Shortly after the film Scream was released to such a popular fanfare, the marketplace was bombarded with teen slasher flicks. I Know What You Did Last Summer was one of the bigger releases in the post-Scream period, and although it never excelled to the same heights, it still did alright at the box office.

This film does have a decent plot, a couple of notable scares, and a tinny-bopper all-star cast including Jennifer Love Hewett, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Freddie Prince Jr., and Ryan Phi…lippe to add some eye-candy to the film. This film may not go down in history as a great suspense/horror film, but it is still worth a watch.

”After an accident on a winding road, four teens make the fatal mistake of dumping their victim’s body into the sea. But exactly one year later, the dead man returns from his watery grave, and he’s looking for more than an apology.” – Columbia-Tristar

Video

This Special Edition re-release features the same 2.35:1 widescreen transfer as found on the previous release. Due to the removal of the 1.33:1 full frame transfer, this disc has an increased bit-rate that does help sharpen the picture a little. The colors are accurate and crisp, and there is hardly any grain of print damage. The black levels are pumped up a little too high in some scenes, creating poor contrast in a few instances.

Audio

The Dolby Digital 5.1 audio track on this Special Edition is also the same as the previous release. This track is very impressive… with wonderful sound movement through the front and rear channels, deep and clear bass, as well as clean and focused dialog. The soundstage is full of activity which really helps you feel in the middle of the action.

Special Features

This release does have a number of valuable special features…

• “Joyride” is a very good 10-minute short film that has been tagged as “Die Hard in the trunk of a car”; and this short lives up to this billing. After viewing Joyride, I can see why Jim Gillespie is such a highly regarded director. Gillsepie also adds his voice to an optional director’s commentary for this short.
• The Audio Commentary, featuring director Jim Gillespie and editor Steve Mirkovich, is also very good. Gillespie adds a fresh feel to this commentary, sharing his thoughts on the film and the filmmaking process. Mirkovich is not very involved, but rather poses questions for Gillespie to respond to. This track is definitely worth checking out.
• The I Know What You Did Last Summer featurette is a 27 minute look into the making of the film. There are a number of interviews with the cast and crew, which all give insight into the casting of the film, the story, and the filming process.
• Lastly, this disc includes a Music Video, a Photo Gallery, Filmographies, Trailers, and some nicely animated menus.

Final Thoughts

If you enjoy teen horror flicks, you will enjoy this DVD. The film is alright, but the audio, video, and features are worth checking out.

Special Features List

• Audio Commentary
• Making-Of Featurette
• Short Film - “Joyride”
• Music Video
• Photo Gallery
• Filmographies
• Trailers

Screenshots