Although despised by the hoi polloi, Jim Varney's commercial pitchman Ernest P. Worrell struck a cord with real people and became an icon of the late 20th Century. Commercials led to video specials which ultimately led to the big screen and a series of successful features. ERNEST SCARED STUPID probably represents the high water mark of that series (though most fans agree the best film of the franchise was the previous entry, ERNEST GOES TO JAIL). My generation's answer to ABBOTT AND COSTELLO MEET FRANKENSTEIN, horror and slapstick comedy combine. Long ago in Brairville, Missouri, old-world troll Trantor has been abducting the children of the settlers. The right Reverend Fennious Worrell leads the townsfolk in a successful effort to capture and imprison Trantor, burying the monster under the roots of a tree. Trantor vows revenge and places a curse on Fennious, claiming that a Worrell will release him to again spread his terror across the land. A hundred years or so later and your old buddy Ernest does just that on the night before halloween. Now it's up to our lovable redneck to make things right and stop Trantor before the monster can resurrect his troll army -an army powered by the captured souls of local children! A lot of familiar faces from the hit TV series Hey Vern, It's Ernest! are a part of the fun, but Gailard Sartain is conspicuously absent. Prior to this entry, he was a regular supporting player. Earth Kitt plays old lady Hackmoore, the only one who knows the score. I saw this one theatrically myself. The following films never reached this level, although ERNEST RIDES AGAIN is pretty fun. Of note is the opening title sequence, which incorporates a lot of clips from older films like MISSILE TO THE MOON, PHANTOM FROM SPACE, and THE SCREAMING SKULL. It was the first place I got to see a glimpse of THE HIDEOUS SUN DEMON! ERNEST SCARED STUPID, a halloween tradition at my place. "Bring me the head of Ernest P. Worrell!"
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