"URBAN LEGENDS: FINAL CUT"
(2000) (Jennifer Morrison, Matthew Davis) (R)

Alcohol/ Drugs	Blood/Gore	Disrespectful/ Bad Attitude	Frightening/ Tense Scenes	Guns/ Weapons
Mild	Extreme	Extreme	Extreme	Extreme
Imitative Behavior	Jump Scenes	Music (Scary/Tense)	Music (Inappropriate)	Profanity
Mild	Heavy	Extreme	None	Extreme
Sex/ Nudity	Smoking	Tense Family Scenes	Topics To Talk About	Violence
Heavy	Mild	Minor	Mild	Extreme

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QUICK TAKE:

Horror: A film school student finds that her classmates, as well as the cast and crew of her horror film about urban legends, are the targets of a serial killer.

PLOT:

Amy Mayfield (JENNIFER MORRISON) is a film student who's having a problem coming up with the story for her final project. After meeting campus security guard Reese (LORETTA DEVINE) who tells her she'd make a film about urban legends, Amy decides to do just that, impressing her instructor, Professor Solomon (HART BOCHNER), with her idea.

Competing against several other students, including Travis (MATTHEW DAVIS), Toby (ANSON MOUNT) and Graham (JOSEPH LAWRENCE), for the prestigious Hitchcock award that all but ensures a future in Hollywood, Amy begins shooting her film, but her help isn't exactly stellar. Her main actress, Sandra (JESSICA CAUFFIEL), isn't any good, while her props and special effects men, Stan (ANTHONY ANDERSON) and Dirk (MICHAEL BACALL), are the epitome of film geeks.

When Toby quits as her cinematographer, Travis finds a replacement cameraman, Simon (MARCO HOFSCHNEIDER), for her, while her boom operator, Vanessa (EVA MENDES), seems just as interested in women as she does film. Then there's Kevin (DEREK AASLAND), the reserved production assistant whose applications to the film school have been repeatedly turned down.

As Amy starts her shoot, various members of her cast and crew meet untimely demises, although no one, including Reese, believes her theory that a serial murderer is at large. When Travis' twin brother, Trevor (MATTHEW DAVIS), finally arrives and backs up her beliefs, the two of them set out to discover the killer's identity before he strikes again.

WILL KIDS WANT TO SEE IT?

If they're fans of anyone in the cast, the original "Urban Legends" film, or slasher type movies in general, they just might.

WHY THE MPAA RATED IT: R

For violence/gore, language and some sexuality.

CAST AS ROLE MODELS:

JENNIFER MORRISON plays a film school student who's trying to live up to her late father's reputation and must contend with a serial killer who's offing her cast and crew and is coming after her as well. She briefly uses some profanity.

MATTHEW DAVIS plays two twin brothers, one a film student, the other a mysterious stranger who arrives and helps Amy. They use some profanity.

HART BOCHNER plays their film school professor who isn't that happy with how his life and career have turned out.

LORETTA DEVINE plays the security guard who doesn't believe Amy's theory about there being a serial killer, but always manages to be at or near the scene of the latest crime and/or perilous encounter.

JOSEPH LAWRENCE plays a pretentious film school student who uses some profanity.

ANSON MOUNT plays another film school director who accuses Amy of stealing his idea and uses some strong profanity.

EVA MENDES plays the lesbian boom operator who's out front with her sexuality and uses some strong profanity.

JESSICA CAUFFIEL plays a dippy actress who isn't any good at acting.

ANTHONY ANDERSON and MICHAEL BACALL play the prop and special effects men for Amy's film who use some strong profanity.

MARCO HOFSCHNEIDER plays a European cinematographer who smokes a few times.

DEREK AASLAND plays the reserved production assistant who lurks about in the background of various scenes.

CAST, CREW, & TECHNICAL INFO

HOW OTHERS RATED THIS MOVIE

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Curious if this title is entertaining, any good, and/or has any artistic merit?
Then read OUR TAKE of this film.

(Note: The "Our Take" review of this title examines the film's artistic merits and does not take into account any of the possibly objectionable material listed below).

