...and most of the actors step into their roles with a tongue-in-cheek attitude.
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"It happened to someone who knows someone you know..." -- Urban Legend
This probably sounds a little convenient, but I can actually remember the very first time I ever heard an urban legend. I was in the gymnasium of my elementary school during phys-ed, and one of the gossip girls shared the famous story of "Bloody Mary" with the rest of the class. As is normally the case with a group of kids, it wasn't too long before dares were being passed around like hot potatoes to lure any brave 10-year-old into summoning the murderous spirit. All we had to do was turn off the lights to the restroom, venture into the darkness alone, and say "Bloody Mary" three times while staring into the mirror.
I don't recall anyone stepping forward that day, and I know for a fact that I sure as hell didn't volunteer. I'm smart enough to know that I shouldn't be poking sleeping dragons with sharp sticks... whether dragons are real or not.
After "Scream" revived the dying slasher genre during the mid-90s, the huge success of the Wes Craven film inspired a whole slew of horror films hoping to stake a claim in the box office gold mine. Two of the more notable ones recently received the high-definition treatment on Blu-ray by Sony Pictures: "I Know What You Did Last Summer" (which I also reviewed not too long ago) and this one, "Urban Legend."
The central character in "Urban Legend" is Natalie (Alicia Witt), a college student enrolled at Pendleton University. Natalie lugs around more than her fair share of emotional baggage from a tragic event from her past, although the exact details are sketchy until later on in the movie. All we know is that something quite troubling happened to her, and she's trying to move on with her life.
Natalie's road to recovery is cut short when the campus newspaper reports that the decapitated body of one of the other students, Michelle Mancini (Natasha Gregson Wagner), had been found during the night. Most of the school reads about this horrific event and their hearts go out to the victim, but like most of society they're able to quickly push it out of their minds and continue about their daily routine. All except for Natalie, of course, where the tragic news really hits home.
But just as she's sorting through her thoughts and dealing with what happened, the Pendleton murder transforms into a string of serial killings. What's even worse is that the crimes appear to be the handiwork of someone sadistically obsessed with urban legends. The crime scenes are meticulously schemed and staged to re-create popular mythical folktales, and somehow, Natalie soon finds herself at the center of it all.
While it's true that "Urban Legend" is a slasher flick, rookies Jamie Blanks (director) and Silvio Horta (screenwriter) still manage to find ways to keep the movie stimulating all the way through. First is the clever application of a variety of fascinating legends that have been floating around for decades. "Pop Rocks and Soda," "High-beam Initiation," and "Bloody Mary" are just a handful of these twisted tales that creep into the film in one form or another. Part of the experience is wondering which urban legend is coming next, and with so many stuffed into the picture it never gets stale.
The film pays homage to two of classic horror's most iconic faces. Brad Dourif, who brought the psychotic doll "Chucky" to life, makes a memorable appearance as the stuttering gas station attendant. Plus Freddy Krueger himself, Robert Englund, stars as the eccentric Professor Wexler. I never grow tired of seeing these brilliant character actors on screen, and it must have been a stroke of luck and/or genius bringing them aboard.
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[release]24041[/release]