Scary Movie 2
Encyclopedia
Scary Movie 2 is a 2001 parody film
. It is the second film of the Scary Movie
franchise. Though part of the first Scary Movie
s tagline read "...No sequel," this film's tagline compensated by adding "We lied".
Scary Movie 2 was originally rated NC-17 for sexuality but it was edited for an R-rating. The cut material resurfaced on the home video release. The film parodies a range of horror
-thriller movies, including The Exorcist
, Poltergeist
, The Legend of Hell House
and The Haunting
.
The film currently stands as the last film in the series to star the Wayans
siblings, and the last to be directed by Keenan Ivory Wayans.
, during which teenager Megan Voorhees (Natasha Lyonne
) becomes possessed by the spirit of Hugh Kane, the previous owner of the House. Two priests, Father McFeely (James Woods
) and Father Harris (Andy Richter
) attempt to drive Hugh's ghost out, but the exorcism does not go as planned, resulting in a chain of vomiting and various instances of near-pedophilia. Finally, McFeely responds to an insult towards his mother by shooting Megan.
One year later, Cindy Campbell (Anna Faris
), Brenda Meeks (Regina Hall
), Ray Wilkins (Shawn Wayans), and Shorty Meeks (Marlon Wayans
) are at college, trying to live new lives following the events of the previous film (although most of them actually died in Scary Movie, Brenda claims in a deleted scene that her death was a near-death experience). Cindy and Brenda get tagged by a socially maladjusted girl, Alex (Tori Spelling
). Ray, still confused about his sexuality, has two new male friends, Tommy (James DeBello
) and Buddy (Christopher Masterson
). Shorty is still the same stoner he was before.
A local teacher, Professor Oldman (Tim Curry
) and his paraplegic assistant, Dwight Hartman (David Cross
), plan to study the paranormal activity at a local haunted mansion
called Hell House using the clueless teens. Meanwhile, Buddy's advances are spurned by Cindy, who is recovering from her previous relationship. Leading to a scene in which Buddy gives Cindy a wedgie.
When Cindy is the first to arrive at Hell House, she encounters a vulgar parrot (voice of Matt Friedman
), and the caretaker, Hanson (Chris Elliott
), who has a malformed hand. Later that evening, the group, including newcomer Theo (Kathleen Robertson
), sit down for dinner. Unfortunately, everybody loses their appetite due to Hanson's repulsive antics.
In the night, Cindy hears voices directing her to a secret room, where she and Buddy discover a treasure chest
containing the diary of the wife of the house's dead owner, Hugh Kane. They also find an old portrait of the wife and note Cindy's resemblance to her—Buddy also points out several flaws in Cindy's appearance. Meanwhile, many of the teens fall victim to violent attacks. Cindy gets involved in a fist fight with the house cat, Mr. Kittles. A toy clown attempts to kill Ray — but Ray turns the tables and ends up raping the clown. A weed-monster turns Shorty into a joint
and tries to smoke him - fortunately, the plant gets distracted by munchies
and lets him escape. The ghost of Hugh Kane (Richard Moll
) has sex with Alex in her bedroom — yet departs in the morning when Alex expresses her interest in becoming the new Mrs. Kane.
Oldman is seduced and killed by a disfigured female ghost. Shorty later encounters the same ghost, yet he seduces her instead. After Dwight equips the teens with weapons that can injure their spectral enemy, they are pursued throughout the mansion. Buddy and Cindy get locked in the refrigerator. Thinking that Buddy is dying from an encounter with the ghost, Cindy gives him a "handjob
". The couple then escape the room following a convoluted deus ex machina, in which Cindy uses a collection of random objects in the room to somehow produce a Caterpillar tractor, which she drives through the wall.
Hanson himself gets possessed by Kane. Cindy, Brenda, and Theo team up to fight him in a parody of Charlie's Angels
, but wind up defeated. Eventually, Dwight and the teens regroup, and agree to use Cindy as bait to lure Kane into a device that will destroy him. The plan succeeds, freeing the group from the house's curse.
Two months later, Cindy and Buddy are in a relationship and go out for a walk. However, Buddy disappears without notice when Cindy discovers Hanson at the hot dog stand. As Cindy backs away in fear, Hanson pursues her — and gets struck by a car driven by Shorty, distracted by a blowjob from the female ghost.
, thriller and mystery
genre. The film's central parody is The Haunting
. The opening scene is modeled after The Exorcist
. The equipment which they use to see the ghosts with glasses and weapons, referenced Thir13en Ghosts
.
