Grease 2

Hello blog followers I apologize for the wait in-between posts. A lot has gone down in these past four months, I have gotten a job which frustrates me at times and always wipes me out that I kinda needed the hiatus I brought about. I also experienced another loss in my family which upset me greatly and the only other reason is I guess just an excuse in itself that I just had the winter doldrums and couldn't care enough to focus on my blog. But now I am back with the film I promised to talk about and also I have heads up on a few changes to the blog in upcoming posts...

Original movie poster

Well I am still feeling quite nostalgic for films that I enjoyed when I was younger and a few other nostalgic things as well (more about that later) so we are going to tackle a movie that most people seem to have mixed feelings about. With most sequels they never seem to live up to the magic of their originals (why do I feel like I'm talking about Mannequin 2 again? *shrugs*) and sort of become cinematic red-headed stepchildren. Of course everyone has seen the 1978 blockbuster that was Grease (at least I hope they have) which I had the joy of watching thanks to my mother and they even showed it to us when I was in the 7th Grade. It was around that time that (also thanks to my mother) I found out there was a sequel to it and I have to admit I fell in love with it after watching it (but maybe not for the reason you think...). So for those of you who have never seen this film let's dive right in shall we?

What's The Plot?
It is now 1961 (which is two years after the first film) and we are in the middle of the beginnings of the Cuban Missile Crisis, JFK leading the nation and also motorcycles are the new trend (Grease Lightning is now a thing of the past). We have pretty much the same story except this time it is gender swapped with the guy being the one to try and fit in with the girl's way of life. The T-Birds are still greasers but with biker flair and the Pink Ladies are pretty much their "old ladies" which means no guy is worthy of a Pink Lady on his arm unless he owns a hog (no not that kind.) Enter in Michael Carrington, who is British which means he is of course charming, a regular clean cut but sort of awkward teen who is a real square. Unlike his cousin Sandy (oh did I mention that he was related to a character from the first film?)

Maxwell Caulfield as Michael Carrington

Michael has no summer romance but just happens to fall in love head over heels the moment he lays eyes on Stephanie Zinone, head Pink Lady who just happens to be the ex to head T-Bird Johnny Nogerelli. Even though they are over, Johnny still views Stephanie as his property thanks to the T-Birds only date Pink Ladies code but he's not malicious about it just young and wanting to keep that cool guy reputation (kind of like Danny in the original.) This causes problems since Johnny is also crushing on another Pink Lady, the Marilyn Monroe wannabe Paulette Rebchuck, and things also come to more difficulty when Stephanie lays a kiss on Michael at the bowling alley in part to a dare which only makes the Brit all the more determined to win her heart. Will learning to ride a motorcycle and becoming the Cool Rider of Stephanie's dreams be enough for Michael to win her heart or will Stephanie wanting to break free of being someone's "chick" allow her to see Michael for who he truly is without high school getting in the way?

Michelle Pfeiffer as Stephanie Zinone

As always I don't like spoiling films for people who have not seen them so I won't tell you anymore about the plot because if you ever get a chance to find Grease 2 you should put any prejudice aside especially if you love the first Grease. Even before we delve any deeper into characters, songs even acting you should know that I actually like the plot of Grease 2 better than the original. Before you pelt me with rotten Internet tomatoes think about it for just one second.

Adrian Zmed as Johnny Nogerelli

In the original, Sandy changes from a good girl into a kind of slutty greaser chick (even more so than the other Pink Ladies) and Danny only changed for like three seconds with that Letterman sweater before he went back to being the same old guy he had been throughout the film. I'm not giving away the ending to Grease 2 but I will say there is no flying away on a motorcycle which I always thought was kinda dumb (when did this turn into Chitty Chitty Bang Bang I mean seriously?) Anyway first let's tackle the songs...

Now the soundtrack for Grease as we know was very successful and even had a resurgence in popularity when I was in middle school as stated earlier. I can see why most people may not have purchased the sequel's soundtrack because some of the songs may sound silly but I personally love the songs because they are kind of fun which of course grabbed the attention of a younger me. There are some good songs in the film that are not silly (they may be cheesy) but they show really good talent which must have took a lot of coaching or came very naturally. First off, Michelle Pfeiffer plays Stephanie and gets two songs where she is not part of the cast ensemble to shine vocally and on the song "Cool Rider" she really kicks a lot of ass! Maxwell Caulfield who plays Michael actually starred on Broadway which got him this role and on the song "Charades" (which is my personal favorite) it shows that he has a really beautiful voice!

