Urban Legend (1998)

User Rating:

5.1/10   

Director:

Jamie Blanks

Writer (WGA):

Silvio Horta (written by)

Release Date:

25 September 1998 (USA)

Genre:

Horror | Thriller | Mystery

Tagline:

It Happened To Someone Who Knows Someone You Know... You're Next.

Plot:

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

Plot Keywords:

Urban Legend | Campus | Axe | College | Murder

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

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
J.C. Kenny	...	Weather Woman
Vince Corazza	...	David Evans (as Vince Corrazza)
Balázs Koós	...	Nerdy Guy
Stephanie Mills	...	Felicia
Danny Comden	...	Blake
Nancy McAlear	...	Jenny
Shawn Mathieson	...	Hippie Guy
Clé Bennett	...	Dorky Guy
Danielle Brett	...	Trendy Girl
Roberta Angelica	...	Swimming Woman
Matt Birman	...	Killer
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Brad Dourif	...	Michael McDonnell, gas station attendant (uncredited)
Silvio Horta	...	College Student (uncredited)

Directed by
Jamie Blanks

Writing credits (WGA)
Silvio Horta		(written by)

Produced by
Brad Luff	....	executive producer
Gina Matthews	....	producer
Michael McDonnell	....	producer
Neal H. Moritz	....	producer
Brian Leslie Parker	....	associate producer

Original Music by
Christopher Young

Cinematography by
James Chressanthis

Film Editing by
Jay Cassidy

Casting by
John Papsidera

Production Design by
Charles Breen

Art Direction by
Benno Tutter

Set Decoration by
Carolyn 'Cal' Loucks

Costume Design by
Mary Claire Hannan

Makeup Department
Nicole Demers	....	assistant makeup artist
Leslie Ann Sebert	....	key makeup artist

Production Management
Bill Brown	....	post-production supervisor
Brian Leslie Parker	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Sarah Campbell	....	third assistant director
David McAree	....	first assistant director
Michael McDonnell	....	second unit director
Lorin Raine	....	trainee assistant director
Jonathan Wright	....	second assistant director

Art Department
Carlos Caneca	....	lead set dresser
Rossana DeCampo	....	key scenic artist
David DeMarinis	....	set dresser
Ron Dickey	....	property master
Joanna Tracey Heaton	....	art department coordinator
John MacNeil	....	assistant art director
Jeffrey A. Melvin	....	assistant property master
Jason Shultz	....	storyboard artist

Sound Department
David W. Alstadter	....	foley mixer
Christopher Assells	....	sound editor
Karen M. Baker	....	supervising sound editor
Bryan Bowen	....	sound editor
Mark D. Fleming	....	sound re-recording mixer: effects pre-dubs
Per Hallberg	....	sound mixer
Per Hallberg	....	supervising sound editor
Colin Jones	....	boom operator
Mark L. Mangino	....	sound editor
Tom Mather	....	production sound mixer
Christian P. Minkler	....	sound re-recording mixer
Philip D. Morrill	....	assistant sound editor
Tony Negrete	....	first assistant sound editor
Geoffrey G. Rubay	....	sound effects editor
Melissa Sherwood Hofmann	....	sound re-recording mixer
Mary Ruth Smith	....	sound editor
Greg Steele	....	adr mixer
Lauren Stephens	....	dialogue editor
Lauren Stephens	....	sound editor
Jeffrey Wilhoit	....	supervising sound editor
Greg Zimmerman	....	assistant sound editor
Drew Webster	....	sound recordist (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Dan Gibson	....	special effects key
Brad Larkin	....	special effects technician
Martin Malivoire	....	special effects supervisor
Mark Rice	....	special effects assistant
Peter Sissakis	....	special effects technician
Dean Stewart	....	special effects office administrator

Visual Effects by
Rob Blue	....	digital artist
Brennan Prevatt	....	digital compositor
Mark Savela	....	visual effects producer

Stunts
Marco Bianco	....	stunts
Matt Birman	....	stunt coordinator
Shelley Cook	....	stunts
C.J. Fidler	....	stunts
Rick Forsayeth	....	stunts
Brian Jagersky	....	stunts
Erin Jarvis	....	stunts
Jamie Jones	....	stunts
Danny Lima	....	stunts
Dwayne McLean	....	stunts
Regan Moore	....	stunt rigger
Sue Parker	....	stunts
Ken Quinn	....	stunts
Alison Reid	....	stunts
Paul Rutledge	....	stunts
Tye Tyukodi	....	stunts