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OUR WORD TO PARENTS:

Here's a quick summary of the content found in this R-rated horror film. As in most "slasher" films, a serial killer pursues and kills many people, often with extremely bloody and gory results. Those moments, as well as plenty of others (including a fair number of jump/startle scenes) may be unsettling, suspenseful and/or scary to viewers, all depending on their age, level of maturity and tolerance for such material (and the scary/suspenseful/ominous music that accompanies it).

Some of the lethal violence and blood/gore that occurs is faked, staged or dreamt, while other non-lethal violence (fighting, etc.) is also present. Profanity consists of at least 16 "f" words and other expletives and colorful phrases, while some brief, sexually explicit dialogue is also present. Two sexual encounters are seen (one is a scene from a movie, the other is a dream) with one involving and partially showing male to female oral sex and another including some brief movement and nudity, while a female mannequin shows realistic looking bare breasts.

Meanwhile, several characters also drink and smoke. Should you still be concerned about the film and its appropriateness for anyone in your home who wishes to see it, we suggest that you more closely examine our detailed content listings for specific examples of what occurs in the film.

For those concerned with the repetitive flashing of bright lights on screen, many instances of that occur, including several strobe-like moments, throughout the film.

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ALCOHOL OR DRUG USE

In a scene from a movie being shot, a bunch of young people have drinks on a plane and grab mini-bottles of liquor from a service cart when it rolls by.

People have drinks in a bar where someone spikes a woman's drink with some sort of drug that eventually makes her quite woozy. Travis, who's been drinking with her, doesn't have any more (after she says that being wasted is the only way to fly).

We see Travis holding an open bottle of booze.

BLOOD/GORE

In a scene from a movie being shot, the actress playing the victim spots several other victims, many of which are bloody with knives sticking out of bloody wounds and/or whose clothing is bloody.

A woman wakes up to find that one of her organs has been surgically removed from her body. She sees the bloody organ on a table and then sees the bloody incision on her side. When later fighting with her assailant (who was washing off some bloody surgical instruments), he sticks his fingers into her bloody wound to pull her back in through an open window that he then closes, decapitating her. As a result, we see her severed head roll across the ground, thick blood drip down from the windowsill and the assailant throw her bloody body organ down to a dog that then eats it.

We see a stage light fall and then see Sandra lying on the floor with blood covering her face (but then see that it's fake blood and the injury was just a prank).

We see a fake, bloody dog prop hanging from a shower curtain rod with its belly cut open and its bloody intestines hanging out. Later, Sandra looks through a pile of fake, but bloody intestine props.

A person's face is bloody after they're bludgeoned with a large camera lens. Later, we see some blood in the snow where that person was killed.

We see various bloody mannequins and mannequin parts inside an amusement ride tunnel (that Stan and Dirk have set up as a tunnel of terror).

A man's hand is a bit bloody after another person strikes him there with a pickax.

We see a man's face that's bloody and blackened from being electrocuted.

We see several dead and bloody bodies (including one where a rat goes into a large, bloody hole in one of the necks).

We see a small, bloody bullet hole in a person's clothing.

A person is shot in the chest, resulting in bloody wounds/clothing (but this turns out to be another scene from a movie that's being shot).

DISRESPECTFUL/BAD ATTITUDE

The killer obviously has extreme cases of both types of attitudes.

Toby thinks that Amy is stealing his movie idea and then calls her (in a demeaning fashion), "Little girl."

FRIGHTENING SCENES

Scenes listed under "Blood/Gore" and "Violence" may also be unsettling, tense or scary to some viewers, all depending on their tolerance for stereotypical slasher type mayhem, chasing, etc.

In a scene from a movie being shot, a serial killer stalks and/or chases his next victims on an airplane during a violent thunderstorm (the scene is supposed to look real at first, with many dead and bloody victims, but we then see that it's all fake and occurring on a movie set).

A drugged woman tries to find her coat in a coat checkroom, and while she stumbles about looking for it, we know that someone is after her.

