Set: Prom Night

Last Updated on July 27, 2021

After getting lost several times on the way there (damn those L.A. freeways!), and being infected by the highly contagious road rage, I finally arrived to the beautiful Park Plaza Hotel
to check in for the PROM NIGHT
set visit
(the film opens on April 11). The building immediately gave me chills, as the 1925 architecture translated well for providing an ample set for a horror film. I was then taken through the hotel to the main ballroom, where they were shooting the prom dance sequences – and this is where the aforementioned “prom flashbacks” occurred.

I was then taken to a table on the side where I awaited director Nelson McCormick. As I flipped through the media kit that was handed to me I came across the official synopsis of the film that goes as follows:
“Donna’s senior prom is supposed to be the best night of her life, one of magic, beauty, and love. Surrounded by her best friends, she should be safe from the horrors of her past. But when the night turns from magic to murder there is only one man who could be responsible…the man she thought was gone forever. Now, Donna and her friends must find a way to escape the sadistic rampage of a killer, and survive their Prom Night.”

Finally the director joined the table for some good ole’ fashioned Q&A.

Nelson McCormick

Q: What is your impression of the horror genre?

A: All my favorite filmmakers either started in this genre or tried this genre – from DePalma to
Spielberg – even Michael Mann. It’s a place that finds the roots of a lot of great filmmaking. It’s a genre that makes the filmmaker respect the rules of the genre. There is an architecture of setting up scares and I studied a lot films that were great and films that were not that great just to see why they didn’t work. It’s highly stylized filmmaking.

Q: What scares you the most?

A: What scares me the most is when the film sort of feels like it’s really happening. I classify horror films in two categories: there is popcorn horror films which are, you know, the ones where you know you are about to be taken on a roller coaster ride. Those are your FRIDAY THE 13TH or Freddy. I just kinda go, “Okay those ones scare the shit out of me but it’s just fun.” But what really scares me is like DELIVERANCE, DEAD CALM, I just go more for films like THE SHINING, ROSEMARY’S BABY, THE EXORCIST. Those films had a sense of “this is really happening” and that is more terrifying.

Q: How do you feel about measuring up to the original PROM NIGHT?

A: It’s only a similarity to the original film by name only, it really has nothing to do with it. Clay Bellpepper, he’s the sorta the head of the studio, he’s the first one who said “that’s an interesting title, I think we can do something with that.” I’m also sort of bound by the fact it’s a PG-13 film, but what that forces me to do is engage your imagination. So I just have to show you just enough for you to see the rest in your mind.

Q: How did you feel about the PG-13 rating, and when did you find out about it by the way?

A: I knew from the first meetings. To be honest with you in some ways I don’t feel limited by it all. I don’t necessarily that much is gained by showing you how bloody and terrifying these attacks and murders were. It’s more interesting to see the reactions to something scary than watching the actual act of violence. Also, by the film being PG-13, it allows me to show to a lot more people who would otherwise not be allowed to see the film.

Q: Another question dealing with the PG-13 rating: since we are talking about a classic 80’s slasher film, a lot of those films had a lot of sex, are you able to address that with the PG-13 rating?

A: There’s one very sensual scene with a couple characters, but it borders on being mature. We thing there is something else going on in the film that there isn’t a lot of time to spend in those kind of moments.

Q: So can we expect a big elaborately choreographed disco dance scene like we had with Jamie Lee Curtis?

A: Yeah that ain’t going to happen in this one. There won’t be any decapitated heads rolling out on the floor either.

Q: You directed a lot of television, is this your first feature?

A: It is.

Q: How has the transition been for you?

A: It’s been great. Television of course needs to be very disciplined. What a film has allowed me to do is stretch beyond the limitations of TV. But I gotta say, television has been a great training ground.

Q: Is there any homage to the original?

A: At one time we had thought about offering Jamie Lee Curtis a cameo in the film but even then we felt we were trying to tie ourselves to the original.

