Sometimes a film will amass quite a bit, a box office smash, and even have sequels, but it is panned and considered a wretched creation without an original conceptual design and a poor story arc, this is just that sort of film. Horror fans in general disliked this film when initially released though it earned over $70 million, but why; there is no consistency for the agreement or disinterest, let’s see if that opinion still holds true. As we return to the latter half of the 90s, Wes Craven returned in classic form and thereby reinvented the slasher genre with a stylish movie Scream [1996] and a quick sequel Scream 2 [1997] struck gold and unleashed Ghostface to the masses, hence a micro resurgence occurred. This took hold in 1997, with I Know What You Did Last Summer by Halloween H20: 20 Years Later [1998] and cult hit Campfire Tales, aside from the latter movie the others abandoned the grittiness often associated with the genre and shifted to a stylish world with the ‘beautiful people’ though Cherry Falls [2000] would attempt to straddle the line. Urban Legend was Jamie Blanks debut feature, using a script from Silvio Horta, that some at the time considered to a complete rip-off of Scream, though that film took a lot of influence from quite a few other films Psycho [1960], Halloween [1978], Sorority House Massacre [1986] and of course Friday the 13th [1980] some seem to overlook that aspect – strange.
Brad Dourif
It all starts with Michelle (Natasha Gregson Wagner (Modern Vampires [1998])) driving and sing off-key to Pendleton College but her SUV needs gas suddenly luck has (of course) an open gas station she’s met abruptly by an eccentric, stuttering attendant (an uncredited Brad Dourif (Wildling [2018])) returns to Michelle’s car window, explaining that her credit card company needs to speak her and she overreacts and flees in terror then an ominous axe blade is rising from the shadows behind. Then cut to college in New Hampshire, (sorry not a real place several colleges were used in Tornoto, Canada), and listening to a campus radio talk show about relationships featuring Sasha (Tara Reid (Charlie’s Farm [2014]))), before one more crucial transition spot.
Tara Reid and Michael Rosenbaum
Joshua Jackson; Michael Rosenbaum; Rebecca Gayheart; Alicia Witt
Danielle Harris
It is here we meet our primary cast of college students, with Parker (Michael Rosenbaum) telling the tale the infamous Stanley Hall Massacre twenty-five years prior (only fitting to review it now that it is 25-years later) listening intently is Natalie (Alicia Witt) her best friend Brenda (Rebecca Gayheart (Santa’s Slay [2005])) who has a crush on obnoxious journalist Paul (Jared Leto (American Psycho [2000])). Afterward the two engage in the legend of ‘bloody Mary’ in front Stanley hall repeating it 5 times with lame jump scare from frat brother and jokester supreme Damon (Joshua Jackson (Shutter [2008])), finally before the evening closes out we meet the resident goth chick Tosh (Danielle Harris (Ghost of Goodnight Lane [2014])). Alas by morning we finally meet Professor William Wexler (Robert Englund (Zombie Stripers! [2008])) and his class Urban Legends and Folklore with many of those same students consequently in the class, discussing the babysitter getting phones from within the house among other silly topics. The students finally learn about the tragic death of Michelle, and at the same time the student newspaper (a thing from yesteryear) is confiscated while informed the school has the lowest crime rate with just one security guard, always on duty. That guard is Reese Wilson (Loretta Devine) who acts like her heroine Pam Grier and enjoys watching Coffy (1973) and playing with a pistol, yet another safe activity while its later revealed that Wexler is one of the sole survivors of 1973 massacre. Soon the students start dropping out of school permanently, we are handed another red herring, from a moody reluctant doomsayer Weird Janitor (Julian Richings (The Witch [2015])), yep his actual character name, while two of the students do an impression of Nancy Drew in tracking down clues.