A woman wakes up in a bathtub full of ice to find that one of her organs has been surgically removed from her body. She sees the bloody organ on a table and then sees the bloody incision on her side. She tries to escape, but slips on the floor and her assailant/surgeon then comes after her. She locks the door and tries to escape through the window, but gets stuck and then faces a barking and menacing dog that's right at her face, but can't quite get her due to being leashed. The assailant finally gets inside the room and sticks his fingers into her bloody wound to pull her back in through the window that he then closes, decapitating her. As a result, we see her severed head roll across the ground, thick blood drip down from the windowsill and the assailant throw her bloody body organ down to a dog that then eats it.

We see the point of view of someone slowly creeping up on Amy.

We see a stage light fall and then see Sandra lying on the floor with blood covering her face (but then see that it's fake blood and the injury was just a prank).

Sandra returns to the movie set at night looking for her keys and then encounters a masked person filming her. This person then stabs her with something and then films her as he chases her through the set and continues to periodically stab her until she's finally dead (the violence is more suggested than actually seen, although we do hear it). Amy and the others then unknowingly watch this footage the next day.

Amy slowly walks through a room at night filled with plastic covered statues.

Amy runs and then tries to hide (in several places) from the killer who's after her in a several minute "cat and mouse" sequence.

After the killer has dispatched two more victims in a darkened tunnel, he comes after Amy who tries to get away in another several minute sequence.

As a woman lies on top of him in bed, a man pulls out a knife, raises it above her and then stabs her with it (in what turns out to be a nightmare).

Amy and Vanessa run up a tower's interior stairwell, trying to get away from the killer and hide in a room in another several minute sequence. The killer then grabs Vanessa from that room and Amy then sees several dead bodies in that room with her.

We see a man with a sniper rifle who's preparing to shoot someone, but another person shoots him first, resulting in bloody wounds and that gunman falling over a railing (but this turns out to be another scene from a movie that's being shot).

GUNS/WEAPONS

Knife/Handgun/Pickax: Used to threaten, wound or kill people. See "Violence" for details.

Sniper rifle: Nearly used to shoot someone in a scene being shot for a movie.

IMITATIVE BEHAVIOR

Phrases: "Shut the f*ck up," "You scared the sh*t out of me," "Bullsh*t," "Oh sh*t," "Sh*tty," "Piece of sh*t," "Shut up," "Screwed" (nonsexual), "My ass," "Sucks," "Crazy white ass," "What the hell?" "Loser" and "Creepy ass."

Vanessa gives "the finger" to her director.

A person drugs another person by mixing a powdered drug into their drink.

JUMP SCENES

A person suddenly shows up at a window.

The sight and loud sound of some birds suddenly taking to flight might startle some viewers.

Someone jumps out and grabs a person.

A barking dog suddenly appears at a window.

A person suddenly runs through a shot.

A person suddenly jumps down behind someone.

The killer suddenly breaks a glass door.

The killer grabs Amy's foot through an open staircase.

A body or mannequin suddenly lands on a table.

MUSIC (SCARY/TENSE)

An extreme amount of suspenseful and/or ominous music plays throughout the film.

MUSIC (INAPPROPRIATE)

None.

PROFANITY

At least 16 "f" words (1 used sexually, 1 used with "mother" - while another such phrase isn't completed), 11 "s" words, 10 asses (1 used with "hole"), 6 hells, 2 craps, 1 S.O.B., 9 uses of "Oh my God," 3 each of "G-damn" and "Oh God" and 2 uses each of "God" and "Jesus" and 1 use of "Jesus Christ" as exclamations.

SEX/NUDITY

In a scene from a movie being shot, we see a young couple making out on a plane. The guy then asks the girl if she's heard of the "mile high club" and she enthusiastically smiles and goes off with that guy to the restroom. We then see them in the bathroom with her seated (in a dress) and him standing between her spread legs. His shirt is off and she's passionately breathing as he kisses down between her clothed breasts. We then see his head down between her legs (her panties are still on) and later see her somewhat rhythmically moving (and making slight sexual sounds) as he performs oral sex on her (she's moving from his actions and/or the plane shaking). She then reads aloud a message she suddenly spots on a mirror, "You're going down," and he replies, "I sure am, baby."

