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The cinematic equivalent of a twinkie, I Know What You Did
Last Summer is one of those films that tastes good while you're
eating it but doesn't offer much long-term nourishment once you've
finished. That said, I sure do love twinkies, and this film really
does deliver for those in need of a quick sugar fix.
Based on a little-known 1973 cult novel of the same name by Lois
Duncan, this film was in development hell for years until a then
little-known screenwriter named Kevin Williamson was assigned
screenplay chores. Just a few months later he would go on to great
success with the huge horror cash-cow Scream, and thus
this project was quickly put into production.
Shot on a surprisingly low, low budget, the film boasts fine
production values, a talented young cast and a somewhat intriguing
premise. A quartet of happy high-school seniors lead by Party
Of Five's Jennifer Love Hewitt (who along with Neve Campbell
of Scream seems to be making a career out of Kevin Williamson
scripts) are celebrating their last Fourth of July before college.
Fellow classmate Sarah Michelle Gellar (of Buffy the Vampire
fame, as well as, yes, Scream 2) is just crowned beauty
pageant queen and both are dating two 90210-ish dudes, hothead
Ryan Phillippe and possible suspect Freddie Prinze, Jr. The future
is looking bright, but fate has other ideas. A romantic interlude
on the beach leads to a little drunk driving which leads to a
little hit-and-run on the winding roads of "Reaper's Curve"
(don't you just hate when that happens?). Oops! In one of those
classic horror film staples, the idiot plot, instead of going
to the police they decide to dump the body in the ocean and make
a pact to keep it a secret. Needless to say, not a very bright
move.
As the tag line on the box says, "If you're going to bury the
truth, make sure it stays buried." Good advice, as in no
time it seems that someone is out for revenge. Our unhappy camper
quickly begins upping the ante with notes, "'accidents"
and maybe a murder or two. Looking suspiciously like the Gorton's
Fisherman and sporting a mean fish hook to boot (guess fish sticks
just won't cut it), our friend in the slicker wastes no time in
letting the blood flow.
Rather unbelievable and full of inconsistencies, and providing
a rather ho-hum whodunit without a very satisfying reveal, the
film still really clicks, because of the considerable talent behind
the camera. I've never heard of Scottish director Jim Gillespie
before, but he has a great eye for composition, pacing, atmosphere
and suspense. There are some genuinely scary sequences here, and
one wonders what he might accomplish with more complex material.
The cast handles their chores admirably, except for a rather wooden
Freddie Prinze, Jr. as Hewitt's love interest. But who cares if
he can act, as teenage girls sure do love good-looking lunkheads,
so much so that they propelled this little sleeper to a $70 million
gross last autumn. Though nothing here is very surprising and
probably won't convert anyone who hates slasher flicks, fans of
the genre will really dig this. Just make sure you have a real
meal afterwards.
Video: How Does The Disc Look?
Columbia TriStar has provided a very nice DVD release of this
film. Providing their now-standard dual-sided disc, there is a
anamorphic 2.35:1 widescreen transfer and a Pan and Scan 'Standard'
version on the flip, with both boasting typically stellar picture
quality. Colors are rich and well-saturated with no color bleeding,
and the print used is clear, detailed and with little apparent
film grain. Black level is exemplary, and there are very little
compression artifacts. However, there are some in some of the
early beach scenes, most notably on a pan from behind a rock (at
the 11 minutes, 25 second mark), but it isn't particularly distracting
if you aren't looking.
Audio: How Does the Disc Sound?
The active Dolby Digital 5.1 sound mix is a real treat, as considerable
time and effort was spent utilizing the surrounds to effectively
enhance the tension. Ambient sounds move freely from all sides,
bass response is impressive, and the music, key to a horror film's
success, is rendered forcefully. Interesting, Columbia has also
provided a separate 2.0 Pro-Logic mix on a separate audio track,
and although good, it certainly can't compare to a full 5.1 sound
field. But it is very nice of Columbia to consider those without
a full sound rig when configuring their DVDs.
There is also a 2.0 French language track provided for those
behind in French 101, as well as our Canadian friends. English,
French and Spanish subtitles are also included, as well as English
Closed Captions.
Supplements: What Goodies Are There? The supplements are rather nice, especially the very entertaining
screen-specific audio commentary featuring director Jim Gillespie
and his editor Steve Mirkovich. It is one of the better commentary
tracks I've heard, as Gillespie is personable and has many antecedents
to share, and doesn't leave big pockets of dead space like so
many other surprisingly lame commentary tracks often do.
Of course, the biggest extra (unintentionally so) is the theatrical
trailer, which caused this title to be recalled and repressed.
Apparently, Columbia used the phrase 'From the CREATOR of Scream'
in its promotional campaign, which pissed off Miramax Films, the
studio who earned so much from that Wes Craven smash. They successfully
sued Columbia to have all subsequent advertising refer to the
film as 'From the WRITER of Scream' (guess the writer really is
the low man on the totem pole in Hollywood). Whatever the case,
the trailer is really very good, one of the best horror film trailers
I've seen. But, all future pressings will delete it, so those
of you lucky enough (or tenacious enough) to snag a copy now will
have a nice collector's item (a new version with a new trailer
was released on June 16th, 1998). Production notes are
also inlcuded in a 4-page foldout booklet.
DVD-ROM Exclusives: What do you get when you pop
the disc in your PC?
No ROM extras have been included.
Parting Thoughts
In all, only horror fans need apply for this disc. But if you
love twinkies, or are just a Sarah Michelle Gellar fan (admit,
you know you're out there), this Columbia DVD is stellar. Definitely
recommended.
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