First organ I see, I'm just gonna grab it! (Urban Legend (DVD))

Member Name: Phelthew

Product:	Urban Legend (DVD)
Date:	08/11/09 (26 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Story, Funny,

Disadvantages: Stereotypes, Tara Reid

In 1996 Wes Craven resurrected the slasher horror genre and gave it a whole new style with Scream . It was a priceless combination of horror, mystery and teen comedy that went on to not only spawn 2 (and an upcoming third) sequels but many other films in the same style feeding off its success. In 1997 we had I Know What You Did Last Summer and then in 1998 came the only copy cat that came close to rivalling Scream - Urban Legend .

The film starts in the with a bit of spooky music and some rainy weather as a jeep drives along a road at night in the country. She stops at a pumping station and a freakish man with a Bobcat Goldthwait style speech impediment comes out to fill the tank. He starts to act weird and lures her into the garage by pretending her credit card has been rejected and the company are on the phone. He locks the door when she gets in and she naturally panics but his speech impediment prevents him from calming her down ("My wife is so fat!"). She hurries into her car and speeds off just as he manages to scream after her "There's someone in the backseat!" And so she meets her end.

Then we have this high school/ big ass swanky (full of swank) American school where this girl had attended. Everyone is amazed by the recent murder especially the morbid, cool kid Parker (Michael Rosenbaum) who is planning to throw a big party in memory of a massacre that supposedly took place at their school many years before. Apparently a teacher had went through the dorms slashing the throats of the students at night and then killed himself but the story is not verified and Paul (Jared Leto) the school journalist insists that it's only an urban legend. Natalie (Alicia Witt) and Brenda (Rebecca Gayheart) are sceptical and for fun decide to go to the big building where the massacre apparently took place and resurrect the dead by saying "Bloody Mary" 3 times only to be scared by Damon (Joshua Jackson) the joker of the group.

Anyway they all seem to attend this class which seems to be on urban legends apparently and taught by a guy who acts like he's teaching something really important. They ass about and Natalie seems a bit preoccupied. Damon decides to take her out to the woods in his car where they can talk only to end being murdered himself in a urban legend kinda way. Natalie panics and runs for security but when they come back to the woods, Damon's body is gone and due to his reputation they think he probably just pulled a prank on Natalie.

Natalie's not so sure and she tries to convince Paul to believe her and after another mysterious and odd murder that the school try to cover up as suicide they think they're on to something and start investigating themselves. More murders ensue and Parker's party goes on anyway. It's revealed that some of the characters have hidden pasts and that there's something to all this urban legend nonsense.

What I Thought

I really enjoyed this film and it's a favourite of mine that I was - to be honest - excited about watching again as I hadnay seen it in a while.

Not a tremendously directed or acted out film you're not going to watch this expecting cinematic art but it's entertaining. This faceless killer, wearing this parker coat that masks their face and killing people in these ways that we've all heard of before in some shape or form. It's a nice little mystery that keeps you guessing who the killer is and to be fair all you can do is guess because there's never an real clue that indicates the true killer. But I've seen this film before, the mystery element is gone for me and I still enjoy it.

It's an imaginative sort of slasher film. One that draws from folklore etc and it's pretty brutal too. Pepsi and these fizzy sweets apparently make you insides explode, now this doesn't actually work but the killer finds another way. Basically he runs around killing people - horror enough.

And just to cover the funny angle, not only is Joshua Jackson the class clown but they get a dog drunk in this film. Classic comedy. Not only that but the killer imaginatively kills this dog. A dog is part of his kill count. How many serial killers kill the pets as well? It is funny otherwise as well.
Acting wise, who cares. But this film does have some big names in it. Most disgustingly Tara Reid, who I cannot abide but luckily she's sort of a bitch in it and she dies. She's the host of a call in radio show that has some very funny calls in. Parker played by Michael Rosenbaum went on to play that bald guy in Smallville . Paul the journalist was played by Jared Leto, the guy who wore too much eyeliner in Alexander and done a quite good remix of The Cure's The Only One on their Hypnagogic States EP and so on.

You've basically got your stereotypes;
The cool kid whose aggressive and bullying but who everyone loves - Parker
The good student who works hard and is generally quiet. So good and studious that when a murder occurs the first place she goes is the library. (If a true stereotype she'd probably be a lot uglier than Alicia Witt) - Natalie
The joker, who's always pulling pranks and who no-one takes seriously even when it's important - Damon
The sort of shy girl, who's a reliable friend but always distracted by guys - Brenda
The horny annoying girl - Tara Reid.
The posh English, authoritarian headmaster
The lecturer who dress like Sherlock Holmes and takes everything too seriously.

I liked the end to this film. It's got its twist and it's also got a restart at the end. An opening for a sequel that is quite good.

The film was directed by some dude who's directed little else. Didn't do anything miraculous with this film. Lightning and killing simultaneously - your standard fare.

Of Importance

This film is quite old, being made in the days of cassette tapes and pre-broadband internet.

Don't judge a freak by his freakishness.

It's implied in this film that the idea of someone being knocked out or drugged and then waking up with some of their organs missing is an urban legend. Well being the legalising student that I am, I happened to be reading the law on human trafficking the other day and it says somewhere in U.N. anti-trafficking treaty that kidnapping people for their organs comes under human trafficking. So it must be true unless the U.N. just legislates on the basis of rumours.

If someone prefers the term eccentric to insane they're probably actually insane.

When mad s*** is going down in a car, why not just put on the brakes? Why drive and fight?

Who I'd Punch

Tara Reid, in the neck until she gave up doing that annoying and fake croaky voice.

Overall

Mystery, horror, comedy, drunk dogs, pretty girls and general entertainment and considering the fact I love Scream and films like this - 4 starros. Maybe a 3 as far as people not so into the genre are concerned but it's my personal opinion. Get your own. It's the best in the trilogy so if you liked the other two you'll like this.

Trailer

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ts6jSWYm0g0

Written by Phelim McC. Don't steal it, it's booby-trapped.

Summary: Modern slasher film to rival Scream