A college student suspects a series of bizarre deaths are connected to certain urban legends.
Düstere Legenden (1998) Online
Urban Legend tells the story of a group of pretty college students at a remote New England university. The focus of the story is Natalie, a beautiful, academically-gifted student at the fictional Pendleton University. Natalie and her friends are all involved in the Folklore class being taught by Professor Wexler. Wexler regales his class with urban legends, which include Pendleton's own urban legend about a Psych professor who murdered six students at Stanley Hall 25 years ago. Natalie is the first one to suspect there's a killer on campus, especially after she has ties to all of the victims. No one, including her friends, Wexler, Dean Adams and security guard, of course, believes her until it's too late. Now she finds that she and her friends are part of the killer's ultimate urban legend.
| Cast overview, first billed only: | |||
 | 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 |
Sarah Michelle Gellar accepted the role of Sasha, but had to back out due to schedule conflicts with Vampiiritapja Buffy (1996).
The killer's outfit is based on the fact that the film was originally planned to be set in the middle of winter. When the weather was too warm, it was decided to drop the winter aspect of the storyline, rather than fake snow in all the outdoor scenes, and dress all of the extras in winter outfits, but they kept the killer's costume.
When Paul and Natalie walk into the hidden room in Professor William Wexler's office, a puppet of Freddy Krueger can be seen just before they see the axe. Robert Englund, who played Professor William Wexler, played Freddy Krueger in the "A Nightmare on Elm Street" film franchise.
The SUV driven in the beginning, was originally supposed to be a Land Rover. It was changed to the Ford Expedition (the largest 4x4 available at the time), because the filmmakers discovered they couldn't swing an axe inside of a Land Rover.
Brenda is seen wearing a blue ribbon around her neck at the end of the film, as this is a minor reference to another urban legend about a girl whose head falls off if she removes the ribbon around her neck.
Jodi Lyn O'Keefe was originally offered the role of Sasha, but turned it down to take part in Halloween H20 - 20 aastat hiljem (1998).
Joshua Jackson (Damon Brooks) cranks his car before he takes Natalie to "that" spot in the woods. When it cranks, the radio plays Paula Cole's "I Don't Want to Wait" from Dawson's Creek (1998) also starring Jackson.
Melissa Joan Hart turned down the role of Natalie Simon.
Reese Witherspoon turned down the role of Natalie Simon.
Filmed at the same university as "Killer Party" (1986), another campus-set slasher. Incidentally, both films feature a costume party at a fraternity, characters being targeted by a masked killer, and an urban legend about murder at an abandoned dormitory.
The book sitting on the desk in Professor William Wexler's desk in his class, is "The Vanishing Hitchhiker", which is one of the seminal texts on urban legends.
Reese Wilson was a lesbian in an earlier draft of the script.
Rebecca Gayheart got sick after eating Pop Rocks all day for the classroom scene.
One of the first films to feature the blue Pepsi cans, which were introduced to the U.S. in 1998.
The last name of Natasha Gregson Wagner's character is "Mancini". Don Mancini is the name of the writer of all of the "Child's Play/Chucky" films, and the other actor that is featured in the beginning of the film, Brad Dourif, does the voice of Chucky.
The author of "The Encyclopedia of Urban Legends" is Charles Breen. The doctor on Tosh's bottle of lithium is a Doctor Charles Breen. Charles William Breen is the Production Designer.
If you look behind Natalie and Parker in the auditorium, you will see Screenwriter Silvio Horta acting as a college student.
The film's fictional location is Melbourne, New Hampshire. Director Jamie Blanks home city is Melbourne, Australia.
Julian Richings who plays the "Weird Janitor" later had a recurring role as "Death" on "Supernatural" (2005); the first season of which was mostly based on urban legends.
In addition to this film, The Skulls (2000) and Gossip (2000) (both starring Joshua Jackson) were also filmed at the University of Toronto.
The uncredited character played by Brad Dourif, Gas Station Attendant Michael McDonnell, who is suspected to be the murderer, was named after "Urban Legend" Producer Michael McDonnell.
This film was shot over the course of 53 days.
Brad Dourif, who played the stuttering gas station attendant at the beginning of the film, played the role of Billy Bibbit, who also had a speech impediment, in Lendas üle käopesa (1975).
This film co-starred two of Hollywood's most iconic mass murderers. Brad Dourif, who portrays Chucky in the "Child's Play/Chucky" film franchise, and Robert Englund, who played Freddy Krueger in the "A Nightmare on Elm Street" film franchise.
Tosh was conceived as a much bitchier character in an earlier draft of the screenplay.
The film's conception was inspired by the huge success of "Scream" (1996), and whereas that film was a self-aware satire of horror film tropes, this one is a self-aware satire on urban legends. The film's negative reception was a result of many critics finding the film to have been an imitation of "Scream".
Danielle Harris (Tosh) and Tara Reid (Sasha) had been roommates in real life before they shot the film.
Professor William Wexler had bipolar disorder in an earlier draft of the script.
In one scene, they show the front page of a newspaper, and the writer of that story is credited to "John MacNeil". John MacNeil was the Assistant Art Director on this film.
Danielle Harris (Tosh) was a smoker at the time and thrilled to be allowed to smoke while working. She quickly realized that shooting scenes while smoking meant that she was going to have to smoke cigarettes for hours all day while they shot. She eventually got sick of it and quit smoking.
The bloody writing on the wall, "Aren't You Glad You Didn't Turn on the Light?" was used in the episode "Hook Man" during the first season of "Supernatural".
Brad Dourif, who played the gas station attendant, was considered for the part of the Joker in Batman (1989) Jared Leto, who played Paul in this film, played The Joker in Suicide Squad (2016).
