July 7: Scary Movie (2000)

Milestone Years

• 25th Anniversary: July 7, 2025
• 30th Anniversary: July 7, 2030
• 50th Anniversary: July 7, 2050

Inspiration Behind the Movie

Shawn Wayans conceived Scary Movie to spoof the late‑’90s flood of slasher films like Scream and I Know What You Did Last Summer. Parodying genre clichés, the Wayans brothers pitched it even before the script was finished.

You Might Not Know

• It cost $19 million and grossed $278 million worldwide, becoming the franchise’s top earner :contentReference[oaicite:2]{index=2}.
• The Ghostface mask was rented from the original Scream production.
• Anna Faris’s role as Cindy was her first Hollywood audition—she beat out hundreds.
• The title was originally a working title for Scream before becoming its own film.
• Script credits included Jason Friedberg and Aaron Seltzer due to WGA arbitration over a rival spoof script.

Food Ideas

• “Ghostface” ghost-shaped cheese-and-cracker bites
• Red “blood” fruit punch with floating gummy fingers
• “Doofy” deviled eggs with a quirky twist—add sriracha eyes
• Scream‑inspired popcorn mix with fiery jalapeño cheddar
• Mini “killer” burgers with a side of spicy “boo‑BQ” sauce

Ways to Celebrate

• Host a parody marathon—start with Scream then roll into Scary Movie.
• Dress up as any character and hold a “most ridiculous costume” contest.
• Add fart‑sound effects to dramatic trailer scenes for extra silliness.
• Create bingo cards of classic genre tropes (e.g., masked killer, fake death).
• Re‑enact the glory‑hole scene—swap with rubber chicken for laughs.

Filming Locations

Filmed between August and October 1999, main scenes shot on soundstages and local sets in Los Angeles. Many recreations of famous horror locales were built—though not real haunted sites, fans can visit the studios where the spoof magic happened.