Scary Movie 2

Last updated

Scary Movie 2
ScaryMovie2.jpg
Theatrical release poster
Directed by Keenen Ivory Wayans
Written by
Based on Characters
Produced byEric L. Gold
Starring
Cinematography Steven Bernstein
Edited by
Production
companies
  • Gold/Miller Productions [1]
  • Wayans Bros. Entertainment [1]
  • Brad Grey Pictures [1]
Distributed by Dimension Films [1]
Release date
  • July 4, 2001 (2001-07-04)
Running time
82 minutes [2]
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$45 million [3]
Box office$141.2 million [3]

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 been killed), 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.

Contents

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) while also making many references to the slasher flick I Still Know What You Did Last Summer (1998). It also spoofs the comedy film Dude, Where's My Car? (2000) and some contemporary films, such as Hannibal (2001), Hollow Man (2000) and Charlie's Angels (2000).

Scary Movie 2 was commercially successful, grossing $141.2 million worldwide from a $45 million budget, [3] but received largely negative reviews from critics. [4] A sequel was released in 2003.

Plot

At the haunted mansion Hell House, teenager 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. On her drive to the mansion, Cindy listens and sings badly along to "Graduation" by Vitamin C whom through the radio tells her to shut up. At the mansion, Cindy encounters a foul-mouthed parrot and Hanson, a creepy caretaker with a badly malformed hand. Later, the attractive Theo joins the group. They sit down for dinner but soon lose their appetite due to Hanson's repulsive handling of the food.

That night, Cindy hears voices directing her to a secret room, where she and Buddy discover Kane's wife's diary. 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 molested by him instead. A weed-monster rolls Shorty into a joint. It proceeds to smoke him (to his enjoyment), but gets distracted and lets him escape.

The next morning, Oldman tells Dwight that no one is leaving the house despite the attacks and shows his lecherous nature. 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, Victoria Crane. 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 him with highly stylized fight choreography but are defeated. Dwight regroups with the teens, and Cindy volunteers 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 her away with him. Buddy disappears as Hanson gets hit by a car, driven by Shorty.

Cast

Parodies

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. [5] Marlon Brando was originally cast as Father McFeely and completed one day of filming before he had to leave the production due to illness. [6] [7] He was replaced by James Woods who was paid $1 million for four days work. [8] Charlton Heston had 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.

Release

Home media

The film was released on VHS and DVD by Buena Vista Home Entertainment under the Dimension Home Video banner on December 18, 2001, [9] [10] 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. [11]

Reception

Box office

Scary Movie 2 opened on the Fourth of July weekend and ranked second at the US box office behind Cats & Dogs , with $20.5 million. [12] 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. [3] [13]

Critical response

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." [4] On Metacritic, the film has a score of 29 out of 100 based on 25 critics, indicating "generally unfavorable reviews". [14] Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "B" on an A+ to F scale. [15]

Related Research Articles

<i>Scary Movie</i> 2000 film by Keenen Ivory Wayans

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">R. L. Stine</span> American writer and producer (born 1943)

Robert Lawrence Stine, known by his pen name R.L. Stine, is an American novelist. He is the writer of Goosebumps, a horror fiction novel series which has sold over 400 million copies globally in 35 languages, becoming the second-best-selling book series in history. The series spawned a media franchise including two television series, a video game series, a comic series, and two feature films. Stine has been referred to as the "Stephen King of children's literature".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marlon Wayans</span> American actor, writer and producer

Marlon Lamont Wayans is an American actor, comedian, screenwriter, and producer. He is best known for his work with his brother Shawn Wayans on The WB sitcom The Wayans Bros. (1995–1999), and in the comedy films Don't Be a Menace (1996), Scary Movie (2000), Scary Movie 2 (2001), White Chicks (2004), Little Man (2006), and Dance Flick (2009).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shawn Wayans</span> American actor and comedian (born 1971)

Shawn Mathis Wayans is an American actor, comedian, screenwriter, and producer. He made his debut on the comedy television series In Living Color (1990–1993). He went on to work with his brother Marlon Wayans on The WB sitcom The Wayans Bros.(1995–1999), and in the comedy films Don't Be a Menace (1996), Scary Movie (2000), Scary Movie 2 (2001), White Chicks (2004), Little Man (2006), and Dance Flick (2009).

