I feel fortunate to have started as a little seedling during 1980s Horror, but it was something special to grow into my own fandom of Horror in the 1990s. I’ve been sitting on this one for a while. I Know What You Did Last Summer (watch it HERE) might not have been the pinnacle of 90s horror, but it sure as hell left an impression. This movie often gets overshadowed and overlooked, yet it deserves a higher spot among 90s teen slashers. Whether it’s a nostalgic rewatch or a first-time viewing, I Know What You Did Last Summer remains a must-see for its perfect mix of 90s charm, genuine scares, and timeless appeal.

Based very loosely on Lois Duncan’s novel of the same name, I Know What You Did Last Summer was brought to life in 1997 by director Jim Gillespie and writer Kevin Williamson, fresh off his success with Scream. Duncan wasn’t a fan of the adaptation, feeling it strayed too far into slasher territory, a genre she didn’t write. In her own words, ‘What I, personally, have a problem with are the stories (usually on television where action takes the place of introspection) where violence is sensationalized and made to seem thrilling rather than terrible. I was appalled when my book, I Know What You Did Last Summer, was made into a slasher film. As the mother of a murdered child, I don’t find violent death something to squeal and giggle about.’ Duncan’s perspective is deeply understandable and poignant, given her personal tragedy. Her original novel was more about psychological suspense than outright horror, making the film’s shift to a slasher format a significant departure.

Despite this, the film managed to capture the 90s in all its glory, partly thanks to its all-star Teen Bop cast featuring Jennifer Love Hewitt, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Ryan Phillippe, and Freddie Prinze Jr.

Williamson made significant changes to the story, including changing the main killer to a fisherman. This was inspired by his own father, who was a commercial fisherman (not a serial killer, thankfully). Williamson spun this personal connection with the classic urban legend of ‘The Hook,’ which tells the story of a young couple terrorized by a hook-handed killer while parked at a secluded spot, creating a unique and memorable antagonist for the film. Of course, this wasn’t the first killer with a fishing theme—there’s The Mutilator and Blood Hook. And let’s not forget Candyman, who rocked the hook-hand weapon back in 1993. This legend, combined with the influence of 80s slashers like Prom Night and The House on Sorority Row, helped fully shape the film.

The production had its share of highlights. Filmed primarily in North Carolina– because apparently, it was the go-to place for teen dramas in the 90s– the coastal setting added an eerie, isolated atmosphere that just screamed tension. The film’s premise: four friends covering up a hit-and-run, only to be terrorized a year later by a hook-wielding killer.

It’s not often that a movie opens with Type O Negative, but this one does and its ripped a page out of The Lost Boys playbook. I’d like to also add that the decision to cover Summer Breeze by Seals & Crofts was spectacular. More on that later. Is this the highest we’ll get in the movie? Decision unknown. We see a rather melancholy man sitting on a cliff spinning a pendant inscribed with I love you. He takes a swig from his bottle of alcohol. We didn’t necessarily need this scene, but there it is. It’s like a Christopher Pike novel cover come to life. Cut to the Croaker Beauty Pageant and we now meet our main four characters: Julie James, the sweet and sensible one played by Hewitt; Helen Shivers, our pageant queen and aspiring actress played by Gellar; Barry Cox, the angry, troubled jock played by Phillippe; and Ray Bronson, the good looking down home boy played by Prinze Jr.

After Helen wins her title, their night to remember begins. Helen brushes off an early ride home from her older more responsible sister, Elsa, played by Bridgette Wilson who goes just as hard delivering the sass. Julie, left to her own devices, gets a ‘before you go off to college’ lunch invite from Max, played by Johnny Galecki. At this point, we can only assume he’s been massively friendzoned. Drunk Barry galavants in, picks a fight with the harmless Max, and claims he was just protecting his bro’s girlfriend. I wonder what the Barry’s of the world are up to now– I mean, I’m sure most of you had one in High School. All four friends head down to the beach and, in a bit of classic horror foreshadowing, share The Hook legend around a campfire. Julie steps out of her comfort zone here, “He wasn’t decapitated. He was gutted with a hook. At least, that’s what I heard” and delivers this mischievous smile which looks to make Ray slightly uncomfortable, which I love. Another part that still haunts me to this day is when Julie finally decides to get with Ray on the beach. No, not that part…where is the towel??? Did anyone see a towel? You’ve all laid down in sand at some point, I assume. Just let your imagination roam here. Phillippe and Gellar’s chemistry here feels natural, so it’s no surprise they ended up starring together in 1998’s Cruel Intentions. That’s why I was shocked to learn that Gellar was actually dating Prinze Jr. in real life.

Following their beachside campfire stories and cozying up, Ray takes the wheel of Barry’s car, tasked with getting their drunk friend and the rest of the group back home. Barry complains about Ray’s wiener music then cranks Wake Up Call by Mighty Mighty Bosstones and takes a trip through the sunroof to let out all that pent up teenage male aggression. Barry drops his bottle of vodka into the car and before you know it– BAM! He gets Fabioed by a fisherman. No, not romance cover, like when he got hit by that bird in the face while riding that rollercoaster.

