Urban Legends: Final Cut

Plot: Urban Legends: Final Cut follows Amy Mayfield (Morrison), a student at Alpine University who struggles to complete her thesis film on urban legends-only to have her crew members fall prey to fatal 'accidents.' Suspicious, Amy investigates and discovers a much more sinister hand at work. Now she must unmask the killer before she, too, becomes an urban legend.

News:

18 September, 2000

Check out an interview with stars Jessica Cauffiel and Eva Mendes

14 September, 2000

Check out an interview with stars Jennifer Morrison and Joseph Lawrence

19 April, 2000

Director John Ottman talked to Another Universe about his movie. The biggest question is considering the poor quality of the original, why would he want to make a sequel? "I told them as long as I can make it into something Hitchcockian and thriller-like as opposed to a slasher film, then I'd be interested in doing it," Ottman said.

He admits that there are more dead bodies in his film and more elaborate death scenes but that doesn't make it a typical horror sequel. "The murders are sorta off screen," he explains. "People disappear and you're obsessed with the mystery of who it is as opposed to the direct terror of someone getting axed right in front of you. It's a thriller-mystery, not that people don't get killed."

Despite filming in and around Toronto, it never snowed when they needed it to. They did get snow prior to filming one scene but it wasn't one that was intended to have snow requiring some quick script changes. "It gave the scene a great look so I was really thrilled it happened," Ottman commented. "Ironically, the next day we were to shoot a death scene which I wanted it to be in the snow but we ran out of time so we did it in the fog cause it stopped snowing."

3 March, 2000

Director John Ottman sat down with an Urban Legend fansite (it had fans?) and talked about his directing his first movie. He gives the best description yet of the plot:

"Alpine University houses the most advanced film school in the world. Each year, the student who wins the Hitchcock Award for best film is pretty much guaranteed a directing career in Hollywood. Amy (Jennifer Morrison) has only been making documentaries but knows she must make a fictional film to be elligable for the award and to prove she can make more than just nature films. After talking with the campus security guard, Amy has a great idea -- to make her story about a serial killer who bases his murders on Urban Legends. Only, Amy's crew begins to fall victim to many "accidents", and Amy must prove her suspicion that they were murdered, before she too becomes an Urban Legend".

February 10, 2000

John Ottman updated his website this week with some information regarding the end of shooting on the movie. The site also posted a handful of shots from the movie, some of which you can see below.

Some of the shooting was, well, precarious at best. One location was in an amusement park ride that we converted from a log ride to a "Miner's Ride." I this large cave we built track up an inclined conveyor belt, which normally would pull up the logs; but in our ride, heavy mining cars were to look as if they are going up the incline on the track we layed for them. Our technical system for pulling up the miner's car was a cable attached from the front of the car to a truck parked way out in the parking lot. When we wanted the car to pull Jennifer up the ride's incline, a driver far out there would step on the gas! Hilarious. (I don't think Jennifer knew that's how she was being pulled up:) Anyway, this large cave was at this 45 degree incline with crew members stumbling over each other as we filmed all night for five nights in 25 degree temperatures. Crew members were setting lights and leaning there bodies out over long drop-off areas within the ride, as I cringed fully expecting some horrible injury. Miraculously we all emerged without a scratch.

7 February, 2000

Where would we be without focus groups? We would be without scoops like the one below. One lucky person got a chance to see one of the death scenes from the movie and give their opinion. The report follows but be careful not to read it if you want to avoid spoilers.

"I was in the mall and two men came up to me and asked me if I wanted to see parts of the film "Urban Legend The Final Cut". We went to the theatre located in the mall and three other people besides us where there for this session. We saw a death scene involving Vanessa (Eva Mendez). She was getting chased by the killer, then knocked down some equipment in the indie film studio. She eventually was hiding, but the L.L. Bean coat killer found her in a studio and hacked at her stomach. The scene ended then opened with Amy (Jennifer Morrison) and Graham (Joey Lawerence) walked in and found her brutually cut up. The two men happened to be Michael McDonell and Exec. Producer Nick Osborne, they asked me and a friend and the three other people if the scene was any good, we all replied with mixed feelings and added suggestions."

7 December, 1999

Want to get an early peek at the movie? In a very unusual move, the filming of a scene will be broadcast live over the internet. Live webcasts will run from December 13-15 courtesy of Moviefone. The first day will feature interviews with the cast. The second day will be more intereviews with cast and crew. Finally on the 15th, you can watch as the 'Bell Tower' scene is filmed live. It will include rehearsals and the preparation of the Toronto set. Plus you can submit an urban legend of your own for a chance to win a screening of the movie at the Sony studio lot.

2 December, 1999

Apparently it's hard work being in a slasher flick. Jennifer Morrison (caught on set to your left) has so little time away from filming Urban Legend 2 that she looks forward to the filming of someone's death. "I always get excited when somebody's going to die in the script because it means I have a little bit of time off on set." It takes a lot of time to set up a death scene, giving her a chance to sit down. Night after night she spends endless hours filming various scenes in locations around Toronto.

Most recently filming was taking place at a water park called Ontario Place. Morrison's character is a film student shooting her film project when all hell starts to break loose. Being the star of the movie means she's always on set and has little time to herself. "Yes, it has been a different experience for me. I'm in most every set up. And everybody else is like, 'Oh gawd, what else is there to do in Toronto?' And all I do is work and sleep." Despite the troubles with shooting and the obvious concerns over the movie's quality she is pretty happy about it. "It's really something for a female of my age, or any age, to get to do the kind of stuff I do. It's incredible, actually."