Beautiful voice beautiful face (Michelle too!)

 Another reason some people may not care for the soundtrack is most of the songs do have to deal with sex from the very thinly veiled to the out right blatant ("Reproduction" being the winner as it takes place in a sexual education class...damn spoiler!). To give you an idea some titles are "Prowlin'", "Score Tonight" (in a bowling alley but still...) and "Do It For Our Country"...do with it what you will. The other songs are alright but the main standout is the opening song "Back To School Again" which is performed by none other than The Four Tops with a few bits from the cast ensemble . Growing up listening to music from the 1950s and 1960s thanks to my parents when you can hear a classic Motown group like The Four Tops sing it is a real pleasure to the ears and this is what starts the movie for you so at least the first couple of minutes will be enjoyable even if the rest is not.

We already mentioned the two actors who are the main characters and we will get to them but first yes some characters from the first Grease film return with the same actors. Since I actually have yet to talk about Grease I won't go into much detail but Eve Arden as Principal McGee, Dody Goodman as Blanche, Eddie Deezen as Eugene, Sid Caesar as Coach Calhoun and Didi Cohn as Frenchy all return in this film. Since Frenchy flunked out of beauty school after dropping out of Rydell High, she's back either to get her diploma to make cosmetics or be the new Chemistry teacher but they really don't focus on her enough that I'm still confused as to why she's there except maybe to be kind of the same influence on Michael as she was to his cousin Sandy in the first film. Eugene is back too and since he was such a smart guy I assume he graduated Rydell and came back to teach or something (again kind of unclear as he isn't the main focus) so the other first film veterans as a principal, secretary and coach I do understand as faculty may stay on at a school for years.

Didi Cohn as Frenchy with Maxwell Caulfield

As previously mentioned, Michelle Pfeiffer is our lead female character and this was also her first starring film role after many small television appearances. Out of all the female characters, Stephanie is one of the most adult characters compared to her other fellow Pink Ladies and even the other females the film may focus on as she isn't a giggly, vapid, over sexualized or even snobby but she can be snarky and though not dumb just a young woman who isn't applying as much to her academics as she could be. Despite Grease 2 being sort of a bomb, it didn't seem to hurt Pfeffier's acting career as much as it did the other actors and actresses who appeared in the film and it just goes to show you that talent does pay off which is why Michelle is one of my favorite film actresses ever.

Now one of the reasons I love Grease 2 as previously stated is because it was the film that introduced me to one of many crushes I developed and this one was on Maxwell Caulfield! Not saying he isn't a good-looking man now but back in 1982 he was so damn cute in the face and hot in the body and of course he sings to! Now I have always been drawn to accents and that British accent sealed the deal in me crushing hugely on Maxwell (then 23 which makes him 24 years my senior) and I still do though not as much as I did when I was eleven/twelve years old. (In an interesting twist Maxwell has been married since 1980 to Hayley Mills' sister and his wife Juliet Mills is 18 years his senior so as I always have believed age is not a factor when it comes to attraction or love.) In a cruel kind of way, Grease 2 destroyed Maxwell Caulfield's career because he never had another starring film role again but was reduced to small parts and taking him back to Broadway where he has been more successful.

Did I mention I have a crush on Maxwell Caulfield?

The supporting cast of Grease 2 is kind of a mix for me because I can't tell if it is the way the characters are written or the way the actors portray them. Adrian Zmed plays Johnny and I do find him entertaining being comedic and a little brighter than his fellow T-Birds and he does have a good singing voice. The other actors who play Johnny's fellow T-Birds have one stand out who has a still thriving career and that is Christopher McDonald who plays the not very bright lug Goose: here in his first role McDonald is comedic and provides a laugh or two. I couldn't really find out a lot of information on actors Leif Green who plays youngest T-Bird Davey or Peter Frechette who plays ready to go all the way Louis except that Green is more into film production these days and that Frechette still acts in films.

