I’m not going to totally badmouth ’’Scary Movie 2, ’’ because I admittedly laughed a lot. Of course, most of those laughs came in the first half. I felt the second half was hit-or-miss. My issue is ever since ’’There’s Something About Mary’’ was released, we’ve been bombarded by these gross-out comedies! Every time another comedy is released, it tries to outdo the previous one in grossness. The writers and directors assume they’re pioneers, because they just disgusted audiences to the fullest. Well, what they don’t realize is what made ’’There’s Something About Mary’’ and ’’American Pie’’ work was their sense of wit and structure. There was a certain sense of intelligence behind the grossness. Now, filmmakers just assume you can have a young man shoot a wad of...manly juice...in a female’s face and that’s going to get a laugh. That’s mostly because these comedies appeal mainly to young people. And young people, in general (not including me, of course), will laugh at ANYTHING scatological! It’s unfortunate, but true! I admit, I’ve enjoyed tasteless comedies like this, the first ’’Scary Movie’’ and ’’Road Trip, ’’ but I’ve never seen a tasteless comedy that I can actually regard as great.
The story line is actually a little more involved for `Scary Movie 2, ’ as if you needed a plot to set up the horrendous `laugh scenes, ’ which are fewer and far between this time. Classic camp actor Tim Curry is Professor Oldman, a college teacher who recruits a group of students to spend the night in a haunted house so he can conduct some sort of experiment (though we never really understand what that experiment is all about). Of course, this group contains most of the kids from the first `Scary Movie, ’
I think there are a few sequences in this sequel that were very well done. The James Woods/bowel movement scene is purely tasteless, but let’s face it. There’s a certain thrill in watching a serious actor humiliate himself like that, so this is your only chance to encounter Jimmy Woods taking an on-screen dump. I liked the parody of the Nike/b-ball commercial, in which everybody bounces the basketball to a certain rhythm. In this case, even the guy in the wheelchair joins in. The Wayans were pretty sharp in writing the satirical moments. Some other good ones are a ’’Gone in 60 Seconds’’ parody and one of ’’Charlie’s Angels.’’ Don’t ya love it when they crack on movies that you absolutely loathe? Another scene I have to note is the Wayans’ take on ’’Nightmare on Elm Street’’ in which Tori Spelling gives a bw job to a ghost. That’s an example of humor (as I mentioned earlier) with a degree of wit and structure. It’s a very original idea (I can be wrong, email me if you can name another movie where a woman gives hd to a ghost) and I felt it was used wisely.
If you’re seeking a bundle of dirty laughs, Go watch this movie with your friends.