In the scene in which Hanson removes the top of Shorty's head and he then said "Hello Cindy", is similar to a scene in Hannibal
.
The scene where Ray and his friend reading their back tattoos to each other repeatedly, references to a scene of Dude Where's My Car.
What Lies Beneath
is parodied in a scene where Cindy seduces the professor in the kitchen, and then Ray suddenly appears in the same dress.
In the scene in which a clown, that resembles the clown from Poltergeist, hides under Ray's bed and then pulls him underneath. The giant Marijuana plant is like the tree that comes to life and Alex being dragged across the walls of the bedroom, is also heavily a parody of Poltergeist.
In the sequence where an invisible ghostly presence penetrates Alex and then has sex with her, heavily references Dracula.
Stephen King's It is referenced in a scene in which the letters "IT" are written across a wall in the room where Shorty hides at the end of the movie. Interestingly, Tim Curry
, who plays Professor Oldman, also played the role of Pennywise The Clown in the film adaptation of It
.
Cindy, Brenda and Theo fighting Hanson in the style of Charlie's Angels
. Also, Tori Spelling's character is named after Lucy Liu
's character (Alex Munday
) from the film.
Buddy hands Cindy a book titled "Harry PotHead" is a reference to Harry Potter
. In the scene when a basketball falls down the stairs, is similar to The Changeling (1980 film) and then the scene switches over to a parody of a Nike
commercial.
The dialogue between Cindy and Buddy in the freezer, when she is giving him a handjob
has been taken from Titanic
.
71,308,997. Worldwide, it grossed $141,220,678. Although being a hit, out of the four Scary Movie films, this is the least successful to date.
Despite its box office success, it was not as well received by critics achieving a rotten 14% rating on Rotten Tomatoes
and a generally negative score of 29% on Metacritic
.
Parody film
A parody film is a comedy that satirizes other film genres or films. Although the genre is often overlooked, parody films are commonly profitable at the box office...
. It is the second film of the Scary Movie
Scary Movie (series)
The Scary Movie series is a series of films mainly specializing in spoofing several popular horror films, which have collectively grossed over $818 million at the box-office worldwide...
franchise. Though part of the first Scary Movie
Scary Movie
Scary Movie is a 2000 comedy-parody film directed by Keenen Ivory Wayans, as part of Warner Bros. Entertainment. It is an American dark comedy which heavily parodies the horror, slasher, and mystery genres...
s tagline read "...No sequel," this film's tagline compensated by adding "We lied".
Scary Movie 2 was originally rated NC-17 for sexuality but it was edited for an R-rating. The cut material resurfaced on the home video release. The film parodies a range of horror
Horror film
Horror films seek to elicit a negative emotional reaction from viewers by playing on the audience's most primal fears. They often feature scenes that startle the viewer through the means of macabre and the supernatural, thus frequently overlapping with the fantasy and science fiction genres...
-thriller movies, including The Exorcist
The Exorcist (film)
The Exorcist is a 1973 American horror film directed by William Friedkin, adapted from the 1971 novel of the same name by William Peter Blatty and based on the exorcism case of Robbie Mannheim, dealing with the demonic possession of a young girl and her mother’s desperate attempts to win back her...
, Poltergeist
Poltergeist
A poltergeist is a paranormal phenomenon which consists of events alluding to the manifestation of an imperceptible entity. Such manifestation typically includes inanimate objects moving or being thrown about, sentient noises and, on some occasions, physical attacks on those witnessing the...
, The Legend of Hell House
The Legend of Hell House
The Legend of Hell House is a 1973 British horror film directed by John Hough and starring Pamela Franklin, Roddy McDowall, Clive Revill, and Gayle Hunnicutt. The screenplay was written by Richard Matheson based on his own novel Hell House.-Plot:...
and The Haunting
The Haunting
The Haunting may refer to:*The Haunting , a 1963 horror film directed by Robert Wise**The Haunting , a 1999 horror film directed by Jan de Bont, a loose remake of the 1963 film*The Haunting in Connecticut, a 2009 film...
.
The film currently stands as the last film in the series to star the Wayans
Wayans
The Wayans family is a family including many directors, screenwriters, comedians and actors. Their parents are Howell and Elvira Wayans. There are ten siblings in the first generation, with many children of their own....
siblings, and the last to be directed by Keenan Ivory Wayans.
Plot
The film opens with a parody of The ExorcistThe Exorcist (film)
The Exorcist is a 1973 American horror film directed by William Friedkin, adapted from the 1971 novel of the same name by William Peter Blatty and based on the exorcism case of Robbie Mannheim, dealing with the demonic possession of a young girl and her mother’s desperate attempts to win back her...