Max happens to pass by while all of this is going on. Julie bats her eyes and says Barry is just hurling because teen hijinks. Max takes off, they dump the body of the fisherman, but not before he snatches Helen’s crown off her head. They all swear to keep the events of the night to themselves. When Barry threatens Julie by gripping her throat, Hewitt’s acting shows she’s more than just the teen dream. I also love the added eye roll she gives Ray after he asks if she’s okay—way to read the room, Ray.

Fast forward a year later, Julie is miserable. We see her at college and she looks like she hasn’t slept since that night. Her friend drags her ass back home to visit her friends and family. She reunites with Helen after receiving a note at her home that reads: I KNOW WHAT YOU DID LAST SUMMER. I do too and I’m surprised you’ve gotten away with it this long. When Helen and Julie go to visit with Barry, he delivers one of my favorite lines so satisfyingly: “I know what you did last summer… ooooh, what a crock of shit.” I have to say, for a teen flick or any flick I’ve seen him in, Phillippe is always fully committed. Barry immediately remembers the run in with Max that night and assumes that he wrote it. We all know he didn’t, even Julie and Helen are skeptical but that doesn’t stop Barry from scaring the shit out of him. His words. What sucks here is that Max is the first target of the fisherman. Not even just that, but why Max? He had no clue. He was basically used as a warning to the others. Then he does a little eye for an eye with Barry’s car then keeps him alive.

After the accident, they decide to follow Julie’s lead about a man named David Egan. She does her own Murder She Wrote and finds that David had a sister named, Missy, who is played by the late Anne Heche. I know it was a small role for her and maybe not one of Oscar caliber quality, but in the moments that she is on screen, her vulnerability adds depth to the film. Heche’s ability to convey a sense of underlying fragility while keeping you hooked is a testament to her acting skills, making her scenes memorable. Missy also notes that she received a visit from a friend named Billy Blue. We all knew that was not his real name.

After Helen’s traumatic haircutting incident, the tension only escalates. Yes, we’ve made it. A 12-year old created the most iconic scene in this movie. No, not Max covered in crabs though that did surprise me. In 2018, JLH revealed that there was a contest to direct and create a moment for the movie, and a 12-year old boy won it. His direction was for Hewitt to get in the middle of the street, start spinning, and then shout, “WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?!” She wasn’t a believer at the time, but certainly is now. I mean, the kid clearly had taste.

Meanwhile, Julie decides to dig deeper into their mysterious stalker. Armed with a yearbook, she heads back to Missy’s place, hoping to get more answers. Julie learns that David supposedly committed suicide out of guilt for the death of his girlfriend, Susie Willis, in a car accident. Missy shows her David’s suicide note, but Julie quickly realizes the writing matches the threatening note she received. It wasn’t a suicide note—it was a death threat. Oh, and guess what? Julie stumbles upon an article about Susie’s father, Ben Willis, and the light bulb finally goes off—Ben was the guy they ran over, right after he killed David to avenge his daughter. I just can’t believe anything anymore.

So if you haven’t been a part of the fan club, I will tell you that this scene is the one that I always bring up when I find a non-believer. Helen has witnessed the murder of Barry from the balcony and is reeling because no one believed her. In fact, this is one of the parts that pisses me off the most because, why are they all holding her back when she starts screaming and running to Barry? Make it make sense. Now that’s out of the way, a cop winds up taking Helen home and she just starts laying into him.

The chase sequence that follows is one of the most memorable in all of horror. It kicks off with her trapped in the back of a cop car, setting the stage for high tension as the killer appears. Helen’s desperation is clear as she escapes and races to the department store, and it feels like we are right there with her. One part that really puts me on the edge of my seat is when Elsa takes forever to open the door. OPEN THE DOOR ELSA. You can feel Helen’s frustration and panic as the seconds tick away. The whole scene is brilliantly paced, keeping you glued to the screen. Her determination shines through, especially when she nearly makes it to safety in the alleyway, right by the parade. It’s so bittersweet—just when you think she’s made it, the scene takes a gut-wrenching turn, making it that much harder to witness no matter how many times you’ve seen it. That would not be happening on Buffy’s watch. This scene is a masterclass in suspense and showcases Gellar’s ability to do what she does best, making it one of the standout moments of the film.

Now, the showdown is on. When Julie goes to Ray to tell him about the latest twist in the Willis/Eagon saga, she sees “Billy Blue” emblazoned on the side of his boat. Naturally, she wigs out and runs off, thinking Ray is in on it. Ray chases after her, trying to clear up the huge misunderstanding. Suddenly, a strange man knocks Ray out and tells Julie to get on the boat. Seriously, who would get on a boat with a creepy stranger? Also, the line, “Easy child,” along with the delivery, just hits me the wrong way every time. But Julie gets on the boat anyway and discovers the psycho collage with super up-to-date photos. Ben must have his own darkroom.

We finally meet the man in the slicker—Ben, played by Muse Watson. Watson, a friend of horror, also had standout roles on Prison Break and NCIS. Ray, regaining consciousness, comes to Julie’s rescue. Though, let’s be honest, this three-way struggle often feels a bit off. Freddie Prinze Jr., please forgive me, but the dopey boy-next-door thing that worked for me back then just doesn’t land with the same impact now. The acting was…well, let’s just say it was a thing.

