Main Cast: Shawn Wayans, Marlon Wayans, Anna Faris, Regina Hall, Chris Masterson
Release Year: 2001
Country: US
Run Time: 82 minutes
MPAA Rating: R
Plot
This sequel to a box-office sleeper hit that spoofed teen slasher flicks takes its cues from haunted house and possession films, particularly The Haunting (1999) and The Exorcist (1973). Although many of the first film's main characters were homicide victims, Marlon Wayans, Shawn Wayans, and Anna Faris return anyway to "re-possess" their roles for this follow-up in which four students are invited by their professor (Tim Curry) to his haunted mansion, Hell House, for a weekend sleep-deprivation study. Providing the sleep deprivation, however, is a series of murderous, supernatural goings-on. Scary Movie 2 co-stars Tori Spelling, Andy Richter, Christopher Masterson, Kathleen Robertson, James Woods, Chris Elliott, and Natasha Lyonne. ~ Karl Williams, All Movie Guide
Review
It's obvious Scary Movie 2 was cobbled together quickly after the surprise success of the original, hitting theaters less than a year later and containing of-the-moment parodies that must have been inserted just weeks beforehand. As if it matters, there's little in the way of plot propelling this variety show approach to puerile gags. Only a little less so than the original, the sequel oozes preternatural crassness and grossness, most frequently in the form of projectile bodily fluids -- Exorcist-style vomit, parrot feces, and other unmentionable excretions. But yes, there are laughs in there too, just not enough for this to exceed the status of a sloppy cash cow for Miramax, eager for its share of the summer box office. The actors are basically agreeable, with Anna Faris reprising her nimble pratfalling from the original, James Woods going surprisingly lowbrow, and 90210 alums Tori Spelling and Kathleen Robertson vamping up a storm. Keenen Ivory Wayans knows how to seek out and stab the most familiar parts of our popular consciousness, from Charlie's Angels to The Weakest Link to that Nike ad with the percussive basketball dribbling and shoe squeaking. There's just little thought given to turning them into something coherent. Scary Movie 2 is light on genuine knee-slappers and minutes of film stock (a scant 82), but those who liked the original shouldn't be overly disappointed. ~ Derek Armstrong, All Movie Guide
Cat Smith - Art Director, Sue Jett - Associate Producer, Barry Rosenbush - Associate Producer, Jeanne McCarthy - Casting, Juel Bestrop - Casting, Christine Sheaks - Casting, Valerie Adams - Costume Designer, Mary Jane Fort - Costume Designer, Carol Louise Green - First Assistant Director, Keenen Ivory Wayans - Director, Tony Mark - Second Unit Director, Peter Teschner - Editor, Thomas J. Nordberg - Editor, Richard Pearson - Editor, Brad Weston - Executive Producer, Bob Weinstein - Executive Producer, Harvey Weinstein - Executive Producer, Peter Schwerin - Executive Producer, Rick Alvarez - Executive Producer, Randy Spendlove - Musical Direction/Supervision, Tony Gardner - Makeup Special Effects, Cynthia Kay Charette - Production Designer, Steven Bernstein - Cinematographer, Eric L. Gold - Producer, Cameron Birnie - Set Designer, Colin de Rouin - Set Designer, Lee Cole - Set Designer, Gina B. Cranham - Set Designer, Kelly Hannafin - Set Designer, Richard Romig - Set Designer, Gene Darnell - Set Designer, FX Concepts - Special Effects, David Kirschner - Sound/Sound Designer, John Joseph Thomas - Sound Special Effects, Marlon Wayans - Screenwriter, Shawn Wayans - Screenwriter, Alyson Fouse - Screenwriter, Greg Grabiansky - Screenwriter, Dave Polsky - Screenwriter, Michael Anthony Snowden - Screenwriter, Craig Wayans - Screenwriter, Eddie Watkins - Second Unit Camera, Doug Beswick - Visual Effects Supervisor, Ariel Velasco Shaw - Visual Effects Supervisor, Raymond McIntyre Jr. - Visual Effects Supervisor, Brad Kuehn - Visual Effects Supervisor, Dr. Ken Jones - Visual Effects Supervisor, Reid Paul - Digital Effects, Lou Carlucci - Special Effects Coordinator, Michael J. Benavente - Supervising Sound Editor, Perpetual Motion Pictures, Inc. - Visual Effects, CIS Hollywood - Visual Effects, Digiscope - Visual Effects, Cantina Pictures - Visual Effects, Yannix Technologies Incorporated - Visual Effects, Robert Kensinger - Set Decorator, Marlon Wayans - Co-Executive Producer, Tony Mark - Co-Executive Producer, Lee R. Mayes - Co-Executive Producer, Shawn Wayans - Co-Executive Producer, Lisa Suzanne Blum - Co-Executive Producer
A sequel to Scary Movie begins with a parody of The Exorcist, in which Megan Voorhees (Natasha Lyonne), is possessed and two priests, Father McFeely (James Woods) and Father Harris (Andy Richter), must drive the demon out. The exorcism doesn't go as planned, and a chain of The Exorcist-like vomiting occurs. Megan insults McFeely's mother and he shoots her in the head.