, during which teenager Megan Voorhees (Natasha Lyonne
Natasha Lyonne
-Early life:Lyonne was born Natasha Braunstein in Manhattan, New York City, the daughter of Yvette Lyonne, a product licensing consultant, and Aaron Braunstein, a native of Brooklyn who worked as a boxing promoter. Lyonne grew up in an Orthodox Jewish household...
) becomes possessed by the spirit of Hugh Kane, the previous owner of the House. Two priests, Father McFeely (James Woods
James Woods
James Howard Woods is an American film, stage and television actor. Woods is known for starring in critically acclaimed films such as Once Upon a Time in America, Salvador, Nixon, Ghosts of Mississippi, Casino, and in the television legal drama Shark. He has won three Emmy Awards, and has gained...
) and Father Harris (Andy Richter
Andy Richter
Paul Andrew "Andy" Richter is an American actor, writer, comedian, and late night talk show announcer. He is best known for his role as the sidekick of Conan O'Brien on each of the host's programs: Late Night and The Tonight Show on NBC, and Conan on TBS...
) attempt to drive Hugh's ghost out, but the exorcism does not go as planned, resulting in a chain of vomiting and various instances of near-pedophilia. Finally, McFeely responds to an insult towards his mother by shooting Megan.
One year later, Cindy Campbell (Anna Faris
Anna Faris
Anna Kay Faris is an American actress, singer and comedienne. She is known for her starring role in the Scary Movie film series, as well as roles in The Hot Chick , Lost in Translation , Just Friends , My Super Ex-Girlfriend , Smiley Face , and The House Bunny...
), Brenda Meeks (Regina Hall
Regina Hall
Regina Hall is an American film and television actress known for her lead role of Brenda Meeks in the Scary Movie films and as Corretta Lipp in the FOX comedy-drama Ally McBeal.-Personal life:...
), Ray Wilkins (Shawn Wayans), and Shorty Meeks (Marlon Wayans
Marlon Wayans
Marlon L. Wayans is an American actor, model producer, comedian, writer, and director of movies, beginning with his role as a pedestrian in I'm Gonna Git You Sucka in 1988...
) are at college, trying to live new lives following the events of the previous film (although most of them actually died in Scary Movie, Brenda claims in a deleted scene that her death was a near-death experience). Cindy and Brenda get tagged by a socially maladjusted girl, Alex (Tori Spelling
Tori Spelling
Victoria Davey "Tori" Spelling is an American actress. Spelling became known in the early 1990s for her role as Donna Martin on Beverly Hills, 90210. Spelling then had roles in a string of made-for-television films, such as A Friend to Die For and Mother, May I Sleep with Danger?...
). Ray, still confused about his sexuality, has two new male friends, Tommy (James DeBello
James DeBello
-Filmography:*Transylmania *Ghouls *After Sex *National Lampoon's Dorm Daze 2 *Steel City *National Lampoon's Adam & Eve *The Hillz *National Lampoon Presents Dorm Daze...
) and Buddy (Christopher Masterson
Christopher Masterson
Christopher Kennedy Masterson is an American actor known most for his role as Francis on Malcolm in the Middle.- Early life :Masterson was born to Peter and Carol Masterson on Long Island, New York, on January 22, 1980...
). Shorty is still the same stoner he was before.
A local teacher, Professor Oldman (Tim Curry
Tim Curry
Timothy James "Tim" Curry is a British actor, singer, composer and voice actor, known for his work in a diverse range of theatre, film and television productions. He currently resides in Los Angeles, California....
) and his paraplegic assistant, Dwight Hartman (David Cross
David Cross
David Cross is an American actor, writer and stand-up comedian perhaps best known for his work on HBO's sketch comedy series Mr...
), plan to study the paranormal activity at a local haunted mansion
Haunted house
A haunted house is a house or other building often perceived as being inhabited by disembodied spirits of the deceased who may have been former residents or were familiar with the property...
called Hell House using the clueless teens. Meanwhile, Buddy's advances are spurned by Cindy, who is recovering from her previous relationship. Leading to a scene in which Buddy gives Cindy a wedgie.
When Cindy is the first to arrive at Hell House, she encounters a vulgar parrot (voice of Matt Friedman
Matthew Friedman
Matthew Friedman is a musician, singer and performer from New York, New York. Friedman played the role of the Piano Man in the first national touring company of the musical, Movin' Out. He served the same role in the show's second national tour...
