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I Know What You Did Last Summer is an Independence Day Classic
In case you’ve forgotten, I’m here to remind you that I Know What You Did Last Summer is actually a holiday movie. Not only does the film take place over two July 4th weekends (one year apart), but it’s about as American as apple pie. And this October it celebrates it’s 20th anniversary.
That being said, now seems like the perfect time to explore the film and discuss why it’s such a classic.
First off, let’s look at the cast. Jennifer Love Hewitt, Freddie Prinze Jr, Sarah Michelle Gellar, and Ryan Phillippe in the 90s (1997 to be exact) were at the peak of the All-American Young Stars. They were simultaneously beautiful and familiar enough to represent someone you probably went to school with.
Their characters in the film are perfect American slasher archetypes – the innocent girl, the prince charming, the sexualized scream queen and the bad boy. And there’s also Johnny Galecki as a weird “friend-zoned and bitter about it” character who appears just often enough to remind you, “oh yeah, he’s in this movie”.
I Know What You Did Last Summer contains some of our favorite American pastimes such as fireworks, parades, urban legends and drunken debauchery. The drunken debauchery unfortunately leads to accidental murder, but, you know. Kids will be kids.
(The movie also contains one of my favorite jump-scares, the “oh, it’s just a coat rack” scare. I cannot fathom how that came up as an idea, but it’s incredibly cheesy and I love it.)
Now, holiday horror is in no way a new or rare concept, however, I Know What You Did Last Summer is one that takes its setting from the holiday, but it’s not carrying a patriotic message or focusing on a killer with a holiday-specific agenda. The dude just wants those reckless teens to pay for the destruction caused by their rowdy celebration.
Perhaps because it’s not as blatantly focused on the holiday as films like Halloween and Black Christmas, you often forget about the Independence Day theme until you watch it. It’s overshadowed by the fashion, the cast, character attitudes, soundtrack, several jump scares, and general slasher theme that make it a perfect time capsule of 90’s American film.
And while the whole daytime parade scene causes me to ask, “why do so many people in this town have the same outfit?” and “why are they wearing it on such a nice day?”, it’s one of the several reminders that the film is not only a classic, but an Independence Day classic. Our stalker slays by the light of fireworks, and kills in the face of celebration. After all, “this is his day”.
If you’re still debating the “classic” status of the film, consider this article about the supposed I Know What You Did Last Summer remake.
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Movies
Trailer for ‘The Exorcism’ Has Russell Crowe Possessed
The latest exorcism movie is about to drop this summer. It’s aptly titled The Exorcism and it stars Academy Award winner turned B-movie savant Russell Crowe. The trailer dropped today and by the looks of it, we are getting a possession movie that takes place on a movie set.
Just like this year’s recent demon-in-media-space film Late Night With the Devil, The Exorcism happens during a production. Although the former takes place on a live network talk show, the latter is on an active sound stage. Hopefully, it won’t be entirely serious and we’ll get some meta chuckles out of it.
The film will open in theaters on June 7, but since Shudder also acquired it, it probably won’t be long after that until it finds a home on the streaming service.
Crowe plays, “Anthony Miller, a troubled actor who begins to unravel while shooting a supernatural horror film. His estranged daughter, Lee (Ryan Simpkins), wonders if he’s slipping back into his past addictions or if there’s something more sinister at play. The film also stars Sam Worthington, Chloe Bailey, Adam Goldberg and David Hyde Pierce.”
Crowe did see some success in last year’s The Pope’s Exorcist mostly because his character was so over-the-top and infused with such comical hubris it bordered on parody. We will see if that is the route actor-turned-director Joshua John Miller takes with The Exorcism.
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News
Win a Stay at The Lizzie Borden House From Spirit Halloween
Spirit Halloween has declared that this week marks the start of spooky season and to celebrate they are offering fans a chance to stay at the Lizzie Borden House with so many perks Lizzie herself would approve.
The Lizzie Borden House in Fall River, MA is claimed to be one of the most haunted houses in America. Of course one lucky winner and up to 12 of their friends will find out if the rumors are true if they win the grand prize: A private stay in the notorious house.
“We are delighted to work with Spirit Halloween to roll out the red carpet and offer the public a chance to win a one-of-a-kind experience at the infamous Lizzie Borden House, which also includes additional haunted experiences and merchandise,” said Lance Zaal, President & Founder of US Ghost Adventures.
Fans can enter to win by following Spirit Halloween‘s Instagram and leaving a comment on the contest post from now through April 28.
The prize also includes:
An exclusive guided house tour, including insider insight around the murder, the trial, and commonly reported hauntings
A late-night ghost tour, complete with professional ghost-hunting gear
A private breakfast in the Borden family dining room
A ghost hunting starter kit with two pieces of Ghost Daddy Ghost Hunting Gear and a lesson for two at US Ghost Adventures Ghost Hunting Course
The ultimate Lizzie Borden gift package, featuring an official hatchet, the Lizzie Borden board game, Lily the Haunted Doll, and America’s Most Haunted Volume II
Winner’s choice of a Ghost Tour experience in Salem or a True Crime experience in Boston for two
“Our Halfway to Halloween celebration provides fans an exhilarating taste of what’s to come this fall and empowers them to start planning for their favorite season as early as they please,” said Steven Silverstein, CEO of Spirit Halloween. “We have cultivated an incredible following of enthusiasts who embody the Halloween lifestyle, and we’re thrilled to bring the fun back to life.”
Spirit Halloween is also preparing for their retail haunted houses. On Thursday, August 1 their flagship store in Egg Harbor Township, NJ. will officially open to start off the season. That event usually draws in hordes of people eager to see what new merch, animatronics, and exclusive IP goods will be trending this year.
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Movies
’28 Years Later’ Trilogy Taking Shape With Serious Star Power
Danny Boyle is revisiting his 28 Days Later universe with three new films. He will direct the first, 28 Years Later, with two more to follow. Deadline is reporting that sources say Jodie Comer, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, and Ralph Fiennes have been cast for the first entry, a sequel to the original. Details are being kept under wraps so we don’t know how or if the first original sequel 28 Weeks Later fits into the project.
Boyle will direct the first movie but it’s unclear which role he will take on in the subsequent films. What is known is Candyman (2021) director Nia DaCosta is scheduled to direct the second film in this trilogy and that the third will be filmed immediately afterward. Whether DaCosta will direct both is still unclear.
Alex Garland is writing the scripts. Garland is having a successful time at the box office right now. He wrote and directed the current action/thriller Civil War which was just knocked out of the theatrical top spot by Radio Silence’s Abigail.
There is no word yet on when, or where, 28 Years Later will start production.
The original film followed Jim (Cillian Murphy) who wakes from a coma to find that London is currently dealing with a zombie outbreak.
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