Search - Urban Legend on DVD

MPAA Rating: R Content Advisory: Graphic Violence, Adult Situations, Not For Children, Profanity, Gore Movie Release: 1998 DVD Release: 02/23/1999 Format: DVD - Enhanced Wide Screen Letterbox for 16x9 TV,Pan and Scan Audio Tracks: English Subtitles: English SwapaDVD Credits: 1 Number of Discs: 1 Run Time: 1 hrs 40 mins Studio: Columbia TriStar Total Copies: 33 Genres: Horror, Slasher Film, Teen Movie See Also: Urban Legend [Blu-ray]

Australian director Jamie Blanks helmed this teen horror film set at Pendleton University. Campus legend has it that 25 years earlier Pendleton was the site of a mass murder by a demented abnormal psych instructor who killed six students and then himself. However, no proof of the prof's deed remains. Urban legends are the subject of a course in American folklore taught by Professor Wexler (Robert Englund). When a series of bizarre deaths occur on the campus, assertive student Natalie thinks they are murders based on urban legends, but classmates Brenda (Rebecca Gayheart), ambitious journalism major Paul (Jared Leto), and practical joker Damon (Joshua Jackson) claim it's just a coincidence. Then Natalie begins to realize that she's the next victim. Since Joshua Jackson is a co-lead on TV's Dawson's Creek, an inside joke surfaces when a radio plays a bit of the Dawson's Creek theme (Paula Cole's I Don't Want to Wait). ~ Bhob Stewart, All Movie Guide

Jared Leto - Paul
Alicia Witt - Natalie
Rebecca Gayheart - Brenda
Michael Rosenbaum - Parker
Loretta Devine - Reese
Joshua Jackson - Damon
Tara Reid - Sasha
Danielle Harris - Tosh

Though adding little that is new to the teen slasher genre, Urban Legend is well crafted, and was successful enough to spawn a top-grossing sequel. It is also the type of film likely to be popular party viewing for many years, and Columbia TriStar's DVD edition should satisfy even the most demanding horror enthusiasts. The widescreen enhanced picture is nothing too special, but the Dolby Digital 5.1 audio track is unusually good, maximizing the suspense by emphasizing every threatening nuance of the soundtrack. The special features on the disc include extensive filmographies and the surprisingly appetizing original theatrical trailer. The behind-the-scenes featurette is brief at only six minutes, and is probably inferior to the trailer. However, the feature commentary by director Jamie Blanks, screenwriter Silvio Horto, and cast member Michael Rosenbaum is good fun. Though they discuss background and shooting in only cursory fashion, the good-humored banter between the three makes it consistently enjoyable listening. Urban Legend may not be the greatest piece of cinema ever made, but this disc markedly improves the film for home viewing. ~ Patrick Lee, All Movie Guide