Scary Movie 1 and 2

Scary Movie 5 and Scary Movie (2026)

This week on Friday Night Frightfest, we are wrapping up our epic franchise retrospective with a massive grand finale! While the internet love to debate the ups and downs of parody history, we’re throwing out the critical consensus and embracing the pure, unadulterated fun of the franchise’s later eras. We are looking at an entry that deserve a lot more love: the hyper-chaotic, early-2010s time capsule Scary Movie 5 (2013) and the triumphant, star-studded legacy revival that just crushed the summer box office, Scary Movie (2026). Grab your popcorn—we’re closing this series out with non-stop laughs! Scary Movie 5 (2013) Directed by Malcolm D. Lee, Scary Movie 5 gets a bad rap, but if you look past the critical hate, it is a goldmine of rapid-fire physical comedy and surreal, early-2010s pop culture. Anchored by Ashley Tisdale and Simon Rex, the film skewers hits like Paranormal Activity, Evil Dead, Sinister, and Rise of the Planet of the Apes. From Simon Rex’s incredible commitment to getting physically destroyed by the scenery to the utterly bizarre, self-aware opening cameo with Charlie Sheen and Lindsay Lohan, this entry runs at a breakneck pace. It’s an absurd, live-action cartoon that understands exactly what it is: pure, unpretentious fun. Scary Movie (2026) Pairing perfectly with the fifth entry is the brand-new 2026 revival, which brought the franchise roaring back into the cultural zeitgeist. Written by the legendary Wayans brothers (Keenen Ivory, Shawn, and Marlon) and bringing back the iconic duo of Anna Faris (Cindy) and Regina Hall (Brenda), this movie is an absolute love letter to the fans. The film brilliantly parodies the modern “elevated horror” and “requel” trends, taking hilarious, no-holds-barred aims at Scream (2022), M3GAN, Smile, and The Substance. It captures the exact same nostalgic magic as the original trilogy while proving that the spoof genre is far from dead. Join us as we celebrate the entire evolution of this comedy empire! We’ll break down why the physical gags in Scary Movie 5 (especially that possessed Roomba sequence) still crack us up, and how the 2026 reunion delivered the ultimate fan-service theater experience of the year. It turns out that when you stop taking things so seriously, both of these films are an absolute blast to watch back-to-back. Spoilers start around 7:15.

Scary Movie 3 and 4

This week on Friday Night Frightfest, we’re entering the “Zucker Era” of the parody world! After the Wayans brothers moved on, legendary comedy director David Zucker (Airplane!) took the reins, shifting the franchise from gross-out gags to rapid-fire, slapstick absurdity. We’re comparing the blockbuster pivot Scary Movie 3 (2003) with the sci-fi-fueled madness of Scary Movie 4 (2006). It’s time for crop circles, cursed tapes, and alien tripods! Scary Movie 3 (2003) Widely considered the peak of the sequels, Scary Movie 3 masterfully weaves together the plots of The Ring and Signs. Cindy Campbell (Anna Faris) returns, now a struggling news reporter investigating a cursed videotape that kills viewers in seven days, while simultaneously helping a widower farmer (Charlie Sheen) deal with mysterious crop circles. With iconic cameos from Pamela Anderson, Jenny McCarthy, and Queen Latifah (in a hilarious Matrix parody), this entry perfected the art of the visual “sight gag”—including that infamous, ever-growing Sheriff’s hat! Scary Movie 4 (2006) In the fourth installment, the franchise leans heavily into the big-budget “disaster horror” of the mid-2000s. The primary targets this time are War of the Worlds, The Grudge, and Saw. Cindy finds herself working as a home-care nurse in a haunted house (complete with a terrifyingly pale Japanese ghost boy) while her neighbor, Tom Ryan (a pitch-perfect Tom Cruise parody by Craig Bierko), tries to survive an alien invasion of giant “Tr-iPods.” From the Jigsaw traps that go hilariously wrong to the brutal The Village parody, this film proved that nothing was safe from a Zucker-style punchline. Join us as we discuss the shift in tone that defined these two entries. We’ll look at how the franchise successfully transitioned from R-rated raunch to PG-13 slapstick without losing its edge, and why the chemistry between Brenda (Regina Hall) and Cindy remains the best part of the entire series. Which “cursed” storyline made us laugh the hardest, and which celebrity cameo stole the show? Spoilers start around 9:55.

