SCARY MOVIE RATING: 7.5/10 --> Very good movie
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I generally rate "spoof films" by the number of jokes that work in the film versus those that didn't. Classics like AIRPLANE, TOP SECRET and NAKED GUN get high marks for achieving an exceptionally high ratio of jokes that hit their mark, while others like MAFIA, HOT SHOTS and HIGH SCHOOL HIGH barely rattle off an average of 50%. This film is Keenen Ivory Wayans' third shot at the "spoof movie" gold, and after a decent effort with I'M GONNA GIT YOU SUCKA and lackluster results with DON'T BE A MENACE..., it looks like he's finally found the right formula. SCARY MOVIE is a funny movie.
PLOT: Hmmm...how could I put this? Do you remember the story line from the original SCREAM? Well, it's basically the same story but played out as a parody. A bunch of teens pursued by an unknown mask-wearing killer. That's about it. Mix in a few other lampoons of other films, and there you have it.
CRITIQUE: The funniest movie that I've seen so far this year, I couldn't help but crack up during every other second of this film's first 30 minutes, with jokes a-plenty, an excellent re-creation of the spoofed films and spot-on potshots at the teen horror genre. Parody films work when most of the jokes in the film click, and this one had no problem delivering plenty of gross, over-the-top and clever moments in supposed tribute to those films which passed before it. Admittedly, the second half of the movie doesn't really keep up the joke-a-minute pace that the first half hour establishes early on, but plenty of funny moments still reside, lots of big laughs and a pretty neat ending keep it enjoyable all the way through. Mind you, I was a little hesitant about the film initially. I love the whole "spoof" genre and worried about the six (count 'em, six!) people credited as screenwriters for this movie. Fortunately for me, my worries were very short-lived as the jokes began rattling of my funny bone within the first few seconds of this flick.
Of course, the actors are always a very big part of movies such as this. They have to able to play their roles very seriously, and I give the most credit to Anna Faris in this regard, as she nailed the lead role down to a tee. Shannon Elizabeth was also good as the big-boobed bimbo, as was Marlon Wayans as the heterosexual jock with a few issues locked away in his closet. I think Cheri Oteri's character was a little underused, and despite finding most of the pot jokes pretty hilarious, I didn't really appreciate Shawn Wayans' over-the-top goofy pothead character. But hey, maybe that's just me! I also could have done without the whole MATRIX parody, which was already covered in DEUCE BIGALOW, earlier this year. Overall, the movie delivers laughs, clever moments a plenty, references galore, a cameo here and there, and even some pretty gruesome moments of murder (although they do still manage to lace those moments with humor just the same). In the end, I really liked the movie because it basically made fun of all of the stuff we always find unbelievable in horror films, and they did it while maintaining the authenticity from the original films.
Incidentally, this film also makes fun of retarded people, is loaded with fart jokes, gay humor, dick shots, sexual innuendo and provides enough disgusting behavior to disgust anyone who...well, is disgusted by stuff like that! For the rest of ya'll, if THERE'S SOMETHING ABOUT MARY and SOUTH PARK were enjoyable to you, this one should be just another walk in the park.
Little Known Facts about this film and its stars: SCARY MOVIE was the original title of Kevin Williamson's SCREAM screenplay. Some of the films that are spoofed in this one include the SCREAM flicks, the I KNOW WHAT YOU DID... flicks, THE SIXTH SENSE, THE BLAIR WITCH PROJECT, PULP FICTION, AMISTAD, TITANIC, THE USUAL SUSPECTS, THE MATRIX and a couple of others, which I am sure to have missed. There is also an entire sequence which essentially parodies a complete "whazzup!" commercial. Carmen Electra's character spoofs the role Drew Barrymore played in the original SCREAM movie. Which is why her character's name is Drew in this one. Get it? Shannon Elizabeth's name is Buffy in this film, an obvious reference to "Buffy, The Vampire Slayer", the popular TV series starring Sarah Michelle Gellar. Note that Shannon's dad in this film is referred to as "Mr. Gellar". Just as in the original SCREAM movie, in which Henry Winkler played the principal (he's best known for having played The Fonz on TV's "Happy Days"), this one slapped another goofy leather-jacket wearing TV-star from the 70s as the principal. Principal Squiggy is played by David Lander (best known for his role as Squiggy on TV's "Laverne & Shirley"). This film was spliced together from two spoof scripts respectively named: "Last Summer I Screamed Because Halloween Fell On Friday the 13th" and "Scream If You Know What I Did Last Halloween".
Review Date: July 4, 2000 Director: Keenen Ivory Wayans Writers: Marlon Wayans, Shawn Wayans, Phil Beauman, Jason Friedberg, Buddy Johnson and Aaron Seltzer Producers: Eric L. Gold, Lee R. Mayes Actors: Anna Faris as Cindy Campbell Shannon Elizabeth as Buffy Gilmore Shawn Wayans as Ray Marlon Wayans as Randy Genre: Comedy Year of Release: 2000 ------------------------------------ JoBlo's Movie Emporium http://www.joblo.com/ ------------------------------------ (c) 2000 Berge Garabedian
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