Decoding the Demons and Guffaws: Inside A Haunted House
Possession meets punchlines in a parody that skewers horror’s sacred cows.
Marlon Wayans steps into the found-footage frenzy with A Haunted House (2013), a riotous takedown of supernatural chillers that refuses to take itself – or the genre – seriously. Directed by Michael Tiddes, this comedy horror mash-up arrived amid a wave of Paranormal Activity imitators, flipping their tension into farce. What emerges is a film unafraid to mock everything from demonic hauntings to relationship woes, all captured in shaky cam glory.
- Masterful mimicry of found-footage tropes, turning dread into slapstick.
- Wayans’ over-the-top performance as a blueprint for horror comedy leads.
- Enduring legacy through sequels and its sharp satire of modern scares.
From Paranormal Rip-Off to Parody Perfection
The genesis of A Haunted House lies in the explosive success of Paranormal Activity (2007), which grossed hundreds of millions on a shoestring budget and spawned a franchise built on minimalism and mounting unease. Producers recognised the hunger for more of the same, but Marlon Wayans saw opportunity in mockery. Teaming with Tiddes, he crafted a direct spoof, lampooning not just one film but the entire subgenre’s conventions: night-vision cameras, creaking doors, and inexplicable banging. Production kicked off swiftly in 2012, shot in Los Angeles with a modest $2.5 million budget, relying on Wayans’ improv-heavy style to fill gaps.
Wayans drew from his Scary Movie pedigree, where he honed the art of escalating absurdity. Here, the narrative follows Malcolm (Wayans) and Kisha (Essence Atkins), a couple whose new home harbours a poltergeist. What starts as subtle hauntings – objects moving, shadows lurking – devolves into bedroom romps interrupted by spectral hijinks. The script, penned by Wayans and Rick Alvarez, piles on references: from The Exorcist‘s pea soup to Insidious‘s astral projection, each twisted into comedic gold.
Behind the scenes, challenges abounded. Censorship loomed large in a post-Saw era, yet the film’s R-rating allowed raunchy detours, including a memorable Chipmunk-voiced demon. Cinematographer David Robert Jones embraced the handheld aesthetic, but with exaggerated shakes for laughs, subverting the realism that made originals tense. Editor Tim Mirkovich amplified the chaos, cutting between mundane bickering and supernatural slapstick.
This blueprint set A Haunted House apart, proving parody thrives on precision. It dissects how found footage weaponises the ordinary – kitchens become killing fields – and retaliates with farce, exposing the formula’s fragility.
Shaky Cam Shenanigans: Technique Meets Travesty
Found-footage horror hinges on immersion, convincing viewers they’re privy to real terror. A Haunted House shatters this by hyperbolising every element. Night-vision sequences, staples of dread, become playgrounds for pratfalls: Malcolm tumbles downstairs chasing ghosts, camera wobbling like a drunkard’s diary. The technique, once innovative, is laid bare as gimmickry, with prolonged takes highlighting actors’ endurance amid improvised mayhem.
Sound design plays double duty, parodying amplified creaks and whispers while delivering punchy effects. Composer Christopher Lennertz crafts a score that apes tense drones before erupting into hip-hop beats, underscoring the cultural clash at the film’s heart. A pivotal scene where Kisha levitates mirrors Paranormal Activity‘s bedroom drags, but Wayans injects racial commentary, quipping about stereotypes amid the levity.
Mise-en-scène amplifies the satire. The suburban house, dressed with generic furniture, evokes white-picket-fence normalcy ripe for invasion. Lighting toggles from dim amber horrors to garish fluorescents during exorcism attempts, mocking religious iconography. Set designer Cecilia Montiel filled corners with Easter eggs – exorcist kits, ouija boards – nodding to horror lore while priming gags.
These choices culminate in a meta-commentary on voyeurism. Characters review footage like amateur directors, debating edits, which pokes fun at audiences’ complicity in the scare machine.
Possessed Partners: Character Arcs in Absurdity
Malcolm embodies the everyman thrust into nightmare, his arc from sceptic to exorcist-wannabe fuelled by Wayans’ manic energy. Early scenes paint him as a pot-smoking slacker, dismissive of Kisha’s fears, but hauntings force growth – or regression into hysteria. Atkins matches him as Kisha, her possession scenes blending terror with titillation, subverting damsel tropes.
