Urban Legend (1998)

A college coed suspects that murders around her campus are connected to Urban Legends.

Director:

Jamie Blanks

Writer:

Silvio Horta

Stars:

Jared Leto, Alicia Witt, Rebecca Gayheart

1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Jared Leto	...	Paul Gardener
Alicia Witt	...	Natalie Simon
Rebecca Gayheart	...	Brenda Bates
Michael Rosenbaum	...	Parker Riley
Loretta Devine	...	Reese Wilson
Joshua Jackson	...	Damon Brooks
Tara Reid	...	Sasha Thomas
John Neville	...	Dean Adams
Julian Richings	...	Weird Janitor
Robert Englund	...	Professor William Wexler
Danielle Harris	...	Tosh Guaneri
Natasha Gregson Wagner	...	Michelle Mancini
Gord Martineau	...	David McAree
Kay Hawtrey	...	Library Attendant
Angela Vint	...	Bitchy Girl

Storyline

After a bravura opening sequence featuring Natasha Gregson Wagner getting slaughtered by the killer with an ax hiding in the backseat of her car, Urban Legend tells the story of a group of pretty college students at a remote New England university. The focus of the story is Natalie, a beautiful, academically-gifted student at the fictional Pendleton University. Natalie and her friends are all involved in the Folklore class being taught by Professor Wexler. Wexler regales his class with urban legends, which include Pendleton's own urban legend about a Psych professor who murdered six students at Stanley Hall 25 years ago. Natalie is the first one to suspect there's a killer on campus, especially after she has ties to all of the victims. First, it's her high school friend, a guy she's in the woods with at night, her roommate... No one, including her friends, Wexler, Dean Adams and security guard, of course, believes her until it's too late and everyone begins to die according to famous ...

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Plot Keywords:

urban legend | friend | campus | professor | college | 

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Taglines:

What You Don't Believe Can Kill You.

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Genres:

Horror | Thriller | Mystery

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for horror violence/gore, language and sexual content

Details

Country:

USA France

Language:

English

Release Date:

25 September 1998 (USA)

Also Known As:

Urban Legends

Filming Locations:

Etobicoke Olympium, Etobicoke, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Box Office

Budget:

$14,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

£342,138 (UK) (26 February 1999)

Gross:

£1,146,110 (UK) (19 March 1999)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Canal+ Droits Audiovisuels, Original Film, Phoenix Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

99 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital SDDS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The car driven in the beginning was originally supposed to be a Land Rover. It was changed to the Ford Expedition (the largest 4x4 available at the time) because the filmmakers discovered they couldn't swing an axe inside a Land Rover.

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Goofs

There is a safety cable visible when Sasha is hanging over the stair-rail (at right arm).

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Quotes

Professor William Wexler: Had those before?
Brenda: Yeah. They're Pop Rocks; they crackle in your mouth.
Professor William Wexler: Eat some... thirsty?... What's wrong? Something you might have heard about mixing Pop Rocks and Soda?
Brenda: Well, supposedly, your stomach and your intestines and everything bursts.

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Connections

References Heathers (1988)

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Soundtracks

"Love Rollercoaster"
Written by Ralph Middlebrooks, James 'Diamond' Williams (as James L. Williams),
Leroy 'Sugarfoot' Bonner (as Leroy Bonner), Marshall E. Jones (as Marshall Jones),
, Clarence Satchell, Willie Beck, Marvin Pierce
Performed by The Ohio Players

User Reviews

Entertaining, sometimes clever, style over substance horror film.

When New England College, Natalie (Alicia Witt) finds out that her former best friend (Natasha Gregson Wagner) was murdered not far from an gas station. Now she finds herself in danger, the mysterious killer who killed his best friend is now stalking her friends and murdering them. An ambitious college reporter student (Jared Leto) tries to help her to find the killer but Natalie isn't what she seems to be as well. Since she has an very dark secret, she kept hidden from her friends at College. But her former friend's murder is based on a urban legend, which this killer is re-creating from these eerie tales.

Directed by Jamie Blanks (Valentine) made an entertaining horror film with some clever touches of suspense and black comedy. This movie was certainly made in the wake of "Scream". Which many film critics felt it was an bad rip-off but i felt it is one of the better horror pictures of the late 1990's. This features has better than expected cast, including:Rebecca Gayheart, Joshua Jackson, Tara Reid, Michael Rosenbaum, Loretta Devine, John Neville, Julian Richings and Robert Englund. Director Blanks and Screenwriter:Silvio Horta (Best known as being the developer for TV's "Ugly Betty) are certainly having fun with their character, the suspense, dark humour and plenty of amusing in-jokes as well. Despite bad reviews by movie critics, it was an surprise box office hit. When it was released in the fall of 1998, i remember seeing it over ten years ago and i still enjoy it.

DVD has an sharp anamorphic Widescreen (2.35:1) transfer (Also in Pan & Scan) and an good Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound. DVD has an amusing commentary track by Blanks, Horta and Rosenbaum. DVD also has Behind the Scream with commentary by the filmmakers, a deleted scene, the original theatrical trailer and a collector's booklet. If "Urban Legend" has an flaw, it is during the last 20 minutes of the picture. The movie goes way over the top with an disappointing conclusion. But "Urban Legend" is one of those movies, you could tell that the cast & crew has a great time making this. This is worth seeing. Brad Dourif appears uncredited. Followed by two loose sequels. Super 35. (****/*****).