Austin Powers in Goldmember (2002)

Genre: Crime/Action/Drama/Comedy/Spoof/Adventure

Starring: Mike Myers, Seth Green, Beyonce Knowles, Michael York, Robert Wagner, Mindy Sterling, Verne Troyer, Michael Caine

The James Bond with obscenely high testosterone levels is back once more to make the ladies shiver with excitement and save the world. Austin Powers (Myers) has learnt that his father has been kidnapped and is stuck back in time in the '70s. He must go and save him from the clutches of Goldmember (Myers) an obnoxious Dutch who loves Gold and loves eating his dead skin. He encounters an old acquaintance Foxy Cleopatra who is working undercover as a part of Goldmembers team. Austin meets Dr. Evil (Myers) who too has travelled back in time to take Goldmember to the future and help him destroy the world. Austin along with Foxy must prevent Dr. Evil and Goldmember from accomplishing their evil deed and save the world from ultimate doom. The movie series were famously known to spoof various spy movies, especially the James Bond movies which provide the basis for all jokes and story. Myers exceeds expectations but increasing his role from 3 to 4 by executing the character of Goldmember apart from Austin Powers, Dr. Evil and Fat Bastard. Its an insane laugh riot which might seem very similar in humour to its previous movies but is still a very fun movie to watch.

Thumbs up: Mike Myers

Thumbs down: Overdone humour in the series, lacks freshness

Rating: 6.9/10

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Scary Movie 4 (2006)

Genre: Comedy/Drama/Spoof/Adventure

Starring: Anna Faris, Regina Hall, Craig Bierko, Bill Pullman, Anthony Anderson, Leslie Nielsen, Conchita Campbell, Beau Mirchoff, Kevin Hart

The Scary Movie series of movies can be attributed with the revolution of spoof movies where the plot never really mattered and all that accounted for was the ridiculous humour derived out of current events, TV shows and mostly movies. The fourth installment of the series decides to take on The Village, The Grudge and War of the Worlds. Cindy Campbell (Farris) has taken up a job as nursing an old-aged woman and finds that her house is haunted by a Japanese child who predicts the destruction of Earth and tells Cindy that only she can stop the alien invasion. Tom Ryan (Bierko) is a divorcee who has to take care of his children Rachel (Campbell) and Robbie (Mirchoff). Tom and Cindy are new neighbours and fall in love with each other just as catastrophe strikes Earth with an deadly alien invasion. Cindy along with Brenda (Hall) and Tom must use the Japanese kids advice and stop Earth from ultimate doom. The movie has derived its core plot from a non-horror movie and hence failed to live up to the brand name to an extent. The jokes are only moderately funny and the full extent of the humour can only be absorbed if one is familiar with the movies/personalities that are being spoofed on. You can watch it but you wont miss out on anything if you chose not to.

Thumbs up: Its not easy to make good movie spoofs

Thumbs down: Not very funny

Rating: 5.6/10

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Hole in One (2010)

Genre: Comedy/Sport/Drama/Romance

Starring: Steve Talley, David Ellison, Dean Cameron, Christopher Showerman, Sandy Modic

Sex sells? At least that is what the makers of this movie believe in. Here is our recipe; get a young famous actor, get some gorgeous skimpy clothed woman, add some considerable nudity, sprinkle some slap-stick humour and if you really wish, add a plot to it. Eric (Talley) is an amateur golfer who hustles people and makes a living. His best friend Tyler (Ellison) runs a store that sells clothes golf apparel and the two are enjoying their life the way it is. On one eventful day, Eric makes a bet with two plastic surgeons at golf and loses, or rather gained, something he wish he never had. Steve Talley has emerged as the new god of sex-comedy movies after his success with American Pie and Van Wilder. The movie is a mindless comic with no laughable humour or entertaining plot outline. If loads of topless woman is what defines your style of entertainment then this movie is definitely up to the mark else it is a pure waste of precious time. Watch at your own risk.

Thumbs up: Does the moon have water?

