Very rarely do sequels to movies outperform their predecessors. Barring a few exceptions, they are often made to profit off of the original’s success. Sometimes though, movie companies take things to the extreme, churning out sequels every other year or releasing a new installment in a series ten years after the last entry. Here are some of the worst offenders.

Parodies:

While not groundbreaking, the first “Scary Movie” at least had its’ heart in the right place. It made fun of a genre that often takes itself way too seriously, and one that has in recent years become almost a parody of itself. However, after three sequels and no less than 600 spin-offs (this is only mildly exaggerated) including such cringe-worthy entries such as “Date Movie,” “Epic Movie,” and “Meet the Spartans,” it all begins to seem a little ridiculous. Now more focused on painfully obvious pop culture references than making fun of their respective genres (see “Epic Movie’s” “Lazy Pirate Day,” a mash up of “Pirates of the Caribbean” and the SNL digital short “Lazy Sunday,” for proof), the proper reaction to hearing of a new movie in this conglomerate is to roll your eyes and breath a world-weary sigh.

Saw:

Now in its’ sixth volume, the Saw series continues to demonstrate what happens when you rush to get a product out in time for Halloween six years in a row. While the movies at least have some form of plot- a man wanting to fix other people for the better does so by killing them if they don’t meet his expectations- it seems that the victims are stupid enough to fall back into Jigsaw’s trap at the same time every year. You would think by now that American audiences would have had enough of the obscene amounts of gore and predictable storylines, but the series has been highly successful. The series has made almost $700 million worldwide since the original “Saw,” and a seventh movie is already in the works. I just can’t wait to buy the boxed set 20 years from now.

American Pie:

The first two movies in this series were mindless, hormone-induced entertainment that had memorable characters and some outlandish moments. However, after 2003’s “American Wedding,” the series has taken the straight-to-DVD route. Everything from band camp to frat houses have been squeezed of any sexually related humor, with often unfunny results. For example, this year’s installment, “American Pie: The Book of Love,” has a new batch of bothered teenagers trying to reconstruct a book of tips for picking up women that they happen to stumble upon in the library. With seven movies in ten years, and a lack of new ideas or good jokes, the “American Pie” series has become the “Police Academy” of the 2000’s. Poor Eugene Levy.

Movies That Get Sequels Years After the Original Films:

There are many movies that really don’t need sequels. But if it made enough money for a studio, there is a good chance one may get made 10-20 years later. The most obvious culprits are the recent releases from Sylvester Stallone, updating Rocky (which had five movies before it) and Rambo (three) within the last three years. I can understand wanting to introduce your product to a new audience, but that’s what special-edition DVD’s of the original movies are for. Additionally, releasing sequels or prequels a decade or so later (here’s looking at you “Boondock Saints,” “Dirty Dancing,” and “Dumb and Dumber”) spoils the integrity of the original films. There were certain qualities about these movies that made them special, or at the very least memorable. Releasing a sequel or a prequel ten years later makes the new movie feel more like an afterthought or a quick attempt to cash in. At least George Lucas was kind enough to warn us there would be a second “Star Wars” trilogy.