You probably forgot Jack Black was in a slasher movie. Honestly, most people do. Before he was the world’s favorite Kung Fu Panda or the guy shredding on a plastic guitar in School of Rock, Jack Black was just a guy named Titus Telesco. And Titus? Well, Titus was a mess.
It was 1998. The slasher genre was in a weird, post-Scream fever dream where every sequel needed to be bigger, louder, and somehow more tropical. Enter I Still Know What You Did Last Summer. It took the survivors from the first film, stuck them on a Bahamian resort during a hurricane, and threw in a "dreadlocked stoner" character that only Jack Black could pull off with that specific level of chaotic energy.
He didn't even get a credit in the opening crawl.
The Titus Telesco "Vibe"
Jack Black plays Titus, the resort's resident gardener and amateur pharmacist. He’s basically a walking 90s stereotype: a white guy with messy dreadlocks, a tie-dye shirt, and an accent that fluctuates between "surfer dude" and "I’ve spent too much time in the sun." He’s the guy who tries to sell the main cast weed the second they step off the boat.
It's a tiny role. He’s essentially there to be the "annoying local" that you secretly kind of want to see get hooked by the Fisherman. But because it’s Jack Black, he manages to make every second of his limited screen time feel like he's in a completely different movie. While Jennifer Love Hewitt is busy having panic attacks about karaoke lyrics, Jack Black is over in the corner talking about "good vibes" and "the herbs."
Why the uncredited cameo worked
Back then, Jack Black wasn't a household name. He was still the guy from Tenacious D playing clubs and doing bit parts in movies like The Jackal or Mars Attacks!. Not being credited actually helped the movie’s cult status later on. It’s that "Wait, is that...?" moment that makes rewatching 90s horror so fun.
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The character of Titus is pure 90s filler. In any other movie, he’d be forgettable. But Black brings this weird, jittery intensity to a guy who is supposed to be incredibly laid back. It’s the classic Jack Black paradox.
That Brutal Garden Shears Death
If you're watching I Still Know What You Did Last Summer, you're there for the kills. Titus’s exit is one of the more creative ones in the sequel. He’s hanging out in the pool generator room—his secret sanctuary for growing certain plants—when Ben Willis (the Fisherman) decides it’s time for some landscaping.
First, his hand gets pinned to a table with the iconic hook. Then, the Fisherman grabs a pair of massive garden shears. It’s not a quick death. It’s messy, it’s loud, and it’s one of the few times we see Jack Black genuinely terrified on screen instead of playing it for laughs.
His last words? "It's all good."
Narrator: It was not, in fact, all good.
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Is Jack Black in the new 2025 sequel?
There has been a massive amount of buzz lately because the franchise is officially back. With the release of the 2025 legacy sequel (directed by Jennifer Kaytin Robinson), fans have been scouring the cast lists for any sign of the original stars.
We know Jennifer Love Hewitt and Freddie Prinze Jr. are the anchors. We’ve seen the new blood like Madelyn Cline and Nicholas Alexander Chavez. But what about Jack?
- The Reality: Titus is super dead. Like, "shears through the chest" dead.
- The Hope: Director Jennifer Kaytin Robinson has been vocal about honoring the "canon" of the 1998 sequel. While Jack Black isn't a lead, the horror community loves a good flashback or a "brother of the victim" trope.
- The Verdict: As of right now, there is no official confirmation of a Jack Black return. Given he’s now one of the biggest stars on the planet, a cameo would likely be a closely guarded secret or, frankly, too expensive for a slasher budget.
Honestly, it’s probably better if he stays in the past. Part of the charm of Jack Black in I Still Know is that it feels like a fever dream from a specific era of Hollywood.
What the 1998 Sequel Got Right (and Wrong)
Let's be real: critics hated this movie. It currently sits at a pretty grim 7% on Rotten Tomatoes. But if you talk to horror fans, they’ll tell you it’s actually more fun than the original.
The setting is claustrophobic. The storm adds a layer of genuine tension. And the cast is surprisingly stacked. You’ve got Brandy, Mekhi Phifer, and even Jennifer Esposito. It’s a snapshot of 1998 pop culture.
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The "twist" where they realize they answered the radio contest question wrong—that the capital of Brazil is Brasília, not Rio—is peak cinema. It’s the kind of "gotcha" moment that only works in a pre-smartphone world. If Julie James had Google, the movie would have ended in five minutes.
How to watch it today
If you want to revisit the Titus Telesco era, the movie is usually floating around on various streaming services like Max or Hulu, depending on the month. It’s a staple of Pluto TV’s horror channel too.
It’s the perfect "popcorn and turn your brain off" flick. You don't need a deep analysis of the Fisherman’s psyche. You just need a guy with dreads getting chased by a man in a raincoat.
Actionable Next Steps
If you're a fan of the franchise or just Jack Black's early work, here is how to dive deeper:
- Watch the 2025 Sequel: It just hit theaters (and will be on digital soon). It explicitly treats the 1998 movie as canon, which is a rare win for fans of the "island" sequel.
- Check out Tenacious D in The Pick of Destiny: If you want to see the other side of Jack Black's 90s/early 2000s energy, this is the companion piece to his Titus performance.
- Trivia Night: Next time you’re with friends, ask them what the capital of Brazil is. If they say Rio, tell them they’re about to get murdered on a tropical island. It’s a great icebreaker.
The legacy of Jack Black in I Still Know isn't about high art. It's about a rising star putting 100% effort into a 5-minute role where he gets stabbed with gardening tools. That’s why we love him.
Expert Insight: While some fans argue the 1998 sequel ruined the "grounded" feel of the first film, the inclusion of actors like Jack Black actually paved the way for the "meta-horror" comedy that became dominant in the 2000s. He brought a levity that most slasher actors were too afraid to touch at the time.