), and the caretaker, Hanson (Chris Elliott
Chris Elliott
Christopher Nash "Chris" Elliott is an American actor, comedian and writer. He is best known for his comedic sketches on Late Night with David Letterman, starring in the cult comedy series Get a Life and for his recurring role as Peter MacDougall on Everybody Loves Raymond...
), who has a malformed hand. Later that evening, the group, including newcomer Theo (Kathleen Robertson
Kathleen Robertson
Kathleen Robertson is a Canadian actress. She is best known for her role as Clare Arnold in Beverly Hills, 90210 .-Career:Robertson started taking acting classes when she was ten, and had roles in local theater productions...
), sit down for dinner. Unfortunately, everybody loses their appetite due to Hanson's repulsive antics.
In the night, Cindy hears voices directing her to a secret room, where she and Buddy discover a treasure chest
Treasure Chest
Treasure Chest was a Catholic-oriented comic book series created by Dayton, Ohio publisher George A...
containing the diary of the wife of the house's dead owner, Hugh Kane. They also find an old portrait of the wife and note Cindy's resemblance to her—Buddy also points out several flaws in Cindy's appearance. Meanwhile, many of the teens fall victim to violent attacks. Cindy gets involved in a fist fight with the house cat, Mr. Kittles. A toy clown attempts to kill Ray — but Ray turns the tables and ends up raping the clown. A weed-monster turns Shorty into a joint
Joint (cannabis)
Joint is a slang term for a cigarette rolled using cannabis. Rolling papers are the most common rolling medium among industrialized countries, however brown paper, cigarettes with the tobacco removed, and newspaper are commonly used in developing countries. Modern papers are now made from a wide...
and tries to smoke him - fortunately, the plant gets distracted by munchies
Junk food
Junk food is an informal term applied to some foods that are perceived to have little or no nutritional value ; to products with nutritional value, but which also have ingredients considered unhealthy when regularly eaten; or to those considered unhealthy to consume at all...
and lets him escape. The ghost of Hugh Kane (Richard Moll
Richard Moll
Charles Richard Moll is an American actor and voice artist,best known for playing Bull Shannon, the bailiff on the NBC sitcom Night Court from 1983 to 1992...
) has sex with Alex in her bedroom — yet departs in the morning when Alex expresses her interest in becoming the new Mrs. Kane.
Oldman is seduced and killed by a disfigured female ghost. Shorty later encounters the same ghost, yet he seduces her instead. After Dwight equips the teens with weapons that can injure their spectral enemy, they are pursued throughout the mansion. Buddy and Cindy get locked in the refrigerator. Thinking that Buddy is dying from an encounter with the ghost, Cindy gives him a "handjob
Handjob
Handjob is a slang or informal word referring to an act of manual stimulation of a male's penis by a sexual partner, whether female or male, usually to the point of orgasm and ejaculation. The act is similar to male masturbation, though the latter is performed by a male on himself...
". The couple then escape the room following a convoluted deus ex machina, in which Cindy uses a collection of random objects in the room to somehow produce a Caterpillar tractor, which she drives through the wall.
Hanson himself gets possessed by Kane. Cindy, Brenda, and Theo team up to fight him in a parody of Charlie's Angels
Charlie's Angels
Charlie's Angels is a television series about three women who work for a private investigation agency, and is one of the first shows to showcase women in roles traditionally reserved for men...
, but wind up defeated. Eventually, Dwight and the teens regroup, and agree to use Cindy as bait to lure Kane into a device that will destroy him. The plan succeeds, freeing the group from the house's curse.
Two months later, Cindy and Buddy are in a relationship and go out for a walk. However, Buddy disappears without notice when Cindy discovers Hanson at the hot dog stand. As Cindy backs away in fear, Hanson pursues her — and gets struck by a car driven by Shorty, distracted by a blowjob from the female ghost.
Cast
- Anna FarisAnna FarisAnna Kay Faris is an American actress, singer and comedienne. She is known for her starring role in the Scary Movie film series, as well as roles in The Hot Chick , Lost in Translation , Just Friends , My Super Ex-Girlfriend , Smiley Face , and The House Bunny...
as Cindy Campbell - Shawn Wayans as Ray Wilkins
- Marlon WayansMarlon WayansMarlon L. Wayans is an American actor, model producer, comedian, writer, and director of movies, beginning with his role as a pedestrian in I'm Gonna Git You Sucka in 1988...
as Shorty Meeks - Regina HallRegina HallRegina Hall is an American film and television actress known for her lead role of Brenda Meeks in the Scary Movie films and as Corretta Lipp in the FOX comedy-drama Ally McBeal.-Personal life:...