Thumbs down: Bad plot, worse humour

Rating: 4.8/10

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Scary Movie 3 (2003)

Genre: Comedy/Spoof/Drama

Starring: Anna Faris, Charlie Sheen, Simon Rex, Drew Mikuska

The third installation of the very famous movie that spoofs on horrors and thrillers. A strange video tape is doing the rounds of the city and whoever watches the tape dies in seven days. Cindy (Farris) a reporter, tries to investigate the strange deaths. Tom (Sheen) a farmer and his younger brother George (Rex) find mysterious crop circles in their farm. George aspires to be a rap artist but doesn't really make it very far. Most of the movie is a spoof of The Ring and just like any other spoof movie, there is no sensible or logical plot but just random spoofs from a whole lot of movies brought together. The movie is not hilarious or roll-over funny but its stupid and funny enough to entertain you for 80-odd minutes. The only reason to watch this movie is because you have nothing to watch and your simply getting the urge to kill time. The movie makes more sense if one has watched all the various movies it spoofs about. Else, one might not understand the joke or the hidden sarcasm. Anna Faris puts on a very realistic performance by being stupid and typically blond throughout. The lesser said about the movie, the better it is.

Thumbs up: Short and stupid

Thumbs down: Not amazingly funny

Rating: 5.8/10

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Kick-Ass (2010)

Genre: Action/Crime/Drama/Spoof/Comedy

Starring: Aaron Johnson, Lyndsy Fonseca, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Mark Strong, Nicolas Cage, Chloe Moretz

Dave Lizewski (Johnson) is a low-life, good for nothing youth. Neither a math geek nor a sports hero, he gets absolutely no attention in college and is pushed around by everyone. He suddenly wonders why nobody has ever considered being a super-hero as a profession and decides to become the first one, naming himself Kick-Ass. His first crime-fighting stint lands him up in the hospital, naked, and he is pronounced gay by the entire college. The good side being that the college beauty Katie (Fonseca) starts taking pity on him since he is gay. Meanwhile, Damon Macready (Cage), an ex-cop is seeking revenge from Frank D'Amico (Strong) for killing his wife and framing him wrongly for dealing in narcotics. Once out of jail, he starts training his very young daughter in weapon wielding and crime-fighting. Together they become Big-Daddy and Hit-Girl and plan to avenge D'Amico. In order to get even with this new found rage in  becoming a super-hero, D'Amico makes his son Chris (Mintz-Plasse) the Red Mist. The movie is a spoof of Spider-Man with most of the plot being borrowed from there. The movie may not be outright hilarious but its still a fun watch. A mix of humour and crime fighting conjures a good combination which is worth a watch. Nicolas Cage's performance is quite wasted and the same role could have been done by a lesser known actor without hampering too much of the movies outcome.

Thumbs up: Great mix of almost everything

Thumbs down: Should have had better humour

Rating: 7.5/10

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Tropic Thunder (2008)

Genre: Comedy/Adventure/Action/War/Spoof

Starring: Ben Stiller, Jack Black, Robert Downey Jr., Jay Baruchel, Brandon T. Jackson, Tom Cruise

What do you call a war movie spoof that goes miserably bad? Tropic Thunder. A war movie funded by multi-millionaire Les Grossman (Cruise) is not going anywhere. The movies two big stars, Tugg Speedman (Stiller) and Kirk Lazarus (Downey Jr.) are having ego clashes. In order to get things straight, the group of actors are dropped into the jungles of Vietnam and the entire movie is to be shot using hidden cameras. The shoot goes badly wrong when the director gets killed by a landmine and the actors are spotted by the Vietcong who kidnap Tugg and hold him for ransom. The movie is not even stupidly funny and the spoof was tried to be created by over-dramatising the already over-dramatic scenes usually seen in war movies. Tom Cruise can easily pass off as unidentifiable if it wasn't for the end credits. His role seems minor and insignificant. Jack Black is probably the only person in the entire movie that you would want to laugh at.

Thumbs up: Ben Stiller and his genes for stupidity
Thumbs down: Lacks humour, boring at times

Rating: 4.7/10

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Night of the Day of the Dawn of the Son of the Bride of the Return of the Revenge of the Terror of the Attack of the Evil, Mutant, Alien.... (1991)

Genre: Thriller/Comedy/Spoof

Starring(voice): James Riffel

Night of the Day of the Dawn of the Son of the Bride of the Return of the Revenge of the Terror of the Attack of the Evil, Mutant, Alien, Flesh Eating, Hellbound, Zombified Living Dead Part 2: In Shocking 2-D. That, is the entire screen name of the movie, and it also holds the record for the longest movie name ever. The sole reason to watch this movie is this factor only. The movie is a spoof of George Romero's 1968 classic horror Night of the Living Dead. The sound and dialogues have been removed and replaced with James Riffel's own voices. All characters in the movie have been voiced by him, including the police dogs. Quite obviously, the dialogues are stupid and nonsensical and don't add to the movie in any way. A group of people get trapped inside a house one night, when hordes of zombies are freely marching on land, threatening to eat up everyone. The movie is constantly interrupted by 'Profiles in History' which are short clips on pointless trivia about a historical person. Another interruption is some person holding a card apologising to George Romero for insulting his masterpiece. All criticisms aside, simply wiping out all dialgoues and replacing them with something insanely stupid, is a very tough job by itself. The movie is definitely not worth even a single watch, but if the title length still nags you to watch it, then please go ahead and don't say nobody warned you.

