On the surface, Urban Legend (or Lurban Egend, as it was referred to by my friend group back in the day for some reason) is a pretty shameless rip-off of the Scream films with a killer taking inspiration from famous urban legends rather than horror movies. That doesn't mean it's not an entertaining movie on it's own. Heck, in it's heyday, they Slasher genre was just a bunch of filmmakers shamelessly ripping each other off to varied success. Why should it be any different in the 90s?
On a rainy night, Michelle Mancini (played by Natasha Gregson-Wagner) is decapitated with an axe while driving down an isolated road by an unseen attacker in her back seat (believe me, I have spent the past 24 years trying to figure out how they managed to do that too, even if the car was a huge SUV). Meanwhile, on the Pendleton College Campus, Natalie (played by Alicia Witt) is hanging out with her friends Brenda (played by Rebecca Gayheart) and Parker (played by Michael Rosenbaum) as the latter regales them with the tale of the Stanley Hall massacre that happened on campus back in the 70s, which Journalism student Paul (played by Jared Leto), overhearing the conversation, is quick to try to debunk. News of Michelle's murder spreads across campus the following morning, but Dean Adams (played by John Neville) and Campus Security Officer Reese (played by Loretta Devine) try their best to cover up the story, to the frustration of Paul when he finds them pulling copies of the school paper with the story he wrote about it featured on the front cover. Natalie takes the news of Michelle's passing hard as they had been close friends in High School. One of the classes they take is an Urban Folklore class taught by Professor Wexler (played by Robert Englund), who discusses and debunks such urban legends as the one regarding Pop Rocks and Soda. Soon enough, the killer strikes again and again as it becomes clear to Natalie that the killer is targeting her and her friends. Soon, she teams up with Paul to try and figure out who the killer is, their connection to her, and if it has anything to do with the impending anniversary of the legendary Stanley Hall Massacre.
The film was directed by Jamie Blanks from a script by Silvio Horta. To their credit, they manage to craft a perfectly decent slasher movie with plenty of atmosphere and tension throughout. They even play things mostly serious for the bulk of the run time. The design of the killer, with the over-sized Parka with a large hood obscuring the killer's face is certainly a unique choice, even if it does make them stick out at a time that is definitely not winter. The setting of a secluded New England university certainly adds to the film with it's gothic architecture creating a foreboding mood. The death sequences are certainly memorable and tense as the killer offs the cast one at a time utilizing creative means that recall famous Urban Legends. That's not to say the movie doesn't have a sense of humor, which it certainly does, as the movie gets sillier as it goes along until it gloriously goes off the rails at the end when the killer is finally revealed, throwing everything we have just seen previously into question of plausibility. Even better, the killer gives a deranged rant that is so over the top it even includes a slide show presentation. Trying to figure out how the killer was able to set all this up while also chase after the main characters will no doubt make the viewer go cross-eyed, so best just to sit back and enjoy the lunacy.
The film does assemble a solid cast of actors, led by Alicia Witt as Natalie. Witt does well in the role, giving her character a real strength and resourcefulness. When the authorities won't believe her that there is a killer on campus, she takes it upon to find out who the killer is. Jared Leto makes a decent partner in investigation as the two team up to figure out who the killer is. Leto also does a well playing to Paul's darker sides, including his lack of empathy regarding the stories he covers as well as being just suspicious enough to potentially be the killer. Rebecca Gayheart is clearly having fun in her role as Natalie's best friend. Loretta Devine his also clearly having fun as the Pam Grier idolizing Campus Security Officer Reese (and apparently the only Campus officer...we never see another one, which is...odd). She is easily one of the most memorable characters in the movie and one of the only competent members of the campus staff. Michael Rosenbaum is a hoot as the jokester frat boy Parker, making the most of his supporting role. Robert Englund is also having a good time chewing the scenery as Professor Wexler, being as menacing and suspicious as possible.
Urban Legend is probably not top tier in the pantheon of 90's slasher flicks, but there is a certain guilty pleasure quality to it that makes it a lot of fun to revisit every couple of years. The movie is very much a product of the 90s, with amusing references to certain Noxzema commercials and a Dawson's Creek reference that will never not be funny to me. It's certainly an entertaining one and there is a certain amount of nostalgia tied up in this one for me to make for a fun late night watch from time to time.
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