4.13.2006

Martin Luther was one of the few who could make the whole list thing work

Question of the day: Was America really crying out for Scary Movie 4 to be made?

Sub-question: When did Hollywood completely lose the ability to make a quality spoof?

Somewhere in between
Airplane and Scary Movie A Billion, things just went awry. My main problem with the genre as it's represented today? A disease that I have coined "Laundry-list Spoof Syndrome."

(Okay, so I think I got the laundry list phrase from a critic, but I was the first to make it a syndrome.)

What made movies like Airplane and Young Frankenstein so good was that their creators fully understood the elements of the genre they were spoofing and played with them for comedic effect. The result was a movie that seemed entirely familiar as part of that genre and yet subverted it without resorting to mocking specific movies.

Contrast this with today's efforts, where it seems screenwriters make a list of the films they'd like to poke fun at and proceed to write basically a series of mocking vignettes with only the most threadbare of plot connecting them.

Take Date Movie, for example. You can just see the thought process of the creators as you watch it (which, by the way, you should not). "Okay guys, we're going to start out with a little bit of Bridget Jones' Diary, then into The Notebook, and we'll end with Hitch and The Wedding Planner."

The result is pretty much a laundry list of movie references and is about as exciting as reading someone's actual laundry list.

To make things worse, Scary Movie 4 apparently ran out of scary movies to mock and has to look elsewhere for source material, including Brokeback Mountain and Tom Cruise going crazy on Oprah. Also, apparently Shaq and Dr. Phil are in a scene? Finally, in one TV spot, there is not one, but two nuts/balls double entendres.

If that's your thing, enjoy. It opens everywhere today.

But it's probably best if you and I stayed not-friends.

19 comments:

Jake said...

MSN Transcript, 4/12/2006

(4:09:58 PM) Scotty 2 Hotty: "no chance you're comming home this weekend, is there?"
(4:10:25 PM) J is for Jakey: actually, I might.
(4:10:36 PM) Scotty 2 Hotty: it is easter.
(4:10:47 PM) Scotty 2 Hotty: If you're in town we shall have to hang.
(4:10:55 PM) J is for Jakey: I'll be home Sunday and I don't have class on Monday, so I may stay Sunday night
(4:11:04 PM) Scotty 2 Hotty: Sweet.
(4:11:09 PM) Scotty 2 Hotty: We should see Slither.
(4:11:12 PM) Scotty 2 Hotty: Or Scary Movie 4.
(4:11:17 PM) Scotty 2 Hotty: Both, excellent choices.
(4:11:19 PM) J is for Jakey: Jesus.
(4:11:30 PM) Scotty 2 Hotty: I've never seen a Scary Movie.
(4:11:38 PM) Scotty 2 Hotty: leastwise, one in that franchise.
(4:11:44 PM) Scotty 2 Hotty: But this one intrigues me.
(4:11:46 PM) J is for Jakey: well, now's not the time to start

Anonymous said...

Ok, so you've pretty much summed up how I feel about Garden State with this blog. Except it's not a 'spoof-tastic' (yes, real word) laundry list of horror movies, it's a serious attempt at laundry listing 'quirky-art-house' (barf, barf, barf, I should drink Drain-O just for writing that) films. So there. I wish I could say that's the last it will ever come up, but I doubt it. But I'll really try not to. Are you coming to the ... ahem ... dirty armando at the playground on Saturday night? Are you going home for Easter? I hope everything is going extremely well.

Irene

Anonymous said...

PS. Nice Martin Luther reference. I like that. Maybe scary movie 4 would be better if the just posted the script on everyone's door.

Irene

Timmy Tapeworm said...

OH GOD

OUR FRIENDSHIP HAS NEVER BEEN SO ENDANGERED


Seriously Scotty, that's pretty indicting. Thanks for the scoop, Jacob. Good to know you'll expose your friends for pretty much any reason at all.

Timmy Tapeworm said...

Oh boy. Well, I suppose introductions are in order.

Everyone, this is Irene, one of the lovely people whom I play with on The Senate. Other than her obvious hatred of Garden State, she's a super great lady. So be nice.