From left to right: Adrian Zmed, Peter Frechette, Christopher McDonald, Leif Green

When it comes to our new batch of Pink Ladies, character wise I can not stand any of them and miss the originals (which I think is why they had Frenchy come back seeing as she was the nicest of the group to round out the horrible personalities of these new Pink Ladies.) As I said before maybe it is just the way they were written or maybe it really is the acting, I don't like to place blame even if this is just my own personal opinion. First, I couldn't find anything about Alison Price who plays glasses wearing Rhonda but character wise she isn't the worst of the Pink Ladies but her character is kind of clumsy and doesn't receive as much attention as the others.

From left to right: Maureen Teefy, Lorna Luft, Alison Price, Michelle Pfeiffer

Next not really an official Pink Lady but kind of like a mascot is the character of Dolores Rebchuck, little sister to the aforementioned Paulette and played by Pamela Segall Aldon. You may know Pamela more as a voice over actress doing the character of Bobby Hill on King Of The Hill but back in 1982 she was just the 16 year old  annoyance to her older, popular sister who actually befriends Michael and garners our sympathies as anyone who knows what it's like to be looked down upon by the older, cooler kids or your own siblings. Where do I begin with the final two Pink Ladies of Grease 2 and their respective actors? Answer: let's start with the one that annoys me the least...

Actress Lorna Luft who plays Paulette Rebchuck is a very talented woman and it is because she is the daughter of Judy Garland it is in her genes. She is a singer and a star on stage but here in Grease 2 as Paulette I can blame the writing of the character. As I stated before Paulette is kind of a Marilyn Monroe wannabe who talks in that breathy voice and wears tight sweaters and skirts but when she gets angry that all goes out the window and you have almost a tough New York chick peaking out from behind that pink satin jacket. The annoying thing about Paulette is that they make her seem so slutty and I don't think it plays up to how talented Lorna Luft really is as well as the fact that she was 30 playing a high school senior (I know they do it all the time but this instance is like an insult!)

Lorna Loft as Paulette Rebchuck

The final actress and final new Pink Lady of the main cast is Maureen Teefy who plays Sharon and I can not lie when I say the character of Sharon is my least favorite but the thing is I like Maureen Teefy! Maureen was in Fame and Supergirl which are two of my favorite movies and she doesn't annoy me as much as she does in Grease 2 and it is probably just all the fault in how Sharon is written combined with how hard Teefy is trying to become that character. Why do I not like Sharon? She has a screaming kind of laugh, is extremely bossy, talks a mile a minute and is kind of a know-it-all and it just rubs me the wrong way.

Other actors of note that appear in Grease 2 are actor Tab Hunter and actress Connie Stevens who had big movie and TV success in the 1950s and 1960s, twin actresses Jean and Liz Sagal who are related to TV actress Katey Sagal from Married With Children fame appear as two, very peppy and preppy cheerleaders (yet are not as annoying as Sharon) and Matt Lattanzi who plays Brad, a perfect example of 1960s clean cut teenage boys. I mention Matt Lattanzi because he has a Grease connection in the fact that he was dating Olivia Newton-John at this time after meeting her as a dancer on Xanadu (BTW if you haven't seen my post on that film, go check it out...I'll wait) and married her a couple of years later but they are divorced now which is kind of bittersweet :(

Wow that was one of the longest blogs I have ever had to tackle! So in retrospect. there are things about Grease 2 that you may find annoying and cheesy but it has an entertaining quality that I'm sure won't disappoint (whether it be genuine or derisive laughter) if you decide to give it a shot.

NEXT BLOG: Okay followers here is what's going on with Theresthegirl...I am taking a break from talking about films. I have a lot of movies to talk about but working on the movies takes a lot of time so I am going to be moving on to a different medium I enjoy as well: music and literature. Yes I will be doing book review blogs and discussing music with maybe an occasional new thing: Top Tens. These can cover a variety of subjects including film and may even bring about discussing television shows which I said I was going to do when I first started this blog. I am trying to shake up my dynamic so that I don't ignore this blog as much anymore so what I do next time is going to be my little surprise to you as well as myself so see you then!

