Jason X kills Music Video

Check this out!

Jason kills people in Jason X along with Drowning Pool's "Bodies" played in the background. Even has the sleeping bag scene. And people thought I was screwed up in the head.


Enjoy!

1980's Vs. 1990's

The 80’s Great 4 vs. The 90’s Fab 4

Each decade, there are usually horror movie films that make their mark in history and are remembered and they turn into iconic franchises. In my opinion, there are four movie franchises that are easily identifiable for their generation. The 80's were easy to pick out, while the 90's were a little harder. You could make a case for a horror movie franchise that I didn’t include, but for this post, I choose these movie franchises to "represent" their decade and contributions to the horror industry.

For the 1980’s (The Great 4), I choose:

Friday the 13^th

Nightmare on Elm Street

Halloween

Child’s Play

For the 1990’s (The Fab 4) I choose:

Scream

I Know What You Did Last Summer

Urban Legend

Final Destination

Recap of Movie Contributions

All of these movies tend to “rip” something off from one another, but they also each brought something different or unique to the table themselves. It can be claimed that Halloween started the “slasher” genre. Halloween started the "mold" of horror movies to come. It struck the fear of a masked psychopath into the minds of the world. The notion that “anyone in the neighborhood could do this” became a paranoia and found it's way into the back of the viewers’ minds.

After the success of Halloween, the “Friday” films took the same slasher idea, but took the psychopath to the next level. Friday took the evil out of the small town neighborhood and placed it into the remote/isolated setting of the woods. Friday enhanced the "sensation of fear" by placing the audience in a situation where the help was just not a phone call away or right around the corner. For some people, the feeling of isolation with out the comforts of society around is scary enough.

The “Nightmare” films brought in a new twist of alternate realities. The franchise introduced a killer that could only kill during a child’s dream sequence. This proved to be scary in it’s own way. Everyone eventually sleeps, which puts everyone at risk. People also sleep at different times of the day, such as daydreaming, which make the sequences in the film even more scary because it's hard to distinguish between on screen reality and dream sequences.

The Child’s Play movies went on to prove that the eeriness of a simple demonic doll causing death is a successful formula to make more movies.

The late 1990’s (Fab 4) made their own marks onto the horror movie industry. They continued to steal from its predecessors, but added their own flavor. The 80’s movie franchises had their clear-cut villain. Every one knew that Michael, Jason, Freddy or Chucky were gonna make their kills, but the nineties brought in the “who dunnit” factor. Scream led the way, laying down the blueprint for the next revolution of horror movies.

Scream simply brought the small hometown feel and added a murder mystery atmosphere into the equation. It continued the tradition of the masked killer, but didn’t give the audience the pleasure of knowing who was behind the mask. Scream also made movies more “pleasant” on the human eye. (Eye Candy) Scream figured out the casting debacle in which the 80’s films struggled with. It was a simple answer: cast hot men and women from popular television shows and put them in danger. Right there you double your audience. You’ve got pop culture clashing with horror. Pop culture fans hang on to every little project their favorite actors/actresses are in, now you've just lured them to come to the theatre for a horror movie. Scream also created a “cast mold” of future horror movie casting. Not to say the 80’s films didn’t have their own mold, but the Scream and the 90’s enhanced this. Mold: Hot, troubled virgin chick, with hot best friends, a joker/prankster, stuck up individuals, mysterious troubled boyfriends, and a token black person or two.

I Know What You Did Last Summer was the next franchise to test the waters in the aftermath of Scream's success. I.K.W.Y.D.L.S. brought in the “eye candy” from popular T.V. shows and stole the “who dunnit” philosophy from Scream and…well let’s just say they stole everything from Scream and made the setting on the East Coast (to offset the West Coast movie). Always an East coast vs. West coast thing goin’ on. Any way, I.K.W.Y.D.L.S. brought in a little factor of the "stalked" knowing that they’re being stalked because they did something wrong. Instead of doing something logical, like going to the cops, they continue to withhold their secret and fall one by one. Franchise sequels plays off of other type of settings like: a remote tropical island, and an isolate Colorado mountain town. Yawn!

Urban Legend brought…well nothing new to the table. That’s not true. Is it? Okay, “Urban” brought in the twist of dying by a certain method…some times…for a brief time. Still a murder mystery “who dunnit” with eye candy, but with a larger body count.

Final Destination brought in the supernatural into the equation. Death is coming…by death. No matter how you try to avoid it, death will find its way.

