This recommendation may be a little biased as I’m a big Buffy fan. You also get to see Sarah Michelle Gellar’s spouse, Freddie Prinze Jr. Unlike the previous two posts (Scream and Interview with the Vampire), this pick is by no means a great film – just a fun one.
WATCH: I Know What You Did Last Summer (1997) – “When some North Carolina teens flatten a stranger with their car, they leave him for dead and try to get on with their lives. He returns to give ‘em, uh, the hook (literally) — the gore is leavened by some much-needed laughs. The well-known cast includes Jennifer Love Hewitt, Sarah Michelle Gellar and Ryan Phillippe”
Based on a Lois Duncan novel (though she herself hates the adaptation), this slasher film has a much smarter than usual plot. The script also has some wit and panache thanks to Dawson’s Creek scribe Kevin Williamson, fresh off of Scream (though he had written the treatment prior to Scream) – check out Dawson’s beach. The four leads (Jennifer Love Hewitt, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Ryan Phillipe, and Freddie Prinze Jr. all acquit themselves well and the killer is urban legend-y enough to be creepy. Having written that, this film is not great – it doesn’t seem to know whether it wants to be a slasher or a mystery. The mystery portion isn’t deep or believable enough to work well and there isn’t enough of a body count to be a slasher. The direction is somewhat pedestrian – good but not flashy or substantive. Overall though this is an enjoyable semi-slasher pic.
People watchers: look for Anne Heche in a small role as Missy Egan
AVOID: I Still Know What You Did Last Summer (1998) – Where I Know What You Did Last Summer alternately followed and subverted standard slasher tropes, the sequel simply slaps the two remaining teens in a sub-standard slasher film with a bunch of cardboard cut-outs for victims. Jeffrey Combs has a guest-starring role, presumably to attract people who remember his brilliant turn in Re-Animator. He is largely wasted as most of the characters appear to be in this film.
People watchers: Jack Black has a small role (where – surprise - he’s wasted).
