5.8/10
9,683
50 user 25 critic

Ernest Scared Stupid (1991)

PG | | Comedy , Family , Fantasy | 11 October 1991 (USA)
Ernest Scared Stupid Poster
Ernest accidentally unleashes an ugly troll that plots to transform children into wooden dolls in the town of Briarville, Missouri.

Director:

John R. Cherry III (as John Cherry)

Writers:

John R. Cherry III (story) (as John Cherry), Coke Sams (story) | 2 more credits »

Stars:

Jim Varney, Eartha Kitt, Austin Nagler | See full cast & crew »
38
Reviews

Watch Now

From $2.99 (SD) on Prime Video

ON DISC

Photos

See all 22 photos »
Learn more

More Like This 











◄ Prev 6 Next 6 ►

Next »
Ernest Goes to Jail (1990)
Comedy | Crime | Family
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 5.4/10 X  

Bumbling Ernest P. Worrell is assigned to jury duty, where a crooked lawyer notices a resemblance with crime boss Mr. Nash, and arranges a switch. Nash assumes Ernest's job as a bank ... See full summary »

Director: John R. Cherry III
Stars: Jim Varney, Gailard Sartain, Bill Byrge
Next »
Ernest Goes to Camp (1987)
Comedy | Family
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 5.5/10 X  

Ernest, a lovable loser who works as a summer camp handyman and dreams of becoming a guidance councilor, must find a way to inspire a group of juvenile delinquents as well as stop a shady strip mining company from closing the camp.

Director: John R. Cherry III
Stars: Jim Varney, Victoria Racimo, John Vernon
Next »
Ernest Saves Christmas (1988)
Comedy | Family | Fantasy
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 5.6/10 X  

Ernest helps Santa Claus as he searches for his successor.

Director: John R. Cherry III
Stars: Jim Varney, Douglas Seale, Oliver Clark
Next »
Ernest Goes to Africa (1997)
Family | Comedy
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 4.8/10 X  

The title says it all. There's a mix up involving stolen diamonds which Ernest has (naturally) made into a yo-yo and given to his would be girlfriend, Rene. But Rene wants a man of action, ... See full summary »

Director: John R. Cherry III
Stars: Jim Varney, Linda Kash, Jamie Bartlett
Next »
Ernest in the Army (1998)
Family | Comedy
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 4.8/10 X  

Ernest joins the Army reserves so he can drive the bigrigs, but ends up being sent into combat!

Director: John R. Cherry III
Stars: Jim Varney, Hayley Tyson, David Müller
Next »
Ernest Rides Again (1993)
Family | Comedy
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 5.1/10 X  

Buffoonish Ernest and his dimwitted pal Abner unearth a huge cannon reputed to contain the crown jewels of England.

Director: John R. Cherry III
Stars: Jim Varney, Ron James, Tom Butler
Next »
Ernest Goes to School (1994)
Comedy | Family | Sport
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 4.7/10 X  

Jim Varney's recurring dim-bulb character Ernest P. Worrell returns in this film as a school maintenance man seeking to obtain a high school diploma.

Director: Coke Sams
Stars: Jim Varney, Linda Kash, Bill Byrge
Next »
Slam Dunk Ernest (Video 1995)
Comedy | Family | Sport
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 4.8/10 X  

Ernest P. Worrell becomes a basketball star after an angel bearing an uncanny resemblance to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar gives him a pair of magic sneakers.

Director: John R. Cherry III
Stars: Jim Varney, Cylk Cozart, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
Next »
Hey, Vern, It's Ernest! (TV Series 1988)
Comedy | Family
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 7.5/10 X  

Hey, Vern. Ernest is on Saturday morning. The series follows Ernest, and several other colorful characters having all sorts of wacky fun.