Side note: Apparently, director Gillespie treated Prinze like he didn’t deserve to be there and gave him crappy notes, all because Jeremy Sisto wasn’t cast. Prinze later said that this experience prepared him to deal with the business and the potential assholes that might come along. Fortunately, every other director he’s worked with has been less of an asshole.

As the chaos unfolds, Ben’s hook gets caught, and he’s hoisted up and tossed into the ocean once more. It’s an ending we know he’ll come back from, but we’ll play like we don’t know what happens next Summer. Julie is safe back at college and is her perky normal self until she sees I STILL KNOW written on the shower door. Next stop, the Bahamas!

It’s the 90s and I am compelled to talk soundtracks. This one is no exception. Did we all not leave the theater with Hush by Kula Shaker in our heads? Did anyone even know Kula Shaker? Do you now? Another cover, much like our Type O track. Circling back to our earlier convo, Type O wrote their own lyrics for Summer Breeze because Peter Steele thought you could just do that without permission from the original songwriters. He did ask, but they weren’t too impressed and gave it a big rejection. You can find it as SummerGirl. Very Type O, very Horror. There’s some Offspring here because they were on every soundtrack. Our Lady Peace with Clumsy, classic track. We’ve also got L7, Toad the Wet Sprocket, Soul Asylum, and KORN. Ah yes, Korn. This is in-between Life is Peachy and Follow the Leader. Both stellar in my humble opinion. The track called Proud didn’t make it to the movie, or at least the final cut, but sometimes not all of them do. OH, Ledbelly’s Where Did You Sleep Last Night does play when Julie visits Missy for the second time, but it didn’t land a spot on the soundtrack itself. As far as covers go, as many of you know, Nirvana infamously covered this song on their 1993 Unplugged set.

I Know What You Did Last Summer definitely earns its place among the slashers. With a budget of $17 million, the movie almost recouped its costs in the opening weekend, grossing $15.8 million. By the end of its theatrical run, it had raked in $125.6 million worldwide. It was massive.

A remake from Sony was supposed to come about in 2014 from Mike Flanagan and Jeff Howard. They were ramping this thing up for 2016, and boy was it big. They didn’t want to do a remake and they were not looking at the novel. Howard said he didn’t even know about the book until after the fact. This all felt like a very go big or go home thing, and unfortunately, they had to go home. Hey, Mike, Jeff, can you send me a script for this thing? They also did a TV series with Neal Moritz and James Wan producing that landed on Prime. Pass. If you are still waiting on a remake/reboot, then look no further to the one coming in 2025 from Jennifer Kaytin Robinson (Sweet/Vicious, Thor: Love & Thunder, & Do Revenge) and Leah McKendrick (M.F.A, Scrambled). Hewitt and Prinze will be back in their respective roles though the movie will focus on a younger cast with a social media twist.

In the end, my feelings towards I Know What You Did Last Summer are deeply rooted in nostalgia. This movie made me want to be a final girl all over again—just like Nancy from A Nightmare on Elm Street first made me feel. It takes me back to the fall of 1997, a great year for movies, when we not only got I Know What You Did Last Summer but also Scream 2. It’s a reminder of why I fell in love with horror in the first place. Even after not seeing the movie for over five years, I still knew a good chunk of the dialogue. And it’s not just me—audiences connected with it too. Over the years, I’ve seen countless fans reference and celebrate this film. It has carved out a place in pop culture and truly deserves to shine brighter in the Horror universe.

Two previous episodes of Revisited can be seen below. To see more of our shows, head over to the JoBlo Horror Originals channel – and subscribe while you’re at it!

The post I Know What You Did Last Summer (1997) Revisited – Horror Movie Review appeared first on JoBlo.

David Corenswet was seen this year as the antagonist in Twisters, and while audiences new to him got a sense of his physique as his height allowed him to tower over his co-stars, he would later put on the necessary muscle to become the Man of Steel in James Gunn‘s DCU film Superman. Variety reports that Corenswet recently appeared on the Manly Things (Sort of) podcast, where he spoke of his Kryptonian transformation.

Corenswet explained, “I wasn’t 238 (pounds) when we started shooting. I was 238 at my max. I didn’t fit into any of my pants.” The new Kal-El actor spoke candidly about getting used to the new weight and he joked about his realization that he had become a 2XL shirt size when he attended the table read for Superman. He stated, “That was at the peak of my bulk. And then I slowly lost weight before we started shooting. I started shooting at about 228, 230…I know I wanted this to be my excuse to see what it felt like to gain essentially as much weight as I could.”

Superman stars David Corenswet (Pearl) as Clark Kent and Rachel Brosnahan (The Marvelous Ms. Maisel) as Lois Lane. The cast also includes Nathan Fillion (The Rookie) as Guy Gardner, a charismatic and slightly obnoxious member of the Green Lantern Corps; Isabela Merced (Dora and the Lost City of Gold) as Hawkgirl; Edi Gathegi (X-Men: First Class) as Mister Terrific; Anthony Carrigan (Barry) as Metamorpho; María Gabriela de Faría (Deadly Class) as The Engineer, a member of The Authority; Sara Sampaio (At Midnight) as Eve Teschmacher; Skyler Gisondo (The Righteous Gemstones) as Jimmy Olsen; Wendell Pierce (The Wire) as Perry White; Neva Howell (Logan Lucky) as Martha Kent; Pruitt Taylor-Vince (The Walking Dead) as Jonathan Kent; and Nicholas Hoult (The Great) as Lex Luthor.