<i>Scary Movie 3</i> 2003 film by David Zucker

Scary Movie 3 is a 2003 American parody film directed by David Zucker. It is the sequel to Scary Movie 2 and is the third film in the Scary Movie film series. The film parodies the horror, sci-fi, and mystery genres.

<i>House on Haunted Hill</i> (1999 film) 1999 American supernatural horror film

House on Haunted Hill is a 1999 American supernatural horror film directed by William Malone and starring Geoffrey Rush, Famke Janssen, Taye Diggs, Ali Larter, Bridgette Wilson, Peter Gallagher, and Chris Kattan. The plot follows a group of strangers who are invited to a party at an abandoned insane asylum, where they are offered $1 million each by an amusement park mogul if they are able to survive the night. Produced by Robert Zemeckis and Joel Silver, it is a remake of the 1959 film of the same title directed by William Castle, and features special effects by famed make-up artists Gregory Nicotero and Dick Smith.

<i>Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers</i> 1988 film by Dwight H. Little

Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers is a 1988 American slasher film directed by Dwight H. Little, written by Alan B. McElroy, and starring Donald Pleasence, Ellie Cornell, Danielle Harris in her film debut, and Michael Pataki. It is the fourth entry in the Halloween franchise and a Direct Sequel to Halloween II, and marks the return of Michael Myers as the primary antagonist, Ignoring the events of Halloween III: Season of the Witch (1982).

<i>Scary Movie 4</i> 2006 film by David Zucker

Scary Movie 4 is a 2006 American parody film directed by David Zucker, written by Jim Abrahams, Craig Mazin, and Pat Proft, and produced by Mazin and Robert K. Weiss. It is the sequel to Scary Movie 3 and the fourth installment in the Scary Movie film series, as well as the first film in the franchise to be released by The Weinstein Company following the purchase of Dimension Films from Miramax Films.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Randy Meeks</span> Fictional character in the Scream franchise

Randy Meeks is a fictional character in the Scream franchise. Randy first appears in Scream (1996) as a high school student with a passion for the horror genre. He is portrayed by Jamie Kennedy. A self-professed "geek", Randy provides comic relief during his appearances throughout the franchise, using his in-depth knowledge of horror film plots and clichés to define the series of murders that occur in the franchise. Director Wes Craven fought for Kennedy's casting for the film, as the studio planned for a bigger name to take the role. Despite Kennedy's lack of experience, Craven got his way, citing that actor Johnny Depp was not a big name when cast in A Nightmare on Elm Street.

<i>Scary Movie</i> (film series) American horror parody film series

Scary Movie is a series of American parody films, mainly focusing on spoofing horror films. The films have a combined gross of almost $900 million at the worldwide box office. The two recurring actresses are Anna Faris and Regina Hall as Cindy Campbell and Brenda Meeks, appearing in all installments except the fifth film.

The Wayans family is an American show-business family. Family members include Keenen Ivory Wayans, Shawn Wayans, Marlon Wayans, Damon Wayans Sr., Kim Wayans, Damon Wayans Jr., Damien Dante Wayans, and Chaunté Wayans. Works created by Wayans family members include the Scary Movie film series, The Wayans Bros., In Living Color, Don't Be a Menace to South Central While Drinking Your Juice in the Hood, White Chicks, My Wife and Kids, and Little Man.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cindy Campbell</span> Fictional lead character from the Scary Movie franchise

Cynthia "Cindy" Campbell is a fictional character from the Scary Movie franchise. Portrayed by Anna Faris and created by Shawn Wayans, Marlon Wayans, Buddy Johnson, Phil Beauman, Jason Friedberg and Aaron Seltzer, the character first appeared as a high school student in Scary Movie (2000). In the film, whose main parodies are the Scream and I Know What You Did Last Summer franchises, Cindy shares a role similar to Sidney Prescott and Julie James.

<i>Paranormal Activity</i> 2007 film by Oren Peli

Paranormal Activity is a 2007 American supernatural horror film produced, written, directed, photographed, and edited by Oren Peli. It centers on a young couple who are haunted by a supernatural presence inside their home. They then set up a camera to document what is haunting them. The film uses found-footage conventions that were mirrored in the later films of the series.

