90s Teen Slashers – Scream and I Know What You Did Last Summer

In this episode of Horror Joy, hosts Brian and Jeff revisit the iconic nineties teen slasher films Scream (1996) and I Know What You Did Last Summer (1997).

They explore how Scream redefined the slasher genre with its meta-horror elements and adherence to and subversion of classic horror rules.
They contrast this with I Know What You Did Last Summer’s more traditional approach, discussing its themes of future anxiety, class conflict, and the psychological impact of social expectations.
They reflect on the nostalgia of the VHS era and the communal aspect of watching horror films.

By the episode’s end, Brian and Jeff conclude that Scream holds up as a genre-defining classic but I Know What You Did Last Summer is not an especially good or scary movie.

So, what is your favorite scary movie? Grab your cordless phone and rekindle the hope of the approaching new millennium. But don’t hold on too tight, because we all know how quickly that could be dashed by a ubiquitous masked killer. And if we get lost along the way, don’t worry. We’ll be right back.

Killing Mr. Griffin

Lois Duncan

Beneath the Trees Where Nobody Sees by Patrick Horvath

Valerie Wee – “Resurrecting and Updating the Teen Slasher: The Case of Scream”

Matt Frucci – “‘I Know What You Did Last Summer’ is no ‘Scream'”

Alexandra West – The 1990s Teen Horror Cycle: Final Girls and a New Hollywood Formula

00:00 The Rules of the Slasher Genre

01:05 Teen Slashers: Scream vs. I Know What You Did Last Summer

02:46 Personal Nostalgia and Cultural Impact

04:39 Revisiting Scream: A Cultural Phenomenon

06:10 The Opening Scene: Setting the Stage for Horror

09:59 The Meta Commentary and Rules of Survival