In the nineties of the last century, there was a real boom in Hollywood for youth horror films, where the role of the antagonist was assigned to a maniac with an axe. Naturally, the squarelogy "Scream" stands here, which in general is not surprising, because in addition to the fact that the franchise was a completely independent product, it also ridiculed its fellow genre. But in addition to it, other franchises saw the light, the creators of which tried to shoot a serious youth horror movie without any hints of jokes and jokes. And today's review will focus on just such a film. So, these are "Urban Legend(s)".
A quiet student town. The students who live in it, according to their mental development, have not gone far from the boys and girls who study in the third grade of elementary school, because they can still get dressed without help, and putting two and two together is a million-dollar task for them. One can only wonder, as in America, what boasts of its education system, such spirited students? Well, it doesn't matter. And the important thing is that the owners of the Darwin Prize are being hunted by a man in a hood, who, when killing another student, is guided by urban legends. Well, the inhabitants of Pendlton University, beware of a crocodile in the sewer!
In fact, the viewer could see impenetrably stupid students even in the movie epic about the adventures of Jason Voorhees, and such behaviour became something like the norm in youth horror films, if not for one "but". And it lies in the fact that at the very beginning of the picture, the viewer is shown a resourceful young girl (by the way, not bad played by Natasha Gregson Wagner), who even took a pepper spray with her, and managed to knock out the glass with a chair, in general, the first victim of a maniac behaved herself as any normal person would behave in a similar situation. And actually it gave hope that everything would not be so bad and the students would be able to evoke feelings in addition to - "When will they just kill you all?" But hopes are dispelled when the viewer is shown the main character of this picture, a girl named/nicknamed Nicole (or Natalie, who cares? I'm personally want to call her by the name "Nicole", I can't help myself, for me "Nicole" is more appropriate to her than "Natalie", and so this girl will be called by that name next in my text). In essence, this is the same Nicole should be (on scenario) a tragic character, who needs to be empathized by the viewers with in every possible way - her best friend recently was killed, with whom the girls (as it later surfaced later) at one time brutally killed a man, accidentally, true, but still. She lives with a Goth neighbour, in any case, the screenwriters of the picture are trying to convince the viewers that Nicole's neighbour is exactly that Goth, although the girl (Tosh) has both friends of interest (with whom she most actively communicates on the Internet) and a young man (with whom she "meets" regularly in her and Nicole dorm room, hee-hee-hee), and Nicole herself has no one and she is constantly locked in herself. Substitution of concepts? Well, I have already encountered this. And also our unfortunate Nicole has friends who do not bully the girl, but with serious faces ask if everything is all right with her, and are ready to help in a difficult moment. In general, Nicole is an egoist girl, whose acting is able to compete with the facial expressions of pokerface, and all she is capable of is at times (when it is impossible to do without it in any way) improbably yell. What a "deep and interesting character", don't you think?
But what about the girl's friends, fellow students? Maybe they will be able to hook the viewer with something? No, they can't, because all the characters in this picture fall under the definition of "these people should die at the twentieth minute of the film," because the actors play at the same level as the performer of the main role, which means that the audience is presented with a matinee arranged by a certain family of stones. No, of course, Robert "Kruger" Englund and Jared Leto are present in the picture, but if too little screen time is given to the first, then the second starred in this picture just for nothing to do, and therefore does not try to play much. And it's a pity, because if the main character was not Alicia Witt, who could squeeze out exactly one and a half emotions, but Jared Leto, then the film would only benefit from this. But not fate.
Well, how is the situation with the slasher component? Well, do you know, some kind of piercing-cutting objects that pierce the bodies of teenagers, or memorable deaths, whether it's a toilet bowl that fell on the head of one of the heroes or a can of pepsi, in which there would be sulfuric acid instead of soda? But nothing.
For the murders themselves - they take place in complete darkness, and the viewer only will see what the hero was like before communicating with the killer, and what he became after. And yes, the changes are purely cosmetic and they come down to ketchup on the wrists and faces of these unfortunate people. And it seemed to me that one of the key ideas of any slasher was to show how creative a killer can be, especially trying to bring to life the urban legends of America. But, apparently, I'm behind the times.
