25 years of “Scary Movie”, the film that redefined the comedy and parody of the Wayans brothers

On July 7, 2000, he reached theaters Scary Moviean irreverent and shameless film that revolutionized the genre of comedy. This tape not only became an unexpected box office success, but also revitalized parody cinema, a genre that seemed to languish in the late 90s.

In the early 2000s, adolescent horror cinema was at its peak. Movies like Scream (1996), I know what they did last summer (1997) and Urban legend (1998) dominated the box office with their masked murderers and young victims. The stage was put for a scathing satire, and that was when Keenen Ivory Wayansalong with his brothers Shawn and Marlon WayansThey saw the perfect opportunity.

Scary Movie’s idea arose from an initial script entitled Last Summer I Screamed Because friday The 13th Fell On Halloweena clear mockery of the titles of the horror films of the time. However, it was the vision of the Wayans that transformed a simple draft into a master comedy.

The film, directed by Keenen Ivory Wayans and written by a team that included Shawn and Marlon, decided to focus mainly on Parody Scream, I know what they did last summer and, to a lesser extent, other popular films such as Matrix and Sixth meaningskillfully mixing absurd humor with the recognition of clichés of horror cinema.

The Wayans Brothers: Modern Parody Teachers

The influence of the Wayans brothers in the resurgence of parodic comedy cinema is undeniable. While the genre was not new – other than And where is the pilot? (1980) or Top Secret! (1984) had already demonstrated the potential of parody – the vision of the Wayans gave him a new air.

The key to its success filed in a combination of factors: a uninhibited physical and visual humora bold use of pop culture of the moment, and the ability to push the limits of what was considered “funny”, often touching the politically incorrect. His distinctive style, which had already polished in their successful Sketch Comedy program In living colorthe big screen was perfectly translated.

Scary Movie not only laughed at horror movies, but He made fun of the tropes, predictable dialogues and stereotyped charactersmanaging to connect with an audience that was saturated with the same narrative patterns. It was a breath of fresh air that showed that the public was ready to laugh at their own fears.

A legacy of sequelae and a new hope

The resounding success of the first installment, which raised more than US $ 278 million worldwide with a budget of only US $ 19 million, gave rise to an extensive franchise. Scary Movie 2 (2001) continued quickly, with the wayans brothers still to the helm, parodying enchanted house films like The haunting and The exorcist.

However, from Scary Movie 3 (2003), the address and much of the creative team changed, with David Zucker (And where is the pilot?) Taking the reins and a more focus on the parody of science fiction and terror films such as Signals and The call. They followed him Scary Movie 4 (2006) and, the last to date, Scary Movie 5 (2013), who tried to revive the franchise with a new cast and without the direct participation of the Wayans, although with mixed results in criticism and box office.

Despite the evolution of the saga without its original creators, the impact of the first deliveries is undeniable. Scary Movie show that parody, when done with ingenuity and a deep knowledge of the source material, can be as entertaining and relevant as the films that parody.

Scary Movie – (1) .jpg

Marlon Wayans confirmed his return and that of his brothers to the saga.

The return of the wayans brothers

25 years later, the news that many fans were waiting for anxious has come true. It has been confirmed that the Wayans brothers are officially in conversations and is expected to return to the franchise for a new Scary Movie movie.

Through their social networks, Marlon Wayans announced last October the expected return, where it was also confirmed that he will work with his brothers Keenen and Shawn: “We are back! After almost 20 years, The Wayans brothers will finally give fans what they have been asking for … A return to the ‘Scary Movie’ franchise! We hope to have fun on the big screen. “

This announcement has generated enormous expectation, since the possibility of seeing Keenen, Shawn and Marlon Wayans resume the reins of The saga promises a return to the irreverent humor roots that made it famous. The horror film panorama has evolved a lot since 2000, with subgenres and styles that offer a new and vast material for satire.