No one can resist an urban legend - that bizarre event a friend swears
happened to her second cousin or the urgent message that warns you to
beware of oddly titled e-mails.
Given our fascination with the silver screen, it's only natural that films
should inspire
urban legends of their own. If you're not familiar with the concept, visit
About.com to read
What Exactly is an Urban Legend?
Have you noticed a strange movement in the forest where Dorothy meets the
Tin Woodsman in the Wizard of Oz? A lovelorn Munchkin hung himself from
a tree over the rejection of a fellow Munchkin, or so the legend goes. In
fact, it's a bird, borrowed from the Los Angeles Zoo to give the scene a
more outdoor feel. Read about the legend, how it arose and the truth behind
it on the Urban Legends Reference Page.
You'll find details on other movie legends categorized by film, actor and miscellany.
Here's a quick roundup of popular legends in film:
- Are there mysterious messages and lurid images hidden in family-friendly
Disney films? Get to the bottom of the mystery at a special section
devoted to Disney movies.
- Viewers of Three Men and a Baby have glimpsed what looks like the figure of a small
boy
(supposedly killed in the house where the scene was filmed). Is it a ghost or a
life-sized cutout of Ted Danson, placed in the window by a crew member as a
joke? Follow the
debate at The AFU and Urban Legends Archive. You
can also investigate the truth about Sylvester Stallone's pornographic film,
the origin of HAL, the computer in 2001: A Space Odyssey and much more.
- At About.com, you'll find more
movie and theatrical urban legends.
Apochrypha Now!
has details about some of the most famous myths, with lots of links for
more information.
After you've investigated urban legends about movies, check out a couple of movies
about urban legends. Urban Legends
and Urban Legends: The Final Cut
are about a killer who makes famous legends into reality.
--- J. Walker
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