Scary Movie 4

When I recall the films of recent years I most detest, bobbing to the top of the cinematic cesspool in it's own bile of ineptitude and moral reprehensibility is the initial Scary Movie. (Notice I didn't say "original.") Helmed and bungled by the circle of jerks known as The Wayans Brothers, that garbage, as I previously remarked on these pages, is "not so much a spoof as it's training-wheeled porn."

I skipped the sequel entirely, later rejoicing when David Zucker was brought into the series to save Scary Movie 3. Zucker, who with his brother, Jerry, and friend, Jim Abrahams, invented what is sometimes referred to as the ZAZ genre of comedies, which they pioneered in Airplane! and the Naked Gun gems. These are the guys the Wayans fancied themselves to be, but were numbingly flaccid in duplicating.

Scary Movie 3, a merry, tacky hodgepodge of cartoon-like sight gags and asides tickling the horror films of the day, is hootingly funny and accomplishes such without desperate sex toy wigglies. What the plot concerns, I couldn't tell you. I don't care. That's inconsequential. Zucker's movie is interested in the jokes and going for gutbusters.

The director is back on board for Scary Movie 4, with co-stars Anna Faris, Regina Hall, and Leslie Nielsen parodying, in part, War of the Worlds, The Grudge, The Village, Saw, Saw II, and Million Dollar Baby. For extra comfort, the project is embraced by Dr. Phil.

The official Dimension Films Web site for Scary Movie 4 is not fully populated, but the movie trailer is ready for review. Even in the brief montages, Zucker's ruthless, fully committed approach to comedy is apparent via his technical framing, split-second execution, and judicious cutting of the action, all paired with the ironic understatement of the players.

Silly?

I certainly do hope so.

Visit: Scary Movie 4

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