Scary Movie 1 and 2

This week on Friday Night Frightfest, we’re trading pure terror for some classic meta-commentary and a whole lot of “Wazzup!” In anticipation of the Scary Movie reboot coming out this year, we are going back to the duo that started the parody phenomenon. We’re comparing the original slasher-skewering Scary Movie (2000) with its supernatural-themed sequel Scary Movie 2 (2001). Grab your popcorn and watch out for the killer—if he isn’t too busy getting high! Scary Movie (2000) Directed by Keenen Ivory Wayans, the first Scary Movie took the late-90s horror resurgence and turned it on its head. Primarily lampooning the meta-horror of Scream and the “guilty secret” trope of I Know What You Did Last Summer, the film follows Cindy Campbell (Anna Faris) and her group of deeply dim-witted friends as they are stalked by a masked killer. From the opening Drew Barrymore parody with Carmen Electra to the “Shorty” (Marlon Wayans) stoner gags, it’s a relentless barrage of slapstick and gross-out humor that somehow manages to perfectly capture the aesthetic of the films it’s making fun of. Scary Movie 2 (2001) The sequel, released just a year later, pivots away from slashers and dives into the world of supernatural and haunted house horror. Taking its main plot from the 1999 remake of The Haunting, the film sees our survivors (joined by new faces like Tori Spelling) invited to “Hell House” by a perverted professor (Tim Curry) for a sleep study. The parodies here are legendary: the Exorcist opening with James Woods, the Poltergeist clown fight, and the infamous “Hanson” (Chris Elliott) and his “strong hand.” It’s a chaotic, live-action cartoon that pushed the franchise into even weirder, more supernatural territory. Join us as we break down why these films were such massive cultural touchpoints at the turn of the millennium. We’ll discuss which parodies hit the mark and which jokes… well, haven’t exactly aged like fine wine. Spoilers start around 5:40.

Monkey Shines and Primate

This week on Friday Night Frightfest, we’re going “ape” over a terrifyingly specific subgenre: super smart primate horror! We are looking at a classic piece of “scientific-experiment-gone-wrong” horror by comparing George A. Romero’s psychological thriller Monkey Shines (1988) with the highly anticipated, high-tech creature feature Primate (2026). Grab your bananas, but watch your back—these monkeys are smarter (and meaner) than you think! Monkey Shines (1988) Directed by the legendary George A. Romero, this film explores the terrifying bond between a man and his “helper.” After a tragic accident leaves athlete Allan Mann (Jason Beghe) paralyzed, he is given Ella, a highly intelligent capuchin monkey trained to assist him. However, Ella has been injected with experimental human brain tissue, creating a telepathic link between her and Allan. As Ella begins to act out Allan’s suppressed rage and darker impulses, the film spirals into a claustrophobic, psychological battle of wills. It’s a masterclass in building tension within a single location. Primate (2026) Directed by Johannes Roberts (47 Meters Down), this brand-new release takes the “killer monkey” trope and scales it up for a modern, terrifying cinematic experience. In Primate, a group of scientists at a remote research facility are hunted by a breakthrough species of genetically modified primates designed for “cognitive warfare.” Unlike the intimate scale of Monkey Shines, this 2026 thriller leans into high-octane survival horror, utilizing state-of-the-art practical effects and performance capture to create predators that are hauntingly human in their tactics. Join us as we dissect the evolution of simian scares! How has our fear of animal intelligence changed over the decades, and which of these primates is the true “King of the Jungle”? Spoilers start around 5:50.

Friday the 13th Part VII: The New Blood and Wes Craven's New Nightmare

This week on Friday Night Frightfest, we are hitting the “lucky number seven” of two of the greatest slasher sagas in history! We are comparing two of the most daring entries in their respective franchises: the telekinetic showdown Friday the 13th Part VII: The New Blood (1988) and the groundbreaking meta-masterpiece Wes Craven’s New Nightmare (1994). It’s a clash between a supernatural slasher and the movie that dared to break the fourth wall before “meta” was a household word. Friday the 13th Part VII: The New Blood (1988) Directed by John Carl Buechler, The New Blood is often cited by fans as the “Jason vs. Carrie” installment. This is the debut of Kane Hodder as Jason Voorhees, bringing a newfound physical intensity and rage to the role that defined the character for the next decade. The story follows Tina Shepard, a girl with telekinetic powers who accidentally resurrects Jason from the bottom of Crystal Lake while trying to bring back her deceased father. With a massive psychic showdown and some of the franchise’s most brutal practical kills—including the iconic sleeping bag moment—this entry turned Jason into a force of nature that literally required a supernatural match-up to stop. Wes Craven’s New Nightmare (1994) Directed by Wes Craven himself, New Nightmare took the franchise to an entirely new dimension. Abandoning the continuity of the previous films, this entry takes place in the “real world,” where actress Heather Langenkamp (playing herself) is stalked by a darker, more terrifying entity that has taken the form of Freddy Krueger. As Freddy begins to bleed into reality, terrorizing the cast and crew of the Nightmare films, the movie deconstructs the entire slasher genre. It’s a brilliant, psychological horror film that explores the burden of fame, the danger of archetypes, and what happens when the monster you created decides to come for its creator. Join us as we analyze how these seventh installments reinvented their monsters. We’ll discuss the visceral, heavy-metal spectacle of Kane Hodder’s first outing as Jason versus the high-concept, cerebral terror of Wes Craven’s meta-commentary. Spoilers start around 7:21.