Urban Legend (1998) * * * 1/2 (out of four) Starring Jared Leto, Alicia Witt, Rebecca Gayheart, Natasha Wagner, Michael Rosenbaum, Loretta Devine, Joshua Jackson, Tara Reid, John Neville, Robert Englund and Brad Dourif Directed by Jamie Blanks Rated R for graphic violence and gore, profanity and suggested sex Theatrical aspect ratio of 2.35:1 Released in 1998 Running 99 minutes
Urban Legend surprised me. Based on the last few films the genre has produced (including but not exclusive to the likes of I Know What You Did Last Summer, Disturbing Behavior and the disappointing Halloween: H20), I was positive that I was in store for another mildly entertaining but silly and ultimately boring rehash of the Scream phenomena. Thankfully, Legend rose above it's soggy premise to become not only a hip, scary and stylish entertainment, but also what will probably become one of the best films of the year.
You're all familiar with the plot; a bunch of overly horny teenagers get systematically slaughtered by a masked maniac who's identity is not revealed until the closing moments of the film when it turns out to be, you guessed it; everybody's favorite veteran of the whodunit flicks...the only person you didn't suspect!
However, just because Legend doesn't really break any new ground as far as literary or even technical achievements go does not mean that it can't qualify as first-class entertainment. It was, believe it or not, one of the funnest times I've had at the movies all year.
The thing is, I'm not really sure what made this particular stab (pardon the pun) at the genre seem so fresh and alive. Maybe it was the above-par performances by the movie's two leads (Jared Leto and "Cybil" actress Alicia Witt). Or, it could have been the on- target direction by Jamie Blanks. More likely, though, it was because of the inspired premise. I don't think I need to tell you that a killer hacking people up ala urban folklore is much more frightening than a killer fisherman.
Urban Legend begins with a sequence that reminded me of the classic Scream opener, not so much in plotting as in attention to detail that makes for an absolutely chilling teaser for the rest of the film. A pretty young coed is driving down a deserted road when (gasp!) a gas problem (hee-hee) forces her to stop at an equally deserted gas station for a refill. One problem, though. Would you want to stop at a station run by Brad Dourif? I thought not. Predictably, the attendant ends up coaxing her into the main building to sort out a problem with the credit card company. It's odd, though, when you pick up a phone to realize that nobody's on the other line. Naturally, the potential victim escapes into her car and drives off. And the when we least expect it...WHACK!!! A decapitation. It turns out that the creepy looking attendant was just trying to warn her about the maniac in the back seat of the car.
So who is it this time? The obvious candidate is the slightly off-kilter professor at the college the girl went to (none other than Freddy Kruger himself, Robert Englund), who teaches a class on urban legends. A-ha. Or could it be the fame-hungry local journalist (Leto) looking for a meaty story to put on his resume? Like all movies of this nature, one of the chief pleasures is trying to guess whodunit. And it turns out to be, of course, the one you didn't suspect.
I'm not going to pretend Urban Legend is anything more than it is, but I must give credit where credit is due. And this flick definitely deserves credit for being what not many other recent horror films have been...fun.
*Complimentary movie ticket courtesy of Valley Cinemas in Lodi, CA
Copyright 1998 Jason Wallis
Get all of Jason Wallis' movie reviews at http://www.geocities.com/Hollywood/Boulevard/7475
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