nothing. Vicki manhandles Monica, then starts kissing her. Monica runs screaming. Monica hides in a locker, and Vicki uses her telekinesis to scrunch her to death. Vicki ain't finished yet. She mounts Craig, calling him a "fag", yelling "You know you want to fuck me!" Then it's on to Craig's dad. Principal Bill comes to the horrifying realization that Mary Lou is back, in the body of Vicki. Vicki tongues her father... and he almost seems to like it. He damn sure doesn't resist.

Prom night has arrived. Kelly has rigged the prom queen votes, but Vicki uses her super powers to electrocute the vote counter. As Vicki approaches the stage as the official prom queen, Principal Bob fills her full of lead. Craig leaps to her side. Shit gets even weirder - a damn arm emerges from Vicki's stomach! Then a damn monster rises from Vicki's body and attacks the crowd! Shit continues to spiral out of control until Principal Bob is able to put the prom queen crown on Mary Lou - thus sending her back to the other side. Vicki somehow emerges from the trunk in the basement, completely unscathed. THE END