as Brenda Meeks - Chris Masterson as Buddy
- Kathleen RobertsonKathleen RobertsonKathleen Robertson is a Canadian actress. She is best known for her role as Clare Arnold in Beverly Hills, 90210 .-Career:Robertson started taking acting classes when she was ten, and had roles in local theater productions...
as Theo - David CrossDavid CrossDavid Cross is an American actor, writer and stand-up comedian perhaps best known for his work on HBO's sketch comedy series Mr...
as Dwight Hartman - Craig Newman as Rude-Boy (later was removed due to undisclosed details)
- James WoodsJames WoodsJames Howard Woods is an American film, stage and television actor. Woods is known for starring in critically acclaimed films such as Once Upon a Time in America, Salvador, Nixon, Ghosts of Mississippi, Casino, and in the television legal drama Shark. He has won three Emmy Awards, and has gained...
as Father McFeely - Tim CurryTim CurryTimothy James "Tim" Curry is a British actor, singer, composer and voice actor, known for his work in a diverse range of theatre, film and television productions. He currently resides in Los Angeles, California....
as Professor Oldman - Tori SpellingTori SpellingVictoria Davey "Tori" Spelling is an American actress. Spelling became known in the early 1990s for her role as Donna Martin on Beverly Hills, 90210. Spelling then had roles in a string of made-for-television films, such as A Friend to Die For and Mother, May I Sleep with Danger?...
as Alex Monday - Chris ElliottChris ElliottChristopher Nash "Chris" Elliott is an American actor, comedian and writer. He is best known for his comedic sketches on Late Night with David Letterman, starring in the cult comedy series Get a Life and for his recurring role as Peter MacDougall on Everybody Loves Raymond...
as Hanson - Andy RichterAndy RichterPaul Andrew "Andy" Richter is an American actor, writer, comedian, and late night talk show announcer. He is best known for his role as the sidekick of Conan O'Brien on each of the host's programs: Late Night and The Tonight Show on NBC, and Conan on TBS...
as Father Harris - Richard MollRichard MollCharles Richard Moll is an American actor and voice artist,best known for playing Bull Shannon, the bailiff on the NBC sitcom Night Court from 1983 to 1992...
as Hugh Kane (Hell House Ghost) - Veronica CartwrightVeronica CartwrightVeronica A. Cartwright is an English-born American actress who has worked mainly in American film and television. She is best known for her role of Lambert in Alien, for which she won a Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actress....
as Mrs. Voorhees - Natasha LyonneNatasha Lyonne-Early life:Lyonne was born Natasha Braunstein in Manhattan, New York City, the daughter of Yvette Lyonne, a product licensing consultant, and Aaron Braunstein, a native of Brooklyn who worked as a boxing promoter. Lyonne grew up in an Orthodox Jewish household...
as Megan Voorhees - James DeBelloJames DeBello-Filmography:*Transylmania *Ghouls *After Sex *National Lampoon's Dorm Daze 2 *Steel City *National Lampoon's Adam & Eve *The Hillz *National Lampoon Presents Dorm Daze...
as Tommy
Soundtrack
- Hello DollyHello, Dolly! (song)"Hello, Dolly!" is the title song of the popular 1964 musical of the same name. Louis Armstrong's version was inducted in the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2001....
– "Jerry HermanJerry HermanJerry Herman is an American composer and lyricist, known for his work in Broadway musical theater. He composed the scores for the hit Broadway musicals Hello, Dolly!, Mame, and La Cage aux Folles. He has been nominated for the Tony Award five times, and won twice, for Hello, Dolly! and La Cage...
" - Shake it FastShake Ya Ass"Shake Ya Ass", also known by its clean title, "Shake It Fast", is the second single released from Mystikal's fourth album, Let's Get Ready. It also featured Pharrell. It was released on July 18, 2000 and was produced by The Neptunes...
– "MystikalMystikalMichael Lawrence Tyler , better known by his stage name Mystikal, is an American rapper, and actor from New Orleans.-1993-1994: Early career:...
" - Tubular BellsTubular BellsTubular Bells is the debut record album of English musician Mike Oldfield, released in 1973. It was the first album released by Virgin Records and an early cornerstone of the company's success...
– "Mike OldfieldMike OldfieldMichael Gordon Oldfield is an English multi-instrumentalist musician and composer, working a style that blends progressive rock, folk, ethnic or world music, classical music, electronic music, New Age, and more recently, dance. His music is often elaborate and complex in nature...
