Urban Legends: Bloody Mary

These days the game in horror is a horrible business. Pity the poor filmmaker: she has to have enough formula to give the viewer something to rely on. After all, in a horror film, most of the work is done by the audience. We willingly supply all the imaginative components that thrill us. All the movie does is provide cues based on, derived from milestones in the genre.

But at the same time, that beleaguered filmmaker has to be novel enough to engage so far as the story and the metaphysical logic behind it. Usually, that is a matter of just mixing existing elements in a slightly new way and that's what we have here.

It is part ghost story, after the manner of recent much better films. It is part traditional slasher where an unknown human seems to be always in the right place to exact revenge (usually revenge, here a cover-up). And it is part that twist on the ghost story that kicked off the series: the notion that urban legends have a power of their own to invade the world and become real — the spectre that just thinking of hearing a story will have it land on you.

That novel notion wasn't fully exploited, but it is an intelligent a device as the movie within the movie of "The Ring."

And we have it here, dimly.

These three elements are mixed together with a bit more success than you would guess. It is still weak. But then, it has an appealing redheaded heroine.

Ted's Evaluation -- 2 of 3: Has some interesting elements.

Samantha Owens (Mara) is the editor of the high school newspaper and was blacklisted with her two friends, Gina (Haley McCormick) and Mindy (Olesya Rulin), by the football players after an article about them, so they do not go to a high school party. Samantha tells to the other girls an urban legend told by her mother: in 1969, in Salt Lake City, the two girlfriends of Mary Banner (Lilith Fields) are drugged by their dates in a prom, but she understands the situation and runs from her date, who kills her and hide her body in a trunk in the basement of the school. Like the Candyman, Samantha speaks "Bloody Mary" three times, evoking the evil spirit of Mary. Along the night, the three girls are drugged and kidnapped in a prank of the players, but Samantha has visions and premonitions about Mary. When her school mates are killed, Mary visits Grace Taylor (Tina Lifford), one of the girls abused in 1969, and finds that the victims are the descendants of the trio that killed Mary and harmed her friends, and that Mary spirit is seeking for revenge.

I bought this DVD full of good expectations, based on the name of director Mary Lambert, since "Pet Sematary" is one of my favorite horror movies ever. Unfortunately, the predictable and forgettable story of "Urban Legends: Bloody Mary" is very bad and full of clichés. Mary crawling from the bottom of the bed is a rip-off of Samara in "The Ring". It seems that there is only some care with the gore deaths, but the same does not happen with the characters. For example, Samantha's mother Pam (Nancy Everhard), who told the story of Mary to Samantha, vanishes and Samantha and David never ask for additional information about Mary to her. David is stupidly killed and Samantha in the end of the story with Grace does not miss or even mention him. The death of Heather Thompson, attacked by spiders, is the best moment of this disappointing flick. My vote is five.

Title (Brazil): "Lendas Urbanas 3: A Vingança de Mary" ("Urban Legends 3: Mary's Revenge")

Samantha Owens (Kate Mara) have her two girlfriends for a sleepover. They are interrupted by Sam's brother David. They are all outcasts after Sam published a school news story denouncing the football players. The girls recount a story about the murder of Mary Banner in 1969. She and two other girls were drugged by the football players. Sam also talk about the urban legend of Bloody Mary. Next day, the girls are gone and David accuses the football players of foul play. Sam and her friends reappear later that afternoon disheveled and suffering from the after-effects of a drugging. Soon, the jocks and the captain's girlfriend Heather Thompson are showing up dead in unusual circumstances. Sam and David track down one of the girls from the 1969 incident, Grace Taylor.

The biggest name here is Kate Mara. It's odd that Sam's two friends aren't actually main characters. It doesn't help that they are limited actors. David isn't much better but at least, he's functional. Quite frankly, his role is unnecessary and Kate Mara should have been the only protagonist. The story should follow Sam and her two friends from the drugging onwards. The only good kill is the spiders and the CGI is cheap anyways. It's still creepy good. The other kills are either boring or silly or both. There are other issues and this never had a chance to be better than a B-horror.

If you thought the second Urban Legend had little to do with the original ... wait til you see this here. The (Urban?) Legend of Bloody Mary is very well known in America. Through Horror movies I reckon it is very well known in the horror community around the world.

That being said, this direct to video "sequel" has a really commendable core story. A me too way before the me too movement. But is it enough to just rain praise on it? You'll be the ultimate judge for yourself. But really badly aged CGI and some odd story choices probably will not work in favor of the movie for most people.

Still it is nice to see some good acting in here, even if the choices and moral high ground it takes (excusing murder and death) are not always for the ... well best. Especially if you consider the very predictable (character) twist and the behavior that person displays ... completely ridiculous. Shame because some of the ideas for deaths are not really bad ... with make up effects even making up for the shoddy cgi (maybe)

They should have watch supernatural first that bloody marry was fantastic

it was just Horrible, The movie didn't make it sense at all

The plot: On Homecoming night, Samantha (Mara), Gina (McCormick), and Mindy (Rulin) are having a slumber party at Sam's house due to being black-listed by the sexy football players. Since the dance and game are out of the question, the trio stays up and entertains themselves with Urban Legends..all leading up to BLOODY MARY. With nothing better to do and a whole night to waste, Sam chants "Bloody Mary." Her friends laugh... "Bloody Mary." More laughter. On the third and final "Bloody Mary," the friends are kidnapped by three jocks and return soon thereafter, shaken but well. Sam begins having hallucinations and soon bodies turn up - is it all a high school prank taken to grisly extremes or is it Bloody Mary, who's youth was taken far too early?

Worst think about this is that they don't even use a mirror REALLY Then marry pop up anyway not scary not creepy.

This is the only one good part in the movie - That part is when spiders come out girl face was really good it is bit over the top scene but the Rest of the movie is garbage 3/10 just for that scene