Summing up, I would like to say that there is an atmosphere of tense expectation in the film, but it only works in the wrong direction. Heroes (except Tosh, who I'm personally like because of Adorable, Wonderful and Unforgettable for me Danielle Harris, actress, who in this film (and in every of Her films she did!) really dedicate herself to Her Character Tosh - bold, rude, vulgar, too free-spirited maybe, but for me just mentally unstabled, Poor Little Girl, who lost her way in life, and who for me, Didn't Deserve such cruel, cynical and treacherous Death, in which I much more blame even not a killer himself, but Nicole, who was cold-hearted, irritated and somewhat, I feel it personally, even envied to Tosh's popularity among guys (Goth guys, and so what?), she could take just one motion by herself, and murder (maybe, as a killer had planned it at the first place) couldn't be done, but she didn't even bother in her mind, what's really going on, and as a result killer succeed in his vile and disgusting intentions) do not cause sympathy, but directly opposite feelings, and from that I want the killer to come and do something terrible with them. With the plot, the creators also overdid it, making a murderer of someone from whom you do not expect this in any way, and not only because this hero had successfully pretended to be kind all the time before, but because he simply physically could not do what he did. And explanations like "why and for what important reasons for him he does this" are far-fetched, in my purely subjective opinion, by white threads, and somehow you don't really believe in them. I didn't hear any musical accompaniment at all, in addition to the wonderful cool song "Crop Circle" by "Monster Magnet", which Tosh (as a 12 year old, when I first watched this, I dreamed that I would have such a cool older sister!)) turned on at full volume on her computer. After all, before her death, she listened to this Great Music, eh...(((( I'm So Sorry for Tosh. Even now, almost 20 years later. She had Taste, Style and Fashion, even strange and creepy, but so, again, unlike Nicole/Natalie, who, I think, just didn't know such words in theory, not mention about practical usement.
And as for the actors, as I said, they play below average, which, however, is the norm for this kind of films. And that's why I still advised you to refrain from watching and turn your eyes to the ageless classics of the genre in the face of "Halloween", "Friday the 13th" and the "Scream" that joined their ranks.
4 out of 10. I wish you all Health, good luck and all the best. I know that fans of these "Urban horror stories" will throw rotten tomatoes at me, belittle and pessimize my point of view in every possible way, but I wrote my review counting on adequate, unbiased, understanding and (most importantly, sic!) accepting someone else's point of view, which can (and should, as I think!) sharply differ from the reference, clearly and firmly established and generally accepted. I am such a person, I am not ashamed at all, and I am proud of it. If I don't like any movie (or in general I have my own point of view on any issues) I am not shy to express it openly, honestly and sincerely, without any fear of condemnation. This is my credo, my main life principle, and no one will ever force me to refuse to follow it. You may not agree with my opinion, but to abandon it or, even more so, force me to join an opinion that is polar different from mine - I ask you to spare me from this. I said all that I want, thanks to all, who put their time and patience to read it.
A quiet student town. The students who live in it, according to their mental development, have not gone far from the boys and girls who study in the third grade of elementary school, because they can still get dressed without help, and putting two and two together is a million-dollar task for them. One can only wonder, as in America, what boasts of its education system, such spirited students? Well, it doesn't matter. And the important thing is that the owners of the Darwin Prize are being hunted by a man in a hood, who, when killing another student, is guided by urban legends. Well, the inhabitants of Pendlton University, beware of a crocodile in the sewer!
In fact, the viewer could see impenetrably stupid students even in the movie epic about the adventures of Jason Voorhees, and such behaviour became something like the norm in youth horror films, if not for one "but". And it lies in the fact that at the very beginning of the picture, the viewer is shown a resourceful young girl (by the way, not bad played by Natasha Gregson Wagner), who even took a pepper spray with her, and managed to knock out the glass with a chair, in general, the first victim of a maniac behaved herself as any normal person would behave in a similar situation. And actually it gave hope that everything would not be so bad and the students would be able to evoke feelings in addition to - "When will they just kill you all?" But hopes are dispelled when the viewer is shown the main character of this picture, a girl named/nicknamed Nicole (or Natalie, who cares? I'm personally want to call her by the name "Nicole", I can't help myself, for me "Nicole" is more appropriate to her than "Natalie", and so this girl will be called by that name next in my text). In essence, this is the same Nicole should be (on scenario) a tragic character, who needs to be empathized by the viewers with in every possible way - her best friend recently was killed, with whom the girls (as it later surfaced later) at one time brutally killed a man, accidentally, true, but still. She lives with a Goth neighbour, in any case, the screenwriters of the picture are trying to convince the viewers that Nicole's neighbour is exactly that Goth, although the girl (Tosh) has both friends of interest (with whom she most actively communicates on the Internet) and a young man (with whom she "meets" regularly in her and Nicole dorm room, hee-hee-hee), and Nicole herself has no one and she is constantly locked in herself. Substitution of concepts? Well, I have already encountered this. And also our unfortunate Nicole has friends who do not bully the girl, but with serious faces ask if everything is all right with her, and are ready to help in a difficult moment. In general, Nicole is an egoist girl, whose acting is able to compete with the facial expressions of pokerface, and all she is capable of is at times (when it is impossible to do without it in any way) improbably yell. What a "deep and interesting character", don't you think?