A man comments that Sandra's acting would be wretched even in a porno film, with another jokingly stating that he's seen her in a few.

Stan and Dirk mention that Amy was "trying to get her Mack on" (or something like that) when seeing her talking with Travis.

Upon hearing that Amy's filming a scene with a dog, Stan asks if he can play the dog since he's a great licker. Someone then makes a homosexual joke by chiming in that's what Dirk said about Stan.

When Amy asks if anyone's seen Sandra, a guy jokingly asks who hasn't seen her naked.

Vanessa tells Simon, "If you were a girl, I'd definitely f*ck you." When she then offers to give him a lift in her car, he says that she's already given him one (a reference to him being aroused from her being a lesbian).

Upon seeing Sandra's clothed butt sticking out toward the camera that's filming her, some students comment that it's her best angle.

Stan carries a realistic looking female mannequin (that's only wearing panties) that has realistic looking bare breasts.

In what turns out to be a dream, we see Amy and Trevor in bed together with him on top of her between her legs (we see part of his bare butt). She then gets on top of him and takes off her top (we see her bare back and her in her panties).

SMOKING

Simon smokes a few times, while Travis, Vanessa and some miscellaneous characters also smoke.

TENSE FAMILY SCENES

We learn that Amy's father died sometime ago.

TOPICS TO TALK ABOUT

The few urban legends presented in the film.

Whether film school is accurately portrayed or not.

VIOLENCE

In a scene from a movie being shot, the actress playing the victim spots several other victims, many of which are bloody with knives sticking out of bloody wounds and/or whose clothing is bloody. A person is then struck by an out of control, rolling service cart on a plane.

A woman wakes up in a bathtub full of ice to find that one of her organs has been surgically removed from her body. She sees the bloody organ on a table and then sees the bloody incision on her side. She tries to escape, but slips on the floor, and her assailant/surgeon then comes after her. She locks the door and tries to escape through the window, but gets stuck and then faces a barking and menacing dog that's right at her face, but can't quite get her due to being leashed. The assailant finally gets inside the room and sticks his fingers into her bloody wound to pull her back in through the window that he then closes, decapitating her. As a result, we see her severed head roll across the ground, thick blood drip down from the windowsill and the assailant throw her bloody body organ down to a dog that then eats it.

Sandra returns to the movie set at night looking for her keys and then encounters a masked person filming her. This person then stabs her with something and then films her as he chases her through the set and continues to periodically stab her until she's finally dead (the violence is more suggested than actually seen, although we do hear it). Amy and the others then unknowingly watch this footage the next day.

We hear that one of the students was murdered (and that his head was essentially blown off).

A person strikes another person over the head with a huge camera lens. They then proceed to bludgeon them with it until they're dead (and bloody).

The killer smashes through a glass door trying to get Amy, while she smashes an electrical box to knock out the power.

The killer strikes someone with a pickax and then severs an electrical cable, holding it against a railing and electrocuting that injured man.

A person strikes another person on the hand with a pickax and then chases him into an electrical panel where he's electrocuted.

As a woman lies on top of him in bed, a man pulls out a knife, raises it above her and then stabs her with it (in what turns out to be a nightmare).

We see that the killer has hanged a person.

A person shoots and wounds another person, blasting them back through a stage wall, and then shoots at another person.

Two men then struggle over a gun.

The killer threatens to shoot another man.

A person smashes some prop furniture over a person's back. Two people then struggle over a gun and one other person appears to be shot and injured by it. One person elbows another person and several punches are then exchanged (one being a man hitting a woman). Three people then hold guns on each other (with only one of the guns being real).

The killer grabs Amy and we hear a gunshot and then see that the killer has been shot and injured.

We see a man with a sniper rifle who's preparing to shoot someone, but another person shoots him first, resulting in bloody wounds and that gunman falling over a railing (but this turns out to be another scene from a movie that's being shot).

Reviewed September 18, 2000 / Posted September 22, 2000

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