I don't really know what my plans for the weekend are, Irene. I'm not planning on going home, so my plate is pretty open. And with no rehearsal last night, I'm feeling dreadfully Senator-deficient. So we'll see.

C_thegreat said...

MARTIN LUTHER!
WOOOO HOOO!
WOOOO HOOOOOOOO!


that is all.

~c

Scott said...

Of course you realize, my new M.O. is to get drunk at the theater. I've no greater excuse.

However, I don't think I need to defend myself. I enjoy terrible movies as much as good ones at times. Worst case senario (and most unlikely): the movie is mildly funny and I've wasted $6.00. I'm still drunk. Best case senario: The movie is horrible, I proceed to rip on it in the theater, on the ride home, and then via the blogosphere.

Meanwhile, I'm going to start calling Jakey "Big Brother," as I had no idea I was being surveiled. And had I known, I would have been sure to mention my feelings on the film earlier in the chat, those describing the film as an 83 minute, poorly made insult to Tom Cruise. Selective editing Jakey?

And I'm a big fan of media darlings-cum*-punchingbags**. Who loves you now Tom? WHO! Besides your brainwashed wife, WHO?! Is it the theatens? Do they love you Tom? Because you lost me at "history of psychology."

- Scott

* Heh heh, Latin is dirty.
** I also like to rip on Coldplay for just this reason. Though I think it's mostly music people who do this. Still, way to grow as a band; you sound exactly the same. Worse than Nickelback.
*** Say what you want about me, but as sure as the turn of the worlds, you best not insult Slither. Pam Beesley and Malcom Reynolds? In a movie? Together? (Head ASPLODE!)

tara d. said...

tim, you crazy.
you crazy!
scary movie = PERFECTION!

america loves it, therefore it must be funny.

git 'er done,
td

Scott said...

Interestingly, this Scary Movie is directed by David Zucker, one of the very same "creators [who] fully understood the elements of the genre they were spoofing and played with them for comedic effect."

- Scott

Scott said...

(it was Airplane)

tara d. said...

yeah, but then he made "Stuck on You". be real.

signed,
Cypress Hill's B Real

Scott said...

Touche,

My point being, should we laud the man for his creative forces? Or should we praise the slightly higher opinion studios had of their audiences in that era? I've no doubt we could produce another movie like Airplane!, but would the spoon fed, half ADD, freshly weaned from Power Rangers crowd get it? I think not. Let's do another Scary Movie.

Timmy Tapeworm said...

INTERNET FIIIIIIIIIIIIGHT!!!!

Rob said...

I didn't really care for Garden State either...

Just thought now was a good time to throw that in there.

Anonymous said...

what a sad, sad, sad world we live in when people trash garden state and defend scary movie...people complain about the quality of movies these days and then create a huge box office weekend for siad crap movies...hypocritical nation, you torture me!!!

Scott said...

For the record, and it IS clearly stated IN the record my McCarthy-esque friend so thoughtfully posted, my first choice was Slither. As it should be for any browncoat.

Admittedly, not the most artful movie, but it's the good kind of camp, not the Scary Movie 4 kind. I scarcely defend it. Nor have I any illusions as to what kind of thing awaits me. It's just that I have no respect for money. I think that sums it up best.

- Scott

Anonymous said...

Hey now. Don't bring McCarthy into this. He was right, you know.


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Venona_project

Sorry, I don't know how to make a link on a comment post.



Keri

Rob said...

yeah, I never supported Scary Movie... I've only seen half of one of them, and when the "member" stabbed a guy in the head (I think that's what happened...) I left the room.

I have heard recommendations to see Slither (Lisa). Apparently not only is her husbands' cousin (Pam from the office) in it, but Pam's Husband wrote it. Its supposed to be sort of Peter Jackson Horror-ish.

Anonymous said...

hi my friend,

it was good to hear ur voice the other day..

happy be-lated easter...

i miss you..
and yes, this korean girl is BACK ONLINE!!!!


YAAAHHHHH... YOU totally missed faIIinStr... lolz


love you~
-hot sauce