Not since the La Cage Aux Folles series has a budding franchise gotten so tired so fast. This is, literally, a hack job that, after only one sequel falls prey to the slasher film clichés that Kevin Williamson (who wrote the original) so deftly skewered with Scream. Jennifer Love Hewitt returns as Julie James, still haunted by visions of "the slicker guy"--fisherman Ben Willis, the hit and run victim who came back to life with a vengeance. What Julie needs is a vacation, and she accompanies her frisky roommate Karla (Brandy) to the Bahamas, along with Karla's randy boyfriend (Mekhi Phifer) and Julie's platonic friend Will Benson (Matthew Settle). Julie thought her dreams about Ben were over, but the nightmare is just beginning as--surprise, surprise--you-know-who stalks the island. Ben Willis, with his slicker coat and hook, is perhaps horror film's most ludicrous boogeyman, and director Danny Cannon kills time with a succession of cheap "jumps" and false alarms. Though the ending leaves room for yet another sequel, let's hope this is the last Summer. Despite the popularity of its stars, this is not recommended. (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 21, 2009—Sony, 100 min., R, $28.95—Making its first appearance on Blu-ray, 1998's I Still Know What You Did Last Summer features a fine transfer and a Dolby TrueHD 5.1 soundtrack. Blu-ray extras are identical to those on the previous standard DVD release, including a six-minute “making-of” featurette (6 min.), the music video “How Do I Deal?” performed by star Jennifer Love Hewitt, the BD-Live function, and trailers. Bottom line: regardless of format, this is still an uninspired horror sequel.]
I Still Know What You Did Last Summer
(Columbia TriStar, 100 min., R, avail. Apr. 6) Vol. 14, Issue 2
I Still Know What You Did Last Summer
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As of March 2022, Video Librarian has changed from a four-star rating system to a five-star one. This change allows our reviewers to have a wider range of critical viewpoints, as well as to synchronize with Google’s rating structure. This change affects all reviews from March 2022 onwards. All reviews from before this period will still retain their original rating. Future film submissions will be considered our new 1-5 star criteria.
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