The "Scary Movie" franchise now resembles those montages of movie mockery Billy Crystal uses to launch the Academy Awards telecasts he hosts. The targets in "Scary Movie 4" no longer are horror films but any high-profile film released since 2003's "Scary Movie 3". Thus, returning writer-director David Zucker and fellow writers Craig Mazin, Pat Proft and Jim Abrahams go after Oscar winners "Brokeback Mountain" and "Million Dollar Baby" right along with "The Grudge" and "The Village". Anna Faris as the legally blond Cindy and Regina Hall as her libidinous gal pal Brenda return as characters who will (barely) link the comic sketches, sometimes in scene-by-scene re-creations from various movies.
All of which should lead to a strong opening weekend as young film-goers will flock to mock films just going into DVD release. Domestic theatrical potential could reach the $100 million mark.
The movie opens with a "Saw" spoof, in which basketball superstar Shaquille O'Neal and talk-show superstar Dr. Phil McGraw are chained to the walls of what appears to be the filthiest bathroom in civilization. O'Neal gets to kid his inability to hit free throws while Dr. Phil demonstrates a less caring, more scoffing side to his instant therapy. This does set a tone.
Next up, Charlie Sheen spoofs his image in the first movie sequence to deal with the serious social problem of death by Viagra overdose. This too sets a tone.
Almost "Grudge"-ingly, the filmmakers give in to the need for a semblance of a plot. Two homes sit next to each other. In one, Cindy essentially encounters all J-horror spoofs. In the other, Craig Bierko essentially plays Tom Cruise playing the blue-collar hero of "War of the Worlds" complete with pissed-off kids.
The movie then takes a happy dive into jokes involving body fluids, bowel problems, pesky ghosts, annoying space aliens, Carmen Electra, strange villages, Michael Jackson, kinky bondage devices, Leslie Nielsen as a befuddled U.S. president more interested in a children's storybook than the invasion of the U.S. and More Carmen Electra -- well, when you've got it, you flaunt it. The whole thing winds up on Oprah's bouncy couch.
The humor emphasizes quantity over quality, but the batting average isn't too bad. And where else can you witness Leslie Nielsen do a nude scene?
SCARY MOVIE 4
The Weinstein Co.
Dimension Films/Miramax Films/Brad Grey Pictures
Credits:
Director: David Zucker
Screenwriters: David Zucker, Craig Mazin, Jim Abrahams
Producers: Craig Mazin, Robert K. Weiss
Based on characters created by: Shawn Wayans & Marlon Wayans & Buddy Johnson & Phil Beauman and Jason Friedberg & Aaron Seltzer
Executive producer: Kymber Lim
Director of photography: Thomas Ackerman
Production designer: Holger Gross
Music: James Venable
Co-producer: Grace Gilroy
Costume designer: Carol Ramsey
Editors: Craig Herring, Tom Lewis
Cast:
Cindy Campbell: Anna Faris
Brenda Meeks: Regina Hall
Tom Ryan: Craig Bierko
George: Simon Rex
Mahalik: Anthony Anderson
Holly: Carmen Electra
Prisoner: Dr. Phil McGraw
President: Leslie Nielsen
Prisoner: Shaquille O'Neal
Tom: Charlie Sheen
Mrs. Norris: Cloris Leachman
Henry: Bill Pullman
MPAA rating PG-13
Running time -- 83 minutes...
All of which should lead to a strong opening weekend as young film-goers will flock to mock films just going into DVD release. Domestic theatrical potential could reach the $100 million mark.
The movie opens with a "Saw" spoof, in which basketball superstar Shaquille O'Neal and talk-show superstar Dr. Phil McGraw are chained to the walls of what appears to be the filthiest bathroom in civilization. O'Neal gets to kid his inability to hit free throws while Dr. Phil demonstrates a less caring, more scoffing side to his instant therapy. This does set a tone.
Next up, Charlie Sheen spoofs his image in the first movie sequence to deal with the serious social problem of death by Viagra overdose. This too sets a tone.
Almost "Grudge"-ingly, the filmmakers give in to the need for a semblance of a plot. Two homes sit next to each other. In one, Cindy essentially encounters all J-horror spoofs. In the other, Craig Bierko essentially plays Tom Cruise playing the blue-collar hero of "War of the Worlds" complete with pissed-off kids.
The movie then takes a happy dive into jokes involving body fluids, bowel problems, pesky ghosts, annoying space aliens, Carmen Electra, strange villages, Michael Jackson, kinky bondage devices, Leslie Nielsen as a befuddled U.S. president more interested in a children's storybook than the invasion of the U.S. and More Carmen Electra -- well, when you've got it, you flaunt it. The whole thing winds up on Oprah's bouncy couch.
The humor emphasizes quantity over quality, but the batting average isn't too bad. And where else can you witness Leslie Nielsen do a nude scene?
SCARY MOVIE 4
The Weinstein Co.
Dimension Films/Miramax Films/Brad Grey Pictures
Credits:
Director: David Zucker
Screenwriters: David Zucker, Craig Mazin, Jim Abrahams
Producers: Craig Mazin, Robert K. Weiss
Based on characters created by: Shawn Wayans & Marlon Wayans & Buddy Johnson & Phil Beauman and Jason Friedberg & Aaron Seltzer
Executive producer: Kymber Lim
Director of photography: Thomas Ackerman
Production designer: Holger Gross
Music: James Venable
Co-producer: Grace Gilroy
Costume designer: Carol Ramsey
Editors: Craig Herring, Tom Lewis
Cast:
Cindy Campbell: Anna Faris
Brenda Meeks: Regina Hall
Tom Ryan: Craig Bierko
George: Simon Rex
Mahalik: Anthony Anderson
Holly: Carmen Electra
Prisoner: Dr. Phil McGraw
President: Leslie Nielsen
Prisoner: Shaquille O'Neal
Tom: Charlie Sheen
Mrs. Norris: Cloris Leachman
Henry: Bill Pullman
MPAA rating PG-13
Running time -- 83 minutes...
- 4/13/2006
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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