Prom Night

NEW YORK (CNS) -- A crazed slasher crashes "Prom Night" (Screen Gems) with all-too-predictable results.

Back when she was a freshman, Donna (Brittany Snow) drew the unwanted attention of obsessive teacher Richard Fenton (Johnathon Schaech). When her parents got a restraining order, he responded by stabbing them to death, along with Donna's younger brother. Spared the death penalty on grounds of insanity, Fenton was shipped off to a mental hospital.

As graduation and the prom approach, Donna is making progress in overcoming her grief. But as her big night begins, police detective Winn (Idris Elba) learns that Fenton has escaped.

While Donna and her boyfriend, Bobby (Scott Porter), blithely dance and make plans for the future, one by one their friends begin to disappear. Winn arrives at the swanky hotel where they're celebrating, but the killer continually eludes him.

When they're not screaming, the cardboard characters in this leaden, formulaic film exchange tiresome platitudes about adolescent romance. Director Nelson McCormick's homage to the 1980 movie of the same name displays more restraint than many current examples of the genre. But the final corpse count is still high.

The film contains some graphic violence with gore, underage drinking, two uses of the s-word, occasional crass language, some profanity, brief sexual talk and innuendo. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is L -- limited adult audience, films whose problematic content many adults would find troubling. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG-13 -- parents strongly cautioned. Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13.

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Copyright (c) 2007 Catholic News Service/U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops