Psycho's Movie Reviews #116: SCARY MOVIE 2 (2001)

Scary Movie 2 is a 2001 American supernatural parody film directed by Keenen Ivory Wayans. It is the sequel to Scary Movie and the second film in the Scary Movie film series. The film stars Anna Faris, Regina Hall, Shawn Wayans and Marlon Wayans (all reprising their roles from the first film, despite their characters having seemingly been killed off), as well as Tim Curry, Tori Spelling, Chris Elliott, Chris Masterson, Kathleen Robertson, David Cross and James Woods.

The film is the last in the series to feature the involvement of stars Marlon and Shawn Wayans, and director Keenan. Marlon would eventually go on to produce a similar horror-themed parody, A Haunted House, and its sequel, both starring himself. In the latter film, Wayans pokes fun at the Scary Movie series' decline in quality after his family's departure.

Where the original film was mainly based on the slasher films of the 1990s, Scary Movie 2 parodies an array of supernatural and haunted house films from various decades, namely The Haunting (1999), Stigmata (1999), The Exorcist (1973), The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975), The Amityville Horror (1979), Poltergeist (1982), The Legend of Hell House (1973), House on Haunted Hill (both the 1959 and 1999 versions), The Changeling (1980), What Lies Beneath (2000) and Bloodbath at the House of Death (1984). It also spoofs some contemporary films, such as Hannibal (2001) and Hollow Man (2000). Scary Movie 2 was commercially successful, grossing $141.2 million worldwide from a $45 million budget, but received largely negative reviews from critics.

Plot

At haunted mansion Hell House, teenage Megan Voorhees becomes possessed by the spirit of Hugh Kane, the house's cruel, wicked previous owner. She interrupts a formal dinner party, thrown by her mother, who seeks help from two priests, Fathers McFeely and Harris. After an unsuccessful attempt to exorcise Kane's ghost, McFeely pulls a gun and shoots Megan.

One year later, Cindy Campbell, Brenda Meeks, Ray Wilkins and Shorty Meeks are at college, trying to live new lives after surviving the events of the first film. Cindy and Brenda are tagged by socially maladjusted Alex. Shorty is still the same stoner he was before. Ray, still confused about his sexuality, has two new male friends, Tommy and Buddy, the latter of whom becomes romantically interested in Cindy. She rebuffs him but agrees to be friends.

The sinister Professor Oldman and his charming paraplegic assistant, Dwight Hartman, plan to study the paranormal activity at Hell House. They recruit Cindy and her friends as test subjects under the pretense of a psychological experiment on sleep paralysis. At the mansion, Cindy encounters a foul-mouthed parrot and Hanson, a creepy caretaker with a badly malformed hand. Later, the group is joined by the attractive Theo. They sit down for dinner, but soon lose their appetite due to Hanson's repulsive treatment of the food.

That night, Cindy hears voices directing her to a secret room, where she and Buddy discover the diary of Kane's wife. Seeing her portrait, they note Cindy's (slight) resemblance. Meanwhile, the others also experience bizarre encounters. Kane's ghost has sex with Alex in her bedroom, and quickly departs at the mention of commitment. Cindy gets into a fistfight with the house cat, Mr. Kittles. When Cindy tries to tell Oldman, he dismisses it, and sends Theo to take Cindy to bed. Later, Cindy is possessed by Kane's wife, and she seduces Oldman. She quickly returns to normal, with no memory of the event. A toy clown attempts to kill Ray, but in a strange turn of events, the doll is sexually assaulted by Ray instead. A weed-monster rolls Shorty into a joint. It proceeds to smoke him (much to Shorty's enjoyment), but gets distracted and lets him escape. The next morning, Oldman tells Dwight no one is leaving the house, despite the attacks, and shows his lecherous true colours. Dwight is given the only house keys, and told to give them to nobody. Theo offers oral sex to no avail; Dwight does it to himself. She knocks him out and takes the keys.

Oldman is seduced and killed by the ghost of Kane's mistress. Shorty later encounters the same ghost, but charms and has sex with her. After Dwight equips the teens with weapons that can injure their spectral enemy, they are pursued throughout the mansion, Alex attempts to win Kane's love, but is killed by Crane's ghost. Buddy and Cindy are locked in the walk-in freezer. Cindy uses a collection of random objects to produce a Caterpillar 2-Ton tractor and escapes the freezer.

Hanson becomes possessed by Kane and kidnaps an inebriated Shorty. Cindy, Brenda and Theo team up to battle Hanson with highly stylized fight choreography, but are defeated. Dwight regroups with the teens, and Cindy chooses to act 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. They are out on a walk when Hanson appears to take Cindy away with him. Buddy disappears as Hanson gets hit by a car, driven by Shorty, who is receiving blowjob from the ghost that he seduced earlier.

Production

The film is a sequel to Scary Movie. According to director Keenen Ivory Wayans, the filmmakers watched over 130 horror films for background research. Marlon Brando was originally cast as Father McFeely and completed one day of filming before he had to leave the production due to illness. He was replaced by James Woods who was paid $1 million for four days work. Charlton Heston has also turned down the Woods role. At one point, former President Bill Clinton, who had just left office the year the film came out, was also considered.

Because Miramax had not greenlit this sequel until the massive box office success of the first, the film faced a punishing production schedule that involved coming up with a script and tearing through production and post-production in a total of less than nine months, roughly half the average time for all those steps to be completed on a standard Hollywood production in 2000–2001. It was this rushed production that made the Wayans never want to make another Scary Movie, and they were not involved in any of the sequels.

Music

Unlike its predecessor, the film does not have an official soundtrack. It features a heavily hip hop and rap catalogue, with some rock and techno songs.

• "Hello, Dolly!" (Jerry Herman)

• "Shake Ya Ass" – Mystikal

• "Tubular Bells" – Mike Oldfield

• "Sorry Now" – Sugar Ray

• "U Know What's Up" – Donell Jones

• "Graduation (Friends Forever)" – Vitamin C

• "Let Me Blow Ya Mind" – Eve ft. Gwen Stefani

• "History Repeating" – Propellerheads ft. Shirley Bassey

• "Fever" – Richard Marino & His Orchestra

• "Insane in the Membrane" – Cypress Hill

• "Smack My Bitch Up" – The Prodigy

• "Skullsplitter" – Hednoize

• "Ride Wit Me" – Nelly ft. City Spud (played over the end credit sequence)

• "So Erotic" – Casey Crown ft. Jay Dee

• "When It's Dark" – Trace ft. Neb Luv

Release/Reception/Box Office

Scary Movie 2 opened on the Fourth of July weekend and ranked the top spot at the US box office, with $20.5 million. In North America, the film grossed $71.3 million. With $69.9 million internationally, the worldwide gross comes to $141.2 million. Out of the first four Scary Movie films, this was the least successful to date, until the fifth film in 2013.

On Rotten Tomatoes, Scary Movie 2 has an approval rating of 14% based on 112 reviews and an average rating of 3.50/10. The site's critical consensus reads, "Instead of being funny, this gross-out sequel plays like a sloppy, rushed-out product." On Metacritic, the film has a score of 29 out of 100 based on 25 critics, indicating "generally unfavourable reviews". Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "B" on an A+ to F scale.

The film was released on VHS and DVD by Buena Vista Home Entertainment under the Dimension Home Video banner on December 18, 2001, with an array of special features, including commentaries and various deleted scenes.

Following the sale of Miramax to Farmyard Holdings, Lionsgate Home Entertainment later reissued the DVD, and released the film on Blu-ray on September 20, 2011.

Budget $45 million

Box office $141.2 million

My Review

This is equally as funny as the first, for those that criticise it for being dull or over the top, it's a spoof parodying horror films, it's not meant to be taken seriously in the slightest.

Normally comedy sequels aren't exactly the better movies but in this case I feel that this is a much better movie than its predecessor "Scary Movie" from 2000. What makes this movie better is its comedy. "Scary Movie" was still in lots of parts a very lame movie. Of course "Scary Movie 2" also does has its lame moments in it but overall the humor seemed more structured and better written and executed this time. Not to call this movie very mature though.

Its story also progressed better. This time there actually was somewhat a main plot-line and the many movies that it spoofs in this one are better fitted in into the story. The first movie was simply being a spoof for the sake of being one. It makes this sequel a bit more pleasant to follow. Strangely enough this is a movie that got made under pressure from the big studios that wanted to cash in quickly one year already after the success of the first movie. It's strange because this movie its end result seems far better, as does its story.

{The final battle is literally a parody of Charlie's Angels}

The characters also work out better in this one. Most of the actors from the first movie reprise their roles in this one again, so the movie doesn't has to waste a lot of time of introducing them again to the viewers. This movie however also has some more big names in it this time, with some big actors appearing in some small roles, such as James Woods and Tim Curry, who both did a hilarious job.

The opening scenes, the parody of The Exorcist is one of the funniest things, I can no longer watch The Exorcist without picturing James Woods. There are so many funny moments I can pick out, Hanson's hand and the dinner, Ray and the Clown, but I can't help rewinding Cindy's scene with the cat, that's just too funny; "HELP MY PUSSYS GONE CRAZY!". I'm sorry but Shorty is the best character in this movie, Marlon Wayans is amazing {actually just the Wayans brothers in general are amazing, their films never fail to make me laugh}. Now let's address the elephant in the room... HOW THE HELL DID THEY MANAGE TO GET THE LEGEND HIMSELF TIM CURRY IN THIS MOVIE?!?!?! And why does he have an obscenely strong desire to get laid? {I've already explained how much I love Tim Curry in a past review so you know the deal}.

I think this, like the first was such a great movie, but then they had so much material at the time to work with, so much to parody. Films recently seem so unoriginal, they continue to rehash old material, that's why I couldn't see this type of film working right now, perhaps that's why the fifth instalment was so poor.

Not one for everyone, as it does manage to offend everyone, if you can take it for how it's meant, it's hilarious. Better humour, better story, better characters. Simply a better movie than the first "Scary Movie".

8/10!

{Like my review of the first Scary Movie, there are way too many iconic moments in this one, here's my top 3 favourite scenes - I love them all equally}.

1} Just an added EXTRA; the opening scene is hilarious, I wish this is how The Exorcist really went.

2} "My pussies gone crazy" Scene

3} ...This scene {I'll let you watch it for yourself}(Just copy and paste it in a new tab)

https://youtu.be/uCw2eR7elM8?list=TLPQMjgxMjIwMjEQuP9LuR2L-A

4} The Charlie's Angels Reference