The Skulls (2000)

User Rating:

5.3/10   

Director:

Rob Cohen

Writer (WGA):

John Pogue (written by)

Release Date:

31 March 2000 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Crime | Drama | Horror | Thriller

Tagline:

A secret society so powerful, it can give you everything you desire... at a price.

Plot:

Luke McNamara, a college senior from a working class background joins a secret elitist college fraternity organization called "The Skulls"...

Plot Keywords:

College | Secret Society | Fraternity | Murder | Psychiatric Hospital

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

Joshua Jackson	...	Lucas "Luke" McNamara
Paul Walker	...	Caleb Mandrake
Hill Harper	...	Will Beckford
Leslie Bibb	...	Chloe Whitfield
Christopher McDonald	...	Martin Lombard
Steve Harris	...	Detective Sparrow
William Petersen	...	Ames Levritt
Craig T. Nelson	...	Litten Mandrake
David Asman	...	Jason Pitcairn
Scott Gibson	...	Travis Wheeler
Nigel Bennett	...	Dr. Rupert Whitney
Andrew Kraulis	...	McBride
Derek Aasland	...	Sullivan
Jennifer Melino	...	J.J.
Noah Danby	...	Hugh Mauberson

Also Known As:

Le clan des Skulls (Canada: French title)

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for violence and brief sexuality.

Runtime:

106 min

Country:

USA | Canada

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

Iceland:12 | South Korea:15 | Argentina:13 | Australia:M | Canada:14A | Chile:14 | Denmark:15 | Finland:K-14 | France:U | Germany:12 | Hong Kong:IIB | New Zealand:M | Norway:15 | Peru:14 | Portugal:M/12 | Spain:13 | Sweden:15 | Switzerland:12 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:12 (canton of Vaud) | UK:15 | USA:PG-13 (certificate #37120) | Singapore:PG

Filming Locations:

Belfountain, Ontario, Canada

Company:

Cranium Films

Trivia:

In the motel scene, the lead characters are drinking from "Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf" cups. However, there are no branches of this coffee chain anywhere in the northeast United States or Canada (at time of filming).

Goofs:

Factual errors: Paint schemes of the oars are completely different than the actual oars of the colleges they are supposed to represent.

Quotes:

Senator Ames Levritt: Our rules supercede those of the outside world.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Choses secrètes (2002)

Soundtrack:

Right Here, Right Now

Some how I don’t think this film will be above any other at the box office.

The Skulls By Dean Kish

A Secret Society dwells among the hallowed halls of the college Ivy Leagues. But when one rebellious member decides that it isn’t for him. Can he escape? This is the loose story of Universal Pictures “The Skulls”. Joshua Jackson (Pacey on Dawson’s Creek) stars as Lucas McNamara. Lucas fears that he can’ t finish law school and his only alternative seems to be that he joins an underground society more corrupt than college fraternities. But when his roommate is killed for trying to infiltrate the society Lucas has had enough. I have to give Jackson and the likeable cast credit they actually made me believe that they were taking this plot seriously. What I mean is that the Skulls is one of those thrillers that has a great setup and likeable cast but no third act to clinch the story. Instead as Jackson gets in deeper the plot becomes more predictable. In a thriller, aren’t we supposed to be shocked and dismayed by the hidden key elements as they unravel? From the time that Jackson and his onscreen love interest Chloe (Leslie Bibb) have that steamy shower scene I knew where the plot was going. The only thing that shocked me is how predictable each step to the finale was.

“Live by the rules, die by the rules,” barks William Peterson to Jackson as he makes his break. Wasn’t he supposed to be there to break the rules? “A skull above no other!” is another goofy line delivered as members salute their inauguration. Some how I don’t think this film will be above any other at the box office. (2.5 of 5) So Says the Soothsayer.