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"I Know What You Did Last Summer" is a not-so-scary horror
film that's only slightly better than the book it was based
upon, which isn't saying a lot. The book, "I Know What You
Did Last Summer," by Lois Duncan, was too slow and mild for
a horror story; the movie, which deviated quite a bit from
the book, was excessively violent and dragged out a sluggish
plot.
The movie opens with five minutes of ocean footage, not a
human being in sight, and annoyingly loud grunge music pounding
in the background. When I started to wonder if this film was
a nature channel documentary or a gripping horror movie, one
human being became visible, sitting on the edge of a cliff
and getting sloshed. A few long minutes later, a group of
four partying teens (one teen is quite obviously drunk) leaves
the nearby beach and they tear down the highway at breakneck
speed. The man standing by the side of the road steps out
directly into their path - whoopsie! He's dead! Afraid they'll
be charged with manslaughter, the four teens resolve not to
report the accident, opting instead to dump his body in the
ocean. Of course, he wakes up right before they dump him,
but by then they're so freaked out, they force him under anyway
- now it's really murder!
One year later, teenager Julie James receives a letter stating:
"I know what you did last summer." Oh dear, they should've
been a little more discreet. Later, her three friends are
targeted, too: Helen, the beauty queen, has her beautiful
hair shorn off while she sleeps; Barry is run over and almost
killed; and Ray also receives a letter. Did I mention that
he is also in love with Julie, who doesn't share his sentiment?
Can't have a movie without a romance, can you?
This all boils down to the obvious question: Who knows? Who
cares? While some scenes may entertain those who frighten
easily (and enjoy it) I found the suspense wearisome. None
of the so-called "suspense" scenes put me on the edge of my
seat, although a few were rather amusing in their sheer lack
of originality.
My rating : 2 stars
Rating : R (strong horror, violence, and language)
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