Villain Comparison:

For Friday & Halloween Films (True Slasher Killers):

In the 80’s, the villain usually started off “real” and believable to the audiences (at least until many sequels made it clear that the villain couldn’t be killed). The style of the villain was creepy. The killer was silent (voice and stealth like) and lurked in the shadows picking off its prey one by one. Screen time wasn't as big for the villain in these movies. The suspense of not knowing where they are outweigh the pleasure of knowing where they were. This made the audience think twice when they heard a bump in the night. Or a strange noise in the house. Or a CRACK! in the woods. Or even do a double-take when something flashed by and was caught in the corner of the eye. This is the style in which everyone who watched horror movies grew up to love. Until many, many, many, many more sequels killed the “mystique” of the killer. Michael Myers and Jason Voorhees became legendary icons over the course of time. Both wore masks to conceal their face, and both are brutal in their style of kills.

For Nightmare & Chucky Films (Imagine/Unreal Slasher Killers):

These two films threw away the whole “it could happen” feel to the horror industry and played on alternative realities and black magic. A dream demon and a demonic doll. If there were betting odds on if it could happen, then I’m betting with the house. Just not possible…but a fun idea. In Nightmare, we have Freddy a child killer burned at the stake by the parents seeking revenge. Freddy returns from the dead and kills the children of his hometown through their dreams. Not to mention he’s a wise crackin’ killer who eventually makes kills in ways so he can pun. On the other side of the ring, we have Charles Ray, a serial killer who uses “Black Magic” to preserve his soul into a child’s doll to prevent himself from dying after a fatal blow from the guns of the police chasing him. The aftermath of the situation…Chucky is born. A 2 foot high “Good Guys Doll” with the mind of a serial killer. Now you maybe asking yourself, what makes him so scary, and my answer is…I have no idea, but some how this formula seems to work. Over and over again, Hollywood uses demonic possession of dolls to scare audiences. It started with the Twighlight Zone and continues now a days with movies like “Dead Silence”. I don’t find it scary, but rather amusing with a potty mouth doll killer.

For Scream, I.K.W.Y.D.L.S., & Urban Legend Films (Don't know who Killers):

The mysterious masked “who dunnit” man/woman. Unfortunately for these films, the “who dunnit” only works best for the first film. Sequels do not provide repeat villains, thus no real legendary icon. Only the ghost mask is identifiable amongst fans. Typically motivated by revenge and stalks their victims through out the movie a little bit too much. Just kill the bitch already. Don’t spend 1, 2, 3 or 4 days toying with her to let her get away eventually. Hit ‘em when they’re not looking.

For Final Destination (Just Death):

Well, it’s death itself. What do you do? Die. Franchise doesn’t provide a face for “death”, but just random, supernatural events that eventually cause the downfall of soon to be victims.

Cast (Actually hot chicks)

If there is a category you give the Fab 4 an edge in, then it’s got to be here. The actors/actresses in the 90’s movies are way, way better than the crap the 80’s puts up. I know there are like two or three cases to be made (Jamie Lee Curtis being one), but overall, the casting in the 80’s sucked! The chicks weren’t hot, although most were happy enough to show their “twins”, the fashion was horribly wrong (clothing and hair), and the acting was…beyond horrible. At least the Fab 4 produces movies which are bearable to watch even though most plots suck.

The Killings

The Great 4 of the 80's tended to have higher body counts. It was Quantity over Quality. Whereas, the Fab 4 had the luxury of special effects and chose Quality over Quantity. I admit the 80's had some "bad" kills to them, but there were instances where people were "ofted" off screen leaving the kill to the imagination of the viewer. Sure the 80's had some kills that were a little bloodier than they should have been, but the 90's kind of dwell on the detail of the kill. They have to show the axe going all the way through the head and down to the stomach. Some kills are just too over the top and some kills are set up to find "cool ways" to kill a person. I know that the 80's films got their "Rated-R's" from nudity and violence, while the 90's films have to get their ratings from violence, because they're casting no one for the nudity. This is a little upsetting.

Who Survives?

Another comparison between the two generations, the 80's movies typically had a sole female survivor of the film. She initially was emotionally weak and "pure" but rose to the occasion when it was do or die time during the final stand off with the killer.

The 90's continued to type cast that sole surviving female but added on the heart throbbing boyfriend on the list on "NOT KILLED". It is usually done to make a "happy ending" and provide closure with the audience. The 80's boyfriend was usually the last to go before trying to make a heroic sacrifice to save the girl. If the boyfriend did survive, he was "knocked out" and discarded off to the side until the final showdown was over.

In the end...It's all good!

Both generations of films have their good and bads. That's probably why there has been a shit load of remakes over the past few years. Audiences want today's special effects and eye candy, but want the villains and originality of the old school films.