But what about the girl's friends, fellow students? Maybe they will be able to hook the viewer with something? No, they can't, because all the characters in this picture fall under the definition of "these people should die at the twentieth minute of the film," because the actors play at the same level as the performer of the main role, which means that the audience is presented with a matinee arranged by a certain family of stones. No, of course, Robert "Kruger" Englund and Jared Leto are present in the picture, but if too little screen time is given to the first, then the second starred in this picture just for nothing to do, and therefore does not try to play much. And it's a pity, because if the main character was not Alicia Witt, who could squeeze out exactly one and a half emotions, but Jared Leto, then the film would only benefit from this. But not fate.
Well, how is the situation with the slasher component? Well, do you know, some kind of piercing-cutting objects that pierce the bodies of teenagers, or memorable deaths, whether it's a toilet bowl that fell on the head of one of the heroes or a can of pepsi, in which there would be sulfuric acid instead of soda? But nothing.
For the murders themselves - they take place in complete darkness, and the viewer only will see what the hero was like before communicating with the killer, and what he became after. And yes, the changes are purely cosmetic and they come down to ketchup on the wrists and faces of these unfortunate people. And it seemed to me that one of the key ideas of any slasher was to show how creative a killer can be, especially trying to bring to life the urban legends of America. But, apparently, I'm behind the times.
Summing up, I would like to say that there is an atmosphere of tense expectation in the film, but it only works in the wrong direction. Heroes (except Tosh, who I'm personally like because of Adorable, Wonderful and Unforgettable for me Danielle Harris, actress, who in this film (and in every of Her films she did!) really dedicate herself to Her Character Tosh - bold, rude, vulgar, too free-spirited maybe, but for me just mentally unstabled, Poor Little Girl, who lost her way in life, and who for me, Didn't Deserve such cruel, cynical and treacherous Death, in which I much more blame even not a killer himself, but Nicole, who was cold-hearted, irritated and somewhat, I feel it personally, even envied to Tosh's popularity among guys (Goth guys, and so what?), she could take just one motion by herself, and murder (maybe, as a killer had planned it at the first place) couldn't be done, but she didn't even bother in her mind, what's really going on, and as a result killer succeed in his vile and disgusting intentions) do not cause sympathy, but directly opposite feelings, and from that I want the killer to come and do something terrible with them. With the plot, the creators also overdid it, making a murderer of someone from whom you do not expect this in any way, and not only because this hero had successfully pretended to be kind all the time before, but because he simply physically could not do what he did. And explanations like "why and for what important reasons for him he does this" are far-fetched, in my purely subjective opinion, by white threads, and somehow you don't really believe in them. I didn't hear any musical accompaniment at all, in addition to the wonderful cool song "Crop Circle" by "Monster Magnet", which Tosh (as a 12 year old, when I first watched this, I dreamed that I would have such a cool older sister!)) turned on at full volume on her computer. After all, before her death, she listened to this Great Music, eh...(((( I'm So Sorry for Tosh. Even now, almost 20 years later. She had Taste, Style and Fashion, even strange and creepy, but so, again, unlike Nicole/Natalie, who, I think, just didn't know such words in theory, not mention about practical usement.
And as for the actors, as I said, they play below average, which, however, is the norm for this kind of films. And that's why I still advised you to refrain from watching and turn your eyes to the ageless classics of the genre in the face of "Halloween", "Friday the 13th" and the "Scream" that joined their ranks.
4 out of 10. I wish you all Health, good luck and all the best. I know that fans of these "Urban horror stories" will throw rotten tomatoes at me, belittle and pessimize my point of view in every possible way, but I wrote my review counting on adequate, unbiased, understanding and (most importantly, sic!) accepting someone else's point of view, which can (and should, as I think!) sharply differ from the reference, clearly and firmly established and generally accepted. I am such a person, I am not ashamed at all, and I am proud of it. If I don't like any movie (or in general I have my own point of view on any issues) I am not shy to express it openly, honestly and sincerely, without any fear of condemnation. This is my credo, my main life principle, and no one will ever force me to refuse to follow it. You may not agree with my opinion, but to abandon it or, even more so, force me to join an opinion that is polar different from mine - I ask you to spare me from this. I said all that I want, thanks to all, who put their time and patience to read it.
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