The night was eerily still, the full moon casting long shadows over the dense, twisted forest below. Fog crawled across the ground like some ethereal creature, slinking its way toward a looming silhouette in the distance, a massive castle perched precariously on a jagged cliff. Bats screeched as they swooped past the moon, their shadows flickering like shards of darkness across the ancient stone walls.
An older British man with a refined British wit begins to narrate:
Narrator: "Once again, we return to a world where vampires prey on the living. Not in Transylvania, no, because this is 2024, and even Dracula needs a break from Eastern Europe. Welcome to America, where the hot girls are hotter, and the plots are thinner than tissue paper."
A loud crack of thunder split the sky, the sound so dramatic it was almost cartoonish. The camera zoomed in on the castle as the title sequence began in earnest.
First, Transworld Entertainment's logo spun into view, a poorly-rendered 3D globe that wobbled dangerously as if the world was on the verge of falling off its axis. Lightning struck the globe, and it began to smoke, spinning erratically before abruptly vanishing into a puff of digital fog.
Then, Blacksite Productions' logo appeared: a dark, shadowy warehouse standing alone in the fog, its windows boarded up and a single, flickering streetlamp casting eerie shadows on the wet pavement. Bats swooped across the scene, their wings flapping mechanically. One bat collided with another mid-air, and both plummeted to the ground with a dull thud.
Narrator: "Oh yes, we're in for quite the treat, aren't we?"
The names of the actors faded in and out like ghostly apparitions. Each name lingered briefly before being swallowed by the creeping fog, but not before an absurd visual completely unrelated to the film appeared alongside it.
"Starring Brittany Winslow as Stacey"
A skeleton, grinning eerily, pedaled across the screen on a tiny unicycle, wobbling dangerously. The camera followed it as it made one full, awkward revolution before promptly falling apart, its bones scattering with the sound of crashing cymbals.
"Co-Starring Max Johnson as Brad"
A football soared majestically across the screen, spinning in slow motion. Just as it seemed about to reach its destination, a vampire bat screeched into frame, snatching the football in mid-air and flying off with it. The camera panned down as the football fell from the bat's grasp, bouncing comically off a gravestone before disappearing into the fog.
"Also Starring Kevin McCallister as Derek"
A pair of Dungeons & Dragons dice rolled toward the camera, clattering ominously across a wooden table. The camera zoomed in on the die, which landed on a "1." A cheesy ghost, complete with a white sheet and holes for eyes, popped up from behind the dice and let out a high-pitched "Boo!" before vanishing into a puff of smoke.
"Featuring Jane Black as Morgana"
A black candelabra slowly lit itself one candle at a time as eerie shadows danced on the wall. In the background, a shadowy figure waved its arms dramatically. Suddenly, a skeleton hand emerged from the darkness, lit the final candle, and gave the camera a slow, sarcastic thumbs-up.
"And Introducing Lisa White as Tammy"
A black cat darted across the screen, meowing as it ran, only to trip over its own paws and faceplant with an audible thud. In the background, a broomstick zoomed by, nearly knocking the poor cat aside as it flew off into the fog.
"With John Stevens as Officer Ted and Bill Wilson as Officer Bill"
A doughnut floated lazily across the screen like a UFO, spinning in slow motion as police sirens wailed in the distance. A skeleton dressed in a police uniform jumped up, grabbed the doughnut, and stuffed it into its bony face, crumbs scattering everywhere.
"Produced by Megan Roberts"
A decrepit, haunted house appeared, its windows flickering ominously. The camera zoomed in on one of the upstairs windows, where a neon sign suddenly lit up, flashing the words "Help Wanted" in bright pink letters. The sign flickered twice, then sputtered out.
"Directed by Sam Harker"
A giant spider slowly descended from the top of the screen, its many legs moving in time with the eerie background music. As the camera zoomed in, the spider put on a tiny top hat and did a little jig before scurrying away into the darkness.
"Music by Jonathan Hale"
A gothic cathedral organ player, dressed in tattered robes, slammed his hands onto the keys with exaggerated flair. The eerie music swelled… and then one wrong note caused the entire chandelier above him to crash to the floor with a thunderous boom. The organ player sighed, looked up at the destroyed chandelier, and resumed playing as if nothing had happened.
As the credits end, a creepy doll blinked its painted eyes slowly, tilting its head at an awkward angle before a hand reached in and wound it up like a toy. The doll's head spun around, creating an unexpected jump scare.
Finally, the title card appeared in the center of the screen with over-the-top fire and lightning effects, as though the film was trying desperately to take itself seriously.
"Scarier Movie"
Narrator: "Ah yes, the title. Because apparently, they couldn't think of anything clever."
With the final lightning strike, the screen abruptly cut to black, and the movie transitioned to the outside of a white house with a white picket fence in suburbia. A woman walks her dog along the sidewalk and the dog hears the cry of a cat in the distance. It barks loudly and then takes off so fast it drags its owner across the sidewalk. The camera zooms in on the second floor window of the house and a young woman in a bra walks across the window.