The members of the Daily Planet newsroom have also expanded for the movie, with Beck Bennet (Saturday Night Live) set to play Steve Lombard, Mikaela Hoover (The Suicide Squad) as Cat Grant, and newcomer Christopher McDonald as Ron Troupe.

DC Studios co-CEO Peter Safran has previously teased that Superman will not be an origin story and will focus on “Superman balancing his Kryptonian heritage with his human upbringing. Superman represents truth, justice and the American way. He is kindness in a world that thinks of kindness as old fashioned.” Superman is slated to hit theaters on July 11, 2025.

The post David Corenswet talks about bulking up to over 230 lbs. for James Gunn’s DCU film Superman appeared first on JoBlo.

Saturday Night Live has played host to some controversial music moments — Sinead O’Connor tearing up a picture of the pope, Elvis Costello’s rogue “Radio Radio” outburst, a legendarily destructive set by Fear — but only one still gets awkward laughs: that of Ashlee Simpson, whose 2004 SNL appearance found her stopping during her song and doing a jig that she described in the closing monologue as an impromptu hoedown after her band played the wrong number.

In a recently unearthed interview with Lorne Michaels from that same year, the SNL head remembered the complete shock — and nothingness — that was on stage that night from Ashlee Simpson. “I was in the control room going, well, I mean there’s just egg out there now. I mean there was nothing to watch.”

Michaels would add that Ashlee Simpson’s immediately infamous SNL appearance left him in a rare position: he had no control. “It’s like the same way you’d feel if you’re a ballplayer and it’s rained out. It really doesn’t have anything to do with you. You don’t control the rain. And I think in this case, it was much more ‘what just happened,’ which is, I think, what everybody else felt.” For the show’s part, Simpson would be invited back the following season, where she performed “Catch Me When I Fall” and “Boyfriend”.

Ashlee Simpson recently reflected on that fateful night on SNL, in which she took the stage for her second song, “Autobiography”, only to hear a vocal track from her already-performed “Pieces of Me” play. With additional confusion from her band, she did her best to get out of the situation. On the incident, Simpson said it taught her humility and how to get back on her feet after an embarrassing situation. Her 2005 appearance fared much better.

Season 50 of Saturday Night Live launches this weekend, with set musical guests that include Jelly Roll, Coldplay, Billie Eilish, Chappell Roan, and Stevie Nicks — now that’s a lady who could make some funky, ad-libbed dance moves look good!

Did you see Ashlee Simpson’s SNL performance live in 2004? What do you make of it 20 years later? Drop your thoughts below.

The post Lorne Michaels on Ashlee Simpson’s SNL goof: “There’s just egg out there” appeared first on JoBlo.

Saturday Night Live has played host to some controversial music moments — Sinead O’Connor tearing up a picture of the pope, Elvis Costello’s rogue “Radio Radio” outburst, a legendarily destructive set by Fear — but only one still gets awkward laughs: that of Ashlee Simpson, whose 2004 SNL appearance found her stopping during her song and doing a jig that she described in the closing monologue as an impromptu hoedown after her band played the wrong number.

In a recently unearthed interview with Lorne Michaels from that same year, the SNL head remembered the complete shock — and nothingness — that was on stage that night from Ashlee Simpson. “I was in the control room going, well, I mean there’s just egg out there now. I mean there was nothing to watch.”

Michaels would add that Ashlee Simpson’s immediately infamous SNL appearance left him in a rare position: he had no control. “It’s like the same way you’d feel if you’re a ballplayer and it’s rained out. It really doesn’t have anything to do with you. You don’t control the rain. And I think in this case, it was much more ‘what just happened,’ which is, I think, what everybody else felt.” For the show’s part, Simpson would be invited back the following season, where she performed “Catch Me When I Fall” and “Boyfriend”.

Ashlee Simpson recently reflected on that fateful night on SNL, in which she took the stage for her second song, “Autobiography”, only to hear a vocal track from her already-performed “Pieces of Me” play. With additional confusion from her band, she did her best to get out of the situation. On the incident, Simpson said it taught her humility and how to get back on her feet after an embarrassing situation. Her 2005 appearance fared much better.

Season 50 of Saturday Night Live launches this weekend, with set musical guests that include Jelly Roll, Coldplay, Billie Eilish, Chappell Roan, and Stevie Nicks — now that’s a lady who could make some funky, ad-libbed dance moves look good!

Did you see Ashlee Simpson’s SNL performance live in 2004? What do you make of it 20 years later? Drop your thoughts below.

The post Lorne Michaels on Ashlee Simpson’s SNL goof: “There’s just egg out there” appeared first on JoBlo.

A few days ago, it was announced that Happy Gilmore would be getting a new 4K Blu-ray release from the Kino Lorber video label. The ultra-high-definition transfer of the Adam Sandler comedy is due to hit retailers sometime early next year, presumably to coincide with the release of the Netflix sequel. It has now been announced, per Blu-ray.com, that Sandler’s previous breakout film, Billy Madison, will also be getting a 4K release from Kino Lorber that is scheduled to become available to consumers also early next year.

