Year: 2003
Runtime: 84 min
Language: English
Director: David Zucker
Budget: $48M
A spirited reporter finds herself racing against time when a mysterious videotape unleashes a wave of bizarre events. As strange occurrences multiply, including inexplicable crop circles, she joins forces with the U.S. president and her wise aunt. Together, they must decipher the dark secrets of the tape and confront the deadly curse threatening their lives and the nation.
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Katy (Jenny McCarthy) and Becka (Pamela Anderson) find themselves in a bizarre conversation concerning a cursed tape. While Katy humorously refers to a sex tape, Becka believes it to be a reference to a cursed tape similar to the one featured in The Ring. Following a series of eerie supernatural occurrences, both women meet their demise when their television unexpectedly flickers to life.
Meanwhile, on a farm situated just outside Washington, D.C., widowed farmer and former reverend, Tom Logan (played by Charlie Sheen), along with his bumbling brother George (Simon Rex), stumble upon a mysterious crop circle in their fields, reminiscent of Signs.
Since the previous escapades, the main characters have gone their separate ways. In Washington, now an anchorwoman, Cindy Campbell (portrayed by Anna Faris) reports on the crop circles live on-air. After picking up her nephew Cody (Drew Mikuska) from school, she interacts with her best friend Brenda Meeks (Regina Hall), who happens to be his teacher. It’s then that George Logan arrives to collect his niece Sue, leading to an instant romantic connection between him and Cindy. George seizes the opportunity to invite Cindy and Brenda to an exciting rap battle featuring his rapper friends Mahalik (Anthony Anderson) and CJ (Kevin Hart), drawing on inspiration from 8 Mile.
Later that night, during the rap battle, George surprisingly showcases his remarkable talent. Nonetheless, a series of cringe-worthy gaffes lead to his ejection from the venue. Afterward, Brenda encourages Cindy to keep her company, having previously watched the infamous cursed tape herself. While enjoying her time, Brenda engages in several pranks on Cindy before heading to the lounge for popcorn, where the TV eerily turns on by itself. Frustrated, Brenda lashes out at the television, only to face a terrifying encounter as the malevolent Tabitha (Marny Eng) climbs out of the screen, resulting in a chaotic confrontation in the living room that ultimately costs Brenda her life.
In the aftermath of Brenda’s death, George receives distressing news. Meanwhile, Tom meets Sayaman, who expresses regret over the incident involving Tom’s late wife Annie (Denise Richards). During the wake for Brenda, empowered by wild emotions, George and Mahalik disturb her resting place in a misguided attempt to revive her. Their clumsy efforts lead to an explosion, scattering Brenda’s remains among grieving attendees.
Determined to discover the truth, Cindy decides to watch the cursed tape, finding its contents unmistakably eerie. After receiving a phone call related to the curse, she swiftly contacts George, CJ, and Mahalik for assistance. CJ proposes that his Aunt Shaneequa (Queen Latifah), who bears a resemblance to The Matrix’s Oracle, might hold the key to unraveling the mystery surrounding the tape. Shaneequa and her husband Orpheus (Eddie Griffin) agree to help and watch the tape, where Shaneequa uncovers a hidden image of a lighthouse. Despite a fierce confrontation with a lady from the tape, she conveys the crucial information to Cindy about locating the lighthouse for answers.
Upon returning home, Cindy is horrified to learn that Cody has watched the tape, sealing his ominous fate. As Cindy receives relentless phone calls from Tabitha, she engages in a deep conversation with George about the tape’s implications. At work, she fervently searches for images of lighthouses, eventually identifying the one from the tape as a race against time to save Cody. In a desperate bid to warn her audience, she tries to sneak a message into the teleprompter, only to be thwarted by her boss and a janitor.
Taking the message seriously, the Logans act on the news, particularly after their own alien encounter disguised as Michael Jackson. Even President Baxter Harris (Leslie Nielsen) intervenes, showing up at the farm for a first-hand investigation of the crop circles.
In a climactic sequence, Cindy journeys to the lighthouse, where she encounters The Architect (George Carlin). This character divulges the harrowing backstory of the cursed tape — revealing that Tabitha was his malevolent adopted daughter who was drowned in a well by his wife, imprinting her dark legacy onto the tape. A humorous yet tragic twist reveals that he mistakenly returned the evil tape to Blockbuster, unleashing its curse upon the world.
Returning home filled with dread, Cindy realizes her news station has inadvertently been broadcasting the cursed tape for hours. As alien sightings spike globally and Cody goes missing, she tracks him back to the Logan farm just in time to gather everyone in the basement. While Tom, George, and Mahalik confront the aliens outside, they soon discover these extraterrestrials are unexpectedly benevolent, having tuned into the tape from a misguided broadcast.
Inside the cellar, revelation strikes as Cindy identifies the place depicted in the cursed tape and discovers the well where Tabitha was drowned beneath the cellar floor. When Tabitha suddenly appears, a frantic struggle ensues, culminating in her taking Cody as a hostage. Cindy and George forge a compassionate appeal, extending an invitation for Tabitha to join their family. However, the moment shifts dramatically as Tabitha scoffs at their offer, leading to her accidental defeat at the hands of President Harris.
Ultimately, with the aliens departing peacefully, Cindy and George unify in the bonds of marriage, while Brenda makes a ghostly comeback. As they embark on their honeymoon, they mistakenly leave Cody behind. In a moment of comedic irony, just as Cody dodges disaster from Cindy’s car, fate cruelly intervenes with another vehicle, leaving the audience to ponder the humorous chaos that ensues.
Last Updated: October 25, 2024 at 12:12
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Movies that gleefully mash up and mock familiar film tropes with rapid-fire jokes.If you liked the genre-spoofing chaos of Scary Movie 3, you'll enjoy these movies. This section gathers films that are fast-paced parody comedies, mocking familiar horror and sci-fi tropes with silly, irreverent humor. Find your next laugh-filled watch with similar movies like Scary Movie 3 that prioritize jokes over plot.
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