Review #43: Scream (1996)

Cast/Notable Credits:
Wes Craven (Director/Janitor):

Neve Campbell (Sidney): Sream Trilogy, Party of Five T.V. series, Wild Things (1998), The Craft

David Arquette (Dewey): Scream Trilogy, Eight Legged Freaks (2002), Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1992)

Courteney Cox (Gail): Scream Trilogy, Friends T.V. series, Masters of the Universe (1987)

Rose McGowan (Tatum): Deathproof/Planet Terror, Jawbreaker (1999), Devil in the Flesh (1998), Phantoms (1998), Ready to Rumble (2000), Bio-dome (1996), Encino Man (1992), and Charmed T.V. series

Matthew Lillard (Stuart): Ghoulies 3 (1991), Wing Commander (1999), 13 Ghosts (2001), Scooby Doo 1 (2002) & 2 (2004)

Live Schreiber (Cotton): Scream Trilogy, Omen (2006), The Hurricane (1999), Jakob the Liar (1999), Phantoms (1998), Sphere (1998), Ransom (1996)

Jamie Kennedy (Randy): Scream Trilogy, Bowfinger (1999), Three Kings (1999)

Drew Barrymore (Casey): E.T. (1982), Cat’s Eye (1985), Firestarter, Poison Ivy (1992), Batman Forever (1995), Charlies Angels 1 (2000) & 2 (2003), Donnie Darko (2001), 50 First Dates (2004)

Henry Winkler (Principal): Waterboy (1998), Arrested Development & Happy Days (Fonzie) T.V. series

Trailer:


The first of the 1990's "Fab 4".

Wes Craven makes a comeback in the horror industry with this movie. He pumps the “juice” into horror movies making them more modernized and realistic. The plot is simple…unknown killer seeking revenge on a goody two shoes girl and her friends.

Scream starts off with Drew Barrymore cooking Jiffy Pop popcorn on the stove waiting for her boyfriend to come over to watch a scary movie. She receives a phone call for a mysterious stalker who is watching her from the outside. He toys with her and quizzes her about horror movies in order to save her life. If she answers wrong to a question, then she dies. I'm liking the start to the film!

She (Drew pictured right) bluffs the caller by threatening that her boyfriend is coming over any minute now. Little does she know that he is being held captive and dies because she answers a wrong to a question the killer asks. Eventually the killer disguised in a ghost costume comes after her and kills her. Her parents come home and find the mess. Boo hoo.

The next day, the high school is shocked about the killings and the film sets up the main characters and...the stereotypes they fit in. Sidney (the troubled virgin/heroine), Tatum (the bestfriend), Stu and Randy (the pranksters), Billy (the mysterious horny boyfriend), Gail (the snoopy news reporter), Dewey (the in empted cop), and the Fonze (the principal).

We learn that the focal point around the movie turns out to be Sidney. Her mom was murdered exactly a year ago by a deranged serial killer, Cotton Weary. She’s become dark and depressed over the course of the year...basically turned into a Goth chick...just kidding! Her father leaves town on a business trip and harassing phone calls by the killer start pouring in.

Left alone and scarred, the killer attempts to go after Sidney, but is interrupted by her boyfriend and the cops. The killer flees and Sidney stays with her best friend and idiot cop brother for protection. Johnny on the spot to interview Sidney is Gail, the slimy reporter.

Gail continues to pry into Sidney’s current situation because Gail has hit it big with a book publishing from the Cotton Weary murders. Any smart business man would be saying, "Can you say sequel?"

The town is rocked by deaths and imposes a curfew and temporarily suspension of school. Stu holds a party at his house remotely located in the hills. Party goers are picked off one by one as the killer closes in on Sidney. At the end we get the whole damsel in distress chase scene followed by the revealing of the killer and the mastermind plot behind the killings.

Villain:

Film created an icon killer (at least the costume set up). Those costumes are even more popular during Halloween time. Craven created a cash cow here.

If you haven't seen the killer...pictured right...yes it's Ghost Face. I actually like the Scary Movie spoof of the mask...the one with the tongue rolling out from the "Whatz up!" stoned look. G.F.'s favorite weapon of use: the knife. ***Spoiler Highlight to Read *** Ghost Face turns out to be a multi-killer. * End.

Cast:

Scream offers a better cast than most horror films, at least from a budgetary perspective. Wes Craven brought some life into the film by making the characters more realistic, and lively. It also helps that the audience knows the characters from previous/future jobs.

My favorite characters from the film are Stu (Lillard or Shaggy) and Randy (Kennedy). I thought that they brought some good humor to the film. Sidney (Neve)on the otherhad, well…if I had my way, she would have died. That probably would have killed the whole "trilogy" thing though. I'm not a big fan of Neve Campbell's acting...or her just in general.

Courtney and Rose (pictured left) spent the film doing nothing (besides being annoying), but they did bring a huge element to the film...eye candy. It was great to see The Fonze in a limited role. He's awesome!

Unfortunately Scream creates a "cast mold" for future 90's horror films to come. One key element that was puzzling...there was no "token" cast memeber. What's up with that?

SFX/Gore:

There was a total of seven deaths in the film, using good special effects on them. Scream did actually bring back the gruesome killing style of slasher serial killers.

Scream used more creative deaths rather than the "gross you out" type of deaths. For the most part, it stuck to the knife being the main weapon of destruction. None of that one stab in chest-fall-over-and-die B.S. They proved when you get stabbed, you got stabbed to death...they made it count!

