Scary Movie (2000) More at IMDb Pro »

SCARY MOVIE (**1/2) Jon Abrahams, Carmen Electra, Shannon Elizabeth, Anna Faris, Kurt Fuller, Regina Hall, Lochlyn Munro, Cheri Oteri, Dave Sheridan, Marlon Wayans, Shawn Wayans, Kelly Coffield, David L. Lander.

`Airplane!' meets `Scream' could've been the pitch made by director Keenan Ivory Wayans and his talented sibling screenwriters Marlon & Shawn to their studio, Dimension, in this riotously funny, hit and miss, parody of the horror genre.

Taking merciless jibes at the slasher films including `I Know What You Did Last Summer' among others, the satire focuses on B.A. Corpse High School and the costumed serial killer who begins a string of nasty killings starting with bodacious Electra (aping Drew Barrymore's signature opening to the first `Scream') whose silicone implants can't save her attacker nor from getting run over by her parents (oblivious to their daughter's plight by engaging in oral sex, the first of many sexual jokes throughout). Of course the media jumps on to glamourize the murders with the help of newshound Gail Hailstrom (`SNL's Oteri, spoofing Courteney Cox's rabid media blitzer) aimlessly trying to get a scoop. And then there are the generic teens-victims-to-be including Faris as the Neve Campbell/Jennifer Love Hewitt character, Cindy.

Though not as hilarious as the granddaddy of all spoofs `Airplane!', `Scary Movie' (incidentally this was the original title of the first `Scream'), does attempt to get as many laughs for its buck in taking shots at the mentally ill, smoking dope, homosexuals, genitalia, and for me the biggest laugh was the predominately white film audience silencing an obnoxiously loud black character through all types of violence. Gross jokes, sex jokes, and any thing that will stick to the wall jokes get their dues paid here and then some.

The Wayans brothers - Shawn as Ray, a football player with sexuality issues and Marlon as Shorty, the fun-loving pot head who hooks up the killer with some hilarious moments of getting baked - co-scripted this lampoon (and get onscreen credit with co-writers Buddy Johnson, Phil Beauman, Jason Friedberg & Aaaron Seltzer) and provide most of the laughs often at their own expense and with a helping hand from elder brother Keenan (who has a cameo in a trailer for `Amistad 2'), clearly know how to make one laugh and even if their tv series for 5 seasons was axed (as it is fondly recalled in the film's climax), be certain that an inevitable sequel will unearth itself in all its grotesque giddiness ensuing.