You know those sequels that have absolutely nothing to do with the first movie? Usually, they’re just cheap cash grabs. But then there’s the hello mary lou movie—formally known as Hello Mary Lou: Prom Night II. Honestly, it’s a miracle this thing is as good as it is.
Released in 1987, it’s technically a sequel to the 1980 Jamie Lee Curtis slasher Prom Night. But let’s be real. It’s not a sequel. Not really. The only thing they share is the name of the high school and the fact that people die during a dance. If the first movie was a slow-burn disco whodunit, this one is a neon-soaked, supernatural fever dream that feels like Carrie and A Nightmare on Elm Street had a very rebellious Canadian baby.
The Haunting of Hamilton High
Most people don't realize this, but the movie was actually filmed under the title The Haunting of Hamilton High. It was meant to be its own thing. Total standalone. But the distributors got cold feet. They figured nobody would see a random Canadian ghost story, so they slapped the Prom Night brand on it at the last second.
Producer Peter Simpson even admitted later that the rebranding might have actually hurt the film. It gave it "baggage." People went in expecting a masked killer with a knife and instead got a vengeful ghost who can turn a chalkboard into a literal whirlpool of liquid doom.
What actually happens in the hello mary lou movie?
The plot is basically a 1950s tragedy meeting 1980s excess. We start in 1957. Mary Lou Maloney is the "bad girl" of Hamilton High. She's promiscuous, she's loud, and she’s about to be crowned Prom Queen. Her jilted boyfriend, Billy, tries to pull a prank with a stink bomb. It goes south.
✨ Don't miss: Why October London Make Me Wanna Is the Soul Revival We Actually Needed
The fuse catches her dress. She burns alive on stage while wearing her crown. It's brutal.
Fast forward thirty years to 1987. Vicki Carpenter is a "good girl" struggling with a super religious, overbearing mother. She finds an old trunk in the school basement. Inside? Mary Lou’s scorched sash and crown. Once Vicki touches them, the spirit of Mary Lou is out.
It's not just a haunting; it’s a possession. Vicki starts changing. She goes from mousy and repressed to wearing tight 50s outfits, swearing like a sailor, and seducing her boyfriend’s dad—who just happens to be the same Billy (played by the legendary Michael Ironside) who accidentally torched her thirty years prior.
The Weirdest Kill Scenes You’ve Ever Seen
The special effects here are wild for a CA$2.5 million budget.
🔗 Read more: How to Watch The Wolf and the Lion Without Getting Lost in the Wild
- The Blackboard: Vicki gets dragged into a chalkboard that turns into a swirling silver vortex. It’s one of the most iconic shots in 80s horror.
- The Rocking Horse: There’s a scene with a possessed rocking horse that grows a giant, slimy tongue. It’s deeply uncomfortable and weirdly creative.
- The Locker Crush: Poor Monica gets shoved into a locker that Mary Lou then literally collapses with her mind.
Why it actually works (The E-E-A-T Perspective)
If you look at the credits, you'll see a lot of names that sound familiar to horror nerds. The writer, Ron Oliver, and director, Bruce Pittman, were clearly obsessed with the genre. Look closely at the character names. You’ve got a "Carpenter," a "Henenlotter," a "Craven," and an "O'Bannon." It’s basically a love letter to the directors who defined the era.
Unlike a lot of slashers from 1987, the hello mary lou movie has a brain. It’s a satire of religious repression. Vicki’s mother is so stifling that Mary Lou’s possession almost feels like a twisted form of liberation. Mary Lou is a villain, sure, but she’s also a force of nature hitting back at the "boring" 80s suburbs.
Wendy Lyon, who plays Vicki, does some heavy lifting here. She has to play two completely different people, often shifting between them in the same scene. One minute she’s crying and scared, the next she’s got that icy, predatory Mary Lou stare.
The Canadian Connection
This is a "CanCon" classic. It was filmed in Edmonton, Alberta, mostly at Westmount Junior High. The production crew actually painted the school windows black for filming, and apparently, you could still see traces of that paint on the window frames decades later.
💡 You might also like: Is Lincoln Lawyer Coming Back? Mickey Haller's Next Move Explained
There's something about that crisp, Canadian lighting and the neo-Gothic architecture of the school that makes it feel different from the usual Hollywood slashers. It feels more "isolated."
Common Misconceptions
A lot of fans skip this one because they think they need to see Prom Night (1980) first. You don't. In fact, if you love the first one, you might be annoyed by how different this is.
Some people also confuse Mary Lou with other 80s icons. She’s often called the "female Freddy Krueger" because she cracks jokes and uses surreal, dream-like powers to kill. But Mary Lou is more grounded in tragedy. She doesn't want to kill everyone in their sleep; she just wants her prom night back.
How to Watch It Today
For a long time, this movie was stuck in licensing hell. You could only find grainy VHS copies or old full-screen DVDs. Thankfully, it’s had some decent Blu-ray releases recently, which is the only way to see those practical effects clearly.
If you're planning a marathon, here is the real deal:
- Skip the first one if you want high-energy supernatural fun.
- Watch Hello Mary Lou first.
- Check out Prom Night III: The Last Kiss right after. It’s even more of a comedy/parody and keeps the Mary Lou character going, though the actress changes.
The hello mary lou movie remains a masterpiece of the "sequel in name only" subgenre. It’s campy, it’s gory, and it’s surprisingly smart about how it handles 50s nostalgia versus 80s reality.
Actionable Next Steps
- Check Streaming Services: Look for it under the title Prom Night II on platforms like Shudder or Tubi, as the title often fluctuates between the two.
- Watch for the Easter Eggs: On your first watch, try to spot the "director" last names. It makes the viewing experience feel like a scavenger hunt for horror geeks.
- Compare the Possession: If you’re a film student or buff, watch this back-to-back with the original Carrie. Notice how Mary Lou uses her "villainy" as a response to the same kind of religious trauma Vicki is facing.