A parody film or spoof film is a subgenre of comedy film that lampoons other film genres or films as pastiches, works created by imitation of the style of many different films reassembled together. Although the subgenre is often overlooked by critics, parody films are commonly profitable at the box office. Parody is related to satire, except that "parody is more often a representation of appreciation, while a satire is more often...pointing ...out the major flaws of an object through ridicule." J.M. Maher notes that the "difference is not always clear" and points out that "some films employ both techniques". Parody is found in a range of art and culture, including literature, music, theater, television, animation, and gaming.
Scary Movie is a 2000 American slasher parody film directed by Keenen Ivory Wayans and written by Marlon and Shawn Wayans, alongside Buddy Johnson, Phil Beauman, Jason Friedberg and Aaron Seltzer. Starring Jon Abrahams, Carmen Electra, Shannon Elizabeth, Anna Faris, Kurt Fuller, Regina Hall, Lochlyn Munro, Cheri Oteri, and Dave Sheridan, it follows a group of teenagers who accidentally hit a man with their car, dump his body in a lake, and swear to secrecy. A year later, someone wearing a Ghostface mask and robe begins hunting them one by one.
John Allen Astin is a retired American actor and director who has appeared in numerous stage, television and film roles, primarily in character roles. He is best known for starring in The Addams Family (1964–1966), as patriarch Gomez Addams, reprising the role in the television film Halloween with the New Addams Family (1977) and the animated series The Addams Family (1992–1993).
James Stephen Peace is an American writer, actor, and producer, best known for the Attack of the Killer Tomatoes! film series. A politician belonging to the Democratic Party, Peace served in the California State Assembly from 1982–1992 and in the California State Senate from 1993–2002.
Constantine Dillon, usually known as Costa, is a retired U.S. National Park Service Superintendent and a writer and actor of Greek ancestry. He is most famous as the creator of the film Attack of the Killer Tomatoes! and its sequels: Return of the Killer Tomatoes!, Killer Tomatoes Strike Back! and Killer Tomatoes Eat France; he also wrote the film Happy Hour.
Thomas Edward Bray is an American actor and writer perhaps best known for his role as Murray "Boz" Bozinsky in the detective TV series Riptide. He made his film debut in the slasher film The Prowler (1981) and later appeared in John Carpenter's Prince of Darkness (1987), and The Horror Show (1989). His work has been primarily in television, and his most recent credit was in 2012 on an episode of the TNT series Leverage.
Return of the Killer Tomatoes! is a 1988 American parody film directed by John De Bello. The first sequel to the 1978 film Attack of the Killer Tomatoes, the film stars Anthony Starke, Karen Mistal, and John Astin, as well as George Clooney in an early role. Like its predecessor, Return of the Killer Tomatoes was largely panned by critics. It has been described as a cult film.
Attack of the Killer Tomatoes is an American animated television series based on the 1978 film Attack of the Killer Tomatoes and its 1988 sequel Return of the Killer Tomatoes. The series aired on Fox Kids from 8 September 1990 to 23 November 1991. Repeats aired on Fox in 1992 and 1996, and on Fox Family from 1998 to 2000.
Shriek If You Know What I Did Last Friday the 13th is a 2000 American direct-to-video parody slasher film directed by John Blanchard. The film stars Tiffani-Amber Thiessen, Tom Arnold, Coolio and Shirley Jones. Several mid- and late 1990s teen horror films are parodied, as are slasher films from the 1970s and 1980s, including the Scream films, Friday the 13th (1980), Halloween (1978), A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984), and I Know What You Did Last Summer (1997), as well as other films and television series outside of the horror genre. Although many different films are parodied, the film follows the plot of Scream (1996) very closely. It is often compared to Scary Movie, a commercially successful spoof from the same year, which had as a working title Scream If You Know What I Did Last Halloween.
The Silence of the Hams is a 1994 comedy thriller film written by, directed by, and starring Italian comedian Ezio Greggio. It is a parody of many popular thriller and horror films, notably The Silence of the Lambs and Psycho. Along with Greggio, it features an ensemble cast of Dom DeLuise, Billy Zane, Joanna Pacuła, Charlene Tilton and Martin Balsam.
Jack's Back is a 1988 American mystery thriller film written and directed by Rowdy Herrington in his directorial debut. It stars James Spader in a dual role, Cynthia Gibb, Jim Haynie, Robert Picardo, Rod Loomis, and Rex Ryon. It follows a serial killer who celebrates Jack the Ripper's 100th birthday by committing similar murders.