Mannequin: On The Move

Original movie poster

Well fancy seeing you all again, faithful blog followers! I am back a little faster than usual because confidentially I have been waiting to talk about this film it is absolutely one of my favorites and I can actually say that this is from my childhood. I was eight years old when the film came out and I probably didn't see it until I was nine the following year over at a playmate's house because she had it on VHS. Years later, I procured the movie on VHS myself and a few years ago became ecstatic when it joined Mannequin on a double billed DVD! Of course I'm talking about Mannequin Two or as it is also known Mannequin: On The Move. We have much to talk about or at least I do concerning this film but as always we begin with the plot which I will actually start off as...

ONCE UPON A TIME...

In the kingdom of Hauptmann-Koenig, Prince William fell in love with a maiden named Jessie and of course she was an under class peasant which made William's mother not at all happy. So one day, ready to whisk Jessie off to become his wife, the prince and his peasant girl were stopped by the royal guard on the bridge out of the kingdom. Of course, William's mother arrives with her entourage including the sorcerer Spretzle and tries to talk her son out of marrying Jessie who she believes to be only a medieval gold digger and even tries to buy her off with a necklace of gold and royal jewels. William decides to use the necklace as a symbol of his eternal love for Jessie in place of a ring I guess but no sooner does he get the necklace about her neck, Jessie turns into a remarkable modern wooden statue that looks nothing like her. You see his mother had Spretzle whip up this cursed necklace so that her son couldn't marry his lower class sweetheart but after a heartfelt plea, William offers his life in place of Jessie and a catch is made to the curse: a thousand years of being frozen until a true love from another land can remove the necklace. One other catch is that the kingdom also becomes cursed to suffer never-ending thunderstorms and darkness as a side effect of the evil committed I guess? I'm also guessing since William offered his life for Jessie's his own mother had him beheaded or hung so that makes this even more tragic than I realized back then...

The tragic maiden Jessie and her prince

So here it is 1,000 years later and it is early 1990s Philadelphia which brings us back to the famed Prince & Company from the first movie. Our focus is now on its newest employee, Jason Williamson who it appears is a dead ringer descendent of Prince William (what a shock huh?) and is working under everyone's favorite flamboyant African-American gay gentleman, Hollywood Montrose (yay continuity!). It just so happens that Hollywood, now head of visual merchandising, is in charge of putting on a presentation in honor of Hauptmann-Koenig and its national treasure, The Enchanted Peasant Girl (now who could that be?) All of this is actually a plan to get the crown jewels out of the country and the mastermind behind this is Count Gunter Spretzle, the many great grandson of the sorcerer who cursed Jessie a thousand years ago. The Count also plans to be the one to remove the necklace and have Jessie all for himself but things don't go as planned when his three lackeys, a trio of beefed up morons, lose The Enchanted Peasant Girl.

When you work with Hollywood there is never a dull moment...

So our mannequin ends up in the hands of Hollywood and Jason, who just so happens to shift the cursed necklace a few times before removing it completely after fishing her out of the river. Jessie becomes alive and since she has been out of it for a couple of centuries she believes Jason is her prince and of course is sweetly smitten, totally in love with him and for only a little bit is Jason convinced he has been driven insane by toxins from river pollution. It doesn't take long for him to become captivated by Jessie's naivete and take her out on the town which includes dancing, cheese steak and then allowing her to sleep in his bed while he takes the couch. It's easy to tell Jason is in love but when he heads upstairs the next morning with a cozy breakfast made for two he discovers Jessie is once again a mannequin because it seems even though he can remove the necklace the curse is still able to work if it is placed back on (both Jason and Jessie oblivious to this fact). Heartbroken and confused, Jason returns the mannequin back to Prince & Co. and finds that even though the girl of his dreams may have been just that...it's hardly far from over. The romance is just beginning and so are the wacky hijinks that always seem to follow a man and his mannequin but will Jason and Jessie get the fairy tale ending or will Count Spretzle succeed in making sure they stay apart?

What are Jason and Jessie going to have to face now?

 I love this movie so much and it is very hard not to want to tell you the whole plot but I just can't! I feel that this movie is another film that needs to be viewed in order to garner an honest opinion of whether you will enjoy it or not. I know that many of you fellas out there may not be open to viewing this film as the plot does seem more geared toward a female audience but there is plenty of comedy as well as a lot of Kristy Swanson for you to look at.

