Starring Paul Rudd, Eva Longoria Parker, and Jason Biggs. Rated PG. Opens Friday, February 1, at the Cinemark Tinseltown

There are ways to amuse yourself while watching Over Her Dead Body, a comedy-fantasy that features Eva Longoria Parker as the afterlife’s most self-tanned ghost. For starters, try counting how many times you catch yourself saying “Poor Paul Rudd” about the likable, funny actor who inexplicably signed on the dotted line for this one. Was he really drunk or did he owe a big favour? Or pretend you’re watching an endless loop of the pottery scene from Ghost instead. Loudly hum the Righteous Brothers’ “Unchained Melody”. No one will mind.

Over Her Dead Body does share choice similarities with the aforementioned 1990 tearjerker. Like Patrick Swayze’s character in that film, Kate (Longoria Parker) also has a fatal mishap, but because it takes all of a nanosecond to notice she’s a bitch on wheels who won’t shut up, we’re glad the lady is toast before she and veterinarian fiancé Henry (Rudd) can even grab an on-screen latte together. Annoyingly, Henry’s sister Chloe (Lindsay Sloane) wrecks the brief Longoria Parker absence by sending her grieving brother (he looks fine to us) to psychic-caterer Ashley (Lake Bell). Wacky Ashley is only supposed to pretend to pick up natterings from Kate but, curses, the ghost virago turns up talking.

You might also ponder why Longoria Parker’s character is so fake-tanned she makes George Hamilton look like Casper the Friendly Ghost. And if Kate loves Henry, why does she spend all her time haunting Ashley to scare her away from Henry instead of watching over her supposedly pining ex-fiancé? Writer-director Jeff Lowell couldn’t make Longoria Parker a hilarious ghost bitch, and Bell seems like she’d rather be napping than acting. The only consolation Rudd has is that likable, funny Jason Biggs has a truly thankless role, as clueless Ashley’s catering-assistant-with-a-secret. Poor”¦never mind.