Ghostface is a fictional identity that is adopted by the primary antagonists of the Scream franchise. The figure was originally created by Kevin Williamson, and is primarily mute in person but voiced over the phone by Roger L. Jackson, regardless of who is behind the mask. The disguise has been adopted by various characters in the movies and in the third season of the television series.
American Psycho is a 2000 satirical psychological horror film directed by Mary Harron, who co-wrote the screenplay with Guinevere Turner. Based on the 1991 novel by Bret Easton Ellis, it stars Christian Bale as Patrick Bateman, a New York City investment banker who leads a double life as a serial killer. Willem Dafoe, Jared Leto, Josh Lucas, Chloë Sevigny, Samantha Mathis, Cara Seymour, Justin Theroux, and Reese Witherspoon appear in supporting roles. The film blends horror and black comedy to satirize 1980s yuppie culture and consumerism, exemplified by Bateman and supporting cast.
Killer Tomatoes Eat France! is a 1992 American film that was released as the fourth and most recent sequel to Attack of the Killer Tomatoes. Like its predecessor, Killer Tomatoes Strike Back, it was a direct-to-video release. The film had been intended as the third in the series according to Return of the Killer Tomatoes but was replaced as the third film by Killer Tomatoes Strike Back. It is the final film made by New World Pictures before their sale to News Corporation in 1997. Because the film was co-produced with the corporate successor 20th Century Fox, this is the only New World film whose rights are solely owned by 20th Century Fox.
Attack of the Killer Potatoes is a 1997 science-fiction children's story by Peter Lerangis. Its title spoofs the 1978 film, Attack of the Killer Tomatoes, and the film's sequels. The book's tagline reads, "Lock the doors, close the windows, warn the neighbors...". The book was published by the children's publishing division of Scholastic Press, Apple Paperback.
Scream 4 is a 2011 American slasher film directed by Wes Craven and written by Kevin Williamson. Produced by Outerbanks Entertainment and distributed by Dimension Films, it is a sequel to Scream 3 (2000) and the fourth installment in the Scream film series. The film stars David Arquette, Neve Campbell, Courteney Cox, Emma Roberts, Hayden Panettiere, Anthony Anderson, Alison Brie, Adam Brody, Rory Culkin, Marielle Jaffe, Erik Knudsen, Mary McDonnell, Marley Shelton, Nico Tortorella, and Roger L. Jackson. The film takes place on the fifteenth anniversary of the original Woodsboro murders from Scream (1996) and involves Sidney Prescott (Campbell) returning to the town after ten years, where Ghostface once again begins killing students from Woodsboro High. Like its predecessors, Scream 4 combines the violence of the slasher genre with elements of black comedy and "whodunit" mystery to satirize the clichés of film remakes. The film also provides commentary on the extensive usage of social media and the obsession with internet fame.
Psycho Cop 2 is a 1993 American slasher film directed by Adam Rifkin, and written by Dan Povenmire. It is the sequel to the 1989 film Psycho Cop.
Attack of the Killer Tomatoes is a 1978 American parody film produced by J. Stephen Peace and John DeBello, and directed by John DeBello based upon an original idea by Costa Dillon. The screenplay was written by Dillon, Peace, and DeBello. The film spoofs B movies and was made on a budget of less than $100,000. The story involves tomatoes becoming sentient by unknown means and revolting against humanity.
Capture the Flag is a 2015 Spanish animated science-fiction adventure comedy film directed by Enrique Gato and written by Patxi Amezcua. Produced by 4 Cats Pictures and animated by Lightbox Entertainment, the film was distributed worldwide by Paramount Pictures, which was a milestone for Spanish cinema, as this was the first time a major Hollywood studio acquired and agreed to distribute two Spanish animated films worldwide, with the other one being Tad the Lost Explorer and the Secret of King Midas. The film takes place in the present alternate times of the year 2015, and the storyline is about Mike Goldwing, a 12-year-old surfer who embarks on a journey with his friends to disrupt a billionaire's plan to destroy the American flag planted on the Moon.
Kirby Reed is a fictional character in the Scream film series, created by Kevin Williamson and portrayed by Hayden Panettiere. She first appeared in Scream 4 (2011) and returns in Scream VI (2023).