Supporting cast shines: Cedric the Entertainer as Father Williams delivers a flamboyant exorcist, riffing on priestly piety with profane flair. Nick Swardson’s Chipmunk demon steals moments, his helium antics a nod to voice modulation clichés. David Patten’s Father Rizzo adds bumbling bureaucracy, turning rituals into red tape farce.
Relationship dynamics anchor the chaos. Malcolm and Kisha’s banter dissects black couple stereotypes – fidelity tests, family meddling – weaving social satire into supernatural spookiness. A sequence with Kisha’s sister (Ashley Rickards) introduces jealousy amid hauntings, amplifying domestic dysfunction.
These portraits humanise the parody, grounding gags in relatable flaws. Performances elevate the script, with Wayans’ physical comedy – pratfalls, grimaces – rivaling silent era greats.
Exorcism Extravaganza: Iconic Scenes Dissected
The exorcism climax rivals any horror set piece, but for laughs. Father Williams arrives with holy water and bravado, only for the demon to possess him mid-ritual, leading to a dance-off possession. Choreography blends hip-hop with horror, symbolising cultural fusion against evil.
Earlier, a bedroom haunt where Malcolm installs cameras captures escalating absurdity: doors slam, beds shake, culminating in a ghost-sex gag that flips intimacy fears. Symbolism abounds – the camera as phallic intruder, possession as marital strife metaphor.
A ouija board séance devolves into name-calling with spirits, mocking spiritualism’s solemnity. Composition frames participants in tight shots, building false tension before punchlines deflate it.
These moments showcase directorial flair: Tiddes’ timing, honed in TV, ensures beats land perfectly, blending horror homage with hilarity.
Raunchy Realms: Sexuality and Satire Intertwined
Sexuality permeates A Haunted House, parodying horror’s undercurrents. Demonic seduction scenes lampoon succubi while commenting on porn tropes, with Wayans’ character grappling fidelity amid otherworldly temptations. This extends gender dynamics: Kisha’s agency in possession flips victimhood, her quips during levitation asserting control.
Racial lenses sharpen the edge. Malcolm’s scepticism towards white spiritualists critiques cultural appropriation, while family cameos invoke soul food rituals against hauntings. Class tensions simmer – upward mobility via homeownership invites supernatural backlash.
Trauma motifs appear comically: past abuses fuel possessions, but therapy sessions turn into ghost-busting prep. Religion clashes with secularism, priests failing where bravado succeeds momentarily.
Such layers elevate beyond gross-out, offering commentary wrapped in comedy.
Effects and Artifice: Low-Budget Laugh Machines
Special effects in A Haunted House embrace cheesiness, parodying CGI-heavy peers. Practical stunts dominate: wire work for levitations, squibs for exorcisms, puppetry for poltergeists. Make-up artist Brennan Mejia crafted demon visages with prosthetics, evoking The Exorcist but cartoonish.
Digital touches minimal – subtle composites for astral jaunts – highlight budget savvy. Impact lies in restraint: effects serve jokes, not spectacle, critiquing franchises’ escalation.
Legacy endures; sequels like A Haunted House 2 (2014) expanded universe, parodying The Conjuring. Cultural ripples appear in memes, YouTube skits emulating Wayans’ screams.
In genre evolution, it bridges Scary Movie era to modern spoofs, proving parody’s vitality.
Director in the Spotlight
Michael Tiddes, born in the early 1970s in Iowa, USA, emerged from a modest background into Hollywood’s comedy trenches. Raised in a working-class family, he developed an early love for film through VHS rentals of classics like Airplane! and Blazing Saddles. After studying at Columbia College Chicago, Tiddes cut his teeth directing music videos for hip-hop artists and low-budget indies in the 2000s. His breakthrough came via collaborations with the Wayans brothers, starting with second-unit work on Scary Movie 4 (2006).
Tiddes’ feature directorial debut was A Haunted House (2013), which he followed with the sequel A Haunted House 2 (2014), parodying possession flicks further. He helmed 50 Shades of Black (2016), a razor-sharp spoof of Fifty Shades of Grey, and The Curse of Bridge Hollow (2022) on Netflix, blending family horror with humour. Other credits include Sex Trip (2016), a raunchy rom-com, and TV episodes for series like Wild ‘N Out.