29 November, 1999

Have you been wondering about the shooting of Urban Legend 2? I know I have. You just can't get enough sequels to really bad horror movies in my book. Anyway, check out this set report.

"I went to the set and no one minded at all. In fact, some of the technicians told us where to stand and watch the movie being filmed. It was great! I was there for only about 1 & 1/2 hours, but I really enjoyed it, as this is my first time on a movie set ever! When I got there, they were filming Jennifer Morrison jogging. They followed her on one of those little cars with cameramen. After redoing the shot a few times, they did it without her for some coverage I suppose (to show it from her view). Then, the director told everyone to pack up and move down to the lake. I also went down and watched them set up. I stood on the other end of the beach, across from where all the cameras were. Then, a technician came by and asked me to move to the other end since they will be filming in that very area. I moved and then withing 5 minutes they were shooting Jennifer Morrison jogging again!!! I didn't want to bother anyone but as a technician came by, I asked him what part of the movie they were filming and he said it was only the 17th scene, except they've already done a lot more in Peterborough earlier. This was just a scene were Jennifer is jogging and there is music in the background. Surprinsingly enough, he was going to show me where in the script this was at but he didn't have his handy at the time. Everyone there seemed VERY nice and patient. I can definately see how hard it is to work on a movie like that. And when they were filming in Peterborough, there was a snow storm one night that started in the middle of filming. This changed the storyline a little and that's why they had a little bit of fake snow in some places in the back while they were shooting.

Well, that's about it. I just wanted to let you know that, and that filming is supposed to finish around December 16th and then go into post-production. They are hoping to release it next October, just in time for Halloween. It was a really great experience being there!!!"

'MarkMovieman'

19 October, 1999

Trent University will serve as the backdrop for the movie. It is located near Peterborough, near Toronto. Shooting will take place around Halloween. The university was chosen for its modern architecture. Director John Ottman wanted a change from the typical gothic look for a horror movie. Click on the picture to the left to get a good view of the campus. It should make for an interesting look to the movie. That's the first nice thing I've had to say about it so far.

11 October, 1999

It appears that director John Ottman has his own website and is writing occasional updates on the shooting of Urban Legend 2. Regardless of what you think of the project it makes for an interesting read. To quickly sum up, he mentions the recent castings and gives them character names. Jennifer Morrison is tthe lead, Amy. Matt Davis plays the roles of Travis and Trevor. Twins? Hart Bochner is Professor Solomon and Joey Lawrence (now preferes to be called Joseph) is Graham. Loretta Devine returns as the security guard Reese. She was fired following the events in the first film and has taken a new job at Alpine University. Stunningly she tries to distance herself when trouble starts at this college.

They are shooting at an actual college for exterior shots. Interiors will have to be recreated elsewhere. It seems they don't have enough time and budget to both at the same location. The choice of college was a little unusual. "We deceided to not go the typical gothic university route, as it's getting tired. I wanted this film to have an entirely new look, so it will be staged at a modern university, which in it's own right offers a creepy feel with it's hard edges, rough cement walls and strange architecture." One shot ocurred at an amusement park in the rain which gave most of the crew a cold.

This week will be for costume fittings, make up tests and rehearsals. Then more shooting. Ottman describes the script as "ever morphing" and expresses a bit of frustration at that. Assuming that the fact that it's a sequel to a teen slasher flick doesn't give you pause, that constantly changing script should.

8 October, 1999

Casting continues for the sequel that's not really a sequel. Anson Mount and Eva Mendes have been added to the cast. Mendes appeared in A Night at the Roxbury but otherwise the two are unknowns.

30 September, 1999

Jennifer Morrison (Stir of Echoes), Matthew Davis, Jessica Cauffiel (The Out-of-Towners), Anthony Anderson (Me, Myself and Irene), and Loretta Devine (Urban Legend) have all been added to the cast. Morrison and Davis play film students on a production where someone is killing off the cast one at a time. Devine reprises her role as the security guard from the first movie. The strange thing is that it's not supposed to be a sequel. Ummm... what?!? Did they look at their title?

16 June, 1999

Phoenix Pictures has apparently hired John Ottman to direct the sequel. Ottman was the composer/editor on Apt Pupil and The Usual Suspects. Neal Moritz will again be the producer. Reportedly Ottman has request a major overhaul of the existing script. Shooting should begin in September, which is right in line with our last report. Now that the details are out of the way, let me say I'm very pleased about this sequel. Why? Well the original was perhaps the worst horror movie I've ever seen. I laughed really hard through the whole movie (when I wasn't busy making sarcastic comments that is). Considering that sequels are almost always worse than the original, I can only expect more of the same.

4 June, 1999

If ever there was a movie that shouldn't have a sequel, this is it. However the ending was a shameless set up for a sequel and it managed to make a little money so it will get one anyway. The University of Manitoba campus in Winnipeg, Canada is the early favorite location for shooting. Producer Edward Teets said "This city could work for that sequel... The Movie takes place around a university (in Georgia) and the U of M suits that campus." Umm, okay, a campus in Canada mimics one of Georgia in the US. Those aren't locations I would have thought were similar, but go figure. Filming of the $15M movie should beging in 2 to 3 months.

17 March, 1999

In what can only be taken as a sign of the coming apocalypse, Phoenix Pictures has bought a pitch for a sequel to the truly awful Urban Legend. No details on the plot were available, but that is a trivial concern considering the original film's nearly non-existant plot meant only as an excuse to hack up young actors. Perhaps they seek to right the great wrong of the original, no shower scenes.