Stars: Bruce Arntson, Mac Bennett, Daniel Butler
Next »
Ernest's Greatest Hits Volume 2 (Video 1992)
Comedy | Family
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 7.5/10 X  

Hey Vern! Your ol' buddy Ernest is back in a new video that features Commercials, Bloopers, Behind-the-Scenes looks, and special surprises! Ernest sells things like ice cream, soft drinks, ... See full summary »

Stars: Jim Varney
Edit

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Jim Varney ... Ernest / Phineas Worrell
Eartha Kitt ... Old Lady Hackmore
Austin Nagler Austin Nagler ... Kenny
Shay Astar ... Elizabeth
Jonas Moscartolo ... Trantor
John Cadenhead John Cadenhead ... Tom Tulip
Bill Byrge Bill Byrge ... Bobby Tulip
Richard Woolf Richard Woolf ... Matt
Nick Victory Nick Victory ... Mike
Alec Klapper Alec Klapper ... Joey
Steven Moriyon Steven Moriyon ... Gregg
Daniel Butler Daniel Butler ... Cliff
Esther Huston Esther Huston ... Amanda
Larry Black Larry Black ... Mayor Murdock
Denice Hicks Denice Hicks ... Elizabeth's Mother
See full cast »
Edit

Storyline

Life could be pretty if there wasn't someone like Ernest P. Worrell on this planet. In this movie he helps to escape an evil troll out of his grave. That's the start of the end for the world. But... Ernest wouldn't be Ernest if he wasn't planning on saving all the people. This action doesn't make it any better. It's getting worse. Written by Evert Poppen

Plot Summary | Plot Synopsis

Plot Keywords:

treehouse | troll | evil | missouri | briarville missouri | See All (73) »

Genres:

Comedy | Family | Fantasy

Certificate:

PG | See all certifications »

Parents Guide:

View content advisory »
Edit

Details

Official Sites:

Official Facebook

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

11 October 1991 (USA) See more »

Also Known As:

Ernest Scared Stiff See more »

Filming Locations:

USA See more »
Edit

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$4,453,132, 14 October 1991, Wide Release

Gross USA:

$14,143,280
See more on IMDbPro »

Company Credits

Production Co:

Touchstone Pictures,Touchwood Pacific Partners 1 See more »
Show more on IMDbPro »

Technical Specs

Runtime:

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1
See full technical specs »
Edit

Did You Know?

Trivia

The last Ernest film to be released theatrically by Touchstone Pictures, this is because many kids found the film to be too scary. Many people agree that the thought of a troll stealing the souls of children, and the trolls deaths to be very disturbing. Though Slam Dunk Ernest (1995) did have release a video release from Touchstone four years later. See more »

Goofs

When Kenny and his friends enter the store on the bikes, Jimmy the employee calls Kenny "Kenny Barton" even though he knows that his last name is "Binder" in the film. See more »

Quotes

Ernest P. Worrell: [as the Old Lady] Be grateful, little trolls in China don't even get milk.
See more »

Connections

Referenced in Nostalgia Critic: Blair Witch 2: Book of Shadows (2011) See more »

Soundtracks

Hallelujah Chorus
from "The Messiah"
Composed by George Frideric Handel
Arranged by Louis Knatchbull
Courtesy of Associated Production Music
See more »

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: who is the random guy who shows up at 0:01:08?
Q: What film is the castle clip seen during the intro from?
See more »

User Reviews

Best Ernest movie
24 January 2000 | by Op_Prime – See all my reviews

This was the best Ernest movie of all. Jim Varney shines as the bumbling fool Ernest P. Worrell. The story basically has Ernest waking up a troll, who kidnaps and turns children to wood for his evil plans. Ernest must catch what he let out. Of course that ensures much mayhem and laughter (especially that giant bear trap). The plot resembles an old horror film but it works for Ernest. My opinion on the kids is, they help the plot work and make sense but got kind of annoying. The real reason to see this movie is to see what foolish thing Ernest does next. Overall a good film.
3 of 4 people found this review helpful.  Was this review helpful to you? | Report this
Review this title | See all 50 user reviews »
Getting Started | Contributor Zone »

Contribute to This Page

Stream Trending TV Series With Prime Video

Explore popular and recently added TV series available to stream now with Prime Video.

Start your free trial


Clear your history

Recently Viewed