Still of Marlon Wayans and Essence Atkins in 'A Haunted House'.

No one is safe in A Haunted House.

Marlon Wayans' spoof of found-footage horror movies -- things like Paranormal Activity or The Devil Inside -- is rude, crude and heavy on the scatological humour, and it takes no prisoners. Wayans and Rick Alvarez, who wrote the comedy, send up everyone and everything regardless of race, creed, gender, orientation or religion. A Haunted House delivers the same childish nonsense as Scary Movie or White Chicks, and you'll laugh in spite of yourself.

Malcolm and Kisha (Wayans and Essence Atkins) are moving in together, and Malcolm isn't sure he's ready for such a commitment. In short order, Kisha runs over his dog, fills his house with hoarder junk and accuses Malcolm of having sex with the housekeeper; turns out she's brought some evil entity with her into the house, and it causes her to fart like a buffalo. Oh yes -- and it causes objects to fly around and terrible noises to fill the house.

More concerned about his sex life than any supernatural events, Malcolm hires various people to help: Chip, the gay psychic (Nick Swardson); Dan, the racist idiot security guy (David Koechner); and Father Williams, the exorcism priest/felon (Cedric The Entertainer).

Also on hand are Alanna Ubach and Andrew Daly as a swinger couple whose conversation runs to swapping and orgies, and Marlene Forte as Rosa, the disgruntled (and dishonest) Spanish housekeeper.

Together, the cast provides endless nonsense and visual jokes that tend to involve bums or willies, or both. The jokes are generally racist, sexist and homophobic, but are also so juvenile that it's difficult to take offence. And it doesn't hurt that Wayans has created innocent characters in both Malcolm and Kisha.

A Haunted House is just what you'd expect of a spoof aimed squarely at adolescent males.

Let it never be said that Marlon Wayans doesn't know his target audience.

liz.braun@sunmedia.ca

This film is rated 18A.
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