Billy Madison stars Adam Sandler, Darren McGavin, Bridgette Wilson-Sampras, Bradley Whitford, and Josh Mostel. The description reads, “Man-child Billy Madison has been a spoiled rich kid all his life, and spends his days drinking and partying. When his father, hotel magnate Brian, becomes fed up with his son’s irresponsible ways, he issues an ultimatum. Since Billy passed all his schooling thanks to his father’s influence and bribes, he must retake and pass every grade in 24 weeks. Otherwise, the business will be turned over to Brian’s conniving associate, Eric.”

Details and Specs for the release include:

Video
Codec: HEVC / H.265
Resolution: Native 4K (2160p)
Original aspect ratio: 1.85:1

Audio
TBA

Subtitles
English SDH

Disc
4K Ultra HD
Blu-ray Disc

Playback
4K Blu-ray: Region free
2K Blu-ray: Region A (B, C untested)

Meanwhile, Adam Sandler has been seen donning the Boston Bruins shirt in the on-set photos taken during the production of Happy Gilmore 2. Kyle Newacheck (Murder Mystery, Ghosted, Workaholics) directs Happy Gilmore 2 from a script by Sandler and his trusty collaborator Tim Herlihy (The Wedding Singer, Pixels, Hubie Halloween). In addition to Adam Sandler and Christopher McDonald returning as Happy Gilmore and Shooter McGavin, respectively, Julie Bowen reprises her role as Virginia Venit. NFL star (and Taylor Swift’s arm candy) Travis Kelce and Benny Safdie (Oppenheimer, Uncut Gems, The Curse) appear in the comedic sequel, with Nick Swarsdon (Grandma’s Boy, Jack and Jill, The Benchwarmers) playing a caddy.

Speaking with The Hollywood Reporter in August, Sandler expressed his excitement for Happy Gilmore 2, saying, “The idea that me and my buddy Tim Herlihy had and the more we talked about it and scene to scene worked on it, it built, and we feel very strong about the movie itself,” Sandler said. “We’re happy where it’s at and this is an exciting time for us. I don’t know how all of a sudden our brains said, ‘Let’s do that.’ It just kind of happened.”

The post Billy Madison is heading back to school in a new 4K transfer from Kino Lorber appeared first on JoBlo.

Samuel L. Jackson has had it with these motherf*ckin’ snakes on this motherf*ckin’ plane! It might be the single greatest movie line of the 21st century, but it almost didn’t happen. We all know how it came about: fans of Jackson’s had to hear him say “motherf*cker” at some point in Snakes on a Plane, but since it was a PG-13, that would be a no-go, lest it be bumped to an R. But it wasn’t just fans who demanded it: it was Jackson himself.

Samuel L. Jackson recently sat down with GQ to discuss some of his more iconic movies – and yes, Snakes on a Plane was featured in the same video as Pulp Fiction, Star Wars and his Marvel outings. On the topic of Snakes on a Plane, Jackson said he was strapped in and ready to defend the line. “They were trying to make a PG-13 movie, and you can only have one ‘f*ck’ or some sh*t like that…And I told them, ‘Look, I gotta say ‘motherf*cker’ in this movie. There’s motherf*cking snakes all over this plane.’ They’re like, ‘Aw Sam, we just…come on! No.’ I said, ‘OK, fine.’ We wrap. They test the movie, test the movie. All of a sudden, we gotta do a reshoot. It cost them a bunch of money to get that ‘motherf*cker.’”

Considering the term is Jackson’s trademark – hell, he said it three times in that pull quote alone! – it had to be in there. And with the urging from both fans and himself, we got an amazing line and proof that sometimes the internet can join together for the greater good. With that, Snakes on a Plane took off into immediate cult status. So, too, did the TV-friendly edit of its most famous line: “I have it with with these monkey-fightin’ snakes on this Monday to Friday plane!”

Samuel L. Jackson has been a champion of Snakes on a Plane for as long as the idea had been circling around Hollywood. While the concept does go back to the ‘90s, once it hit the trades, Jackson knew he had to be a part of it, a decision that nobody believed. As he also recalled on coming aboard, “I called Ronny [Yu, the film‘s original director] and I said, ‘So are you doing a movie called Snakes on a Plane? He’s like, ‘Yeah.’ I was like, ‘What is it?’ He was like, ‘Well, some poisonous snakes get loose on a plane.’ I said, ‘Oh sh*t! Can I be in it?’ He’s like, ‘Seriously?’ I was like, ‘Yes! I don’t give a fuck. You can bite me first. I just wanna be in it.’ And he called New Line and they’re like, ‘You wanna be in the movie?’ I’m like, ‘Yeah, f*ck yeah.’” Yu would end up being replaced by David R. Ellis.

Are you a fan of Snakes on a Plane? What about it do you think made it a success with fans?

The post Samuel L. Jackson insisted on his famous Snakes on a Plane line appeared first on JoBlo.

