This page was created on July 06, 2000
and was updated on May 29, 2005

This movie spoofs
Halloween (78)
Friday the 13th (80)
Friday the 13th Part 2 (81)
Friday the 13th Part 3: 3D (82)
A Nightmare on Elm Street (84)
The Usual Suspects (95)
Scream (96)
"Buffy the Vampire Slayer" (97)
I Know What You Did Last
Summer (97)
Scream 2 (97)
Halloween H20: Twenty Years Later (98)
I Still Know What You Did Last
Summer (98)
Urban Legend (98)
The Blair Witch Project (99)
The Sixth Sense (99)
The Matrix (99) )

'Scream' parody.
Throwing everything at the killer:
a vase,
her bike,
her grandmother
(who just happened to be there).

AMERICA IS CRAVEN FOR FEAR
Director Wes Craven says that it's simple psychology that compels us to expect the worst and particularly in the best of times. He should know, after all look how successful "Scream" and "Scream 2" were. And, "Scream 3" opened at the number one position and stayed there for several weeks. "I think American will always be afraid, in a sense, because of its great success." Craven further states, "I am not worried about running out of either relevant material or a receptive audience."

WE LIVE IN A CULTURE OF FEAR
Barry Glassner is professor of sociology at the University of Southern California and he has recently written a book, "The Culture Of Fear." He says, "We live in just about the safest times in human history and yet we're filled with a lot of overblown fears. We waste billions of dollars on fears that are blown way out of proportion."

In the wake of the Columbine High School shooting schools all over America have spent serious money on incredible security systems. Glassner says that a child is more likely to be hit by lightning on the playground than to be shot with a bullet at school. And now, metal detectors that greet students further spreads fear. Fear sells. Fear promotes itself.

Consider television and newspaper accounts of isolated murder. With crime so low such events receive enormous coverage, which keeps the fear of crime high.

CRIME DOWN, GOOD ECONOMIC TIMES, BUT FEAR UP!
The Wall Street Journal reports (Feb. 8, 2000) "Americans are living longer, making more money, and investing with imperial confidence in the ever-soaring stock market. ...Yet, despite all the good news, a collective calm has not blanketed the nation. Fear has been scattered, not erased, and for some, that makes the world more frightening than ever."

FEAR IS THE CONDITION OF THE PRIVILEGED
San Francisco psychotherapist Christopher McCullough, author of "Managing Your Anxiety," says, "Anxiety is a condition of the privileged. When we're not busy dealing with real threats, we turn inward. Anxiety has overcome depression as the most prevalent mental health problem.

UNREASONABLE FEAR IS NOT HEALTHY
Healthy concerns are good, but obsession with unreasonable fear robs us of money, time and even friends. Fear has become so great that some are developing allergic reactions to people. In fact, too many of us fear strangers, and we lock our selves away in the isolation of our homes. We became anti-social.

GOD GIVES PEACE, NOT FEAR
The Bible says that God has not given us a spirit of fear, but rather God wants to give us peace and a sound mind. But, I wonder it we really want to live in peace. I sometimes think we would rather live in our fears. 'Scary Movie' is a fun way to laugh at our own fears. It is also an indicator of our at-home-ness with fear.

I WOULD BE INTERESTED IN YOUR THOUGHTS.

Bulletin Board:

TOTAL JUNK
Date: Sat, 9 Sep 2000
From: Scott Wilson

I live in Denmark and decided to take some time out to go to a movie...a scary movie, and boy is Scary Movie, scary+ACEAIQ- Scary because that sort of total junk is not only filmed for release, but also conceived in the mind of somebody with clout to have it produced. There certainly is some spiritual connotations in Scary Movie, and that is, that there are some real spiritual problems out there in FilmLand+ACEAIQ- I use your site to get a quick preview of movies and while you have made a decision not to be a +ACI-parental guide+ACI- some mention of the content of a movie would help. Sexual innuendo, incredibly bad language, and fear are spiritually related and deserve attention. Europeans are often noted for their conservative, rationalistic, un-American thinking, thats probably why there were only 5 people in the movie, the word got out+ACEAIQ- Scott Wilson

Response: I do not do paretal guides. -David

SUDDENLY, THE WAYANS ARE NOT FUNNY
Subject: Worthless
Date: Thu, 13 Jul 2000
From: Mike Furches mike@furches.org homepage

I have to admit that I always thought the Wayans were funny. Especially in some of the spoofs on the old FOX television show, 'In Living Color'. They introduced great spoofs using Jim Carrey, The Wayan brothers and numerous others that have moved on to Hollywood Stardom and multi million dollar contracts. Personally, I never thought they were given enough credit for their writing ability. I still believe for example that "I'm Gonna Get You Sukka", is one of the funniest movies ever made. There is a story, spoofs, comedy, heroes, quality acting, and much more. With all of the promise provided by the Wayans over the years I had hoped that this would also be a film that would show even more development and growth as writers and film makers. Was I ever disappointed.

