Urban Legend (1998)
WHAT YOU DON’T BELIEVE CAN KILL YOU.
Starring: Jared Leto, Alicia Witt, Rebecca Gayheart, Tara Reid, Joshua Jackson, Michael Rosenbaum
Director: Jamie Blanks
Written by: Silvio Horta
Released: 25 September 1998 (USA)
Budget: $14 million
Box office: $72.5 million
Distributed: TriStar Pictures, Sony Pictures Releasing
When I was a kid roaming the aisles of the VHS rental store, I remember being scared to walk to the horror section. Not only was it at the back of the store (which already had me thinking it was “forbidden”), but it also had all these scary looking movie posters and villains. Among them, were ones’ that were more palatable to my young, innocent eyes. The floating head posters that were synonymous with the late 90’s/early 2000’s teen horror flicks weren’t that scary, thus gave me the impression that the movie itself wouldn’t be as scary either. So I asked my dad to rent it and I popped it in the VHS player later that day…let’s just say, I was proven wrong. This movie scared me, but I also loved it so much that I rented the sequel, Urban Legends: Final Cut soon after. Which is its own bonkers film. Since then, I’ve seen this film a number of times within my 30 years of existence. It’s one of those films I rewatch every so often to feel the coziness of my humbling horror beginnings.
So how bout we get out from the backseat, swing our axes and get into this legendary movie.
The screenwriter took the Urban Legend theme and ran with it all the way past the finish line. Honestly, I’m going to give it a few claps👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽 for its really creative and original premise, especially for a slasher. I imagine the pitch meeting with all the studio executives to have been so much fun to listen to. Perhaps they even said it’s not enough, we want more legends. This film sure had it sprinkled in at all times. From the lecture about UL’s, the library having an encyclopedia of UL’s, the Stanley Hall massacre being its own legend, Sasha’s callers having UL related problems and of course the kills on campus being modeled after the legends which later becomes a legend itself. Whew. The legends were legending!
Also side note: that would actually make a cool drinking game for a viewing party. Drink everytime a legend is mentioned, referenced or enacted. Sure you’ll be drunk by the first 15 min, but oh well. Anyway I digress.
The opening scene is pretty solid and I’d argue within my top 10 favourites of slasher openings. First we having this very haunting, almost gothic-castle-on-a-hill type score from Christopher Young, which is accompanied by the dark, rainy night visuals. Subtly inducing a level of uncomfortability. The addition of Michelle Mancini singing (off key) to Bonnie Tyler’s Total Eclipse of the Heart, which later on cleverly plays with the lyrics “turn around”, is a good way to include the audience in the reveal because they are privy to something the character isn’t. But the scene stealer is of course, Brad Dourif who plays the stuttering gas attendant and delivers the chilling line “there’s someone in the back seat!”. That’s when we see this great shot of the axe wielding killer rising up from the back seat in between the on-off flashes of lightning. Killing our first victim by decapitation. It’s pretty memorable and has grabbed your attention from then onwards.
Jamie Blanks may be one of my favourite horror directors. Not only did he do this film as his first major studio feature, but he also went on to do Valentine, which I love so much too. It’s a shame he didn’t do any more, because he really has a lot of talent and a great eye for creating scenes and establishing shots that tantalise the senses of the audience. From doing research, he is also described as being a really nice guy, so he earns extra brownie points in my book. One thing I did find out after watching an interview with him (watch here) is that he was in directing conversations for Scream and I Know What You Did Last Summer. Yes, Scream went to the right director so no argument needs to be entertained there, but wouldn’t it be cool to know what his version of IKWYDLS would’ve been. That led him to being offered the opportunity to direct Urban Legend which was ultimately a good call.
Oftentimes, screenwriters get lost in the fold because they are not front and center in the films production, but I’m going to give major props to Silvio Horta (who sadly passed by apparent suicide 😥🙏). I think this is a very well written script and he did an amazing job at creating a ridiculous yet fun filled premise that took us on a ride. It’s smart and actually really funny and is in the same vein that his peer Kevin Williamson writes. Both men are gay🌈, which I find to be a secret sauce when blending witty comedy with horror #justsaying. Horta went on to create and write the American version of Ugly Betty, which I also loved too for its ridiculous, campy and humorous plotlines.
Within this film we get many horror legends: Brad Dourif (voice of Chucky), Robert Englund (Nightmare on Elm Streets' Freddy Krueger) and Danielle Harris (Halloween 4 & 5). In my younger years, this totally flew over my head because I had no idea about any of these actors’ prior work. So this was actually my first introduction to them. Of course since then, my horror knowledge has grown extensively and I think it was really cool to include them into a sub-genre film which they have massively contributed to themselves. Whether they were stunt cast specifically for the extra horror points or not, I’m not quite sure, but I still like the fact that none of their characters felt like cameos or easter eggs. Rather giving them substantial roles within the overall plot.
The campus was a great setting to contain the story in a singular location, but big enough to allow for many different set pieces. It was also smart to have these events take place over the weekend to eliminate any sort of studious activity needing to be mentioned. Instead other university elements like the Dean, campus security, the university paper and radio station helped to build this world and immerse the audience in it.