Rating: 4.8/10

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Quick Gun Murugun (2009)

Genre: Action/Comedy/Spoof

Starring: Dr. Rajendraprasad, Nasser, Raju Sundaram, Rambha

Many a times one watches a movie with certain ambitions and expectations, and most of the time these expectations are not met. Not necessarily in a negative manner. Shri Quick Gun Murugun (Rajendraprasad) is the Indian cowboy, protector of cows and against non-vegetarianism. He has to battle Rice Plate Reddy (Nasser) the local villain, who is converting all vegetarian restaurants to non-veg. In the epic battle, Quick Gun is killed. That, is something that defies the law of movie-making in India and cannot happen. Hence 25 years later, he is 'returned to sender' to avenge his death. Rice Plate meanwhile, has been setting up non-veg dosa restaurants around the world named McDosa, and is looking for the perfect dosa making recipe. He wants mothers love in his dosa recepie, and kidnaps Murugun's brothers wife. Mango Dolly (Rambha) is Reddy's mistress and falls in love with our super-hero and helps rescue his sister-in-law, and helps him fight his battle. The movie leaves you in laughs, be it Rowdy MBA's (Sundaram) background score that goes 'Yem Bi Yay, Yem Bi Yay' or Quick Gun's gun wielding antics which are direct spoof of Rajnikant. Unlike a conventional Bollywood movie, you dont have unwanted songs every 10 minutes, not even stupidly funny ones. Mika Singh's soundtrack is catchy and fits the bill perfectly. The movie is short and simple and dosen't have any unnecessary trash that eats up your head, as if the movie script wasn't enough to do that. Had the movie been any longer it would have been a useless and unnecessary drag. If anyone can find the 'Coconut Tree Climbing Institute (Recognised) also teaching palm tree and betelnut tree climbing (Diploma)' should let me know. I would love to sign up. Watch it, I say.

Rating: 7.6/10

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South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut (1997)

Genre: Animation/Comedy/Spoof

Starring (voiceover): Trey Parker, Matt Stone

If your not aware of even what South Park is and if your not a very big fan of them, you might just want to turn your head the other way and not read this. However, this movie throws up very big surprises. The four kids of South Park are very excited for the new Canadian-made, upcoming movie, Asses of Fire starring Terence and Phillip. Things take a turn when the parents of these kids object towards the vulgarity and profanity projected in this movie and how it affects young children. Their protest move takes an ugly turn which turns out into a disaster and brings the world to the brink of a third world war. However the kids of South Park are not gonna sit around. Adults are stupid as usual and need to be taught a lesson, and they're out to prevent the execution of Terrence and Phillip and save the world. The movie's start is just like what you would except, typical South Park stupidity which put Govinda or Jim Carrey to shame. However the movie picks up a story and improves as it goes on, and believe it or not the movie actually gives out a good, decent, responsible social message. Matt Stone and Trey Parker's amazing voice over for almost all the characters of the movie is simply superb. South Park fan or not, its a must watch. Many people might not agree with me and would probably not be able to watch more than half an hour of this movie, hence the dual ratings.

Rating: 5.4 (Non South Park fans)
8.5 (South Park fans)

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Murder by Death (1976)

Genre: Crime/Mystery/Thriller/Comedy/Spoof

Starring: Truman Capote, (Various)

5 famous detectives from all over the world have been called to millionaire Lionel Twain's (Capote) house. He announces to all his guests that at exactly 12 midnight a murder will take place. The murderer and the victim, both are supposed to be one amongst those sitting in that room. What ensues is a twisted murder mystery. The good thing about the movie is that it manages to create a lot of interest right till the very end. Its only when the entire plot gets revealed does the movie fall flat on its face. Many twists and turns remain unanswered and many reasons given in the movie for a particular incident don't sound very satisfactory and one can find many flaws in it. The weak rating given to the movie is only because of a very very poor ending. Maybe that is the 'comedy' aspect the movie is trying to bring about.

Rating: 4.8/10

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