Scary Movie (2000) Reviews

• Lighten up and enjoy!

  mermatt2000-07-07

  I'm not sure what the people who dumped on this film were expecting, but I found it entertaining. I am a fan of good horror and good satire, so I was able to recognize and appreciate the jokes. True, this film relies a bit much on poddy humor, but at the same time, there is a cleverness in the way all the films being spoofed (and there are many) get twisted together and played with here. Some of the slapstick and sight gags do fall flat, but the movie is quick paced and the satire is fun. If you don't go in expecting Shakespeare, you'll enjoy it. And you might even get some Shakespeare.

• amusing parody

  Buddy-512000-12-09

  Like most movie parodies, `Scary Movie' starts out well then begins to head downhill as it exhausts the possibilities of its limited material. Certainly, few genres are as rife for self-satire as the teen slasher films that have proliferated in theatres ever since the early 1980's. Seeing, however, as even some of the earliest `Friday the 13th' and `Halloween' films seem like ancient history to today's core movie going public, `Scary Movie' draws upon more contemporary examples of the genre like `Scream' and `I Know What You Did Last Summer' as its source of inspiration. In its opening stretches, `Scary Movie' has a great deal of fun parodying the many ludicrous conventions that have long defined these films: the use of 30-year old actors to portray empty-headed, nubile adolescents; the heavy emphasis on teen sexuality and partial nudity; the inane actions of the killer's victims who seem to do everything possible to hurl themselves into dangerous situations; and the oh-so-predictable false scare (usually caused by a leaping cat) followed immediately by the inevitable killer's attack. Directed by Keenan Ivory Wayans and boasting a screenplay concocted by no fewer than six (count ‘em SIX) writers, `Scary Movie' establishes a high speed rhythm and pace that the filmmakers manage to sustain through most of the film's 88-minute running time – though there is a noticeable tendency on the part of the film to lag in the last half hour. Part of the problem could be that, as with most films made up essentially of sound and sight gags haphazardly strung together, it is inevitable that some of the bits will succeed better than others and that, as the movie rolls along, the inspiration will run a little dry and the humor will become less spontaneous and more forced. Indeed, this type of movie genre parody has always worked best when applied in small doses on TV series like `Saturday Night Live,' `In Living Color' and even the `Carol Burnett Show.' Stretched out to full length, such concepts often suffer the curse of diminishing returns. Occasionally, the screenplay edges so close to the limits of good taste that one may question whether or not the material is truly appropriate for the age group at which the movie is obviously targeted. The crudity is actually much more comically effective when it is merely hinted at than when it is so openly spelled out and displayed. But then subtlety is not exactly a strong suit of the straight horror movie genre either. `Scary Movie' is, at least, blessed with a winning, game cast made up of appropriately post adolescent actors who understand well the mannerisms and speech patterns of the stereotypes they embody. The overall good-natured quality of the film and its fairly high laugh ratio of gems to clunkers make `Scary Movie' an imperfect but generally likeable popcorn entertainment.

• Unfliching crude teen spoof

  Stampsfightclub2008-11-05

  A group of teenagers are targeted by a serial killer exactly one year after they ran over a man. In 1996 Scream was a film that reinstated the slasher horror genre and Keenan Ivory Wayans' spoof is a true and funny testament to that horror classic. Modern spoofs often contain slapstick humour, stereotypes and a fairly predictable plot. This is evident with this 2000 hit and is pure silly entertainment that you can't help but love and laugh along with despite the conventional approach. Recent releases such as Disaster Movie have brought the spoof genre to an all time low. Filled with unfunny parodies, attacks on celebrities and ultimately silly plots, it's a wonder why they are still being made. In the nineties we had classic spoofs such as Austin Powers and Naked Gun, silly but with a sharp and entertaining plot. Scary Movie has such a good plot, choosing to focus its energy on Scream and I know what you did last summer, that you forget its intentions to demean other films and therefore, are able to sit back and enjoy the ride. The opening is pretty much Scream with some great moments of slapstick in, and crude slapstick at that with safety signs, sexual references and an out of control car. This opening sets the tone for an engrossing comedy and viewers are thrust head first into typical teenagers lives, filled with some fine slapstick humour and stereotypes lives There is a consistency to Scary Movie. There is little wondering away from its objective to tell the tale of the teens being targeted and therefore achieves a realism in its own context. With follow-ups 2, 3 and 4 there is a tendency to run away from the main narrative and have sillier skits that this original remains the most sophisticated to date. Though the comedy is frequently predictable, there is still elegance about the way Wayans achieves this effect. His close and unflinching style gives that humorous and equally horrific substance to fly across both genres into this tantalizing tale. Spoofs are always worth viewing for their sheer cheek to criticize blockbusters and Scary Movie is no exception with its pin point accuracy on Scream and other horrors. Filled with likable slapstick and funny stereotypes, this is the finest in the series

• One of the funniest spoofs ever

  Quinoa19842000-07-07

  Scary Movie is now (it was a little while ago it was Me, Myself & Irene) my favorite comedy of the year. This film gives another word to the spoof/comedy genre, and even though it doesn't make a breakthrough like Airplane!, it is still very, very funny. Sure it's not for everyone, but for those who have seen all the scary movies parodied in this film (example- Scream, Scream 2, I Know What You Did Last Summer, The Matrix, The Sixth Sense, The Blair Witch Project, Halloween, The Shining, etc) and can enjoy a good comedy, this film is definitely for you. But the plot is unexplainable, but the jokes are. The spoof follows in the Wayans bros. tradition (this film is directed by Keenan Ivory Wayans, written by Shawn and Marlon Wayans, produced by all three, and starring all three) of they're last spoof- Don't Be a Menace to South Central While Drinking Your Juice in the Hood. Jokes include a guy who acts very gay but isn't (Shawn Wayans) a pot head (Marlon Wayans) and some other characters (Carmen Electra's cameo is my favorite). Also, the references to movies but not parodies are still funny. Very sick, very crude, very funny. The funniest film of the year. A+

• Not for the easily offended!

  insomniac_rod2006-04-02

  A controversial Horror spoof that gained mainstream attention when released. If you liked and took seriously "Scream" then you should watch this movie with attention. It's almost the same concept. While "Scream" tried to be taken seriously , "Scary Movie" mocks about everything possible in the genre in a raw way. Anna Faris and the Wayans brothers deliver a funny performance. Sure the cast is over the top but the movie asks for it. Having such a pretty girl like Faris behaving like that always shocks and this time, it entertains. The rest of the cast is pretty good. All in the "American Pie" style but with raunchy humor. The main reason for me to like this movie is that it mocks perfectly many Horror popular movies. Friday the 13th, He Knows You Are Alone, Black Christmas, Psycho, etc. That's in my opinion, the best feature of the movie. It's a joke but it's a homage at the same time. Unlike "Scream" that tried to convince people that it was an innovative slasher. Give this movie a try if you are in the mood of raw black humor. It surely will entertain you if you are not easily offended.