The camera fades in on Stacey, the quintessential blonde cheerleader, standing in front of her full-length bedroom mirror. Sunlight streams through the window, casting a golden glow on her perfectly styled hair, which is tied up in a high ponytail that bounces with every move. She's wearing her cheerleading uniform, bright, tight, and, of course, revealing.
Stacey stretches forward, hands reaching for her toes as her blonde hair cascades over her shoulders. The camera lingers on her curves, zooming in far closer than necessary. She flips her hair back and gives her reflection a flirtatious smile, completely oblivious to the absurdity of her situation.
Narrator (dryly): "Ah yes, Stacey. Not the brightest bulb, but certainly the one that gets the most attention."
The camera zooms in further, focusing on her cleavage. As Stacey adjusts her bra strap, she suddenly notices the camera angle and whips around, glaring directly into the lens.
Stacey: "Seriously?! Can I get some privacy here?!"
She grabs a water bottle from her dresser and swats at the camera, causing it to shake violently before finally pulling back. As the camera retreats, it catches glimpses of Stacey's bedroom? a shrine to high school cheerleading. Trophies of various sizes line the shelves, all engraved with titles like "Most Spirited" and "Cheerleader of the Year."
Framed photos cover the walls, mostly featuring Stacey and her fellow cheerleaders in mid-cheer. One particularly eye-catching photo is a clear reference to Mean Girls: Stacey and two other cheerleaders, all in pink, are posing dramatically in front of the school gym, a caption beneath them reading "You can't sit with us!"
Narrator (exasperated): "Stacey is living proof that life is more than skin-deep. For her, it doesn't go much deeper than that."
The camera shifts as Stacey picks up her phone from the bedside table, lazily scrolling through a dating app. She stops on a profile labeled "Brad", her eyes lighting up with shallow excitement. The camera zooms in on Brad's profile, revealing absurd descriptions like "Football God," "Loves Puppies and Protein Shakes," and "Will Lift You Over His Head, Literally."
Stacey (dreamily): "O-M-G, he's sooo cute."
In the background, a framed poster promoting Stacey's next cheerleading competition is visible. The over-the-top slogan reads: "Pom-poms or Bust! Ultimate Cheer-Off!" Below it, in smaller font, is the hilariously ominous tagline: "Make Them Cheer, or Die Trying!"
Stacey continues stretching, arching her back in a way that emphasizes her flexibility. She takes one last admiring glance at her reflection, flipping her hair confidently before heading for the door, her pom-poms jingling as they bounce off her bed.
Narrator (with a heavy sigh): "This… is our protagonist."
The scene cuts to Brad, standing tall and proud in the middle of the football field. His muscular frame gleams in the sunlight, his practice jersey stretched tight over his sculpted chest. Brad tosses a football into the air with a grin that suggests he's fully aware of how good he looks, at least, in his own mind.
A group of cheerleaders watches from the bleachers, giggling and swooning over every move he makes. Brad throws a football toward the practice net, clearly aiming to show off for the girls.
Narrator (with mild exasperation): "Brad. The kind of guy who puts 'bench press' on his resume… and probably thinks it's spelled with a 'Q.'"
The camera follows the football as it soars through the air, missing the target by a mile. Instead, it hits a cardboard cutout of a referee in the distance, a subtle nod to Varsity Blues. Brad, ever the confident jock, doesn't even notice the miss. He flexes his biceps and flashes a winning smile at the cheerleaders, who continue to cheer for him despite the failure.
Brad (grinning confidently): "I totally nailed that."
As he turns to grab another football, a sign next to the scoreboard catches the camera's eye: "Injury-Free for 1 Day!" Just as the number ticks from "1" to "0," Brad trips over his cleats and faceplants into the turf, the ball rolling out of his hands.
The camera zooms in on the cheerleaders as they react in shock. One of them quickly flips her cheerleading sign from "Go Brad!" to "Maybe Not."
Narrator: "Brad's got all the charm of a potato… and twice the IQ."
As Brad gets back to his feet, dusting himself off, the camera cuts to the bleachers where his Dad sits, an older, muscle-bound man wearing an oversized football jersey and yelling into a megaphone.
Dad: "You call that a pass, boy?! You don't score the winning touchdown, I'll make you walk home!"
Brad (wincing): "C'mon, Dad…"
The camera pans across the field to reveal an absurd school poster behind the end zone, featuring their mascot: a snarling werewolf wearing a football uniform, its claws raised menacingly. The tagline reads: "We Play Like Animals, Literally." A subtle nod to Teen Wolf.
Brad grabs another football and prepares to throw it, but his sweaty hands slip, and the ball sails wildly across the field again. The camera follows the ball as it crashes through a nearby window. Brad, oblivious to his terrible aim, gives another overconfident grin.
Narrator (deadpan): "Yes, Brad. You will surely be a legend."
The scene ends with Brad flexing for the camera once more, still completely unaware that he hasn't hit a single target.