This is a film that made me, a 40 year old man embarrassed. Not only was it, not funny, in my opinion it was way over done with the teenaged, idiotic, pornographic humor that it seemed to bathe in. While there were some scenes that where comical, they are far to few, and far between. Personally I don't believe there is a market quite yet for just the teenaged boy's and if there is for this type of film God truly have mercy on America. I have to admit I enjoy good scary movies, not gore, scary.

For example 'The Sixth Sense' to me was a decent film that showed intelligence yet at the same time was a little frightening. The 'Jaws' films are another example of, to me, a good, smart, "scary" film. I have to admit as well that some of the earlier films spoofed in 'A Scary Movie' are enjoyable movies. Movies like 'Blair Witch', 'Scream', and a few others. Yet while making fun of film can be enjoyable, it has to be done with a sense of taste and this film has none of. I don't think that I have personally been as disappointed in a film as I was this in a long time.

Don't get me wrong, I didn't expect it to be like "Blazing Saddles" or for that matter even like, any of the current spoof movies. I just expected some of that old Wayan humor. Unfortunately I didn't get much of it. What I got was the disappointment of the summer, right up there with "Me Myself & Irene", this film is a total loser. On a scale of 1 - 10, -1
Mike Furches Tulsa, OK
mike@furches.org homepage -
http://homepages.infoseek.com/~furches/index.html

REVIEW TOLD NOTHING OF CONTENT
Subject: was that really a review?
Date: Wed, 12 Jul 2000
From: Sean

I do have to say that the review given did nothing for me to tell me what the content of the movie would be like. If I were a parent wanting a source to see if there is objectionable material in it, I wouldn't have found it at your site. Maybe that is not the intent of the site and if so, I apologize for the unfair critique.

Your evalation of the topic of fear was good and appropriate for the plethora of fear dominated movies that have enthralled our youth. My hope was that you would tell how repulsive the movie actually is. The constant sexual innuendos/jokes/scenes which included many in the gay context as well as the graphic showing of what appear to be male testicles as well as the penis twice (probably were fake, but was shocking nonetheless). The constant swearing, the drugs and alcohol use were prevalent as well. What made me even sicker than the movie, which did have some humorous parts, was the fact I saw children less than 12 years old leaving the theater unattended by an adult. The parent(s) had dropped them off...*sigh* it sometimes blows my mind how unloving parents are when caring for a child's soul/innocence/purity. I was about to recommend your site to my address book, but as I didn't see anything to turn a person away from Scary Movie and it's vile nastiness, I am afraid I won't recommend your site.
In Christ, Sean

My response: I made a decision when I started HJ to not be a parental guide to movie content. The site concerns itself with cultural and spiritual insights only. There are so many good parental guides out there I did not feel I needed to be another one. Instead HJ is Christ centered. It is unique. I do understand your concerns as a parent. HJ is not for you. Thank you for not recommending it for something that it is not. -David

NO GOOD FOR KIDS -PLUS IT IS NOT LIKE THE TRAILER!
Date: Tue, 11 Jul 2000
From: DANA ROBINSON

LIKE MANY OF YOU I LOVE A GOOD AND EVEN NOT SO GOOD SCARY MOVIE. I REALIZED THAT THIS WOULD BE NEITHER FROM THE PREVIEWS. THE PREVIEWS GRABBED THE AUDIENCE OF TEENAGERS TO PRETEEN. WHAT I DIDN'T REALIZE WAS HOW DIRTY THE MOVIE WOULD BE. I SAT IN THE THEATRE WITH AUDIENCES RANGING FROM ABOUT 8 YEARS AND UP. THE ONLY ONES WHO SEEMED TO ENJOY IT WERE THE OLDER TEENAGE BOYS. EVEN MY 16 YEAR OLD WAS DISGUSTED BY THE SEXUALLY EXPLICIT SCENES. IF THE MOVIES WAS TO BE THAT NASTY, THEY SHOULD HAVE SHOWN IN THE PREVIEWS THAT IT WAS A PARADY ON SEX NOT FEAR. - DANA ROBINSON

Response: It was rated R. Was the theater allowing underage kids in? Where were their parents? I am thankful that you care enough for your child to be there with your 16 year old. I would write the management of the theater if you believe the MPAA code was violated. It must be the money. Hollywood likes these kind of teen exploitation films because they are guaranteed an audience and hence, profit. Theaters do not enforce the rating code and even look the other way when kids movie hop -they can sell even more of those expensive snacks. It's the money -I am sure of it. -David