Director: Jim Gillespie
Writer: Kevin Williamson
Starring: Jennifer Love Hewitt and Freddie Prinze, Jr.
Available On Video: Pan-and-Scan and widescreen versions ($19.95) and DVD ($29.99) all from Columbia/Tri-Star Home Video
Body Count: 5
Review: Lois Duncan's novel I Know What You Did Last Summer isn't all that good. I mean, it was written in the 70s, so it's hard to imagine what kind of impact it had when it was written--but in comparison to the film (at least by slasher standards), this is one of those rare occasions where the movie kicks the book's ass.
You probably know how the story goes by now: four teenagers, body in the road, and a decision that changes their lives. But what makes Summer something special is the presence of Kevin Williamson. Sony came to Williamson (before Scream was released) and handed him the project. He saw it as a morality tale--they wanted a slasher movie; and not just a movie, but a franchise. So Kevin delivered, but he also found a way to take his idea of a morality tale and fuse it into the story. There's subtle remorse in all four of the key characters that wouldn't be there if Williamson hadn't written this as a character piece.
Don't get me wrong--this is a straight slasher movie, and not anywhere near as clever as Scream, but there's definitely more here than meets the eye.
And it's a simple fact--that hook is just one fucking cool weapon to use in a slasher movie.
Trivia: The film is shot in Kevin's hometown in North Caroline. Also, there's a line in the film where Sarah Michell Gellar says "Let's go up to Dawson's Beach." This beach was an actual place near Kevin's home, and he used it as inspiration for his autobiographical TV series Dawnson's Creek.
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