Samuel L. Jackson has had it with these motherf*ckin’ snakes on this motherf*ckin’ plane! It might be the single greatest movie line of the 21st century, but it almost didn’t happen. We all know how it came about: fans of Jackson’s had to hear him say “motherf*cker” at some point in Snakes on a Plane, but since it was a PG-13, that would be a no-go, lest it be bumped to an R. But it wasn’t just fans who demanded it: it was Jackson himself.

Samuel L. Jackson recently sat down with GQ to discuss some of his more iconic movies – and yes, Snakes on a Plane was featured in the same video as Pulp Fiction, Star Wars and his Marvel outings. On the topic of Snakes on a Plane, Jackson said he was strapped in and ready to defend the line. “They were trying to make a PG-13 movie, and you can only have one ‘f*ck’ or some sh*t like that…And I told them, ‘Look, I gotta say ‘motherf*cker’ in this movie. There’s motherf*cking snakes all over this plane.’ They’re like, ‘Aw Sam, we just…come on! No.’ I said, ‘OK, fine.’ We wrap. They test the movie, test the movie. All of a sudden, we gotta do a reshoot. It cost them a bunch of money to get that ‘motherf*cker.’”

Considering the term is Jackson’s trademark – hell, he said it three times in that pull quote alone! – it had to be in there. And with the urging from both fans and himself, we got an amazing line and proof that sometimes the internet can join together for the greater good. With that, Snakes on a Plane took off into immediate cult status. So, too, did the TV-friendly edit of its most famous line: “I have it with with these monkey-fightin’ snakes on this Monday to Friday plane!”

Samuel L. Jackson has been a champion of Snakes on a Plane for as long as the idea had been circling around Hollywood. While the concept does go back to the ‘90s, once it hit the trades, Jackson knew he had to be a part of it, a decision that nobody believed. As he also recalled on coming aboard, “I called Ronny [Yu, the film‘s original director] and I said, ‘So are you doing a movie called Snakes on a Plane? He’s like, ‘Yeah.’ I was like, ‘What is it?’ He was like, ‘Well, some poisonous snakes get loose on a plane.’ I said, ‘Oh sh*t! Can I be in it?’ He’s like, ‘Seriously?’ I was like, ‘Yes! I don’t give a fuck. You can bite me first. I just wanna be in it.’ And he called New Line and they’re like, ‘You wanna be in the movie?’ I’m like, ‘Yeah, f*ck yeah.’” Yu would end up being replaced by David R. Ellis.

Are you a fan of Snakes on a Plane? What about it do you think made it a success with fans?

The post Samuel L. Jackson insisted on his famous Snakes on a Plane line appeared first on JoBlo.

Kris Kristofferson, the legendary country star turned superstar actor, has passed away at 88. No cause of death has yet been revealed, but Kristofferson retired from public life in 2021. While some of you reading this may know him best for playing Whistler in the Blade trilogy, his career goes much deeper than that, making him one of the most fascinating pop culture icons of his time.

Before he ever became an actor, Kristofferson was famous as a writer of country hits, including the immortal “Me and Bobby McGee,” later launching his own recording career, which included multiple Grammy wins and Gold records. But, even before that, he was quite accomplished, being a former Rhodes Scholar and captain in the U.S. Army. He famously turned down a teaching job (in English Lit) at West Point to focus on his musical career. He was seen as one of the leading figures in the Outlaw Country movement, which was a rejection of the more polished Nashville sound, eventually forming a supergroup called The Highwaymen with pals Willie Nelson, Johnny Cash and Waylon Jennings.

Arguably, Kristofferson found his greatest success in movies, with his scraggly good looks but earthy, gentle demeanour making him one of the most in-demand leading men of the seventies. He starred in Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid for Sam Peckinpah (as Billy), in addition to Convoy, which was a smash hit in 1978 (he also had a small role in Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia). He starred as Ellen Burstyn’s love interest in Martin Scorsese’s Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore, and at the peak of his heartthrob status, co-starred with Barbara Streisand in the 1976 version of A Star is Born.

In 1980, Kristofferson’s career suffered a setback when he starred in the infamous box office bomb Heaven’s Gate (although in recent years, Michael Cimino’s film has been reappraised), and ended the eighties being in Big Top Pee Wee and the (fun) sci-fi flick Millennium. He scored a major comeback as an actor in the nineties when he starred in John Sayles’ Lone Star before signing on to do the Blade trilogy. He was so popular as the titular character’s mentor that they brought him back in the sequel after originally killing him off. He popped up in many films after that, playing everything from the bad guy in a terrible Steven Seagal movie (Fire Down Below), a human in Tim Burton’s Planet of the Apes remake, to voicing a character in Fallout: New Vegas. All the while, he continued to perform and remained a legendary figure many looked up to, including the writer of this article.

Rest in peace, Kris. “Freedom’s just another word for nothin’ left to lose / Nothin’, don’t mean nothin’ hon’ if it ain’t free.”

The post Kris Kristofferson: legendary country singer and actor, dead at 88 appeared first on JoBlo.

Kris Kristofferson, the legendary country star turned superstar actor, has passed away at 88. No cause of death has yet been revealed, but Kristofferson retired from public life in 2021. While some of you reading this may know him best for playing Whistler in the Blade trilogy, his career goes much deeper than that, making him one of the most fascinating pop culture icons of his time.

