A Haunted House is a 2013 film starring Marlon Wayans, Essence Atkins, Cedric the Entertainer, and David Koechner. It's a parody of the The Devil Inside and the first installment of Paranormal Activity.
The story revolves around the couple Malcolm and Kisha who are stalked by a ghost soon after Kisha moves to Malcolm's house.
A sequel, A Haunted House 2, was released in 2014.
This film provides examples of:
- Abusive Parents: Kisha's parents.
- All Women Love Shoes: Kisha. See Deal with the Devil below for The Reveal.
- A Party, Also Known as an Orgy: Mandingo Party.
- Based on a Great Big Lie: Parodied with the second film's posters: "Based on true events that never actually happened."
- Beat the Curse Out of Him: After every other attempt to exorcise the demon out of Kisha fails, everyone decides to just beat the shit out of her. Deconstructed in that it turns out it didn't even work.
- Bed Trick: The ghost having sex with Kisha - and unfortunately for Malcolm, she quite liked it.
- Bedsheet Ghost: Malcolm does this, but he falls down the stairs.
- Bestiality Is Depraved: Played with teddy bears.
- Bigger Is Better in Bed: A ghost has sex with Kisha in the middle of the night, and it's the best sex she ever had. Thinking it's Malcolm, she tells him he's "grown." When she later finds out it's the ghost, she gets dolled up to go to bed without panties in hopes he'll arrive again.
- Black Comedy Rape: Malcolm being raped by the ghost while sleeping.
- Kisha gets raped too, via deception.
- Black Dude Dies First: Discussed. Malcolm points out how illogical this is."If we know he's in there then why the fuck are we going in there!"
- Bunny-Ears Lawyer: Everyone who comes to help Malcolm deal with the ghost is one of these: Father Doug, Chip, and Dan.
- Butt-Monkey: Malcolm fills this role often.
- Deal with the Devil: Kisha apparently did this sometime in her past for a pair of shoes. Nice shoes, but still...
- Depraved Homosexual: The psychic who visits Malcolm and Kisha and hits on Malcolm nonstop.
- Downer Beginning: At first Malcolm is excited to have Kisha living with him, but things quickly go downhill as soon as she arrives. She accidentally runs over and kills his dog, evil spirits begin doing freaky shit in their house, and she doesn't decide to have sex with him during their first night together.
- Downer Ending: Which shouldn't be too surprising.
- Here We Go Again!: Malcolm's reaction at the end of the movie when getting out of bed in order to check on Kisha's screaming (who becomes fully possessed by the demon).
- Insistent Terminology: Malcolm is afraid he'll get bitten, Kisha reminds him it's a ghost not a zombie.
- Just Ignore It: At a height of the film, Malcolm and Kisha just ignore the ghost who becomes an Attention Whore.
- Manchild: Malcolm.
- Marijuana Is LSD: Played with Malcolm, Kisha and the ghost.
- Nightmare Face: Played straight as in Paranormal Activity.
- No-Holds-Barred Beatdown: Malcolm and the rest of cast putting the beatdown on the demonic possessed Kisha near the end of the film.
- Queer People Are Funny: Chip the Psychic.
- Rich Bitch: While Kisha isn't exactly rich, she certainly acts like one of these. She's very shallow, untruthful, and that's not to mention that she sold her soul to the devil for a pair of nice shoes.Kisha: Not shoes, Malcolm! Louboutins, okay?! They've got red soles, and they make my calves pop!
- Right Behind Me: Malcolm celebrated too soon after thinking he had fooled Possessed!Kisha...
- Scary Black Man: Father Williams who is an ex-con.
- Screams Like a Little Girl / Screw This, I'm Outta Here: Malcolm after the ghost jerks the bed around the room one night.
- Screw This, I'm Outta Here: Played for laughs; after the ghost makes its presence known to the protagonists. Malcolm immediately screams and abandons the house with a moving truck in the morning. However, he's forced to return since he has nowhere else to go and he can't sell the house.
- Shout-Out:
- If it wasn't already obvious, the entire plot is one to Paranormal Activity.
- Father Williams compares possessed Kisha to the witch from Left 4 Dead at one point. Also, a poster for Saints Row: The Third can be seen on the wall throughout the film.
- Father Williams' exorcism itself is just quoting Samuel L. Jackson's famous Pulp Fiction speech.
- Tagline
- "This $*%! ain't paranormal."
- "It'll scare the #2 out of you." - A Haunted House 2
- Duck Season, Rabbit Season: A variation occurs when Chip subtly asking Malcolm if he've been with another man after a couple of "yes" answered questions.