Oh did I forget to mention that one of my favorite femme-crush actresses is in this film? I have mentioned before that I love actress Kristy Swanson (see my blog posts about Flowers In The Attic and Deadly Friend) and this is by far my favorite role of hers. Many people believe her performance of Jessie in Mannequin 2 is bland but I think she embodies the character perfectly! I mean Jessie is a girl from 10th Century Bavaria so she is naive towards modern technology (especially video cameras) and her starry-eyed innocent affection toward Jason is real because she believes him to be her prince in the beginning but after spending time with Jason, she accepts him as himself but still believes him to be a prince nonetheless. She isn't stupid but she's only as intelligent as a young girl of 991 A.D. would have been and soon she acclimates to the 20th Century quite nicely. If you don't like the character of Jessie it really isn't Kristy Swanson's fault or even that of the writers because Swanson is a great actress providing emotion, drama and even great comedic timing and at the time she was 22 years old and had been in a handful of films.

Next let's talk about William Ragsdale as Jason Williamson/Prince William. What can I say except I absolutely adored him in this movie?! In the beginning of the film, Ragsdale has to deal with being a fairy tale prince so that does include some cheesy, romance novel dialogue but he also gets to sword fight and be quite heroic which of course will win a romantic lady like myself over in a Medieval minute! When he becomes Jason, Ragsdale shows of a guy with a sense of humor, good looks, strong morals and a even a few surprises (he can fence and really put up a fight when he needs too!) William Ragsdale seems to bring a touch of his most famous role as Charley Brewster from the original Fright Night into the character of Jason but he's just a little more wiser seeing as how Ragsdale was thirty when he appeared in Mannequin 2 but you wouldn't know by that boyish charm and that handsome face (and for a Southern boy to hide that Arkansas twang he is one fine actor!)

Since they play the romantic leading couple, I also enjoy the chemistry between Kristy Swanson and William Ragsdale. They both play off each other well when it comes to the comedy most of the time with Ragsdale as the straight man to Swanson's more quirky, clueless character. As for romance, I think it works better between Swanson and Ragsdale compared to Cattrall and McCarthy in the original Mannequin. I have no idea about how old Jessie and Jason are supposed to be (although a 30 year old still living AT HOME with his widowed mother isn't too far-fetched nowadays) but the ages of the actors is almost perfect to an extent. Jessie is a peasant girl so of course she is young, beautiful and naive even to modern standards and Jason does make a comment that he is looking for true love which he probably hasn't experienced but he knows how to cook, has a job and is mature enough that he lets Jessie have his bed for the night while he sleeps on the couch and even tells a female co-worker on his first day that they might date after getting to know each other a little better. So I hear you say he kind of rushes into a relationship with Jessie doesn't he? Well don't forget the fact that only a true love can remove the necklace and it's clear Jason is a reincarnation of his distant relation who just so happens to be Jessie's true love and that was over a thousand years ago so in context they have gotten to know each other for quite awhile! I promise I'm almost done praising Swanson and Ragsdale so we can move on but this is one reason why I love Mannequin 2 and always have because of the actor's chemistry and the romantic in me just can't get enough of it.

Kristy seems to have that mannequin thing down huh, William?

Moving along, I already praised Meshach Taylor who returns as Hollywood Montrose and the character really isn't that different except for maybe an upgrade in a more streamlined suit wardrobe splashed with color and a more Afrocentric hairstyle. Taylor is still hilarious and I am so glad they expanded the role to include more of his character in the film and of course he still gets some of the best lines and that amazing pink Cadillac of his makes a triumphant return too! Other standouts in the cast are Stuart Pankin (best known as the voice of Earl Sinclair on Dinosaurs) as the new owner/manger of Prince & Co. and actor Terry Kiser who plays Count Spretzle. Kiser's most famous role is that of Bernie from the "Weekend at Bernie's" franchise so its good to see him a role with actual dialogue (no matter how cheesy it may be) but he still retains that comedic element as an over the top villain which is perfect for a movie with a kind of fairy tale plot and being that he is a member of the famous Actors Studio, it shows in every inch of his performance.

