Man, I’m almost offended no one here at Horror Yearbook has reviewed this classic yet! This is one of the best treasures the 80’s gave us and so much better than the original, if you ask me! USA Up All Night used to play this all the time when I was a teenager, but when that show went off the air and we eventually entered the era of DVDs, Mary-Lou became a distant memory.

The first Prom Night.. even parts 3 and 4 have been out on DVD for a decade now.. And longer, as cheap $5 VHS ghetto re-releases. Maybe there was some copyright crap or something holding it back. Seems likely, considering. I’m too lazy to look into that though. All that matters now is that, my quest to find Mary-Lou ended a few years ago, when at long last it finally became available on DVD. Sure, it’s a no frills DVD with a lame new cover, but fuck it.

As for the movie itself, it begins in the late 50’s at a Hamilton High School’s Prom, where the local tramp and “bad girl”, Mary-Lou Maloney (Lisa Schrage) ditches her goody-goody date, Billy for the supposedly studdly Buddy. When it’s announced that Mary-Lou is that year’s Prom Queen, the heartbroken Billy seizes the opportunity to humiliate her and tosses a pilfered stink bomb at her during her coronation. Unfortunately, since dresses were flammable back then, the bomb’s fuse lights her up like a X-mas tree and she burns to death.

30 years later, the wholesome Vicki (Wendy Lyons) and likely Prom Queen candidate, is looking in the Hamilton High School basement for some old gear for the upcoming prom, when she finds a dusty old trunk. Upon opening it however, she unknowingly releases the spirit of Mary-Lou..

Now, Billy is all grown up and is played by Michael Ironside. He’s also the school’s principal and the father of Vicki’s boyfriend. He immediately suspects Mary-Lou’s back but isn’t sure on any of the details or a way to prove it. As for Vicki, she begins hallucinating and having strange dreams, like in the scene where her rocking horse comes to life. That’s the only part of Hello Mary-Lou I dislike, simply because it doesn’t fit the over-all feel of the film. Whatever, though, the dreams end soon enough and Mary-Lou gets settled in.

Possessed by Mary-Lou, Vicki now has self-confidence, dons bobby-socks, a poodle skirt, etc, and becomes slutty. She even makes-out with her dad! She also has all the oldies Mary-Lou songs as her theme music and uses all the “cool” Ritchie Cunningham catch phrases like “See ya later.. Alligator”.

It doesn’t take long for Billy aka Principal Nordham to eventually figure out, to his horror, that his son’s girlfriend is possessed by Mary-Lou Maloney and most likely responsible for the recent mysterious deaths at school. That’s when he enlists the help of good old Buddy, who having been so scarred from watching Mary-Lou burn to death in ‘57, had sworn off the pussy and became a priest.

I won’t give away the ending. Mostly because I don’t feel like typing anymore. If you haven’t seen this flick though, I urge you to do so soon. Also, yes.. there’s plenty of tits and you even see Vicki’s pussy. There’s also a standard 80’s death by a computer shooting electric tendrils into a victim!