Charlie Sheen, Lindsay Lohan, Terry Crews, Mac Miller, Snoop Dogg, Mike Tyson, Usher - the characters align in minor somewhat relevant-to-their-real-life-counterpart roles, and try to make things funny. Sometimes it works. Sometimes it's just... too expected? Too much? The scenes in the cottage in the woods (revisited) were surprisingly grotesque, but apart from that very-well-done but slightly disturbing scene, it keeps going with the same old same old. An entertaining same old, mostly, but a same old nevertheless.

I'm not sure I like the stop-motion type filming for some scenes either. It's an interesting touch, but in my mind it feels like a big cheat to cheapen stunts and special effects. They might be able to do things they couldn't do without, but it doesn't look real, and thus it doesn't look very good. It breaks the illusion somewhat, considering certain other scenes do look good: not always real, but convincing enough.

The story's a mesh of all types of movies - not just scary ones, and I think you get more out of it if you recognize them all. Most notable references are probably Paranormal Activity and Cabin in the Woods/Evil Dead, and the main story is that of Dan Sanders (played by Simon Rex) and Jody Sanders (Ashley Tisdale) moving into a house to live together with their newly found kids who just spent a few years out in the woods getting raised by what they first think is an imaginary character they call 'Mama'. Course, she's not really that imaginary at all. She looks a lot like that one girl from The Ring too, but that seems like a common look in scary movies...

In my book, nothing will ever really compare to the third segment in this series, and I miss Anna Faris - who's had such prominent parts in pretty much all Scary Movies prior to this, though Ashley Tisdale was a great replacement. They all kept the entertainment levels steady throughout, though rarely in such levels where you really laugh out loud.

I barely remember the older Scary Movies, but I'll be re-viewing those soon. This was a pretty good watch.

 rated 3/5: not bad

July, 2023

They missed some key characters with this cover too...

It's the final one! The one that starts with Lindsay Lohan (during her media scandal phase - she really made the most of it) and Charlie Sheen in a steamy bed scene. Must've had a stunt double for that. And was that Paris Hilton?! Bit abrupt end there...

Also Morgan Freeman narration now? No? Josh Robert Thompson apparently. He sounds so similar!

There's also Snoop Dogg, Mac Miller (who can't act but it's still great to see him), Usher, Mike Tyson in a new role, a Matt Damon reference, Terry Crews... gotta love all the cameos.

Simon's back too, accompanied by a new girl. I like her. She's not as clueless as Cindy (Anna Faris) used to seem, but it's not a bad change. Feels like an upgrade. Feels like a new direction. I'm glad they took on some creative freedoms and switched things up, even if it looks like the series ended with this one...

As far as references I recognize here it seems to be Paranormal Activity, Planet of The Apes and Black Swan mostly, with a little Inception, Fifty Shades of Grey, possibly a little Evil Dead, The Cabin in The Woods... others?

There's some after-credit fun and a good twist to the classic driven-over-by-car scene too.

I liked this! Not quite like the previous but... not bad.

 rated 4/5: fo shizzle