11 Comments

That car wreck scene has never really been topped in the entire series so far.

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Yeah, it's the best "cheating death" scene for all of them. This is my favorite Final Destination film.

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Great write-up, but I think you've confused Ali Landry for another similarly-named starlet from the period, Ali Larter.

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You are correct, sir! That explains why I kept thinking that she was the girl from the Pepsi commercials when she became famous in an even weirder way: she was the face and body of a fake profile hoax in Esquire satirizing celebrity profiles. Then came movies, TV and genuine stardom: https://www.salon.com/1996/11/01/media961101/. I will revise accordingly!

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As good as the first is, the series probably peaked with the opening scene of this one. The next peak comes midway through #3 (we'll get there when we get there) and then... the rest is a blank.

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A study of landmark stunts for each film era would be interesting.

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After the first one, this is probably my second favourite. The log truck scene makes it worth the price of admission. Whatever that is. The 5th one might be tied for this spot. Great set piece to open that film as well.

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The opening disaster in this movie seems to have had an outsized impact on modern culture. I have read SO many comments over the years from people saying stuff like, "I still get freaked out by logging trucks", or "I changed my driving habits because of this movie". One would think that fear of flying (first movie) or fear of bridges (fourth? fifth?) are much more universal, but this movie's set piece is the one that truly hit a nerve more than any other.

(Having said that, I will never look at tanning beds the same way again.)

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Thanks for this - great to get your take on a legendary film

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Oh man I hope Ali Larter doesn’t read this, and she definitely will

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to be fair, it is pretty easy to mix them up. I spent the whole movie thinking she was the viral Pepsi "It" Girl from the late 1990s, when that's the other one.

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