Terry Kiser as Count Spretzle, master swordsman

Another thing that I love about Mannequin 2 is the music and if there was a soundtrack released for this movie consider it the Holy Grail among Mannequin 2's very loyal fan base. Of course, the theme from the original Mannequin Starship's "Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now" makes a return at the end credits for another connection to make this a sequel and is not that hard to find but the rest of the songs...oh boy!! Now there are a few tracks that can be found on YouTube such as "Feel The Way I Do" by Shoes and "Pick Up The Pieces To My Heart" by Cindy Valentine but the rest of the soundtrack features an artist named Gene Miller who I can find any information on and I have Googled him thousands of times! He performs the opening song "Wake Up", another song titled "Do It For Love" and a beautiful cover version of the Air Supply song "Can't Believe My Eyes" that I swear I would sell my soul to the devil to own it! For a soundtrack to an early 90s flick, it is quite carbon-dated but it is also amazing and if you ever did happen to chance upon it at a swap meet or something...PLEASE GRAB IT AND MAIL IT TO ME!! (Sorry I yelled but I am serious about the mailing it to me comment...)

Mannequin On The Move Trailer

So is Mannequin 2 as bad as other people say it is? No but again it's just my own personal opinion and of course, the nine year old in me could never stand to hate this movie or change my opinion of it nor will thirty year old me. (which I will be in May) For first time viewers (especially men) it may be a piece of aged cheese that could do with a good air freshener chaser but after a few more viewings the comedy or romance may just rub off on you and you may come to love it as much as I do.

NEXT TIME: I'm gonna take a break from talking about films with sequels but I am still going to look back at upbeat movies of my nostalgic childhood (okay nostalgic teenage childhood too). In my next blog watch me tackle the appropriately titled 80s classic...Teen Witch.

I Still Know What You Did Last Summer

Original Movie Poster

If you have come back then obviously you either really like my blog or you have never seen I Know What You Did Last Summer and came to check out me talking about its sequel, I Still Know What You Did Last Summer. Now I'm not used to talking about films and then directly talking about their sequels after so you are going to have to bear with me here on many spoilers as for the next many blogs I will be doing the same thing.

Freddie And Jennifer return with some new blood...

Now this film was released one year after the original and only two (or technically three characters) return so there you go for spoilers right now and just so you know I will not be talking about the last of this trilogy the film titled lamely I Will Always Know What You Did Last Summer just because it has nothing to do with any of the characters we have talked about or will talk about. If you were expecting that I am so sorry but you will just have to discover that film on your own as I have never seen nor will I ever see it. Now that I have gotten all of that out of the way let's discuss the plot to I Still Know What You Did Last Summer.

Our Story Continues As Follows:
Julie James is back up at college still plagued by the terror that was Ben Willis, a fisherman who she and her friends Ray, Barry and Helen accidentally hit with their car on The 4th of July weekend two years ago. They thought he was dead but he survived the foursome dumping him in the ocean and he came back for revenge killing Barry and Helen. Disappearing the night he tried to kill Julie and Ray, now presumed to be really dead, the memory still haunts Julie despite the best efforts of her roommate Karla Wilson, her boyfriend Tyrell Martin and new college friend Will Benson.

J. Love back as Julie James

Julie has even distanced herself from her former love Ray who still remains a townie down in Southport, North Carolina even though he still loves Julie and is even thinking about proposing to her. When Karla wins a trip to a Caribbean resort via a radio contest, Julie invites Ray to go to make up for being so evasive but he says he might not be able to make it because of work and Julie heads off with Karla, Ty and Will not knowing that Ray is planning to surprise her instead by showing up unannounced with his engagement ring in tow.

Karla And Julie waiting for their ride to the Bahamas

Arriving in the Bahamas, our new foursome finds that they have arrived at the beginning of storm season which means all of the other guests are heading back for the mainland and they will be the only people there besides a small group of the resort's staff. Despite this news, the four college students decide to make the most of their trip and it seems some sparks are developing between Julie and Will. The good times abruptly end when Julie's past comes back with a vengeance and bodies of the hotel staff start popping up and she now knows that Ben Willis is back to finish what he started. Being cut off from the mainland and with storms about to come to the island, can Julie and her new friends escape their angry, hook wielding fisherman killer? Will Ray be able to get there in time to save the girl he loves?