TNA:

Scream filled up the screen with eye candy for the men and women movie goers. For the men, there were at least 6 hot chicks to gaze at. For the women...well...I'm not a good judge at grading hot men, so I'll go with a ball park figure of 6 as well.

The film did have the key moment of the virgin finally losing her virginity, not really shown in a true "pornographic style"...and there were no female "twins" involved. Bummer. At least you can look at the great eye candy. Here's another picture of Rose for ya. You can never have too much Rose, can ya?

T.Gun's Take:

This movie set the standard for later rip off slasher flicks to come...at least it revitalized the slasher genre. Scream also staked a claim in the ground by adding the unique “who dunnit” killer twist, which eventually will get over used.

Although I’m not a huge “Scream” franchise fan in any sorts, I have to give it some respect for putting horror movies back on the map. I get sick of hearing people state that Scream is their favorite horror movie because it’s so scary. Whatever! Most of those idiots never saw the original haymakers back in the day. They only see the iconic figures as the heroes that numerous sequels have turned them into.

Misc. Movie Trivia:
-Film opened December 26, 1996 and made $103 million at the box office ($6.35 opening weekend)
-List of people that auditioned for the role of Sidney: Drew Barrymore, Melissa Joan Hart, Molly Ringwald, and Reese Witherspoon
-List of people that auditioned for the role of Tatum: Rebecca Gayheart, Melinda Clarke,and Charlotte Ayanna
-Freddie Prinze Jr. auditioned for the role of Stu
-Movie killer based on a true life Florida serial killer named, “The Gainesville Ripper”
-The janitor in the school is director Wes Craven, wearing a Freddy outfit (minus make up and glove)
-Dewey was originally supposed to die, but popular screen tests favored him to live. Damn!

Review #44: Final Destination (2000)

Cast/Notable Credits:
James Wong (Director): The One (2001), Final Destination 3 (2006)

Devon Sawa (Alex): Idle Hands (1999), Extreme Ops (2002), Devil’s Den (2006)

Ali Larter (Clear): Varsity Blues (1999), Drive Me Crazy (1999), House on Haunted Hill (1999), Legally Blonde (2001), Jay & Silent Bob Strikes Back (2001), Final Destination 2 (2003), Resident Evil: Extinction, Heroes T.V. series (Pictured below)

Kerr Smith (Carter): Cruel Intentions 3 (2004), Dawson’s Creek & Charmed T.V. series

Tony Todd (William Bludworth): The Candyman

Kristen Cloke (Ms. Valerie Lewton): Black Christmas (2006), Space: Above and Beyond T.V. series

Seann William Scott (Billy): American Pie 1-3, Road Trip (2000), Dude, Where’s My Car? (2000), Evolution (2001), Jay & Silent Bob Strikes Back, Bulletproof Monk (2003), The Rundown (2003), Dukes of Hazzard (2005), Ice Age 2 (2006), Mr. Woodcock (2007)

Daniel Roebuck (Agent Weine): The Fugitive (1993), U.S. Marshalls (1998), Agent Cody Banks 1 & 2 (2003, 2004), Devil’s Rejects (2005), Halloween, Lost & Matlock T.V. series

Amanda Detmer (Terry): Saving Silverman (2001), The Majestic (2001), You, Me & Dupree (2006)

Brendan Fehr (George): Disturbing Behavior (1998), Roswell & CSI: Miami T.V. series

Chad Donella (Tod): Disturbing Behavior

Trailer:

Technically released in 2000, but it was made in the late 90's...So number 2 of the "Fab 4".

A high school senior, Alex, has a premonition of the airplane carrying his senior class from New York to Paris exploding shortly after take off. Alex abruptly wakes up to find himself still waiting to board the plane. Startled by his dream and eerie similarities to the events that happened in it, Alex freaks out and causes an uproar on the plane.

As he pleads for others to believe him, a fight breaks out between him and angry classmate passengers. Hence, security arrives and escorts the brawling passengers, and two teachers off the plane. A total of eight passengers are taken off the plane (but the airline accommodates one teacher to get back on ~ for adult supervision purposes), and denies the remaining passengers travel on this particular flight. As Alex and others (mainly Carter) continue to fight and argue on the departure gate, the plane takes off and then…explodes in air shortly after takeoff. Alex happened to be right. The kid has a gift.

In the aftermath of the explosion that killed 287 passengers, the seven survivors all ponder their explanations and beliefs for what happened that night. The remainder of the school year becomes awkward for the surviving kids. Alex is believed to be the cause of the crash and resented and feared. A few are thankful and embrace him and believe that he can see the future. While the federal government is suspicious of the boy, but one thing is certain…they cheated death. Or did they?

