BEVERLY HILLS, Calif., June 25, 2000 — So there are scary movies, and then there’s “Scary Movie.”
Sounds chilling, you might think. But a frightfest? Let’s just say your goosebumps will get a holiday. Consider the film’s original title: “Scream If You Know What I Did Last Halloween.” Get the picture?
With the onslaught of recent horror flicks that began with the “Scream” trilogy and spawned “I Know What You Did Last Summer,” “Urban Legend” and a host of others, the Wayans brothers (in this case, Shawn, Marlon and big bro Keenen Ivory) decided the genre was begging for a spoof.
With Keenen Ivory at the helm, the ideas that transpired became “Scary Movie” — which is, ironically, the original title of “Scream.”
Tell us if you’ve heard it before: A beautiful high school student named Drew Becker (Carmen Electra) is murdered by a mask-wearing killer with a knife. Her classmates, who include virginal heroine Cindy Campbell (newcomer Anna Faris), popular Buffy (Shannon Elizabeth) and Ray, the football star with feminine tendencies (Shawn Wayans), think it may have to do with the man they accidentally killed a long time ago.
Meanwhile, as the killer begins striking students one by one, local pothead Shorty (Marlon Wayans) advises how to escape a scary situation, and a local reporter named Gale Hailstorm (Cheri O’Teri) chases the story.
Meanwhile, the film also takes light stabs at “The Sixth Sense,” “The Usual Suspects,” “The Matrix,” “Dawson’s Creek” and yes, even those Budweiser “whasssuuup?” commercials. Dimension releases the film July 7.
Hollywood.com recently sat down with the cast of “Scary Movie” and chatted about the spoofs, pushing the limits of the words “sex comedy” and whether they all really got along. And did they? Decide for yourself.
Hollywood.com: How on earth did you guys decide to do this film?
Marlon Wayans: Watching “I Know What You Did Last Summer.” We knew what we was gonna do next summer, which was a parody of the movie.
Shawn Wayans: It slowly started to dawn on us; that piqued our interest. And then they did “Urban Legend” and then “Scream 2,” “I Know What You Did Last Summer” Part 2, and it all really started to happen.
Hollywood.com: So in “Scream” they say there are rules to surviving a horror movie. Are there cardinal rules to doing a spoof?
Marlon: You have to make sure you parody a genre, use pop culture and have funny characters. Those are the three most important dynamics in a parody.
Hollywood.com: Anna and Cheri, your characters are blatantly based on those from “Scream.” Does this mean you had to “research” those roles?
Anna Faris: We didn’t want to make fun of the way the actors acted, ’cause that wouldn’t have been very funny, but I think structurally they’re based …
Cheri O’Teri: There was a scene that was very specific that you saw in another movie that we had to take care of.
Faris (sarcastically): Thanks for taking over. Jump on in, Cheri.
O’Teri (just as sarcastically): Meanwhile, back at the ranch …
(Faris bursts into a fit of giggles)
O’Teri: I’ve been teasing her all day, it’s OK.
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Hollywood.com: I’m amused that they paired you two up for the interview, since you guys don’t really like each other in the film.
O’Teri: Well, we don’t really get along in real life.
Faris: It’s sort of a ploy by Miramax …
O’Teri: To get us to make up [snorts].
Hollywood.com: This movie certainly pushes the envelope in terms of “sex comedy.” Is there a line? How do you know when you’ve gone too far?
Marlon: When the audience vomits, you went too far.
Shawn: When they stop laughing, that’s the real test.
Marlon: The audience will dictate when you’ve gone too far. If nobody shows up at your theater, you went too far.
Hollywood.com: Speaking of going too far, I gotta ask you, Cheri, um, those nasal drippings … [In one scene, O’Teri runs into the woods and does a “Blair Witch” homage with a camera shoved up her nose — a very runny nose]
O’Teri: They were mine.
Hollywood.com: How did they do that? Can you do it on cue?
Faris: She can do it on cue. Show her.
Hollywood.com: Do they have to bottle it beforehand or what?
O’Teri: I really did not know how it was gonna turn out. … There was nothing really coming out, it was all computer. It was really funny because it was really ridiculously funny. And I loved that.
Faris: Didn’t you like that it started off a little at first?
Hollywood.com: Yeah, and then waterworks. I thought “Man, that girl is talented.”
O’Teri: I know, and then it was like the dam broke.
Hollywood.com: The Wayans family is such a dynasty. Are the dynamics of working together the same as when you were growing up?
Shawn: Yeah, but only we’re getting paid this time.
Hollywood.com: And Marlon, you’re the youngest?
Marlon: Yes, and the cutest, don’t forget! I’m the victim, that’s what being the youngest of 10 comedians is. … [There’s no] “You’re the baby, oh you’re so spoiled.”
Shawn: Oh man, nobody picks on you.
Hollywood.com: Are you guys ever gonna get to boss Keenen around?
Marlon: Hell no. Keenen mean. My mom bosses Keenen around.
Shawn: Have you seen how tall Keenen is? It’s never gonna happen.
Marlon: We’ll get him though.
Shawn: When he’s old, like 80.
Marlon: We’ll push him out of his chair.
Shawn: We’ll smush his diaper while he got stuff in it.
(Marlon begins braying like a donkey)
Marlon (still laughing): Why it gotta be while he’s got stuff in it?
