MovieChat Forums > I Still Know What You Did Last Summer (1998) Discussion > Question involving the ending? Spoilers.

Question involving the ending? Spoilers.

posted 14 years ago by Persephone26
11 replies | jump to latest

Am I the only one that thinks Ben Willis is still alive? I'm ignoring the third movie, of course, and assuming the ending to the second one was a dream.
I say this because:
At the beginning of the first movie where he gets hit he should have been seriously injured and messed up especially after being thrown in the water and yet he was perfectly fine a year later.
Then at the end, he's thrown in the water, nobody sees him get out and again, perfectly fine the next year.
And on top of it, it's a slasher/horror movie. I would definately believe he was still alive. (Not in the real world, but in the horror/slasher universe.)
If anyone would like to discuss this with me, please feel free! Even if they don't agree, I love to discuss and debate!

[–] SeleneGoddess 14 years ago

I'm ignoring the third movie, of course,

Good job! (not sarcasm, btw. The third movie was sh!t!) haha

At the beginning of the first movie where he gets hit he should have been seriously injured and messed up especially after being thrown in the water and yet he was perfectly fine a year later.

Not necessarily. Aside from people who slit their wrists under water, water slows the process of bleeding down somewhat, from what I've heard.

Then at the end, he's thrown in the water, nobody sees him get out and again, perfectly fine the next year.
And on top of it, it's a slasher/horror movie. I would definately believe he was still alive. (Not in the real world, but in the horror/slasher universe.)
If anyone would like to discuss this with me, please feel free! Even if they don't agree, I love to discuss and debate!

Is it safe to assume you're referring to the first movie? At the end of the second movie, which takes place in Bahamas, the last we see Ben Willis is him in an open grave with the rain pouring down on him.

Maybe this would've happened sooner if I'd have kept my little wiccan nose out of it.

[–] Persephone26 14 years ago

Thanks for replying! I enjoyed reading the responses!
And yeah, I meant the end of the first one, I completely forgot I was also taling about the second one!
And if you happen to come back to this thread, after the ending of the second movie, would you find it reasonable if they brought him back for a third?

[–] canad-ian 14 years ago

First movie he got hit by a car and tossed in the water. I've known friends who've been hit by cars and they haven't died, and only walked away with maybe a broken bone. And if you're a fairly strong swimmer, you could've surfaced with not a lot of effort required.

As for the end of the first movie, instead of getting hit, he gets his hand lopped off. If you could avoid going into shock, I've also heard of people who are able to swim fairly well with only one arm.

However, when you get shot 5 times from point blank range, and then fall into an open grave where mud and water are rushing down on you, the odds of surviving that are virtually impossible. Even if you had a bullet proof vest, 5 shots would at least knock you out. Then falling into a grave, with all the mud and the water would asphyxiate you.

That's my opinion. Take it or leave it.

[–] Persephone26 14 years ago

I appreciate the opinion. And I agree. Getting shot 5 times and then falling into mud and the water would kill you...in real life. But this is a horror/slasher film. Things aren't always realistic.

[–] flowerstardust1979 14 years ago

I think it's one of those movies where it's left open for your own interpretation. She could of been dreaming or it was deliberatly left open incase they decided to make a 3rd...which they did, but a bad one and no link to the original 2. It's like at the end of the 1st movie where she is in the shower the hook swoops in at the end. That was obviously a dream because of how the 2nd one begins showing a year after they "killed" Ben willis so the whole shower scene at the end of the 1st was obviously just a dream. For some reason I think I preffered the 2nd movie over the 1st one. The 1st one is still a classic though as far as my favourite slasher flicks go from my teens.

Life is like a movie. Only you can't pick your genre.

[–] Cural 12 years ago

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However, when you get shot 5 times from point blank range, and then fall into an open grave where mud and water are rushing down on you, the odds of surviving that are virtually impossible. Even if you had a bullet proof vest, 5 shots would at least knock you out. Then falling into a grave, with all the mud and the water would asphyxiate you.
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After she unloaded on him, you see no GSWs to the head or face, so she must have unloaded them all in his chest area, likely aiming for lungs or heart. If he had a bulletproof vest, he would likely survive, though as you mention it could knock you out. When he fell into the grave, he could well have been still alive.

After that, he might not have been covered with enough mud to asphyxiate him, so all he would be getting is a bit of rain on his face, which wouldn't be the same as actually being immersed in water.

You could make an argument for him being buried alive, but since they don't actually show them burying him, I wouldn't count on it happening. If there's one thing you can count on in a slasher pic, if you didn't see it, it didn't happen. All you really see is just a bit of mud on his face, not even really covering enough of his face to asphyxiate him.

I know I would've certainly filled in the hole, to make sure he stays in the ground, but slasher pic characters are notoriously stupid. They probably didn't think of it, assuming he was dead, and probably a bit too scared to go near the body. Often enough, when people get close to investigate the body, that's when the body sits up and attacks you. ;)

All he needs to do is lie there, pretending to be unconscious (after he wakes up from being knocked out, anyways), and wait for everybody to clear out. Then he can get up, slip out to a hiding place, wait for everyone to leave the island, then leave by some other means.

Alan Lafond

[–] fiatlux-1 13 years ago

I wondered whether he was alive or it was as a dream. I assumed at first that it was a dream, mainly because of the bullets she pumped into him PLUS the fact that surely they had a BODY before they left the island??!
He fell in an open grave, riddled with bullets. If he left/got out somehow, wouldn't Julie and Ray be much more concerned? Julie is seen skipping and tapping the house sign happily, as if she hasn't a care in the world anymore.

I suppose he could have been wearing a bulletproof vest, but as I mentioned above, wouldn't they make certain the body was accounted for?

"I'd say this cloud is Cumulo Nimbus."
"Didn't he discover America?"
"Penfold, shush."

[–] gregglop09 11 years ago

It was clearly a dream. He is dead. The third movie tries to make it look like Ray and Julie were killed (the article the main characters read) but the only "teenagers" that were killed were Tyrell and Will. The article said that 3 teenagers were killed in the Bahamas but that is impossible since Ray and Julie were "killed" at their house. I hate the third film with a passion because of this. It should have never been made...

[–] LongCarbine 11 years ago

I counted 8 shots fired from the revolver, which means it was a small caliber like 22 probably. This means that if he had a vest, he would have easily survived.

Also, FPJ didn't even know if the gun was loaded when he traded for it, so the other guy might have put in fake bullets.

I hated the ending btw. Cheap.

[–] JohnGardicotis 11 years ago

I would have gotten a shovel and buried him. Especially after he survived the first movie.

[–] bradleynath 10 years ago

In the paperback novel before Ben falls in the grave he shouts "I'll always be with you Julie" it's cut from the film but it kind of implies that he would have returned for I'll Always Know What You Did Last Summer.

I'm still furious over the third film.

If the remake goes forth I hope they make the full trilogy as it would have been.