" - Smack My Bitch UpSmack My Bitch Up"Smack My Bitch Up" is a song by The Prodigy, released as the band's twelfth single on 17 November 1997. It was the third and final single from the album The Fat of the Land....
- "The ProdigyThe ProdigyThe Prodigy are an English electronic dance music group formed by Liam Howlett in 1990 in Braintree, Essex. Along with Fatboy Slim, The Chemical Brothers, and other acts, The Prodigy have been credited as pioneers of the big beat genre, which achieved mainstream popularity in the 1990s and 2000s...
" - Graduation (Friends Forever)Graduation (Friends Forever)"Graduation " is a single by American pop singer Vitamin C released in 2000 through Elektra Entertainment. It was the third single from her debut album Vitamin C. The song is considered, to date, the biggest hit of Vitamin C. The song is well known for being played at high school graduations and at...
- "Vitamin CVitamin C (artist)Colleen Ann Fitzpatrick is an American pop music singer, songwriter, dancer, and actress better known by her stage name, Vitamin C. Her singles include "Graduation ", "As Long As You're Loving Me", "The Itch", and her most successful hit the Top 20 Gold certified "Smile"...
" - U Know What's UpU Know What's Up"U Know What's Up" is a 1999 hit song by singer-songwriter-producer Donell Jones' second studio album, Where I Wanna Be. It reached number one on the U.S. Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks chart on November 13, 1999, and stayed at number one for eight consecutive weeks...
- "Donnell Jones" - So Erotic - "Josh Debear"
- Ride Wit MeRide wit Me"Ride wit Me" is the third single from Nelly's album Country Grammar. It features City Spud and was released on April 24, 2001.-Background:The song features a sound very similar to Get Down on It by the band Kool and the Gang...
- "NellyNellyCornell Iral Haynes, Jr. , better known by his stage name Nelly, is an Grammy Award winning American rapper and actor. He has performed with the rap group St. Lunatics since 1993 and signed to Universal Records in 1999. Under Universal, Nelly began his solo career in 2000 with his debut album...
" - Insane In The BrainInsane in the Brain"Insane in the Brain" is a hit single by the American hip hop group Cypress Hill. It was released in 1993 and in addition to hitting number 1 on the US rap chart, the song also was a surprise crossover hit, reaching number 19 in the Hot 100 chart in 1994. It was highly successful in other countries...
- "Cypress HillCypress HillCypress Hill is an American hip hop group from South Gate, California. Cypress Hill was the first Latino hip-hop group to have platinum and multi-platinum albums, selling over 18 million albums worldwide...
" - Evel Knieval - "Deadly Avenger"
Parodies
This film parodies and references many other films of the horrorHorror film
Horror films seek to elicit a negative emotional reaction from viewers by playing on the audience's most primal fears. They often feature scenes that startle the viewer through the means of macabre and the supernatural, thus frequently overlapping with the fantasy and science fiction genres...
, thriller and mystery
Mystery film
Mystery film is a sub-genre of the more general category of crime film and at times the thriller genre. It focuses on the efforts of the detective, private investigator or amateur sleuth to solve the mysterious circumstances of a crime by means of clues, investigation, and clever deduction.The...
genre. The film's central parody is The Haunting
The Haunting (1999 film)
The Haunting is a 1999 remake of the 1963 horror film of the same name. Both films are based on the novel The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson, published in 1959. The Haunting was directed by Jan de Bont and stars Liam Neeson, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Owen Wilson and Lili Taylor...
. The opening scene is modeled after The Exorcist
The Exorcist (film)
The Exorcist is a 1973 American horror film directed by William Friedkin, adapted from the 1971 novel of the same name by William Peter Blatty and based on the exorcism case of Robbie Mannheim, dealing with the demonic possession of a young girl and her mother’s desperate attempts to win back her...
. The equipment which they use to see the ghosts with glasses and weapons, referenced Thir13en Ghosts
Thir13en Ghosts
Thirteen Ghosts is a 2001 American horror film directed by Steve Beck. It is a remake of the 1960 film of the same name by William Castle. It follows the remake of another one of Castle's films, House on Haunted Hill.-Plot:Ghost hunter Cyrus Kriticos Thirteen Ghosts (also known as 13 Ghosts and...
.
- "Hollow ManHollow ManHollow Man is a 2000 American science fiction thriller film directed by Paul Verhoeven and starring Elisabeth Shue, Kevin Bacon, and Josh Brolin. The film is about a scientist who renders himself invisible, a story inspired by H. G. Wells' The Invisible Man. The film was nominated for an Academy...
