Lovers Lane (1999 film)

Lovers Lane (also known as I'm Still Waiting for You) is a 2000 American slasher film directed by Jon Steven Ward and starring Erin Dean, Riley Smith, Sarah Lancaster, and Anna Faris in her feature film debut. The film is based on the urban legend of The Hook, and follows a group of teenagers who are terrorized by an escaped mental patient in and around lovers lane.

Independently produced and shot in Seattle, Washington, it was released direct-to-video in 2000.

Plot
Thirteen years ago, on Valentine's Day at the local lovers lane, Dee-Dee and Jimmy are making out in their car when a maniac wielding a steel hook attacks them. The pair escape the car and find another couple, Harriet and Ward, slaughtered in the car next to theirs. Soon after, psychiatrist Jack Grefe arrives, along with Sheriff Tom Anderson, who is distraught to find his wife, Harriet, is one of the lovers who has been murdered. The killer, Ray Hennessey is caught, and revealed to be one of Jack's patients who had an obsession with Harriet. Ray is incarcerated in a nearby state institution for the criminally insane and gains the nickname "The Hook".

In present day, Jack's popular daughter Chloe and Tom's socially awkward daughter Mandy attend the local high school together. During a class, Chloe hears her boyfriend Michael is planning to break up with her. In a fit of rage Chloe argues with Michael in the pool. Jack is quickly called into the school about his daughters actions where he meets with Principal Penny Lamson. Chloe is suspended from the school, while Michael is grounded by his mother, Principal Penny. Soon after, "The Hook" retrieves his weapon and escapes the mental institution. Upon hearing this news, Sheriff Tom warns Penny, as her husband had been having the affair with Harriet and was murdered along with her.

Later that night, Michael sneaks out of his room to meet his friends, including Chloe, Mandy, Bradley, cheerleader Janelle, joker Doug, and couple Cathy and Tim at the bowling alley. Also there is Deputy David Schwick, whom Sheriff Tom has put in charge of keeping Chloe and Mandy safe. After a while, Chloe, in an attempt to make Michael jealous, leaves with Bradley to go to lovers lane. As the pair travel in their car, Chloe enters a store, not realising the owner is murdered as she departs. Deputy David also enters the shop, only to be killed as well. Meanwhile, Penny discovers Michael is missing from his bedroom and alerts Sheriff Tom.

Meanwhile, Mandy, Michael, Janelle, Doug, Cathy and Tim arrive at lovers lane. The group find Bradley's car, only to discover he and Chloe have been murdered, before the hook arrives and stabs Tim to death. As the others try to escape in their car, Doug crashes into a tree, knocking everyone unconscious. After waking up, Mandy and Michael find the others gone. They travel to a nearby farmhouse where they arm themselves with a gun and find Janelle and Doug, who has broken his leg. While Janelle tends to Doug's injury, Mandy and Michael go to the barn to retrieve the missing owners car. Back inside, Janelle begins to hear noises before the hook smashes through a window. Janelle runs upstairs and barricades herself in a room, but the hook gets in and slaughters her. The hook then kills Doug.

In the barn, Michael and Mandy manage to get the car started. As Michael begins to drive he accidentally runs over Cathy, killing her. The pair re-enter the house and find Doug and Janelle dead before the hook attacks them. They lock themselves in the kitchen, and turn the gas on, before escaping out a window. As the hook opens the door, a match is sparked and the house blows up. Sheriff Tom and Penny go to Jack's house where they find a shrine devoted to Mandy, before rushing to lovers lane. At the farmhouse, Michael and Mandy take the owners car and begin to travel into town. On the way, they find Chloe still alive, who urges them to return to lovers lane as Bradley has also survived. Upon arrival, Mandy leaves Michael and Chloe in the car, only to find Bradley is actually dead, before she is dragged away into a bush. In the car, Chloe attacks Michael with her own hook. Michael elbows her and escapes, but as Chloe exits she is slaughtered by the killer.

Mandy is forced into a car by her attacker, revealed to be Jack who tells her he was the one that had killed Mandy's mother, Harriet, and had survived the explosion at the farmhouse. Michael saves Mandy, and as a fight breaks out, Tom and Penny arrive and shoot Jack before he is killed with his own hook.

The next day at lovers lane, Mandy and Michael are medically checked before they leave. Tom and Penny enter a police car, that is revealed to be driven by Ray, "The Hook".

Production
The film was shot on location in Seattle, Washington.

For Sarah Lancaster's nude scene, a stripper from Portland, Oregon was hired as a body double. A costumer from Portland was also employed to design Anna Faris's cheerleading outfit.

Release
The film was shown at the Bainbridge Island Film Festival on February 5, 2000.

Reception
Jon Condit from Dread Central stated, "Down a few cold ones and enjoy a return to simpler times. Back when little things like scripts, budgets, and knowing winks were not required."

Home media
Planet Entertainment released the film on directly to DVD on October 30, 2000. First Look Studios released a new DVD on July 16, 2002. Seville Pictures and Warner Bros. released a DVD edition in Canada in 2000.

Arrow Films released a special edition Blu-ray of the film on April 25, 2023, licensed by MGM Home Entertainment.