SCARY MOVIE
US, 2000, 85 minutes, Colour.
Anna Farris, Jon Abrahams, Regina Hall, Elizabeth Shannon, Marlon Wayans, Shawn Wayans, Keenan Ivory Wayans, Kurt Fuller, Carmen Electra, Dave Sheridan.
Directed by Keenan Ivory Wayans.
Keenan Ivory Wayans was involved in television and film satire before this film, working on television in In Living Colour and making parody films of particular genres. Here Keenan Ivory Wayans combines with two of his brothers, Marlon and Shawn, in writing, directing and performances.
While Scary Movie was not the first of the parody films it led to 4 sequels of its own and a whole range of parody films, often hit and miss productions, like Date Movie, Disaster Movie, Epic Movie… depending on audience reaction to the films that they were sending up, depending on senses of humour – and depending on audience capacity for responding to the coarse and the crass jokes. this film has its more than fair share of coarse jokes, especially bodily functions of all kinds and a preoccupation with the penis.
Basically, the writers have looked at the horror films current at the period. at the main focus is on the original Scream movie and I Saw What You Did Last Summer. The framework of the film is Scream, with Carmen Electra in the Drew Barrymore role for the initial killing, with Dave Sheridan, acting as an idiot, with the David Arquette police character. There is the inquisitive and ill-judging reporter, paralleling the character played by Courtney Cox. Then there is the sorority, with Anna Farris and Elizabeth Shannon, with Jon Abrahams playing a boyfriend.
A lot of the film depends on Anna Farris and her ability as a comedian – to be used in many subsequent films.
While the outline is that of Scream, there are parallel incidents with I Saw What You Did…, The killing of someone on the road (not actually dead, course), the sending of threatening notes, the menace to the girls.
And, the solution is that Scream with the two murderers combining to wreak havoc on their victims and, literally, unmasked.
