What’s this with Ernest P. Worrell and the holidays? First, there was Ernest Saves Christmas and now Ernest Scared Stupid, just in time for Halloween. What next? Ernest at Plymouth Rock? Or Ernest Sees His Shadow? Probably the only TV commercial character to translate to the movie screen, the dumb but earnest Ernest is — like Pee-wee Herman — trapped in a perpetual state of preadolescence. Unlike Pee-wee, however, there’s no baby boomer point of reference by which to explain his success. Indeed, the hippest thing about Ernest may be that he’s so unhip. (There also may be a class thing differentiating the two: Pee-wee appeals to Yuppies reflecting upon their childhoods, while Ernest appeals to a middle class simply appreciative of some good, clean fun?) In Ernest Scared Stupid, the rubber-faced one breaks a century-old spell and unleashes a giant troll upon the unsuspecting town of Brianville, Missouri. The movie is good for two or three laughs for adults, who will find it surprisingly bearable; kids will undoubtedly relish Ernest’s stupid shenanigans more. The ever-shameless Varney also appears as other characters, although their appearances are all too brief and have no seeming relationship to this movie. Highlights of Ernest Scared Stupid include a dog shifting a truck into reverse and the irrepressible Kitt as a local eccentric who helps Ernest save the day from eternal trolldom. Although the scares in this movie are minimal, Ernest Scared Stupid nonetheless offers the frightening prospect of yet another installment of the Big E’s misguided antics. Any bets as to what it will be? How about Yankee Doodle Ernest? Or maybe Ernest’s Arbor Day Adventure? It’s anybody’s demented guess.
This article appears in October 18 • 1991 (Cover).