The news reporter announcing the beheading of Michele Mancini on television is named David McAree. David McAree was the First Assistant Director of this movie.
Julian Richings, Loretta Devine, Alicia Witt, and Robert Englund have all appeared in one or more episodes of "Supernatural". They played Death, a psychic, an angel, and a back room doctor.
According to the license plate on the front of the Dean's car, the Dean lives in Maine.
At the end when students are recounting the events and one comments "Yeah and Brenda was the girl from the Noxema commercial " - Rebecca Gayheart (Brenda) WAS the Noxema girl in the commercials at that time.
Alicia Witt and Loretta Devine share the same birthday, August 21.
Reese Wilson is seen watching Pam Grier film Foxy Brown (1974).
Directorial debut of Jamie Blanks.
Urban legends which are referenced include: Referenced A caller to Sasha's radio show states that she replaced her roommate's birth control pills with baby aspirin. A caller to Sasha's radio show asks about having her stomach pumped after performing oral sex and ingesting semen. A couple suffering from penis captivus call in to Sasha's radio show. Professor Wexler discusses the babysitter and the man upstairs legend during his lecture, and Brenda claims it happened in her hometown. Parker suggests placing spider eggs in Bubble Yum as the killer's next move.
Jared Leto (Paul), was previously in a similar film, about a serial killer the year before in, Switchback (1997).
The movie Reese watches is Coffy (1973) starring Pam Grier.
Paul drives a, 1987 Jeep Grand Wagoneer [SJ].
Damons car is a, 1984 Oldsmobile Ninety-Eight Regency.
Reese drives a, 1992 Ford Crown Victoria.
The Deans car was a, 1981 Mercedes-Benz S-Klasse [W126].
Michelle drives a, 1997 Ford Expedition XLT Gen.1 [UN93].
Natalies car in the flashback was a, 1988 SAAB 9000 CD.
The janitor drives a 1982 Ford F-150.
Davids (Brendas late fiancee) car during the flashback was a, 1987 Chevrolet Corsica.
The Latin motto of the university, which is featured on its emblem in some scenes, translates as: "The Best Friend Did It".
At the end of the film, students along with a surviving Brenda from an unnamed college recount the film'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." Rebecca Gayheart, who played Brenda in the film, did indeed appear in several commercials for Noxzema.
Before the reveal of Brenda being the killer, the killer was in fact played by Matt Birman during the murder scenes.
The last name of the killer (Brenda) is listed as Bates. This is the same last name of the killer in the "Psycho" film franchise.
Damon's death was shot over the course of three nights.
Rebecca Gayheart and Loretta Devine are the only two cast members who reprise their roles in Urban Legends: Final Cut (2000).
Body Count: 9 - Michelle, Damon, Tosh, Dean Adams, Parker, Sasha, Sasha's assistant, Professor Wexler, and the Janitor.
Both Joshua Jackson and Rebecca Gayheart previously played college students in Scream 2 (1997), which is also about a killer on campus, except Gayheart isn't the killer in that film.
The scene where the killer, revealed to be Brenda, is starting to cut at Natalie's side to remove her kidney before Reese intervenes was added in reshoots to increase the gore factor.
It is revealed that Brenda committed the murders to avenge the death of her fiancé, who was killed in a car accident. In real life, actress Rebecca Gayheart, who portrayed Brenda, pleaded no contest when she was charged with vehicular manslaughter after she struck and killed a 9-year-old boy with her car. Mirroring the repercussions Natalie faces after the incident, Gayheart was given three years probation.
As this film was heavily influenced by the "Scream" franchise, several scenes in the film are reminiscent of the first two films. The scene where Parker is taunting the killer over the phone about the urban legend he thinks is being recreated is lifted from the first "Scream" (1996), both film's killers even use a voice synthesizer. Sasha's death scene where she is being chased in the radio station is directly lifted from "Scream 2" (1997). Reese Wilson's character is also partly influenced by Dewey Riley, a cop character, from the series. This lead to the film being accused of ripping off the "Scream" films.
The newspaper article that Brenda shows Natalie near the end of the film (about her boyfriend's death) is said to have been written by Benno Tutter. Tutter worked on the Art Production of this film.
Michelle is murdered by the killer in the backseat. This legend is also referenced by various people looking at the backseat or talking about it. Coverage of Michelle's murder in the university newspaper is covered up by the dean, referencing the "University cover-up of campus murder," and the subsequent fears of the students reference the "Hatchet man" legend, which has an unnamed killer targeting college campuses at random. The origins of the latter have been traced to serial killer Richard Speck. Brenda and Natalie attempt to invoke Bloody Mary at the entrance to Stanley Hall. Professor Wexler suggests eating Pop Rocks and drinking soda at the same time. The death of Little Mikey from this is mentioned by Brenda. The killer later re-enacts this legend on Parker, substituting soda with cleaning chemicals. Damon is hanging from a tree while Natalie is waiting in the car below. Gangs driving with their headlights turned off, pursuing the first driver to flash them and running him off the road, is mentioned by Sasha in the library. It is later revealed that Natalie and Michelle did this, killing a young man; it is subsequently re-enacted by the killer on Natalie and the janitor and finally revealed as central to the killer's motive. Natalie finds her roommate strangled to death next to her with the note "Aren't you glad you didn't turn on the light?" The "ankle slasher under the car" legend is re-enacted on Dean Adams. A guest at the fraternity party claims that the song "Love Rollercoaster" contains a real murder scream; meanwhile, Sasha screams for her life on air during her radio broadcast. Parker finds the remains of his dog in the microwave, resembling the "Old Lady dries wet dog in microwave" legend. Brenda attempts to re-enact the "kidney heist" (organ theft) on Natalie.
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