One year later, Cindy Campbell (Anna Faris), Brenda Meeks (Regina Hall), Ray Wilkins (Shawn Wayans) and Shorty Meeks (Marlon Wayans) are at college, trying to live new lives, after the events in the previous movie. (Although all of them died in Scary Movie, in a deleted scene, Brenda says her death was a near death experience, and Cindy was never officially declared dead.) Cindy and Brenda get tagged by a dorky girl, Alex Monday (Tori Spelling); Ray, who is still confused by his sexuality, has two new friends, Tommy (James DeBello) and Buddy (Christopher Masterson); while Shorty is still the same stoner he was in the last movie.
The story begins when a college teacher, Professor Oldman (Tim Curry) and his wheelchair-bound assistant Dwight (David Cross) plan to study the paranormal activity at Hell House, with the clueless teens as bait and for Oldman to get action with the college girls. Then, Theo (Kathleen Robertson) also becomes part of the study group.
When Cindy arrives at the Hell House, she meets a talking Amazon parrot who is vulgar and slanderous, and the caretaker, Hanson (Chris Elliott), who has great people skills and a genetically malformed little hand. After some weird incidents on that night (Cindy being beaten up by a cat, a toy clown attacking Ray (although due to preference in sexuality, it was the clown who was in trouble), Shorty getting attacked and smoked by a weed-monster, Alex getting raped in her sleep by Hell House's dead owner, Hugo Kane, and falling in love with him) the teens finally learn about the professor's plan and try to escape the mansion.
The professor gets killed by a sexy female ghost with disfigured features as the ghost of Hugo Kane seals all exits of the manor to prevent the surviving occupants from escaping. Shorty encounters the same sexy butterface ghost, but instead of being killed is shown having sex with her with a paper bag over her head. Alex becomes a crazed stalker who pursues Kane until the ghost is forced to kill her. Realizing that killing the ghost is the only way out, the teens are equipped with several technological devices by Dwight that serve to harass and injure the spectral enemy. They are pursued all throughout the mansion. Buddy and Cindy get locked in the walk-in refrigerator. Thinking that Buddy is dying from their previous encounter with the ghost, Cindy gives him a "hand," with explosive results evoking memories of a similar situation from the first movie. After they escape from the room, Buddy flees while Cindy is chased by an undead skeleton and Brenda rips its head off. Hanson gets possessed, and Cindy, Brenda and Theo parody Charlie's Angels to get him, but end up beaten up. Eventually, they use Cindy as bait to lure the Kane ghost to a device that ultimately destroys him.
Two months later, taking care of the parrot though he despises her for talking too much, Cindy and Buddy are in a relationship and go out on a walk until Buddy disappears without notice as she looks up to see Hanson serving at the hot dog stand. She screams "No!" while Hanson screams "Yes!". Hanson is instantly hit by a car (although is not declared dead) driven by Shorty, who was distracted because he is being given fellatio by the butterface ghost, still with the bag over her head.
Reception
In the U.S., the film grossed $71,308,997. Worldwide, it grossed $141,220,678. Although being a hit, out of the four Scary Movie films, this is the least successful to date.[1]
Despite its box office success, it was not as well received by critics achieving a rotten 14% rating on Rotten Tomatoes[2] and a generally negative score of 29% on Metacritic.[3]