As we learn from mortician extraordinaire Tony Todd (a.k.a. the Candyman) DEATH has a designed plan for everyone. In the mean time, the survivors are temporarily saved from the inevitable. But DEATH catches up to them. Alex sees what is happening as the survivors are picked off one by one and believes that he can cheat the “pattern or design” that DEATH has come up with.

DEATH mysteriously comes up with a unique accident to kill each of the seven that had escaped its original plan for the passengers of Flight 180. Now Alex and company must fight for survival…can they cheat death? Or will DEATH cheat them? I will give you a hint to when DEATH strikes…John Denver’s “Rocky Mt. High” plays in the background…and then a death. John Denver…death. John Denver…death. Truer words could never be spoken.

Villain:

It’s DEATH. How can you grade it but HIGH? The only thing cooler would have been the Grim Reaper appearing to kill people. Not the one from Bill & Ted’s Bogus Journey. (Pictured right) That would have been terrible. Let's not forget John Denver's part in the film. Music...death.

Cast:

Insert the same ole’ disposable teen filled cast in to film. It seems like the only difference is that none of them were really part of popular WB shows at the time (outside of Kerr Smith).

And why the hell isn't Claire spelled right in the cast!!? It's written as "Clear", but I think of it as clear, as in see through. Damn yuppie parents and their "unique" spelling of their child's name!

For some odd reason Devon Sawa reminds me of Elijah Wood. As long as he doesn't start a homosexual relationship with another hobbit, I'm fine.

SFX/Gore:

Well 287 people did die in the initial plane crash. Does that really count? Probably not, but if it did, then zombie movies would kick *ss. Oh wait...they do! The actual body count is five deaths. 292 would have been a good number too.

There were some descent explosions in the film and the DEATH special effects were pretty good and intriguing. Outside of the initial plane explosion we get: hanging/strangulation, being hit by a bus, glass to the throat, knife to the chest, beheading by metal debris, and smacking by a huge neon sign.

TNA:

There were five hot chicks and…nothing else. These 90's flicks suck when it comes to the "forbidden" side of human nature. We do get Amanda Detmer though. Amanda Detmer is hot! (Pictured right) Book me in for her final destination!

T.Gun's Take:

The overall storyline is a nice idea about DEATH coming back around for the second time against cheaters. I think it's a good solid foundation for a plot. It even sets up endless amounts of sequels. FD is also a breath of fresh air from the "who dunnit" genre that was being milked to the bone during the late 90's. Simple, yet elegant. We know who the killer is...Death. And Death's coming for you. Should Death be capitalized? Is it a proper name? It's kind of like the opposite of God, and that's capitalized. So shouldn't Death be capitalized? Random thought.

Final Destination isn’t my favorite of the “90's Fab 4”, but I gotta say, it’s the most successful franchise out of them. It continues to spit out sequels to this day even. The fourth installment is set for 2009.

It probably ranks number 4 out of the 90's Fab 4 on the initial release. But as for the franchise, it's number one out of them. The other three has a huge drop off quality as each sequel is made. (Urban Legends has the most extreme drop off)

Misc. Movie Trivia:
-Opened March 19, 2000 and made $53.2 million at the box office ($10 million opening weekend)
-Footage of plane wreck was actual footage from TWA Flight 800 that crashed in July of 1996
-John Denver songs are played numerous times before death scenes, Denver died in a plane crash on October 12, 1997
-Tobey Maguire and Kirsten Dunst both auditioned for roles of Alex and Clear (probably wouldn’t have made a good couple on screen…no chemistry)

Review #42: Urban Legend (1998)

Cast/Notable Credits:
Jamie Banks (Director): Valentine

Jared Lito (Paul): Fight Club (1999), Girl, Interrupted (1999), American Psycho (2000), Panic Room (2002), Alexander (2004)

Alicia Witt (Natalie): Law & Order: Criminal Intent T.V. series

Rebecca Gayheart (Brenda): Scream 2, Jawbreakers (1999), Urban Legends (2000), Santa’s Slay (2005), Nothing to Lose (1997), Earth 2 T.V. series (Noxzema girl pictured right)

Michael Rosenbaum (Parker): Smallville T.V. series (Lex Luthor for Christ’s sake!)

Joshua Jackson (Damon): The Mighty Ducks 1-3 (1992,1994,1996), Scream 2, Cruel Intentions (1999), The Skulls (2000), Cursed, and Dawson’s Creek T.V. series

Tara Reid (Sasha): Cruel Intentions, American Pie 1 & 2 (1999,2001), Josie & the Pussycats (2001), Van Wilder (2002), Devil’s Pond (2003), My Boss’s Daughter (2003), Alone in the Dark (2005)

Danielle Harris (Tosh): just in case you forgot...pictured right

Natasha Wagner (Michelle): Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1992), High School High (1996)

Robert Englund (Prof. Wexler)

Brad Dourif (Gas Station Attendant)

Trailer:



Film #3 of the "Fab4"

At a remote New England college, a mysterious person stalks and kills students for revenge. The students are killed one by one by various methods that coincide with a death of an urban legend.

