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[tab title="Movie Review"]
Having just finished racking the old brainpan while compiling an annual list of the worst films of 2012, it quickly became a personal mission to swear off procrastination this year and get an early start on 2013’s list. Fortunately, Marlon Wayans gets my new year’s resolution off to a successful start by adding his A Haunted House to this year’s running list of worst films. So far, it’s the only one on that list, and will certainly be hard to forget come year’s end.
For those who don’t know (why would you?) A Haunted House is another one of those films that skewers horror movies in the vein of the Scary Movie franchise. In fact, Marlon Wayans was at the genesis of the idea with his involvement in 2000’s Scary Movie and 2001’s Scary Movie 2 before turning over that lucrative franchise to the Zuckers. But here he teams up with co-writer Rick Alvarez to send up the found-footage genre of films, specifically Paranormal Activity.
At the risk of being labeled as one who just simply doesn’t get it, I’ll go on the record as saying I’ve never found any of these films to contain even an ounce of intelligently funny material. And that goes for A Haunted House. I do get it. It’s a spoof. But is there any harm to come from spoofing without an onslaught of juvenile fart jokes, defecation sight gags, frying pans to the head, or other race, genital, or gender quips - especially when such antics have no real context to anything else in the film? What would it hurt to actually set up a scenario that finds humor in an originally imaginative way?
In all fairness, there is one bit of inspired humor in A Haunted House where Malcolm (Marlon Wayans), after buying a nice house in the suburbs and eagerly having his girlfriend Kisha (Essence Atkins) move in, is frightened by his first-hand viewing of a ghostly appearance, puts the house up for sale, packs a U-Haul and high tails it away from there - even leaving his girlfriend behind. Imagine the true horror when he returns after suddenly realizing that selling the house in this suppressed market is an impossibly frightening task.
Not realizing the single bit of comedic gold they managed to uncover, Wayans and gang continues on with its relentless barrage of juvenile humor from a cast of stereotypical characters, including Nick Swardson as a gay psychic who always ends up provocatively clinging to Malcolm every time the lights come back on, the white racist home security expert (David Koechner) who oddly begs Malcolm for permission to use the “N” word, and Rosa (Marlene Forte) the Hispanic housekeeper who can secretly speak English. The proceedings get a bit of a lively jolt when Cedric The Entertainer enters the fray as the profane priest brought in to exorcise the demons.
It might have been nice had A Haunted House’s script actually attempted to make some genuine headway in its mocking of the found-footage genre, especially given Hollywood’s extreme fascination with the overused technique. But instead, Wayans and company seem perfectly satisfied pandering to a brand of humor only a PG-13 crowd could appreciate. Too bad it’s rated R.[/tab]
[tab title="Film Details"]
MPAA Rating: R for crude and sexual content, language and some drug use.
Runtime: 86 mins.
Director: Michael Tiddes
Writer: Marlon Wayans; Rick Alvarez
Cast: Marlon Wayans; Marlene Forte; Essense Atkins; David Koechner; Nick Swardson
Genre: Comedy
Tagline: A Haunted House
Memorable Movie Quote: "Bitch, there is a ghost in the house! Deuces!"
Distributor: Open Road Films
Official Site: ahauntedhousemovie.com
Release Date: January 11, 2013
DVD/Blu-ray Release Date: No details available
Synopsis: Malcolm and Kisha move into their dream home, but soon learn a demon also resides there. When Kisha becomes possessed, Malcolm - determined to keep his sex life on track - turns to a priest, a psychic, and a team of ghost-busters for help.[/tab]
[tab title="Blu-ray Review"]
No details available.[/tab]
[tab title="Trailer"]
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