Before he ever became an actor, Kristofferson was famous as a writer of country hits, including the immortal “Me and Bobby McGee,” later launching his own recording career, which included multiple Grammy wins and Gold records. But, even before that, he was quite accomplished, being a former Rhodes Scholar and captain in the U.S. Army. He famously turned down a teaching job (in English Lit) at West Point to focus on his musical career. He was seen as one of the leading figures in the Outlaw Country movement, which was a rejection of the more polished Nashville sound, eventually forming a supergroup called The Highwaymen with pals Willie Nelson, Johnny Cash and Waylon Jennings.

Arguably, Kristofferson found his greatest success in movies, with his scraggly good looks but earthy, gentle demeanour making him one of the most in-demand leading men of the seventies. He starred in Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid for Sam Peckinpah (as Billy), in addition to Convoy, which was a smash hit in 1978 (he also had a small role in Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia). He starred as Ellen Burstyn’s love interest in Martin Scorsese’s Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore, and at the peak of his heartthrob status, co-starred with Barbara Streisand in the 1976 version of A Star is Born.

In 1980, Kristofferson’s career suffered a setback when he starred in the infamous box office bomb Heaven’s Gate (although in recent years, Michael Cimino’s film has been reappraised), and ended the eighties being in Big Top Pee Wee and the (fun) sci-fi flick Millennium. He scored a major comeback as an actor in the nineties when he starred in John Sayles’ Lone Star before signing on to do the Blade trilogy. He was so popular as the titular character’s mentor that they brought him back in the sequel after originally killing him off. He popped up in many films after that, playing everything from the bad guy in a terrible Steven Seagal movie (Fire Down Below), a human in Tim Burton’s Planet of the Apes remake, to voicing a character in Fallout: New Vegas. All the while, he continued to perform and remained a legendary figure many looked up to, including the writer of this article.

Rest in peace, Kris. “Freedom’s just another word for nothin’ left to lose / Nothin’, don’t mean nothin’ hon’ if it ain’t free.”

The post Kris Kristofferson: legendary country singer and actor, dead at 88 appeared first on JoBlo.

THE UNPOPULAR OPINION is an ongoing column featuring different takes on films that either the writer HATED, but that the majority of film fans LOVED, or that the writer LOVED, but that most others LOATHED. We’re hoping this column will promote constructive and geek fueled discussion. Enjoy!

The first time I watched the cult classic action film The Boondock Saints, I was seventeen and immediately fell in with the 93% fresh rating from audience members on Rotten Tomatoes.  A certified rotten, 17% rating from critics? Psh, I didn’t care (Not that Rotten Tomatoes is necessarily the answer to everything, but it certainly is often indicative of something).

Years later, I now know the truth.  This is a terrible movie.  It’s beyond even laughably bad and into the realm of just plain outright bad.  As I re-watched it for this column, I couldn’t help but keep saying things like “this doesn’t make sense.  This – this, it – this movie doesn’t make any sense! What’s going on? Why – what’s – why is hap- why are they doing that?” Over and over over.  At least it made this truly awful movie entertaining.

“And Shepherds we shall be For Thee, my Lord, for Thee.

Seriously, nothing in this movie makes any sense.  Here are two examples of how logic runs about as deep in this movie as a paper cut – which is what I would correlate the experience of watching this movie to.  Paper cut after paper cut, with some lemon juice added because writer/director Troy Duffy just felt like it.

1) Why not kill Murphy (Norman Reedus) inside his apartment? There’s no need to take him out to the dumpster and kill him there.  This exists only so that Connor (Sean Patrick Flanery) can do his five story leap while clutching a toilet bowl because someone decided this was a cool and necessary story element.

2) Speaking of which, after falling five-odd stories we see Connor bounce off the other Russian guy that isn’t Checkov and crash knee first into the ground.  Five stories, he glances off some Russian dude, smacks into the pavement knee first, and all he comes away with is a f*cking limp? And one that doesn’t even last very long? No.  Nein.  Absolutely not.

More importantly though: The Boondock Saints is a movie completely based around the cheap-ass excuse of coincidence.  The brothers just happen to have had a mother who insisted that they speak a minimum of six extra languages (German, Spanish, Italian, Russian, French, Latin), which also happens to be the only thing which allows the story to progress.  If they didn’t speak Russian, then calling the number on Checkov’s pager would do nothing as they wouldn’t have then known to go the hotel room, meaning they wouldn’t have met killed the guys or Rocco there, etc… Not to mention the plot “development” of when Rocco sees Agent Paul Smecker (Willem Dafoe) leaving the gay bar.  This leads to Rocco following Smecker in order to kill him, which in turn leads to the brothers magically appearing at just the right time, which in its own turn leads to hearing Smecker’s confession that he wants to be like the brothers, leading eventually to Smecker working with them.  Duffy should have just called this movie THE LUCK OF THE IRISH and been done with it.

Power hath descended forth from Thy hand,

Oh, and how about the character inconsistencies that run throughout the whole of the film? Again, here are a few of the more offensively illogical examples:

1) Il Duce’s ambush of the brothers and Rocco is extremely sloppy, and thereby goes against everything that has been established about him thus far in the film.  He is supposedly “ghostlike,” and yet the first time we meet him he completely f*cks this information sideways.

