I Still Know What You Did Last Summer

I Still Know What You Did Last Summer (1998)

Runtime: 100 minutes

Directed by: Danny Cannon

Starring: The returning lead duo plus the likes of Brandy, Mekhi Phifer, Jeffrey Combs, and… for a few scenes, JACK BLACK

From: Columbia/Mandalay

An appropriate film for me to view last night. I faintly remembered that the final act was set in a torrential storm and well, an update concerning me and Hurricane Helene may be needed for those that remember I live in Florida. It’s a little bit west of Orlando, meaning that the hurricane was far away from me so there was only some wind & rain, but nothing horrendous. Those living on the Gulf of Mexico coast and especially the Panhandle weren’t so fortunate; I feel bad for those impacted negatively.

In any case, I saw both this and the first movie at the time; both then and now, they are goofy slick studio versions of horror which aren’t as good as Scream yet aren’t terrible either. I did remember the stupid moments from the film so I suppose it left some sort of impression… in addition, this is a rare case where a movie plays better for you if you aren’t familiar w/ world geography.

Julie James and Ray Bronson return from the first; this time, Julie and three others win a free time to the Bahamas. Absurdities happen, including the villain somehow manipulating the lyrics that appear on screen on a karaoke machine; it’s not even the most improbable moment, believe me. It undercuts the serious aspect of Julie’s trauma & her struggles concerning same. An uncredited Jack Black also shows up, as-get this-an irritating character. To be frank, the popularity of Tenacious D is beyond my comprehension and I at best tolerate him in a movie. The way he treated his buddy because (allegedly) he did not want to lose his big movie gigs—my goodness what a loathsome caricature he portrayed here.

Truth be told, it’s a stupid movie… I mean, really stupid. Do radio stations really call their listeners in contests—isn’t it the other way around? However, it’s also a really funny dumb movie, even if that wasn’t the intent. For those that like gore, it easily eclipses the original in that regard. There’s also Jeffrey Combs for a few scenes. The picture is not totally bereft of scares and chilling moments, so it is not a complete waste of time. There are a few “that guy” actors, the cast as a whole is fine and there aren’t too many horror films out there related to a hurricane or similar weather so if you need to see one for any reason…