A HAUNTED HOUSE | FAMILY MOVIE REVIEW INFORMATION FOR PARENTS AND KIDS

"A HAUNTED HOUSE"
(2013) (Marlon Wayans, Essence Atkins) (R)

QUICK TAKE:: Horror/Comedy: A suburban L.A. homeowner is shocked to find out that his new live-in girlfriend has traded her soul for an expensive pair of shoes, and the demon has come to collect.

PLOT:

Malcolm (MARLON WAYANS) is a suburban L.A. homeowner who is thrilled when his girlfriend, Kisha (ESSENCE ATKINS), agrees to move in with him. Right from the get-go, though, things go wrong. She accidentally runs over and kills his beloved dog. She doesn't cook him meals. They have intimacy issues. She doesn't trust his Latina housekeeper, Rosa (MARLENE FORTE). And he comes to learn that she once made a deal with a demon to afford a pair of designer shoes.

Now, that demon appears to have moved into Malcolm's house and is causing all sorts of creepy mischief. Malcolm first calls on bigoted Dan the Security Man (DAVID KOECHNER) and his slow-witted brother, Bob (DAVE SHERIDAN), to install security cameras throughout the house to capture any possible paranormal activity. He then enlists the help of a gay psychic named Chip (NICK SWARDSON), who immediately starts hitting on Malcolm and trying to convince him to no longer be heterosexual. Once Kisha becomes possessed by the evil spirit, Malcolm hires Father Doug Williams (CEDRIC THE ENTERTAINER), a former prison priest and prison inmate, to exorcise the demon.

All the while, Malcolm and Kisha's good friends, Steve (ANDREW DALY) and Jenny (ALANNA UBACH), try and get them to be swingers like they are and swap mates. In addition, Malcolm's thuggish friend Ray-Ray (AFFION CROCKETT) and his thuggish pals try to get the demon out of the house "gangsta" style with mixed results.

WILL KIDS WANT TO SEE IT?: Older teens will have some interest, especially those who have seen the "Paranormal Activity" movies.

WHY THE MPAA RATED IT: R: For crude and sexual content, language, and some drug use.

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