In the opening sequence of the movie, Michelle is driving down a highway late at night returning to her college. She stops off at a derelict gas station to fill up with gas. The gas station attendant (Brad Dourif a.k.a. voice of Chucky) is a creepy stuttering dude who draws Michelle away from her car and locks her in the garage of the gas station.

Michelle concludes that he is trying to kill her or something and she bolts and drives off quickly. But little did she know that he was trying to warn her, as he shouted out to her as she drove off, “There’s someone in the back seat!” Uh oh.

A few minutes later guess who gets her head chopped off while driving and lip singing to Bonnie Tyler’s ♫ “Total Eclipse of the Heart” ♫ song by a hooded axe swinging psycho?

Next we’re introduced to the young cast of the film as they sit in on an “Urban Legends” course taught by Robert Englund (a.k.a. Freddy). Why couldn’t my college have “Urban Legends” courses? That would have rocked. Or even “slasher” or homicidal maniac courses? Man, my college career was robbed.

Anyway back to the cast…we have Natalie (the virgin/heroine...pictured right), Brenda (the best friend & Noxzema girl), Parker (the frat boy), Sasha (the slut...played by Tara Reid...insert your own joke), Paul (the heart throb wannabe boyfriend/love interest), and Damon (the prankster…also the dude from Dawson’s Creek…Ahh!!). On a side note: Joshua Jackson was an early front runner to play Anakin Skywalker. I’ll let you ponder that thought.

The group sits in on class as Freddy goes over popular urban legend theories and tries to disprove them; for instance, the soda-pop rock theory. UL says: If you drink a soda pop right after downing a package of pop rock candy, then your stomach explode or something like that. If that were true, I would have been dead a long, long time ago.

(Check it out...KISS on a Coke bottle...hmm...I knew they're the driving force behind evil. Rob Zombie knew!!! Remember: K.nights I.n S.atan's S.ervice)

But for the suspense of the film, let’s just say it’s possible. So we get a volunteer from the class to prove the theory wrong and it’s none other than….the Dawson’s Creek dude. So he goes up to the front of the class and puts on a show, pretends that he’s choke to death only to build suspense for the sake of suspense and then burst out in laughter as horrified classmates (the dumb ones) look on.

Afterwards we move on with the film and learn that Michelle (the dead chick) was best friends with Natalie during high school and the two of the shared a mysterious past together. The plot thickens.

We’re introduced to a couple of other characters in the film like Reese Wilson (the school’s campus security cop), Tosh (Natalie’s gothic roommate and hottie Danielle Harris), Dean Adams (the school’s dean who hates Natalie because of a troubled mysterious past she’s had), and a creepy janitor.

One by one associates of Natalie disappear and are murdered in ways of death by urban legends. The first one of them being the captain of the pee wee hockey team Mighty Ducks (or Dawson's Creek boy). Some of them she witnesses and nobody believes her of the disappearances. All the murders are performed by a mysterious winter parka hooded figure who mostly wields an axe around.

The film offers twists and turns of suspense as we try to figure out the killer in another late 90’s who-dunnit horror movie. Who is the killer? The creepy janitor? Freddy? The Dean? One of the friends? Or an unknown identity from Natalie’s past? Well the end of the film explains everything, I guess you’ll just have to sit down and watch it.

On a lighter note, here are some of my top 10 urban legends that weren't explored in the film. Not having these in the film disappointed me.
1. The Lochness monster. Come on' where's ole' Nelly?

2. The third gunman on the grassy noll. I know they know the "real" assassin for JFK. They're part of Hollywood. Oliver Stone knew, and I'm sure they know.

3. Area 51. Where's the aliens. Not even Roswell, NM? Something's going on here. The truth is out there.

4. Big Foot. Not just the monster truck, but the big fur ball himself. What a perfect movie to squeeze him into.

5. Masturbation makes you blind. Blind people want to know the truth.

6. The origin of the Baldwin family. Where do they come from? I know they're aliens that have taken over Hollywood. They have to be! Come on' they appear almost in every movie. Let's see here...we have Alec, Adam, Stephen, William, Daniel...do I need to go on?

7. Step on a crack and break your mother's back. A perfect death scene!

8. The mystery of the gnome. Wizard or lawn decoration. You decide.

9. Crop circles. We need an explanation. Maybe a movie about them...wait, never mind...I saw the movie Signs. Boy did that suck.

10. The shoe to penis size ratio. Myth or science?

Villain:

A mysterious hooded winter coat wearing psycho with a big axe that stalks his victims. Bonus points for: ***Spoiler *** Being a chick. Not just a chick, but it was the Noxzema girl. Highlight to read. The killer uses "urban legends" methods to kill…sort of…at least they try to.