Camera and Electrical Department
Richard Allen	....	gaffer
Paul Begin	....	assistant camera
Laurence Bortnick	....	second assistant camera
Rocky Brown	....	crane grip
Roger Finlay	....	camera operator: "b" camera
Carl Flood	....	electrician
Michael Flood	....	electrician
Mark W. Hindle	....	video playback operator
Mark Hryma	....	camera operator: Wescam camera
Ernie Kestler	....	additional camera operator
Steve Kolodziej	....	24 frame video operator
Bruce Macaulay	....	still photographer
John Medland	....	still photographer
Ted Overton	....	first assistant camera: second camera
Peter Rosenfeld	....	Steadicam operator
Peter Rosenfeld	....	camera operator: "a" camera
John Trapman	....	camera operator: Wescam camera
Greg Whiteside	....	24 frame video operator
Mark D. Acheson	....	grip (uncredited)
A. David Burleigh	....	video playback assistant (uncredited)

Casting Department
Zameret Kleiman	....	extras casting
Joanna Polley	....	extras casting

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Sara Schilt	....	assistant costume designer

Editorial Department
Lara Johnston	....	assistant film editor: Canada
Andrew Loschin	....	first assistant film editor
Derrick Mitchell	....	first assistant editor
Eric Rigney	....	avid technician

Music Department
Pete Anthony	....	conductor
Pete Anthony	....	orchestrator
Frank Bennett	....	orchestrator
Benedikt Brydern	....	score coordinator
Sandy DeCrescent	....	orchestra contractor
Robert Fernandez	....	scoring mixer
Tod Holcomb	....	music editor
Jon Kull	....	orchestrator
Elliot Lurie	....	music supervisor
Larry Mah	....	score mixer
William V. Malpede	....	scoring coordinator
Jonathan Price	....	score coordinator
Patrick Russ	....	orchestrator
Steven L. Smith	....	music preparation
Richard Whitfield	....	music editor
Gernot Wolfgang	....	scoring assistant
Christopher Young	....	orchestrator

Transportation Department
Lori Ann Bellefontaine	....	driver

Other crew
Peter Boboras	....	location manager
Stephanie Keating	....	unit publicist
Andrew Magarian	....	acting coach
Chris Martin	....	assistant location manager
Ray McMillan	....	front projectionist
Edgar Pablos	....	assistant: Mr. Blanks
Susan Phillips	....	production coordinator
Vicki Dee Rock	....	production executive
Simone Stock	....	assistant: Mr. McDonnell
Dave Tommasini	....	helicopter pilot
Steve Woodley	....	head animal trainer
Elaine Yarish	....	script supervisor
Mark Zimoski	....	synthesizer programmer
Robert Gardiner	....	production assistant (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Canal+ Droits Audiovisuels
• Original Film
• Phoenix Pictures

Distributors

• TriStar Pictures (1998) (USA) (theatrical)
• Columbia TriStar Film (1999) (Germany) (theatrical)
• Columbia TriStar Films (1999) (France) (theatrical)
• Columbia TriStar Films (1999) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• Columbia TriStar Films de Argentina (1998) (Argentina) (theatrical)
• Columbia TriStar Films de España (1999) (Spain) (theatrical)
• Toho-Towa (2000) (Japan) (theatrical)
• Columbia TriStar Home Entertainment (1999) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Columbia TriStar Home Video (2000) (Netherlands) (VHS)
• Columbia TriStar Home Video (1999) (USA) (DVD)
• Columbia TriStar Home Video (1999) (USA) (VHS)
• Columbia TriStar (1999) (Brazil) (DVD)
• Columbia TriStar (1999) (Brazil) (VHS)
• LK-TEL (1999) (Argentina) (VHS)
• Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (2008) (Netherlands) (DVD) (Blu-Ray Disc)
• V8 (2001) (Netherlands) (TV)

Special Effects

• Digiscope (digital visual effects)
• Gajdecki Visual Effects (GVFX)

Other Companies

• Pacific Title/Mirage  titles and opticals

Also Known As:

Mixed Culture
Urban Legend (France)
Urban Legends (USA) (working title)

MPAA:

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

Runtime:

99 min

Country:

USA | France

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

Singapore:M18 | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Canada:14A (Alberta/British Columbia) | Canada:AA (Ontario) | Canada:PA (Manitoba) | Canada:18 (Nova Scotia) | Iceland:16 | South Korea:18 | Philippines:R-18 | New Zealand:R16 | Argentina:13 | Australia:MA | Belgium:KNT | Brazil:14 | Chile:14 | Finland:K-16 | France:-12 | Germany:16 | Hong Kong:IIB | Netherlands:16 | Norway:15 | Portugal:M/16 | Spain:18 | Sweden:15 | Switzerland:16 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:16 (canton of Vaud) | UK:18 | USA:R

Filming Locations:

Etobicoke Olympium, Etobicoke, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Company:

Canal+ Droits Audiovisuels

Trivia:

At the end of the movie, students from an unnamed college recount the movie's events as an urban legend. They joke about the tale's validity, and one says, "And I bet Brenda was the girl from the Noxzema commercials." Actress Rebecca Gayheart, who plays Brenda in the film, did indeed appear in several commercials for Noxzema.

Goofs:

Audio/visual unsynchronized: When we hear Parker say, "What's next? Spiders in the bubble gum?" his lips are mouthing something else completely.

Quotes:

[Damon has just sneaked up on Brenda and Natalie, proceeding to scare them half to death]
Damon: Boo!
Brenda: [In disgust] Is that what you do in your spare time, Damon? Just go around scaring people like a freak?

Movie Connections:

Referenced in The Other Final (2003)

Soundtrack:

Tortured

Let's get our slasher on!

Ah our precious 1990's, so many great things came out of this memorable decade, including a streak of teen slasher films. Let's face it, after the mega success of Scream which opened the doors once again after Friday the 13th, Halloween, and Nightmare on Elm Street, we needed a new classic. So naturally all the screen writers who were a bit scared to present their ideas on the table, thanks to Kevin Williamson, the clever writer of Scream and Dawson's Creek. After that, every teen slasher film was released: the Scream sequels, I Know What You Did Last Summer, I Still Know What You Did Last Summer, etc. But we didn't stop at that, we were now presented with Urban Legend.

The film begins on a dark and stormy night as college student Michelle Mancini realizes she is near empty while driving in her car. There's someone in the back seat as Michelle drives, a figure in a dark coat with a fur trim around the hood sits up in the back seat and, with a swift blow from its axe, decapitates Michelle. The same night, on campus, a group of friends listens to Parker Riley tell an old story about one of the campus halls, Stanley Hall. According to the story, in 1973, an abnormal psychology teacher went crazy and killed all the students living in an on-campus residence hall. Paul, a school paper journalist thinks the story is bogus. Still, the story sticks in their minds, especially for Natalie, and Brenda. The next day, the front page of the campus newspaper has an article about Michelle Mancini's murder written by Paul but the papers are quickly confiscated by school officials. Later that night after going into a secluded area of woods to talk, Natalie reveals to Damon that she knew Michelle, but they hadn't spoken in years. Damon, playing on Natalie's vulnerability, tries to make a move on her but she rejects him. Upset, Damon goes into the woods to urinate but is attacked by the killer. He then is hung from a tree in a noose with the rope attached to the bumper of his car. The next day, no one believes Natalie's story due to Damon's penchant for pranks and tricks. Realizing both Damon's death and Michelle's murder closely resemble famous urban legends, Natalie goes to the library to read up on urban legends. Not realizing the terror has just begun to scare her and her friends even more.

Basically, Urban Legend didn't stand out against it's competitors, it has every cliché in the book. Not to mention no memorable actors that had the same chemistry as the cast of Scream. It's over written at times and has every predictable moment: the friends don't believe in a ghost story, a couple people get killed off but everyone thinks it's a prank/fake death, a classic chase scene with a big breasted girl in a skimpy costume, the creepy janitor, the smart girl that no one believes is all of a sudden right about all the murders and of course a mega twist ending that no one will ever see coming! OK, Urban Legend isn't a horrible movie, while it has all these predictable moments and clichés, it's still actually fun to watch and a good part of the memory of good teen slasher films that came out of the 1990's.

6/10