Tuesday, April 11, 2006

Review 20: Urban Legend DVD




Oh no! Save us from... uh.. Parka Man?

Before I rip into this nonsense, two things worth mentioning;

1. Brad Dourif is in this movie, which was enough to make me watch it, even if he's only in it for about ten seconds, he still acts everyone else off the screen. He really is one of the finest actors in the business today.

2. Also, the whole Urban Legend phenomona is a fascinating subject, worth far more of your time and attention than this cinematic bile. Check out the books available on the subject. (Since you're already here, why not take a look at any of the books by Jan Brunvand. It's certainly eye-opening stuff.)

Anyway, onto eye-rolling in disbelief stuff - this (and, Oh lord, it's sequel). I suppose we can blame Scream for the glut of teen horrors that came out a few years back, each one more terrible than the last. So, usual stuff - attractive people getting killed whilst making glib comments to each other, but in the guise of various well-known (to some.. I suppose) Urban Legends. And who's comitting these murders? Stand back Freddy - get lost Jason. Who needs you, Michael Myers? THIS movie has the epitome of iconic slashers. OK, of course not really. Jeez, even The Fisherman (how could a guy that stinks of fish creep up on anyone?) from I Know What You Did Last Summer was better than.. The Parka Man. Basically someone in a big jacket - that people at school used to get beat up for wearing, if memory serves. Oooh, the terror.

Anyway - Urban Legends. Nice idea, and with a decent script, decent cast and decent director could have made something.. well, decent. But that's a nay on all three (bar Mr Dourif's cameo, of course) and you've not got so much a nail in the slasher movie genres coffin.. more a festering, rotting corpse.

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