" - the equipment which the group employs to fight an invisible enemy (thermal goggles, smoke, and so on) and use of a defibrilator to escape from a freezer room. - "House on Haunted HillHouse on Haunted Hill (1999 film)House on Haunted Hill is a 1999 American horror film, directed by William Malone and starring Geoffrey Rush, Famke Janssen, Taye Diggs, Ali Larter and Jeffrey Combs. It also includes a cameo appearance by Peter Graves...
" - the labyrinthian basement, weapons with limited ammo, and Professor Oldman being lured to his death; Brenda's reaction to the walking skeleton could be taken as commentary on the film's use of imagery no longer considered scary today.
In the scene in which Hanson removes the top of Shorty's head and he then said "Hello Cindy", is similar to a scene in Hannibal
Hannibal (film)
Hannibal is a 2001 psychological thriller film directed by Ridley Scott, adapted from the Thomas Harris novel of the same name. It is a sequel to the 1991 Academy Award-winning film The Silence of the Lambs that returns Anthony Hopkins to his iconic role as serial killer Hannibal Lecter...
.
The scene where Ray and his friend reading their back tattoos to each other repeatedly, references to a scene of Dude Where's My Car.
What Lies Beneath
What Lies Beneath
What Lies Beneath is a 2000 American supernatural horror-thriller film directed by Robert Zemeckis. It stars veteran actors Harrison Ford and Michelle Pfeiffer as a well-to-do couple who experience a strange haunting that uncovers secrets about their past....
is parodied in a scene where Cindy seduces the professor in the kitchen, and then Ray suddenly appears in the same dress.
In the scene in which a clown, that resembles the clown from Poltergeist, hides under Ray's bed and then pulls him underneath. The giant Marijuana plant is like the tree that comes to life and Alex being dragged across the walls of the bedroom, is also heavily a parody of Poltergeist.
In the sequence where an invisible ghostly presence penetrates Alex and then has sex with her, heavily references Dracula.
- "Poltergeist IIPoltergeist II: The Other SidePoltergeist II: The Other Side is a 1986 horror film. A sequel to Poltergeist, it features the return of the original's family and once again sees a spirit trying to harm their daughter, Carol Anne. It received mixed reviews from critics and did not gross as much at the box office as its...
" - Hanson sings "God is in his holy temple" and the use of Kane as the name of the evil spirit.
Stephen King's It is referenced in a scene in which the letters "IT" are written across a wall in the room where Shorty hides at the end of the movie. Interestingly, Tim Curry
Tim Curry
Timothy James "Tim" Curry is a British actor, singer, composer and voice actor, known for his work in a diverse range of theatre, film and television productions. He currently resides in Los Angeles, California....
, who plays Professor Oldman, also played the role of Pennywise The Clown in the film adaptation of It
It (novel)
It is a 1986 horror novel by American author Stephen King. The story follows the exploits of seven children as they are terrorized by the eponymous inter-dimensional predatory life-form that exploits the fears and phobias of its victims in order to disguise itself while hunting its prey. "It"...
.
- "The Rocky Horror Picture ShowThe Rocky Horror Picture ShowThe Rocky Horror Picture Show is the 1975 film adaptation of the British rock musical stageplay, The Rocky Horror Show, written by Richard O'Brien. The film is a parody of B-movie, science fiction and horror films of the late 1940s through early 1970s. Director Jim Sharman collaborated on the...
" - Hanson is a parody of the character, Riff Raff. Again, Tim Curry played the role of Dr. Frank-N-Furter in The Rocky Horror Picture Show.
Cindy, Brenda and Theo fighting Hanson in the style of Charlie's Angels
Charlie's Angels (film)
Charlie's Angels is a 2000 American action comedy film directed by McG, starring Cameron Diaz, Drew Barrymore, and Lucy Liu as three women working for a private investigation agency...
. Also, Tori Spelling's character is named after Lucy Liu
Lucy Liu
Lucy Alexis Liu is an American actress and film producer. She became known for playing the role of the vicious and ill-mannered Ling Woo in the television series Ally McBeal , and has also appeared in several Hollywood films including Charlie's Angels, Chicago, Kill Bill, and Kung Fu Panda.-Early...
's character (Alex Munday
Alex Munday
Alexandra "Alex" Munday is a fictional private investigator portrayed by Lucy Liu in the films Charlie's Angels and Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle.-Background:...
) from the film.
