Scary Movie (18) 88 mins w t v.2 7:,

Right, so let's get this straight: this is a spoof on a trilogy of movres which in turn spoofed the genre they were originally born out of. Got that? Never mind, it Will all become clear eventuaHy

Followrng in the spirit of the Damon Wayans’ earlier film, I’m Gonna Git You, Sucka, which was a playful pastiche of the blaprOitation genre, Scary Movie pokes fun at the whole teen slasher mowe phenomenon. The plot follows almost exactly that of the first Scream movre (originally to be titled, yup, Scary Movie). A masked murderer stalks and murders highschool kids in a self-consciously ironic manner, But this time the yoke is

Entertaining spoof of a spoof of horror

movies pushed that little bit too far as horror and gore is swrtched for toilet humour Damon's elder brother Keenen directs while 'lil bros Marlon and Shawn lead an ensemble cast that includes Carmen ’Baywatch' Electra and Shannon ’American Pie’ Elizabeth. This is, essentially, an amalgam of every teen sex/horror movre ever made, owmg a huge debt to the likes of Animal House, Porky’s and Airplane It parodies The Uscia/ Suspects, The Matrix, The Blair Witch Project, The Exorcist and anything else that gets in the way The surprising thing is it actually works, the gags come thick and fast. This is definitely a case of leave yOur brain at home and go enjoy some Big Stoopid Fun (Mark Robertsom 2?; General release from Fri 8 Sep

The Closer You Get (12) 92 mins Who'd have thought that Waking Ned, a film about a bunch of old c‘odgers \‘Jlllllllig the Lottery, would have been such a huge hit7 Who'd have thought that The Fu// Monty, a film about a bunch of stripping steelworkers from Sheffield, would have been such a huge hit7 And who'd have thought that, if the producer of the latter raided the Orrish cliches of the former, the result would be such a dud7

The Closer You Get is set in the sort of small lrrsh Village where loveabie wasters and long-suffering women are as obligatory as a pint of Gumness Disappointed that the local ladies aren't up for romance, the men decide to place an advert in an American newspaper, hoping that sexy Stateside

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’19." Cinemas. ' September 15

new releases FILM

talent wrll flock to the Emerald Isle. Their female neighbours aren't Impressed

In her short films, Scottish director Aileen Ritchie showed sympathy and affection for her characters, but here she’s badly served by a script that resembles a Bally/cissange/ TQJECI. Like most British films released this year, The Closer You Get tries so hard to fit the pattern of other proven hits that it fails to be true to itself, Its take on rural life - played for laughs to an urban audience is shallow and condescending, although Ritchie does manage to weave some sense of community from indIVidual stories of rocky H-‘lciIIOliSlllpS. Ultimately, however, The C/oser You Get is better kept at arm’s length iAlan Morrison)

Se/ec ted release from Fri 8 Sep.

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