The kills take each legend and do something cool with it. But it also feels very happenstance and too coincidental for it to realistically happen. While the kills are gruesome, they aren’t shown in an overt gruesome manner. It’s just enough to know its brutality, but also suggestive enough for the audience’s mind to conjure up their own imagery. Tara Reid’s chase scene is most memorable and feels like this great cat-and-mouse moment. Although. I’ll say her constant wailing and screaming did kinda grate on my teeth. Loved her outfit though.
Speaking of, the killer’s outfit may not be something that warrants a Halloween costume, but it does have a Giallo-esque sensibility about it. The all black outfit with the faceless hood, while wielding an axe would probably evoke a deep sense of fear if I saw that in a dark alley. Where the movie gets silly again is the idea that soooo many people on this campus have the exact same parka. Perhaps it isn’t impossible…but it’s for sure a massive stretch.
Cast standouts are, by far, Rebecca Gayheart and Loretta Devine. Not only did they understand the assignment, they excelled at the assignment. Both actresses have the skillful ability to emote with their eyes and lift the dialogue with their vocal cadences and delivery. You can tell they were having fun creating these characters and making it their own. From Reece wanting her very own Pam Grier cop moment to Brenda getting more and more kooky as she delivers her insane monologue (ding! ding! ding!)…Truly Perfection. Comedy Gold. And let’s not forget about THE HAIR 👩🦱. Brenda’s hair alone deserves its own movie credit.
Alicia Witt is ok as a final girl but she doesn’t have that punch that we all seek from our survivors. She falls within the Julie James ilk of girlies. A little flat to have us invested in the things that are happening to her. It’s more whiny than sympathetic. Also how are we supposed to root for her when we find out what she was involved in. So that was for sure a double whammy. However, I did like her feistiness in the car with Damon, we needed more moments like that. More of that energy.
I love reading scripts to the teen/young adult horror films I’ve seen. There are always interesting little tidbits that an earlier draft of the screenplay has which didn’t make it to screen. I found a version of the script, which can be read here. So I thought it would be cool to include my thoughts on it as well.
Script vs Screen:
Natalie is much more sassy in the draft. She has a little more spunk and felt like a character that I may have enjoyed more if she was cast differently.
The queer elements were removed. There’s a reference to lesbians and Ellen on a call between Sasha and a radio listener in the opening scene. I wonder if that was cut because Ellen had come out on her sitcom a year prior in 1997, which essentially ruined her career for a while. It was more taboo back then and LGBT representation was nowhere on the level it is now. Also, the tone of this script feels queer. I can tell it was written by a gay man. I guess it’s sassy and witty in a very specific gay humour way. Those who get it, will get it. I wonder if tonally it was also suppressed for feeling a little too comedic🤔 just a thought.
Parker’s age and extended studying is emphasised more. The joke is that he is a character that just perpetually studies so that he can hang out on campus and frat parties. Michael Rosenbaum does look older than the rest, so that would make sense if it were mentioned in the film.
Natalie was the one picked in the classroom scene to do the poprocks and soda UL. I wonder why Brenda and Natalie were swapped in the film’s version. Perhaps to fool the audience and make Brenda seem more of a meek, scared character? Damon also has a bag that popped to imitate his intestines exploding. The sound would’ve made for an effective cheap jump scare, which this film isn’t above doing.
There’s a lot of funny, witty dialogue that got unnecessarily cut. I actually laughed out loud at some of the scenes in the script. Although crude at some moments, it had that snarky biting humour which I always appreciate.
The script also had a sex scene between Parker and Sasha where the Kama Sutra Sasha found in the library comes into play as well as another Urban Legend involving his dog almost choking on a severed finger. I think this may have been shot but not used in the film, because in the UL trailer for a brief moment we see Sasha in a bra and then again moaning. Perhaps that is this scene.
In the film, Tosh uses lithium, in the script she uses prozac. I’m no medical professional so I couldn’t tell what the difference was, but it was a change I noticed.
Funny moment with AOL saying “goodbye” as Tosh is being murdered. I thought that would’ve been funny if it were added.
There’s an entire extra scene which didn’t make the film. It’s a group counselling session after Tosh’s death, which involves a very pretentious counsellor who plays ENYA music. There are so many comedic moments from the characters involved that again, I had to laugh at what I imagined was taking place.
The ending plays out a little differently between Brenda, Paul and Natalie in the car sequence. Also Reese is the one who appears at the end with the new batch of kids but this time they’re at Stanley Hall. One character from that group gets murdered and gives a nice cliffhanger, but also sets up the potential for a sequel.
That rounds out most of the differences which I took major note of and what I wanted to have seen in the film version. But ultimately, I’m happy with what we got because it’s fun. It’s silly. And it knows it. It’s not trying to be something that its not, in fact it’s not trying to be Scream as so many compared it to at the time. Sure, it has the beats and the influence because it was trying to capitalise off the success, but just like Friday the 13th that was inspired (cough-cough) by Halloween, it eventually could stand on its own two feet. It’s an original concept and executed what it needed to. Delivering something fun that can be enjoyed with a group of friends.
I give this film 3.5 out of 5 black parkas.
So what did you think about Urban Legend? Share your thoughts below on the film and/or the earlier draft of the script.