- Save the Last DanceSave the Last DanceSave the Last Dance is a 2001 romantic drama dance film produced by MTV Films, directed by Thomas Carter and released by Paramount Pictures on January 12, 2001. The film stars Julia Stiles and Sean Patrick Thomas as a teenage interracial couple in Chicago who work together to help the main...
- Shorty teaches Cindy how to be "black".
- "MacGyverMacGyverMacGyver is an American action-adventure television series created by Lee David Zlotoff. Henry Winkler and John Rich were the executive producers. The show ran for seven seasons on ABC in the United States and various other networks abroad from 1985 to 1992. The series was filmed in Los Angeles...
"- Cindy uses everyday items to build a mini bulldozer and escape the refrigerator. - "The Amityville HorrorThe Amityville HorrorThe Amityville Horror: A True Story is a book by Jay Anson, published in September 1977. It is also the basis of a series of films released between 1979 and 2005...
" - Reverend McFeely tries to bless the house and ends up with flies all over him, only for the scene to abruptly interrupt by him being shown defecating into a toilet.
Buddy hands Cindy a book titled "Harry PotHead" is a reference to Harry Potter
Harry Potter
Harry Potter is a series of seven fantasy novels written by the British author J. K. Rowling. The books chronicle the adventures of the adolescent wizard Harry Potter and his best friends Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger, all of whom are students at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry...
. In the scene when a basketball falls down the stairs, is similar to The Changeling (1980 film) and then the scene switches over to a parody of a Nike
Nike, Inc.
Nike, Inc. is a major publicly traded sportswear and equipment supplier based in the United States. The company is headquartered near Beaverton, Oregon, which is part of the Portland metropolitan area...
commercial.
- "Dawn of the Dead" - Ray has on a suit similar to Peter's SWAT team suit.
The dialogue between Cindy and Buddy in the freezer, when she is giving him a handjob
Handjob
Handjob is a slang or informal word referring to an act of manual stimulation of a male's penis by a sexual partner, whether female or male, usually to the point of orgasm and ejaculation. The act is similar to male masturbation, though the latter is performed by a male on himself...
has been taken from Titanic
Titanic (1997 film)
Titanic is a 1997 American epic romance and disaster film directed, written, co-produced, and co-edited by James Cameron. A fictionalized account of the sinking of the RMS Titanic, it stars Leonardo DiCaprio as Jack Dawson, Kate Winslet as Rose DeWitt Bukater and Billy Zane as Rose's fiancé, Cal...
.
- "TwisterTwister-Entertainment:* Twister , a comedy film starring Suzy Amis and Crispin Glover* Twister , a disaster film starring Helen Hunt and Bill Paxton** Twister...Ride it Out, a ride in Universal Studios Florida based on the film...
" - When Cindy is fighting Hanson and creates the tornado. - "ScannersScannersScanners is a 1981 science-fiction horror film written and directed by David Cronenberg and starring Jennifer O'Neill, Stephen Lack, Michael Ironside, and Patrick McGoohan...
" - Hanson's head blows up. - "RockyRockyRocky is a 1976 American sports drama film directed by John G. Avildsen and both written by and starring Sylvester Stallone. It tells the rags to riches American Dream story of Rocky Balboa, an uneducated but kind-hearted debt collector for a loan shark in the city of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania...
" - Cindy's fight with the cat. - "The Weakest LinkThe Weakest LinkThe Weakest Link is a television game show which first appeared in the United Kingdom on BBC Two on 14 August 2000 and will end its run in 2012 when its host Anne Robinson ends her contract. The original British version of the show airs around the world on BBC Entertainment...
" - When the parrot says "You are the weakest link. Goodbye" After Tori Spelling's character gets knocked out by the chandelier. - The skeleton chasing Cindy sequence is based on from WishmasterWishmaster (film)Wishmaster is a 1997 American horror film directed by Robert Kurtzman, and is the second film directed by Kurtzman. It was executive produced by Wes Craven—the only film of the Wishmaster series with his name attached....
.
Reception
In North America, the film grossed $United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
71,308,997. Worldwide, it grossed $141,220,678. Although being a hit, out of the four Scary Movie films, this is the least successful to date.
Despite its box office success, it was not as well received by critics achieving a rotten 14% rating on Rotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is a website devoted to reviews, information, and news of films—widely known as a film review aggregator. Its name derives from the cliché of audiences throwing tomatoes and other vegetables at a poor stage performance...
and a generally negative score of 29% on Metacritic
Metacritic
Metacritic.com is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows and DVDs. For each product, a numerical score from each review is obtained and the total is averaged. An excerpt of each review is provided along with a hyperlink to the source. Three colour codes of Green,...
.