I Know What You Did Last Summer

After his savvy dissection of the slasher film aesthetic with Scream, hot screenwriter Kevin Williamson scares up a boogie man thriller of his own. Teen dreams Jennifer Love Hewitt (Party of Five) and Sarah Michelle Geller (Buffy the Vampire Slayer) star as two recent high school graduates whose bright futures are threatened after they and their boyfriends are involved in a deadly hit and run. They dump the apparently deceased body and make a pact never to speak of the incident. But one year later, their guilty past comes back to haunt them in the form of a mysterious raincoat-shrouded killer who looks like The Gorton Fisherman. Like the weapon he wields, adolescent audiences especially will be hooked, although it's a shame to see Williamson fall prey to the clichés he sent up with the Scream films. And, yes, the door is open for a sequel. (K. Lee Benson)[I Know What You Did Last Summer/I Still Know What You Did Last Summer--Oct. 21, 2003--Columbia TriStar, 2 discs, 101/100 min., R, $24.95--Bundled in a price-is-right two-pack, the series opener I Know What You Did Last Summer has been upgraded to a "special edition," which boasts a somewhat sharper transfer over the original, and includes the same smart and engaging commentary track by director Jim Gillespie (and, though not listed, editor Steve Mirkovich). New to this edition are a decent 27-minute retrospective "making-of" (but, of the young thespian star quartet, only Hewitt contributed an interview), Gillespie's excellent 10-minute nail-biting short "Joyride," and a music video of Kula Shaker's note-for-slavish-note uninspired cover of Deep Purple's "Hush." The lackluster sequel, I Still Know What You Did Last Summer, is the same as the original DVD release, with a "making-of" featurette and a music video. Bottom line: Bargain-priced, this popular double-bill is a strong optional purchase for larger collections.][Blu-ray Review—July 22, 2008—Sony, 101 min., R, $28.95—Making its first appearance on Blu-ray, 1997's I Know What You Did Last Summer features a fine transfer and a Dolby TrueHD 5.1 soundtrack. The extras on the disc are identical to the previous DVD release, including an audio commentary track by director Jim Gillespie (and, though not listed, editor Steve Mirkovich), a decent 27-minute retrospective “making-of” (but, of the young thespian star quartet, only Hewitt contributed an interview), Gillespie's excellent 10-minute nail-biting short “Joyride,” and a music video of Kula Shaker's note-for-slavish-note uninspired cover of Deep Purple's "Hush." Bottom line: if you really feel you need a Blu-ray version of this so-so slasher, this one looks sharp.]