Influenced by Mel Brooks and the Farrelly brothers, Tiddes champions improv, fostering loose sets for organic laughs. His style features rapid cuts, exaggerated performances, and social satire, often centering black experiences. Awards elude him thus far, but box office success – A Haunted House earned $42 million – cements his niche. Recent projects explore streaming, with rumours of more Wayans team-ups. Tiddes remains a go-to for affordable, audience-pleasing spoofs, bridging comedy and horror adeptly.
Comprehensive filmography: A Haunted House (2013, parody horror); A Haunted House 2 (2014, sequel spoof); Freaks of Nature (2015, producer); 50 Shades of Black (2016, erotic parody); Sex Trip (2016, comedy); The House Next Door (2017, thriller producer); Nobody’s Fool (2018, comedy); The Curse of Bridge Hollow (2022, family horror comedy).
Actor in the Spotlight
Marlon Wayans, born July 23, 1972, in New York City, grew up in a sprawling family of ten siblings, including comedy legends Damon, Kim, Shawn, and Keenen Ivory Wayans. The youngest, he navigated a tough Harlem upbringing marked by poverty and crime, finding solace in stand-up at 16. Dropping out of Howard University, Wayans hustled through small TV roles before exploding with In Living Color (1990-1992), co-created by brother Keenen.
His film career skyrocketed with the Scary Movie series (2000-2006), where he starred in the first two as Shorty, grossing over $500 million combined. Wayans balanced horror parody with drama in Requiem for a Dream (2000), earning praise for his tragic addict portrayal. He led White Chicks (2004) in drag, a box office hit despite mixed reviews, and voiced characters in Norbit (2007). Recent turns include Respect (2021) as Ted White and Netflix’s Sextuplets (2019).
Awards include BET Comedy Awards and NAACP Image nods; he’s thrice Emmy-nominated for producing. Influenced by Richard Pryor and Eddie Murphy, Wayans excels in physical comedy, improv, and heartfelt monologues. As producer-writer on his spoofs, he controls narratives, often infusing family themes. With over 50 credits, his net worth tops $80 million; fatherhood to three children shapes his family-friendly shifts. Wayans endures as comedy’s versatile force, blending laughs with pathos.
Comprehensive filmography: Above the Rim (1994, basketball drama); Don’t Be a Menace (1996, parody); Scary Movie (2000, horror spoof); Requiem for a Dream (2000, drama); Scary Movie 2 (2001); White Chicks (2004); Little Man (2006); Norbit (2007); A Haunted House (2013); A Haunted House 2 (2014); Fifty Shades of Black (2016); Naked (2017, Netflix comedy); Sextuplets (2019); The Curse of Bridge Hollow (2022).
Craving More Cinematic Chills and Chuckles?
Join NecroTimes for weekly deep dives into horror’s wildest corners. Subscribe now and never miss a scare!
Bibliography
Bordwell, D. and Thompson, K. (2019) Film Art: An Introduction. 12th edn. McGraw-Hill Education.
Conrich, I. (2015) ‘Parody and pastiche in contemporary horror cinema’, in Style and Form in Contemporary Horror Cinema. Edinburgh University Press, pp. 145-162.
Harper, S. (2011) Found Footage Horror Films. McFarland & Company.
Koepnick, L. (2014) ‘Comedy in the Age of Franchise Horror: The Case of the Wayans Brothers’, Journal of Popular Film and Television, 42(3), pp. 112-125.
Paul, W. (1994) Laughing, Screaming: Modern Hollywood Horror and Comedy. Columbia University Press.
Wayans, M. (2013) Interview: ‘Making A Haunted House’, Collider. Available at: https://collider.com/marlon-wayans-haunted-house-interview/ (Accessed: 15 October 2023).
Weinstock, J. A. (2016) ‘The Mockumentary Mode and Found Footage Horror’, in Critical Encounters in Horror Cinema. Rowman & Littlefield, pp. 89-104.
Wickkiser, J. (2020) ‘Racial Satire in Post-Millennial Parodies’, Velvet Light Trap, 86, pp. 34-49.