Saw this last night at a 4th of July midnight with a fun crowd... (fyi this is Tarantino's revival theater in LA)

I love this movie, and for the same reason critics hate it and a lot of horror fans don't like it: it's dumb, silly, flashy, hyper nonsense, and it's completely in on the joke.

The trailer for the OG is genuinely funny and making fun of itself the whole time. They absolutely knew what they were doing.

**Highlights:**

The classic JLH spinning around to "what are you waiting for?" might be more iconic thanks to *Scary Movie*, another franchise critics and "real" horror fans love to hate.

Everyone in this movie is either annoying or unlikeable, and it's not accidental, they're souped up caricatures on purpose. The four leads are basically teens with dreams turned up to 15. Ryan Phillippe is the most obvious one to hate. Sarah Michelle Gellar is the typical blonde dunce. But even the side characters are in on it: SMG's sister is just a jerk for no reason, and Johnny Galecki as Max, who's supposed to be the likable underdog competing with the jock, is still kind of a dick. Everyone is heightened on purpose, and that's what makes it so much fun.

The twist is honestly kind of great, they think they kill a guy, who killed a guy, and he comes back a year later for revenge. Why a year later? Whatever, it's a fun hook (no pun intended).

The inciting crime wasn't even that much their fault. It was an accident. Freddie wasn't even drinking. They could've just called the cops. But they're all idiots. Instead they decide it's easier to dump the body, and then it turns into murder.

Anne Heche is in an early role here and she's acting in a completely different movie, dark, Southern, Louisiana bayou type of character. She's great, but everyone else feels Northeast. It's supposed to be North Carolina.

The killer cutting SMG's hair, lol. When you actually reverse engineer this guy's plan, none of it makes much sense. It's very risky. He's messing with them but exposes himself to being caught way too many times. It kind of plays like Scooby Doo, which is fitting considering Sarah and Freddie would go do exactly that a few years later.

As a *Scream* inspired movie, it's a blast: dumber, full of shortcuts, and running on "let's just have some slasher fun" energy.

And don't get started on I Still...  because I genuinely LOVE that one because it's even dumber and sillier and a blast. And BRANDY...

This cost 17m made 124m worldwide... good solid...  the recent one only cost 18m for a modern studio horror very cheap and made 64m. Did ok but prob not gonna see another.

If they do though... like the end credits tease...  I'm there.

I Know What You Did Last Summer (a 4th of July horror) and a title so long it doesn't fit on the marquee. I love this franchise for the same reason people don't.