Urban Legends: Final Cut is a 2000 slasher film. Advertised as a sequel to 1998's Urban Legend, the film shares little in common with that film aside from general themes and the character of Reese. It stars Jennifer Morrison, Matthew Davis, Hart Bochner, Loretta Devine, Joseph Lawrence, Anson Mount, Eva Mendes, Jessica Cauffiel and Anthony Anderson.

A third film in the series, Urban Legends: Bloody Mary, was released direct to DVD in 2005.

Plot

Jessie Mayfield (Jennifer Morrison) is a student at Alpine University who struggles to complete her thesis film on urban legends while her fellow cast and crew members are murdered by a mysterious person, wearing what appears to be a fencing mask. The killer's murders are always inspired by the very same urban legends. Amy discovers the identity of the killer, and works to unmask the villain before she is killed too.

The first person who dies is Lisa (Jacinda Barrett), a friend of Travis's (Matthew Davis). Lisa is not missed because she is thought to have gone on a trip. Meanwhile, Jessie begins her thesis film with the help of her friends. The next person to be killed is Jessie's best friend, Sandra (Jessica Cauffiel). She is killed on film so as to make it seem that the whole thing was staged. Sandra was about to go to L.A. so, just like Lisa's murder, Sandra's murder and disappearance comes with no suspicion.

After the death of Sandra, there comes news that Travis (Davis) has committed suicide due to a poor grade he received on his thesis film. After Travis's funeral, Jessie meets Trevor (Travis's brother played by Davis in a dual role) in the belltower Travis supposedly committed suicide. Trevor convinces Jessie that Travis did not commit suicide, rather he was murdered.

The next victim is Simon (Marco Hofschneider), while the others are recording the Midnight Scream urban legend. Because of the recorded screams, Simon's screams can't be heard by anyone other than Jessie. After she hears Simon's scream, she goes to Reese (Loretta Devine) to borrow the tapes to Simon's death. After Jessie watches the tapes, she is confronted by the killer and a chase ensues. During the chase, the tapes are lost and Amy's proof of the murders are gone.

The next victims are Stan (Anthony Anderson) and Dirk (Michael Bacall) while setting up for the Tunnel of Terror urban legend. Jessie discovers their bodies while taking a tour through the tunnel. She is again confronted by the killer and chased. While running out of the tunnel, Jessie runs into Reese and the cops are called to the scene. The deaths are officially attributed to accidental electrocution.

Later that night, while trying to go to sleep, Jessie sees a light coming from the belltower and decides to check it out. When she arrives, she sees Vanessa (Eva Mendes). Vanessa, believing that Jessie had written her a love note, was told to meet Jessie there. This was only a trick by the killer though to get Vanessa and Jessie in the same place.

Vanessa and Jessie are chased up the staircase to the top of the tower. Vanessa gets caught and kidnapped by the killer. Jessie hides in a room where she finds Sandra's body and Simon's body. When she opens the door she sees Vanessa hanging from the bell. She runs out of the tower, being spotted by Reese, to Trevor and they find out that the killer is killing everyone who worked on one project, Travis's thesis film.

The only person still alive that worked on Travis's film is Toby (Anson Mount). Thinking Toby is the killer, they kidnap him and tie him to a chair. Jessie then calls upon the only person she trusts Professor Solomon (Hart Bochner). When Solomon comes to meet Jessie and Trevor, he is shocked to see who he believes is Travis. Jessie then explains to Solomon how everyone who worked on Travis's film is now dead except for Toby, and how she believes he is the one who has killed them all.

Toby then reveals that he never worked, nor has he ever seen, Travis's film (Travis only put Toby's name on his film so he could gain the credit). Solomon then shoots Toby leaving Jessie, Trevor, and Graham (Joseph Lawrence) (who had been watching from outside) stunned. Solomon thens reveals that it was he who had killed Travis and the others because he wanted to take credit for Travis's film. Holding Trevor hostage, Solomon searches for Jessie. He tells Jessie that he was trying to frame the whole thing on her by using the idea of her thesis film.

Graham then sneaks behind Solomon hitting him in the back with a chair, only for Solomon to turn around and shoot him. Reese arrives shortly after this and confronts Jessie, who she believes to be the killer. After Jessie tries to tell Reese what had happened, Solomon told Reese that it was Jessie that she had seen back at the bell tower. Reese never told anyone she saw Jessie there, and after telling Solomon this he punches Reese and tries to take her gun. After a short scuffle, and a pile of prop guns, the gun is lost among the props. Jessie, Trevor, and Solomon all grab for a gun. Jessie grabs the real gun and shoots Solomon.

Once Solomon is shot, it is found out that Toby and Graham survived their wounds. The scene then cuts to the filming of Jessie's new movie, which features Reese and Trevor. After a humorous scene which at first appears to be real but then is revealed to be just a scene in the movie, we cut to a mental hospital where Solomon, still alive, is confined to a wheel chair. We then see that his nurse is the killer from the previous film, Nurse Brenda Bates, and she wheels him back to his room, as the musical score from Alfred Hitchcock Presents plays.

Cast

• Jennifer Morrison - Amy Mayfield
• Matthew Davis - Travis/Trevor Stark
• Hart Bochner - Professor Solomon
• Loretta Devine - Reese Wilson
• Eva Mendes - Vanessa Valdeon
• Joseph Lawrence - Graham Manning
• Anson Mount - Toby Belcher
• Anthony Anderson - Stan Washington
• Jessica Cauffiel - Sandra Petruzzi
• Kyle Nelson - Amy Derose
• Rebecca Gayheart - Nurse Brenda Bates

Location

• Scenes featuring the exterior of Alpine University campus were filmed on location at Trent University in Peterborough, Ontario in Canada.

Box Office

The film brought in $21,468,807 in the United States and brought in $17,105,555 overseas, bringing it's total box office revenue to $38,574,362. The film was considered a moderate success, due to the budget of the film being $14,000,000. However, the film only grossed about half of what the first movie brought in ($72,000,000).

External links

References