Scary Movie 2


Scary Movie 2 is a 2001 American comedy horror film and the second film in the Scary Movie film series. The film stars Anna Faris, Regina Hall, Shawn Wayans, and Marlon Wayans, 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 Keenen Ivory Wayans. 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, including The Haunting, The Exorcist, The Amityville Horror, Poltergeist, The Legend of Hell House, House on Haunted Hill, and The Changeling. It also spoofs some contemporary films, such as Hannibal and Hollow Man. Scary Movie 2 grossed $141.2 million worldwide from a $45 million budget. The consensus at Rotten Tomatoes calls it "a sloppy, rushed-out product".

Background

The film is a sequel to Scary Movie. According to director Keenen Ivory Wayans, the makers of the film 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 James Woods part. At one point, former President Bill Clinton, who had just left office the year the film came out, was considered for the James Woods part. Because Miramax had not greenlit this sequel until the massive box office success of the original, 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 9 months, roughly half the average time for all those steps to be completed on a standard Hollywood production in 2000–2001.

Plot

A teenage girl named Megan Voorhees becomes possessed by the spirit of Hugh Kane, the house's previous owner. During a formal dinner party, where everyone is singing “Shake Ya Ass”, she emerges in her nightdress, saying “you suck” before proceeding to urinate profusely on the floor. In response, Megan's mother seeks help from two priests, Father McFeely and Father Harris. After paying a trip to the bathroom, the men attempt to drive Hugh's ghost out, but the exorcism does not go as planned. After everyone vomits on each other, and one of the priests shows signs of pedophilia towards the girl, Megan insults Father McFeely's mother. He responds by pulling out a gun and shooting Megan.
Meanwhile, Cindy Campbell, Brenda Meeks, Ray Wilkins, and Shorty Meeks are at college, trying to live new lives since having survived the events of the first film. Cindy and Brenda get tagged by a socially maladjusted girl, Alex. Shorty is still the same stoner he was before. Ray, still confused about his sexuality, has two new male friends, Tommy and Buddy. Buddy becomes romantically interested in Cindy, but she rebuffs him. Agreeing to become friends nonetheless, Buddy gives Cindy a not so friendly wedgie, since he doesn’t know how he should treat a female friend.
Professor Oldman and his charming paraplegic assistant, Dwight Hartman, plan to study the paranormal activity at a local haunted mansion called Hell House. They use Cindy and her friends as test subjects. At the mansion, Cindy encounters a foul-mouthed parrot and Hanson, the caretaker with a badly malformed hand. Later, the group is joined by newcomer hottie Theo. They sit down for dinner, but soon lose their appetite due to Hanson's repulsive antics, such as licking the turkey, and sticking his hands in all the food.
Later that night, Cindy hears voices directing her to a secret room, where she and Buddy discover the diary of Hugh Kane's wife. Seeing her portrait, they note Cindy's resemblance to her. Meanwhile, other teens also experience bizarre encounters. Hugh Kane's invisible ghost has sex with Alex in her bedroom, and quickly leaves afterwards, since Alex shows signs of wanting to marry Huey. Cindy gets involved in a fistfight with the house cat, Mr. Kittles. When Cindy tries to tell the professor, he dismisses it, and sends Theo to take Cindy to bed, while hinting the girls should start “experimenting.” Later, while Cindy is possessed by Huey Kane’s wife, Cindy almost has sex with Oldman. Luckily she returns to normal, with no memory of the event. A toy clown attempts to kill Ray, but in a strange turn of events, the clown doll gets raped by Ray instead. A weed-monster rolls Shorty into a joint. It tries to smoke him, but gets distracted by munchies and lets him escape. The next morning, Oldman tells Dwight no one is leaving the house, despite the attacks, and claims he is “this close to getting laid.” Dwight is given the only keys to get out of the house, and told to give them to nobody. Theo attempt to take the keys from Dwight by attempting to give him oral sex, but Dwight does it to himself, while a horrified Theo watches in disgust, then knocks him out.
Professor Oldman is seduced and killed by the ghost of Hugh's mistress. Shorty later encounters the same ghost, but seduces 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 Huey’s love, but is killed by Crane's ghost. Buddy and Cindy get locked in the walk-in freezer. Cindy gives Buddy a handjob and "revives" him, resulting in him releasing semen blasting Cindy to the door. Cindy then uses a collection of random objects in the room to produce a Caterpillar tractor and escapes the freezer.
Hanson gets possessed by Kane and kidnaps Shorty, who is high on drugs. In the dining room, Hanson sets up a cooker and cuts off the top of Shorty's head. Instead of a brain, there is a small man rapping inside. Cindy, Brenda, and Theo team up to fight the Kane-possessed Hanson using moves taken from Charlie's Angels, but ultimate wind up defeated. Dwight regroups with the teens. Cindy acts 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 shows up, closing in menacingly. Buddy disappears as Hanson gets hit by a car, driven by Shorty, who is receiving a blowjob from the ghost that he seduced earlier.

Cast

Box office

In North America, the film grossed $71.3 million. Worldwide, it grossed $141.2 million. Out of the first four Scary Movie films, this was the least successful to date, until the fifth film was released twelve years later.

Critical reception

On Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 15% based on 109 reviews, with an average rating of 3.38/10. 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 unfavorable reviews". Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "B" on an A+ to F scale.

Home media

The film premiered on DVD on December 18, 2001. It was later released on Blu-ray a decade later on September 20, 2011, after Lionsgate purchased Miramax and Dimension Films's catalogues.