Jared Leto
Julian Richings
Dean Adams (John Neville (Unearthly Stranger [1963])) isn’t concern at all, a bit incompetent or perhaps more worried about the school financial risks and refuses to add-on other security guards so much for caring about public safety so when death greets him the audience is in full agreement with his dismissal. One thing the movie gets right is to use people as possible killer set-ups or kill them off before getting well into the third act, especially when Reese goes for a slip-n-slide in a pool of rich bright blood, sort of remined me of Maureen McCormick in Return to Horror High [1987]. Simply by the end much is revealed, and some should be achieving payouts and straight A’s for the semester of studying for the exam of staying alive.
The film is well-done, and the cast works well together with each contributing the right amount of gusto in their perspective characters to project the film forward, including some convincing screams and bouts with rational thinking versus insanity. However, the film loads up heavily with red herrings, Robert Englund’s appearance was a clear indicator, and the film burrows a simplistic yet easily justified element from I Know What You Did Last Summer, if one recalls the rain slicker well here that is parka with a hood that shadows out a person’s face.
The Killer…
There’s one’s definitely cruel remark made about (spoiler) Tosh, as she is goth and when it appears she killed herself, another self-centered student in passing says to paramedic says “better check her pulse she’s looked like that for years…” a very distasteful remark. Blanks does his best to heighten some of the scares or tension all in attempts to generate jump scares, though fails along with lack of intense gore. Horta used a lot of Scream, perhaps a little too much, Natalie acts similar to Sidney while Paul is the Gale character ambitious to a fault and Reese clearly do an impression of Dewey, everything about this comparison that others have noted too is right on point; although there is another comparison, Dean Adams reminds me of Mayor Vaughn from Jaws [1975]. The urban legends used in the film are primary all myths laid to rest, though coincidentally the flashing of headlights of gang initiation started circulating once again in October 1998 and this film was released on September 25, 1998.
John Neville and Loretta Devine
As with any successful film there is going to be copycats, Jaws [1975] had them such as Grizzly [1976] and obviously Halloween launched and industry of the slashers namely Friday the 13th which in turn developed and encourage a slew of films, therefore yes, Scream did the same without a doubt. The movie suffered a lot of turmoil from the core of horror fans, unsatisfied with the numerous cliches and plot convenience, occurring on a college campus, like Scream 2, however once more that film wasn’t the first feature slasher set on a campus. In fact, most forget about Final Exam [1981], Girls Nite Out [1982], and Splatter University [1984] just to name a few, though I eliminated those that take primary at a sorority or fraternity house. The final verdict, while the horror was toned down, not explicit lopping heads off, it reach its intended target audience seniors in high school and likely freshmen on campus, nevertheless, it found a campy cult following 25-years later as the audience then have kept the interest alive with their love for a steady paced slasher.
TAGLINES:
- Get Ready To Face Your Worst Fears.
- It Happened To Someone Who Knows Someone You Know… You’re Next.
- What You Don’t Believe Can Kill You.
- Just because it didn’t happen, doesn’t mean it can’t
- Urban legends can kill
- At Pendelton Univ., Urban Legends are coming true!
- Never Talk To Strangers, Never Answer The Phone, Never Flash Your Lights, Never Leave The Car, And Always Believe, What You’re Told
Robert Englund
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0146336/
IMDb Rating: 5.6/10
Baron’s Craze: 5.0/10
Followed By:
Urban Legends: Final Cut (2000)
Urban Legends: Bloody Mary (Video 2005)
Ghosts of Goldfield (Video 2007)
Footnote:
The Urban Legends used in this movie, “The Killer in the Backseat” seems to date back to 1968 though a few reports hint to findings from 1935; variation of “The Boyfriend’s Death” gained popularity through fear of the Zodiac Killer and Son of Sam; “The Gang Initiation” which is also called ‘High Beams’. Then “Slasher under the Car” dates back to 1950s; with “The Babysitter” legend actual has more of a reality connection with the 1940 unsolved murder of Janett Christman and inspired Black Christmas [1974].