Cast:

It was a typical cast of eye candy (for both genders) casted from popular 90's television shows. Alicia Witt fills the shoes of the lead female, Natalie. Natalie has troubled past that leads to her emotional breakdown in the film. And then she overcomes that to be the heroine. If you go out on a limb and call her character that.

Besides her, no one really had any performance that was great or above and beyond. If there was a good performance, it would go to the Noxzema girl, Rebecca Gayheart.

SFX/Gore:

Compared to the other 90’s franchises, it ranks amoungst the top in body counts. That's the way to do it! There was a total of eight deaths in the film. None of the deaths happened to be too gory or over the top. My favorite death happens to be the “Draino” death.

TNA:

Still no boobies. Five hot chicks, no sex acts and a couple of bondage scenes…but still no boobies. I’m starting to dislike these 90's movie franchises. Look to the right...I bet she's willing to give it up...even if we have to dangle a little baggie of coke in front of her! The owner of those fun bags below happens to be Tara Reid.

T.Gun's Take:

Hey, you gotta admit that it was a cool idea of using urban legends to commit murders. I just wish that there had been more “urban legend” style of deaths involved in the film. That would have been super! The movie seemed to get a way from that a little bit, but I guess you can’t plan every murder that way. But you can try harder!

Urban Legend is one of my favorite movies of the 90’s bunch. Unfortunately the film may have been the worst of the four, but I like it any way. I liked the smoke and mirrors idea and the movie provided enough good twists to hide the identity of the killer. I honestly pegged the killer in the movies Scream and I Know...Last Summer before I was able to peg the bad boy in this one.

Misc. Movie Trivia:
- Urban Legend opened September 27, 1998 and made $38 million at the box office ($10.5 million opening weekend)
- Many references to Freddy in Professor Wexler’s office
- Sarah Michelle Gellar & Jodi Lynn O’Keefe both auditioned for the role of Sasha, but backed out due to scheduling conflicts with their other projects (Buffy & H20)
- Latin motto of the university featured on the emblem in scenes translates into ***Spoiler*** “The Best Friend Did It” Highlight to read

Review #41: I Know What You Did Last Summer (1997)

The #4 of the 90's "Fab 4" franchises to put the horror movie industry back into the spot light.

Cast/Notable Credits:
Jim Gillespie (Director): Venom

Jennifer Love Hewitt (Julie): I Still Know What You Did Last Summer, Can’t Hardly Wait (1998), Garfield 1 (2004), & 2 (2006), Party of Five & Ghost Whisperer T.V. series (Pictured right)

Sarah Michelle Gellar (Helen)

Ryan Phillippe (Barry): Cruel Intentions (1999), Flags of Our Fathers (2006)

Freddie Prinze Jr. (Ray): I Still Know What You Did Last Summer, Wingcommander (1999), Scooby Doo 1 (2002) & 2 (2004)

Public Service Announcement #1: Don't watch Wingcommander. Even if it's gonna show the next Star Wars trailer.

Bridgette Wilson (Elsa): Billy Madison (1995), House on Haunted Hill (1999), Extreme Ops (2002)

Anne Heche (Melissa): Six Days Seven Nights (1998), Psycho (1998)

Trailer:



Four recent North Carolina high school graduates (Julie, Ray, Helen, and Barry) spend their last summer together partying, having sex on the beach, driving drunk, and hitting a dude with their car while driving drunk on a deserted highway late at night.

Public Service Announcement #2: Don’t drink and drive.

So the mysterious dude lies “dead” on the side of the road while the four teens ponder what to do with him. They consider the elements of what’s going on. First of all, they’re all drunk, which means:

1. Drinking and driving is a crime…I think it’s called something like a D.U.I.

2. They’re all underage teenagers…which translates into…they shouldn’t be drinking in the first place.

Secondly, they just hit a man and possibly killed him with a car. If you factor in that they’re drunk and throw in a possible dead man…and you get…you’re screwed.

Ray is panicking because he was driving, while Barry whines because Ray was driving his brand new car and the cops won’t believe that he wasn’t driving, Helen stands there trying to fool herself and pretend nothing happened, and Julie is the sole voice of reason who givens into peer pressure. So what should they do?

A: Call the cops and see if they could save this person’s life
B: Go with Helen’s idea: Click your heels three times and pretend nothing happen and drive off
C: Check his wallet to see if he’s loaded and leave him for dead
D: Heave his body off a boat dock into the ocean and hope the ocean current takes him away so his body never returns

If you answered option:
A: Then you’re a good citizen and the movie would have ended quickly
B: Then you’re an idiot.
C: Then you could have a great career in crime, and I applaud you.
D: Then you either wrote or directed this movie.

Take a guess on what they did? The movie continues.

Public Service Announcement #3: Don't kill people.

So they heave the body off the dock into the ocean to cover their tracks. They make a pact with each other...”no one is ever to talk about this ever.” I mean EVER!

