URBAN LEGENDS -- THE FINAL CUT
Sony Home Video
2000

review by Beth Kattelman

HOLD ON TO YOUR KIDNEYS! URBAN LEGENDS--THE FINAL CUT IS HERE! This sequel to the 1998 teen-death movie also takes as its point-of-departure those creepy stories that we've all come to know and love. Stolen kidneys, monsters on airplane wings, snuff films--you'll find them all here. Unfortunately, the original Urban Legend used up a lot of the very well-known legends, so the sequel has to settle for more obscure references. There aren't as many legends found in this one, but they're in there. This time the legends are wrapped in a film-within-a-film motif. A group of film students is making a movie about a serial killer who bases his killings on urban legends, of course! During the making of the student film some of the murders cross the line from movie magic to reality (you saw that coming, didn't you?)

ALTHOUGH IT MAY NOT BE POLITICALLY CORRECT among some film critics, I must admit, I really liked this movie. No, it's not original, but that's o.k. with me. The film does a good job of using the conventions of the teen horror genre and never takes itself too seriously. Any horror movie buff will be able to see the scares and twists coming a mile away. They're so predictable you can practically narrate the moments when the killer will pop up or when the false scares will occur. But I actually got a charge out of the predictability. Sometimes it's fun to enjoy the familiarity and the silliness of this killer-stalking-teens genre. Also, I can forgive the conventional format because the filming is adept, the special effects are decent and the acting is good. The DVD also contains a good commentary track by director John Ottman. He provides interesting insight into his intentions and the other films that influenced the making of this movie.

No, I don't think that this is a great horror film, but it still deserves a nod. The writers, director and cast do a good job of poking fun at a well-known genre. One film reviewer panned the movie as a 'smorgasbord of stolen movie ideas.' But I think that's the point. This movie is supposed to be funny. It gave me some laughs, and a horror movie that is willing to subtly spoof itself is o.k. by me.



FEAR FACTOR: Not too scary. There are a couple of good jolts but the predictability definitely plays against the fear factor.---

BLOOD & GORE GAUGE: Not buckets, but enough to keep horror fans happy. There are a couple of gory, interesting deaths.---

BEST QUOTE: Aw, come on. They slash a major artery and that's all the blood? O.J. left more blood than that on the Bronco.---

BEST "OW, THAT'S GOTTA HURT" MOMENT: Fingers stuck into an open wound. ---

TRIVIA TIDBIT: There are many references to Alien but you've got to really know that film to catch 'em.---

Official Website:
http://www.spe.sony.com/movies/urbanlegends/index.html

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