It was at this time when Nelson McCormick got called back to the director’s chair and we were treated to some complex prom dance sequences. I’ll admit, I was a bit bored with these shots because I was hoping for something a little more on par with the rest of the film (i.e. a chase scene). But oh well.

After a long while of watching these scenes being shot, I got a nice sit-down chat with the star of the film, Brittany Snow.

Brittany Snow

Q: So is it hard doing chase scenes in that big prom dress?

A: Yeah I have fallen three times. All three times where I was being chased by the killer, and I had to do my own stunts like throwing lamps at him and running at the same time, and I’m crying and then my dress went on the floor and I stepped on the dress and slipped and slid like a baseball homerun slide into a closed door. I hit my shin and I was bleeding, it was bad.

Q: What has your experience been like working on PROM NIGHT?

A: We’ve had so much crazy-funny times on this movie. I heard that making a horror/thriller movie is the most fun because it’s such a tough storyline and when the camera is not rolling you just have fun, and it’s so true because I’ve never laughed so hard while doing anything.

Q: Would you have been concerned if the film was following the original PROM NIGHT closely? Would it have affected your decision in doing the film?

A: A little bit, yeah. This was something I really had to think about and kind of weigh all my options. I never wanted to do a teen horror film that was kind of something I couldn’t sink my teeth into, or wasn’t challenging because it was one of those basic teen horror films. But after meeting with Nelson McCormick a few times and talking over the script with him and giving him my ideas and what he thought the film was going to be I was really, really interested. I was attracted to the fact that the film was more based on the psychology of the killer rather than racking up a body count, but instead it’s a story about a guy who is obsessed with the girl and it’s about his twisted love, and I kind of liked that.

Q: Is this also an opportunity for you to play the lead rather than the ensemble?

A: Yeah definitely. This was a really great opportunity because this was the first time I was the lead and I could give my opinions on the script and the director were always open to my ideas. This was something I definitely thought would be something challenging, so definitely it was a great opportunity.

Q: So I imagine, given the plot of your whole family being murdered, that you do a lot of crying, right?

A: Yeah I remember shooting some stuff and realizing that “wow, my character is always crying!” And I do hate to be that girl in the movies that is always crying but I do feel that it is important, especially for this movie, for this character to be very realistic. I mean, this sort of stuff does happen, we see it all the time on the news about a guy who gets obsessed and kills people. So I wanted Donna, my character, to be very realistic.

Q: Can you start crying on cue, or do you need the eye drop? Let me see you cry!

A: (Laughs) I’ve never used the eye drops before, I can’t use eye drops in real life, I have a weird thing with stuff near my eyes.

Q: So do you have a “go to thought” that will make you cry, a sort-of sad place to bring on the waterworks?

A: Well I’m not going to tell you my secret (laughs).

Q: If this one is successful, would you want to do a sequel?

A: I think if PROM NIGHT 2 could have a lot of the same people doing it, it would be so much fun. I mean, I’ve had such a great experience working with Nelson, and the cast and getting to play this role. The question is, who will be in PROM NIGHT 2? I’m not going to tell you (laughs).

And that was that, Brittany got called back to wardrobe and the rest of my set visit was spent watching the grips pick up the confetti that had been sprinkled over the dance floor. My only worry at that point was that I had in fact done something to screw up the set visit for my bosses. The entire trip home was spent looking over my shoulder, double-checking to see if I had any exposed flesh that those wild pit-bulls could get a hold of. But there was nothing, not even a faint bark cascading over the San Fernando Valley. And I had survived another prom, this time one not of my own. But at what cost? Now the one-time distant Prom horrors I endured senior year were at the front of my mind. – I guess the only hope now is for PROM NIGHT to replace my real life horrors with some good ole’ fashion cinematic horror. So that’s where I stand, waiting for the silver screen horror yet again.

SEE YA AT THE PROM!