The Skulls

views updated

The Skulls ★½ 2000 (PG-13)

Well, you just can't trust those darn secret societies. Teen star Jackson is Luke, an ambitious kid from the wrong side of the tracks at an “unnamed” Ivy League school that starts with “Y.” Because he's the captain of the rowing team, he's asked to join the elite secret society the “Skulls.” After the requisite hazing and initiation, Luke is showered with money and other perks. Membership has its privileges. But when his best friend Will (Harper) is found dead after snooping in Skull business, Luke supects foul play and the movie goes from laughable to ludicrous. This secret society, led by evil judge Litten Mandrake (Nelson), does a lot of its business, including duels and car chases, out in the open. Another entry using the teen-paranoiaadults-are-bad theme, which should, mercifuly, help kill off the genre for a while. 106m/C VHS, DVD . Joshua Jackson, Paul Walker, Hill Harper, Leslie Bibb, Christopher McDonald, Steve Harris, William L. Petersen, Craig T. Nelson; D: Rob Cohen; W: John Pogue; C: Shane Hurlbut; M: Randy Edelman.