Title: Urban Legend
Director: Jamie Blanks
Writer: Silvio Horta
Release Date: September 25, 1998
Cast: Jared Leto, Alicia Witt, Rebecca Gayheart, Joshua Jackson, Loretta Devine, Tara Reid, Michael Rosenbaum, Robert Englund, Danielle Harris, Julian Sands, Brad Dourif
Urban Legend Cliff’s Notes
When a psycho with a penitent for folk tales starts to lay waste to the student body of Pendleton College, a pair of students gets drawn into the mystery. Could it be connected to their pasts? Yeah. It probably is.
Lecture
Urban Legend does a number of things right. The cast is, mostly, top notch, and includes genre faves Robert Englund and Danielle Harris in solid supporting roles, which gives a little dignity to this forgettable slasher.
There are a slew of fun scare opportunities, and the urban-legend-as-a-murder-motif brings enough originality to the flick that it doesn’t feel overdone. That alone gives this puppy enough juice to get through the first half of the flick. Add to that some solid directing choices, a quality score, and a final fight with the baddie that kicks all kinds of butt, and you’ve got yourself an okay little slasher.
Unfortunately, the originality streak doesn’t last through the second act. As we slide closer to the climax, the movie shifts into a standard slasher. Sure, there are a few kills that are fun, but it hits the been-there, done-that kind of vibe too hard.
What’s more, as the plot twists and turns, I found myself caring less and less for the main character. By the time the final twist hits, I’m pretty much rooting for the killer. The only reason I’m siding with the “heroes” is that there’s no way to justify the slasher taking out a bunch of secondary victims. The lead can bite it.
But still, even with the pacing problems and lackluster lead, UL manages a fair amount of tension and really milks its groovy set up to a T. In terms of the late nineties slashers, it’s more or less forgettable, but not a terrible excuse for a flick.
Acting
Rosenbaum, Reid, and Jackson are all solid, as is Gayheart until the finale. Englund, Harris, Dourif and Richings bring the horror shenanigans, while Witt is less effective. Sure, the role is written really poorly, but she ain’t helping. Leto is the standout; his amoral journalist gig is solid and I never knew which side he was on.
Directing
Blanks’ flick looks like a million bucks. It’s shot well and the few stylish touches are nice. Guy also manages a nice set of stalk scenes, ripe with tension, and pull off a great final fight.
Script
Eh, not the best. The characters are alright, if simplistically drawn, but the more we hang out with them, the less time I wanted them to be alive. The script is also very quick to embrace coincidence (seriously, how many people own that damn coat!?!) which weakens some of the tension. Plus, the final “I’m-a-killer-here’s-my-monologue” scene is literally laughable. How bad is it? Don’t worry; I’ve brought a visual aid:
Effects
This puppy is light on the red stuff, though when it hits, it’s a-OK. That’s not to say this puppy isn’t violent, but the final blows are either bloodless or off screen. Highlight to the microwave.
Highlights
Dug the Pop Rocks bit. Fun times!
Lowlights
A visual aid!?! Really?!?! Come on! The whole scene, except for the attempted kidney heist, was awful.
Final Thoughts
Yeah, it’s not Scream (yes, Scream 2 is way better). And sure, the urban legend theme isn’t exactly utilized in the last half of the flick, but there are worse slashers out there. If this one has a curse, it’s just that the entire thing seems forgettable.