Freddie Prinze Jr. returns as Ray Bronson

Pretty basic sequel plot and as always leaving you with only a taste of it since you pretty much know that Jennifer Love Hewitt and Freddie Prinze Jr. are back as Julie James and Ray Bronson respectively. I'm not about to tell you who else survives and who dies but I can tell you a little bit about the new characters and what I think of the actors who portray them. Brandy Norwood or pop star Brandy as you know her plays Karla Wilson, our strong, independent, sassy African-American best bud of Julie. I love Brandy as Karla because she brings so much to the movie and since they killed off Sarah Michelle Gellar's Helen in the first film, you need another strong woman in the cast. Karla is more like Julie was in the first film to balance out Julie being the haunted girl with the secret past because when Julie is scared Karla is strong and when Julie is strong Karla is still scared but she gets past that just as Helen did in the first film.

Brandy as Karla Wilson

Mehki Phifer as Tyrell "Ty" Martin is just a blast in this film as the wisecracking, completely horny boyfriend of Karla and even though he is hilarious he is also a no nonsense guy when it counts. I have seen Mehki Phifer pull of some serious acting in the movie "O" and as Doctor Gregory Pratt on ER so he does a great job pulling off the same here with a mix between drama and comedy and for a horror film it is not easy because you can come off as cheesy or dull if it is not done right. I think Ty is supposed to be the Barry of the group this time around since Ryan Phillipe was killed off in the first film but Ty is a little more likeable than Barry and he only starts to be an ass a little later in the film than from the very beginning as Barry seemed to be but that is only my opinion of course.

Mehki Phifer as Tyrell (Ty) Martin

Matthew Settle plays Will Benson, a new character who seems to be smitten with Julie James, and I wish I could say more about his acting but I can't as this is the only thing I have ever seen him in. He is handsome, an all around nice guy kind of character in this film, but that is pretty much all I can say. If I had more work to compare his role in this film to I might have more to say about Matthew Settle as and actor but I honestly can't. Aside from our main cast, there are supporting characters and the cast is pretty okay. Jack Black has an uncredited role as Titus, the white stoner pool boy who thinks he is Bob Marley, and he gets in a few laughs. (try to guess whether he makes it or not?) Muse Watson of course returns as killer fisherman Ben Willis and he does okay for what little screen time he gets not killing people and we even get to learn more backstory about his character which is kind of nice.

Matthew Settle as Will Benson with Brandy & Mehki Phifer

Sexy actress Jennifer Esposito who played Stacey on Spin City with Michael J. Fox plays a sarcastic bartender named Nancy and I like her ball-busting, witty attitude enough that she deserves a mention and the final actor of note is Jeffrey Combs. If you don't know who Jeffrey Combs is and are a horror fan like me, you need to be re-schooled in classic horror real quick and go rent The Frighteners and Re-Animator if you really want to see Combs in all his gory glory. If you aren't into horror (as much as me I mean) but you have a love for Star Trek you may recognize Combs as well from the Deep Space Nine part of that franchise. In any case, Combs is great as the hotel manager Mr. Brookes, playing the same kind of sarcastic, smarmy asshole he is so great at playing as always.

Jennifer Esposito as Nancy with Brandy & J. Love Hewitt

If you are wondering why I didn't talk about Jennifer Love Hewitt and Freddie Prinze Jr. and their characters of Julie and Ray it is because I already talked about them in the blog about I Know What You Did Last Summer. Both of them are still great actors but their characters are pretty much the same as they were in the first film just a little bit more troubled and slightly harder emotional wise but they still get in likeable, funny moments and few smiles here and there that continue to make me like the characters. What more can you say without repeating yourself?

Julie And Karla get Ben's message

So is it a good sequel? Yes I believe it is. Is it better than the first film? It's about the same in tone but there are more characters that grab my interest than in the first one so I would have to say it's only slightly better but not by much. Is it worth watching? There are worse movie sequels out there but I Still Know What You Did Last Summer isn't one of them.

 I Still Know What You Did Last Summer (Teaser)

Next Blog: We tackle a different horror film trilogy and now that it is the time for horror being close to Halloween I hope you will join me as we take a look at an obscure little treat called Ginger Snaps.