The modern day Spoof has devolved into the laziest form of filmmaking and I blame the Wayans Brothers. This subset of films used to spawn classics with the early works of Mel Brooks (“Young Frankenstein,” “Blazing Saddles”), “Airplane” and, more currently, “Wet Hot American Summer”. These movies focused on a particular genre and picked apart the formula, making fun of the flaws and conventions while still telling its own story. When done right, these movies are timeless and still carry comedic weight.
But ever since “Don’t Be a Menance to South Central While Drinking Your Juice in the Hood” back in 1996 a couple of things have happened:
1. Spoof titles have become a tad too long.
2. It has somehow become acceptable to make parodies that feature nothing but references to other movies and current pop culture. Take a character from “Twilight” and have him try to bang someone from “The Avengers” for 90 minutes and your good. Lazy.
Not just characters but entire scenes and plot points are pulled from other films that have been in the theaters in the last 12 months. And they don’t even have to be good movies, they just have to be released theatrically. Let’s not call them Spoofs anymore because they aren’t Spoofs. They are Remixes. Nothing is original and the references are so current that the movie becomes a fleeting little thing that is impossible to watch a couple years down the road because you can’t remember what they are trying to make fun of anymore.
Some of the Remixes that I refer to are the Scary Movie series (which was started by, again, The Wayans Brothers), the horrifying work of Jason Friedberg and Aaron Seltzer (“Epic Movie,” “Meet the Spartans”. These guys really took the baton and RAN WITH IT) and Writer/Director (and I use the term LOOOOOOOSLY) Craig Moss.
Mr. Moss has given us “The 41-Year-Old Virgin Who Knocked Up Sarah Marshall and Felt Superbad About It,” “Breaking Wind” (instead of “Breaking Dawn”. Get it? It’s a fart joke) and now “30 Nights of Paranormal Activity with the Devil Inside the Girl with the Dragon Tattoo”. Which is currently available on Blu-ray/DVD. You are welcome.
This Remix focuses primarily on “Paranormal Activity” making it 1 of 3 spins on the successful horror flick that will be released this year followed by “Scary Movie 5” and “A Haunted House” (another Wayans Brothers movie. I’m telling you, it’s all their fault). There really is no plot to speak of so a synopsis is impossible. I’ll just list some of the characters Mr. Moss stole. “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo” tries to sleep with Lincoln (The Vampire Hunter one) while the girl from “Resident Evil” makes out with the girl from “Underworld”. A ghost smokes pot and masturbates while a couple of screaming “Ghost Hunters” film each other’s man parts. Do you see a recurring theme? Not only is this nothing but an endless parade of things found in other things but all Mr. Moss does with these pieces and parts is centered around the groinal area. And no, Groinal is not a word.
I did not laugh once during the 75 minutes that “30NoPAw/DIGw/DT” graced my television and I was truly amazed by the lack of any interesting thought presented. It is January 11th that I am writing this and I think I already found my Worst Film of the Year.