2) When woken up in bed by a phone call, after rebuffing the advances of the guy in the bed several times, Smecker says “What are you doing?” “I want to cuddle” the guy replies.  To which Dafoe says “Cuddle? What a fag.”  This makes no sense either in relation to what we know about his character already or in conjunction with the offense he later takes at the Freudian slip of a detective saying “the fag man” instead of “the fat man.’

3) Why do the brothers put coins on the eyes of the dead in the hotel room? Do they actually believe in that? Why don’t they do it any time before or after this one occurrence? If they do believe in it, then that does tell us something about their characters, though that “something” is, again, never replicated before or after.  If they don’t believe in it, then there is no reason for them to do this beyond Duffy giving Smecker another chance to be “the super-smart FBI agent.”

4) This guy:

Our feet may swiftly carry out Thy commands.

Meet Rocco, a character any serious discussion of The Boondock Saints must bring up.  He is, without a doubt, easily one of the worst characters in cinema history. F*ck you Rocco. F*ck your face, f*ck the offensive absurdity of your personality, f*ck your values and actions and choices, f*ck your childish hypocrisy, and f*ck you having a dramatic death despite the fact that you’re actually a slimy little bastard who lacks a single redeeming quality.

The thing is, Rocco’s presence is actually utterly grievous for another reason entirely: his existence and “friendship” with the brothers makes the least sense of all and throws the validity of the entire movie’s events and characters into doubt.  See, the brothers are on a mission to eradicate evil.  They seek to quell the spread of villainy in the streets.  And yet when it comes to Rocco? Rocco, who is a willing part of that villainy, as well as a misogynist creep and a sleaze and slime ball who gropes dead bodies and asks if he can make up for it by killing two random guys that are probably no worse than him? Not only do the brothers not kill him, but they allow him to join them in their f*cking quest.  Rocco serves no use to them beyond his knowledge of the habits and hideouts of the various mafia members, which, to be fair, might be why they keep him alive and a part of their team.

But in this movie’s “logic,” such real-world practicality doesn’t matter one bit.  The brothers magically know somebody with a small arsenal in his basement – why can’t they find out the details about mafia gatherings/hideouts through a different source? And later, when Rocco finally dies, the brothers are very visibly and audibly distraught.  I.e. far more so than should be if he was just an informant, meaning they still considered him their best friend despite the fact that their friendship with him goes against everything they supposedly stand for.

So we shall flow a river forth to Thee, and teeming with souls shall it ever be.

Even beyond all of the above, this movie comes up sorely lacking from a filmmaking perspective too.

1) The script is littered with moments and lines that have nothing to do with anything beyond “sounding cool” – when Checkov first rolls up and says “this is no game,” not only is it the most stereotypical line possible in that moment, but nobody has talked about games before.  At all.  His line is in reference to something that never happened.

2) The editing is choppy and plucks you out of scenes before the characters can finish their moment, meaning that scenes often lack any sort of resolution and instead flow artificially together simply because Duffy decided so.

3) The plot device of showing the before/after of an event and having Smecker figure out what happened is overused and (again) ruins the flow of the action.  It’s not nearly as engaging, as there are no stakes for the characters since we already know how the event turned out.  It could have been fantastic if used once to good effect, allowing us to witness Smecker’s deductive prowess.  But after that first (or maaayyybe second) time the effect becomes boring, bland, and does not serve the story in any sort of positive way.

4) Troy Duffy can’t even decide what kind of movie this is.  The brothers have their mutual epiphany/call to action, waking suddenly while speaking the same lines of religious-related text, and are all of a sudden vigilantes that are willing to kill any and every bad guy they encounter with no moral hang-up about the matter? So is this an action movie with religious/spiritual undertones, an almost “mythic” tale? It would seem so, because there’s no decision making process to become vigilantes.  But then again, at other times the movie feels like it is trying to be a serious action flick grounded in reality. And then there are the times it lets itself be as over the top as possible, with cinematic moments happening right and left (such as falling through the ceiling and shooting perfectly despite being upside down and having barely killed anyone before).  And it is from this confusion that so much of my problem with this movie stems – The Boondock Saints is trying to be at least three different kinds of movies at once, and so all of its individual identities suffer and what results is a limp cinematic noodle smothered in weaksauce.

In Nomine Patri, Et Fili, Et Spiritus Sancti.”

I could have gotten behind a more mythic take on the already-primal nature of Death Wish, which is no doubt one of the many cinematic influences on The Boondock Saints.  That is a movie which would interest me, and there are hints of it here and there.  The prayer the brothers/Il Duce say is, of course, awesome.  Suitably poetic, epic, and ancient sounding for its purposes here.  Sean Patrick Flanery, Norman Reedus, Billy Connelly, and Willem Dafoe are all great – you can tell they’re really having fun with the very bare material that is there for them to work with.  But at the end of the day, one prayer + four fun and dedicated performances + slight hints of greatness + a cool opening bit of Irish music + Willem Dafoe screaming “THERE WAS A FIREFIGHT!” does not a worthwhile viewing experience make.

If only Troy Duffy had been struck by his own revelation, one that then told him to not make this movie and thereby prevented me from wasting precious minutes of my life.  Alas.  Well, at least I can always just watch… well… anything else.

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