Cast: Jared Leto, Alicia Witt, Rebecca Gayheart, Michael Rosenbaum, Loretta Devine, Joshua Jackson,
Tara Reid, John Neville, Robert Englund, Danielle Harris, Natasha Gregson Wagner
Director: Jamie Blanks
Producers: Neal H. Moritz, Gina Matthews, and Michael McDonnell
Screenplay: Silvio Horta
Cinematography: James Chressanthis
Music: Christopher Young
U.S. Distributor: TriStar Pictures
Resurrected by the Wes Craven/Kevin Williamson collaboration, Scream, the slasher flick is alive and kicking in the late 1990s. There are, of course, several notable differences between the '80s version of the genre and the '90s revival. First and foremost, all overt sex and nudity has been removed from the screen (you don't have to be a virgin to survive). Secondly, '90s horror movies have attempted to beef up their backstories. It's no longer just about some implacable guy in a mask who wanders around eviscerating unsuspecting teens. Take the latest example, Urban Legend, which possesses a fascinating core idea (a serial killer who delights in re-creating the most grisly of modern myths). Unfortunately, as all film-goers know and this movie once again demonstrates, a solid premise does not guarantee a good story.
For those who don't know what an urban legend is, the production notes kindly supply the following definition: "A modern day folktale that appears mysteriously and spreads spontaneously in various forms containing elements of humor or horror… Urban legends often have a basis in fact, but it's their ever-changing lives after the fact that make them intriguing." The movie interweaves a number of urban legends into its fabric: The Backseat Ax Murderer, The Fraternity Massacre, The Stranded Couple, The Murder with the Lights Off, The Caller in the House with the Babysitter, Pop Rocks & Pepsi, The High Beams Car Chase, The Microwaved Pet, and The Stolen Kidney. While some of these may be unfamiliar to certain viewers, nearly everyone seeing this movie will have heard of at least one or two such incidents, and that helps to ratchet up the level of interest.
The film's heroine is Natalie (Alicia Witt), an academically gifted but uptight student at a quiet Maine college. Fundamentally, Natlie doesn't seem to be much different from her fellow undergraduates, including Paul (Jared Leto), a journalism major; Brenda (Rebecca Gayheart), her best friend; Parker (Michael Rosenbaum), the resident cynic; Damon (Joshua Jackson), a practical jokester; and Sasha (Tara Reid), a blond bombshell with her own late-night campus radio program. Then the murders start: Natalie's high school best friend, a guy she's with in the woods at night, her roommate… While everyone else sees the deaths as a series of freaky, coincidental accidents, Natalie becomes convinced that she is being stalked by a killer who is re-creating a different urban legend for each of his attacks. (The movie Copycat, about a murderer mimicking famous slayings, used a similar concept to much greater effect.) One of her chief suspects is Dr. Wexler (Robert Englund), a professor who teaches a Mythology & Folklore class.
For approximately two-thirds of its 100 minute running time, Urban Legend manages to keep the level of tension consistently high, even though it steals shamelessly from other, better horror movies (Halloween in particular – note the sequence when the "shape" stalks a character fleeing into an elevator). There are some genuinely creepy moments such as when a figure rises up in the backseat of a car behind the oblivious driver or when a girl realizes that a murder was committed in her room while she slept. Unfortunately, the final half-hour is a mess of red herrings, preposterous plot twists, and overacting. First-time director Jamie Blanks' attempts to fool the audience about the killer's identity causes Urban Legend to self-destruct. It's as if the ending is designed as a parody (the fact that the rest is played straight argues against this interpretation).
The cast is primarily comprised of hot, young stars, many of whom have made names for themselves on TV. (And it shows – what ever happened to classically-trained actors?) Alicia Witt ("Cybill", Fun) and Jared Leto ("My So-Called Life", Prefontaine) are fine, but nearly every other member of the under-30 crowd is painful to watch, with Rebecca Gayheart ("Beverly Hills 90210") nabbing first prize in the over-the-top category. A few older, better-known performers have parts. Loretta Devine (Waiting to Exhale) plays a Pam Grier- inspired security guard, the veteran John Neville is a crusty headmaster, and Robert Englund (Freddy Krueger himself) is the creepy Professor Wexler.
Almost every known horror cliché is present. The car won't start. The phones don't work. Pointless scares are generated by sudden staccato bursts of music. The killer is the Person You Don't Suspect. And there's always at least one return engagement for a supposedly-dead villain. As interesting as the urban legend premise is, it's not enough to sustain the movie. Ultimately, there's an inverse relationship between the body count and the level of suspense. With each death, the film becomes less interesting. By the end, it's just a routine slasher flick with a too-predictable final "twist."
© 1998 James Berardinelli