Film spoofs have been a Hollywood staple since the success of Zucker, Abrahams and Zucker’s 1980s airplane disaster spoof, Flying High. While many of these parodies poke fun at a genre of modern movies (like the successful Scary Movie franchise), the occasional flick attempts to mirror the story of a single film with only occasional nods to other movies of the same ilk.
Like all comedy, it can be both subjective and subject to a flurry of hits and misses and recent examples of both include 2008’s Meet the Spartans, taking off the gladiator adventure 300, and 2010’s Vampires Suck, which was a relatively successful take on the first film in the Twilight Saga.
Out now on DVD and Blu-ray, the latest entry into this daring genre is appearing on store shelves. A Haunted House is the story of Malcolm and Kisha, a young couple who decide to move in together only to find their dream home is haunted by a sexually perverse, pot-smoking ghost with a temper. If the vague outline sounds familiar, then you’ve seen Paranormal Activity on which this film is based.
Featuring the same hidden camera shots, long eerie periods of sleeping subjects, and many of the original film’s most famous moments, A Haunted House is either a comedy in need of more laughs, or a drama in need of more tension. It sits somewhere between the two, not knowing which path to follow.
Playing more like a poor remake than a spoof, the hard laughs are far and few between, although there are still plenty of chuckles to be had. Written by Rick Alvarez and star Marlon Wayans, director Michael Tiddes fails to balance their script’s attempts to be both a comedy and supernatural thriller. Many attempts at a laugh rely on out-dated potty humour, fart jokes and one too many campy gay references, with half the male bit players seeming to want to bed the lead character at every opportunity. Even the male ghost gets his way with the stud.
Wayans is in fine form however, with some genuinely funny moments including one drawn out scene where he practices sex on a teddy bear. Actor Essence Atkins is a sweet foil for his comedy as girlfriend Kisha, and she plays her possession scenes with spooky reality.
Fans of Paranormal Activity may find some enjoyment in this quirky nod to the film, but the juvenile humour isn’t frequent enough to keep the laughs rolling, even for those who are still living in the 20th century.
Reviewed by Rod Lewis
Rating out of 10: 6
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