Summer ends and Julie leaves state for college, Barry takes off to college to begin a football career, Helen moves to New York to pursue an acting career and Ray…well…he stays in town and becomes a fisherman on a boat. Go Ray. Way to exert yourself.

Flash forward one year later:

Ray and Julie have broken up with each other, dido with Helen and Barry and they all hate one another. The once I'm-so-in-love-with-you-couples-let's-have-sex-and-many-many-children-with-each-other couples now can't stand one another. Gee, I didn't see that one coming.

Public Service Announcement #4: Don’t have sex until you’re married. (Do as I say, not as I do.)

Julie returns home for the summer from college and receives an anonymous letter stating, “I Know What You Did Last Summer”. Oh my god, some one knows. So Julie tracks down the other three to find out if they sent out the note. She discovers that Helen’s career failed and now works in her sister’s clothing store, Barry is still a spoiled rich prick who has returned home for the summer, and her sweet-sweet Ray is a winner and working as a fisherman on a boat.

All of them each received a note and they don’t have a clue on who sent the note. The rest of the film they are stalked by a mysterious trench coat wearing fisherman with a mean, big ass fishing hook.

Public Service Announcement #5: If you’re being stalked by a crazed maniac and you happened to oft a dude the year before, it’s in your best interest to head out of dodge.

They are each individually picked off one by one until the mysterious fisherman figure reveals himself at the end of the movie to Julie. Doesn't Jennifer Love HugeTits look like a girl that would do something like that? (Pictured below)


Villain:

I got to admit that the bad guy was pretty creepy and brutal. For the whole movie he concealed his identity with his face hidden underneath the hood of the trench coat. Through out the movie, he patiently stalked the victims and swung a mean ole' hook at his victims. Unfortunately he didn’t kill all that many. Bummer!

Cast:

It was a typical late 90’s horror movie cast, which included many actors from popular T.V. shows. It included one of my personal favorite actresses, Sarah Michelle Gellar (Pictured left). Buffy rules! On the other hand it did have her present day hubby, Freddie Prinze Jr. What does she see in him? Come to me, Sarah…pleeeasse! I know you love me.

The rest of the cast was fairly decent. The other piece of major eye candy was Jennifer Love HugeTits. She was the main lead, the damsel in distress turned into tough, kick *ss chick.

Her "love interest" in the movie was Freddie P., and he just walked around "all mopey and puppy eyed". Didn't work for me. Maybe the ladies, but not me. Ryan Phillipe was the "tough", prick football player in the film who alienated himself from the bunch after the heaving of the old man off the dock and into the ocean.

SFX/Gore:

On the death charts, the movie simmered with a low death total. BOO! There was a total of five deaths in the movie, which for a horror movie...isn't much.

Accompanying the small body count were state of the art special effects. But that didn't really mean much with the low body count outside of them being in the cheesy category.

My favorite death was the kid in the fish locker. Let's just say he went out brutally to the hands of the fish hook. By far the worst death in the movie was: *** Spoiler *** (Highlight to read) Buffy. Never Kill Buffy. The death itself wasn't even shown in it's entirety. BOO!

TNA:

Well, along with the casting of popular television shows you get the downside affect…no boobies. Boo! You’ve got Jennifer Love HugeTits, Bridgette Wilson (Pictured Right), and the lovely Buffy. D’ya think one of them is gonna show the goods. Yeah, didn’t think so. That’s where they HAVE to cast a random chick to show the twins. Any ways…there were 2 sex acts on the beach and a total of 5 hot chicks.

Public Service Announcement #6: If you want to see boobs, then skip out on late 1990 horror movies that star popular Dawson's Creek, Party of 5, Friends or Buffy the Vampire Slayer chicks.

T.Gun's Take:

Well it was an interesting revenge story to say the least. I’m not sure how many people would actually act the way the four did in the beginning after hitting the dude with the car. I guess people could do that, but what do I know, I don’t drive home drunk. Alcohol does impair judgment. I guess alcohol = stupidity.

It was the second of many late 90’s movies to use the who-is-the-killer-keep-you-guessing tactic. So when I watched it, that tactic didn't turn me off as it would with it's overuse in future movies. If you can't come up with a cool iconic killer, then make the audience guess several hundred times on who the real killer is. It seemed to work for about...two horror movies.

I liked this movie, mostly because of eye candy. Buffy and Jenny Love HugeTits. It could have been done a little bit better (show boobies and higher body count), but overall I was satisfied with it. At the time this came out during the late 90’s, I was just glad the horror movie industry was coming back to life.

Misc. Movie Trivia:
- Film opened on October 19, 1997 and made $72.2 million at the box office ($15.8 million opening weekend)
- Sarah Michelle Gellar and Jennifer Love Hewitt auditioned for opposite roles
- Was based off a novel by Lois Duncan who wrote about her daughter’s death in 1989
- No one would pick up the script until the success of Scream