<i>Scary Movie 5</i> 2013 film by Malcolm D. Lee

Scary Movie 5 is a 2013 American parody film directed by Malcolm D. Lee, written by David Zucker and Pat Proft, and produced by Zucker and Phil Dornfeld. It is the standalone sequel to Scary Movie 4 (2006) and the fifth installment in the Scary Movie film series. It is the second and last film in the series to be distributed by The Weinstein Company, as well as the only one not to involve Miramax Films. It was released on April 12, 2013. The film is the only installment of the franchise not to feature Cindy Campbell or Brenda Meeks. It premiered on April 11, at the Hollywood's ArcLight Cinerama Dome. The film parodies various horror films and other popular culture. The film received negative reviews from critics. With a gross of $78.4 million against a $20 million budget, it is the lowest-grossing film in the Scary Movie series despite being a box office success.

<i>A Haunted House</i> 2013 film directed by Michael Tiddes

A Haunted House is a 2013 American satirical horror comedy film directed by Michael Tiddes, written by, produced by and starring Marlon Wayans. Although Wayans said the film was "not exactly a parody but rather a movie with funny characters doing the opposite of what typical people do in similar horror films," the film pokes fun at the "found footage" horror genre, such as Paranormal Activity and The Devil Inside. It was released on January 11, 2013 and received negative reviews from critics, but grossed $60 million against a budget of $2.5 million. A sequel, A Haunted House 2, was released on April 18, 2014.

<i>A Haunted House 2</i> 2014 film directed by Michael Tiddes

A Haunted House 2 is a 2014 American satirical horror comedy film directed by Michael Tiddes and starring Marlon Wayans. The film is the sequel to the 2013 film A Haunted House and the final installment in the duology. Produced by IM Global Octane and distributed by Open Road Films, the film was released on March 28, 2014. Like its predecessor, the film received negative reviews from critics, and earned over $25 million at the box office.

Michael Tiddes is an American film director and producer, best known for directing A Haunted House and A Haunted House 2.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fabrizio Vidale</span> Italian voice actor

Fabrizio Vidale is an Italian actor and voice actor.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "Scary Movie 2". AFI Catalog of Feature Films . Archived from the original on June 9, 2019. Retrieved November 6, 2018.
  2. ↑ "Scary Movie 2 (18)". British Board of Film Classification . July 16, 2001. Archived from the original on November 19, 2015. Retrieved September 19, 2014.
  3. 1 2 3 4 "Scary Movie 2 (2001)". Box Office Mojo . Archived from the original on July 15, 2019. Retrieved November 6, 2018.
  4. 1 2 "Scary Movie 2 (2001)". Rotten Tomatoes . Fandango. Archived from the original on November 14, 2021. Retrieved December 18, 2021.
  5. ↑ Brook, Tom (July 6, 2001). "Scary sequel 'out-grosses' first". bbc.co.uk. Archived from the original on April 11, 2023. Retrieved October 18, 2016.
  6. ↑ Silverman, Stephen M. (June 15, 2001). "Brando's 'Scary' Scene". people.com. Archived from the original on October 19, 2016. Retrieved October 18, 2016.
  7. ↑ "Natasha Lyonne Recalls when Marlon Brando 'Held My Boob' in Scary Movie 2: 'Showbiz Was A-Okay'". Archived from the original on January 24, 2024. Retrieved January 24, 2024.
  8. ↑ "Hugh Grant up for Harry Potter role". theguardian.com. June 29, 2001. Archived from the original on January 6, 2020. Retrieved October 18, 2016.
  9. ↑ Wallis, J. Doyle (December 26, 2001). "Scary Movie 2". DVD Talk. Archived from the original on November 11, 2019. Retrieved April 30, 2016.
  10. ↑ Saccone, Melinda (December 7, 2001). "Rental Spending Down for Week Ended Dec. 3, But December Holds Gifts". hive4media.com . Archived from the original on December 23, 2001. Retrieved September 24, 2019.
  11. ↑ "Scary Movie 2 Blu-ray". Blu-ray.com. Archived from the original on July 25, 2018. Retrieved May 4, 2016.
  12. ↑ Linder, Brian (July 10, 2001). "Weekend Box Office: Reigning Cats & Dogs". IGN. Archived from the original on May 20, 2023. Retrieved May 20, 2023.
  13. ↑ "Scary Movie". Box Office Mojo . Archived from the original on July 26, 2019. Retrieved November 6, 2018.
  14. ↑ "Scary Movie 2 Reviews". Metacritic . CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on September 2, 2017. Retrieved August 21, 2017.
  15. ↑ "SCARY MOVIE II (2001) B". CinemaScore . Archived from the original on December 20, 2018.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.