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UPI
an hour ago
- Entertainment
- UPI
Movie review: 'Naked Gun' lives up to legendary comedy heritage
1 of 5 | Paul Walter Hauser (L) and Liam Neeson execute a running gag with cups of coffee in "The Naked Gun," in theaters Friday. Photo courtesy of Paramount Pictures July 29 (UPI) -- The Naked Gun, in theaters Friday, joins Cobra Kai, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice and Top Gun: Maverick as a fulfilling and satisfying legacy sequel. The new film faithfully captures the style of Naked Gun comedy with fresh new jokes for the modern world. A sequel to and reboot of the film franchise starring the late Leslie Nielsen, The Naked Gun opens with a Dark Knight-style bank robbery, immediately undercut when the loot is blatantly revealed to be the Maguffin that it is. Frank Drebin Jr. (Liam Neeson), the son of Nielsen's Frank Drebin, foils the robbery, but the leader gets away with the item. Drebin Jr. is also assigned to the automobile death of Simon Davenport, whose sister Beth (Pamela Anderson) suspects foul play. The plot has the complicated machinations of a modern-day action movie, but it is merely there to hang jokes upon, like the original film trilogy. The original series was created by Jerry and David Zucker and Jim Abrahams in their distinct slapstick style, like Airplane! before. 2025 director Akiva Schaffer, of the Lonely Island trio, demonstrates an impeccable understanding of the rhythms and tone without simply aping Zucker/Abrahams/Zucker. Dialogue comes at a rapid pace with deadpan jokes. Characters take questions literally and answer them as such. Meanwhile, additional jokes play in the background, and even the title screen is a new joke. Along with wordplay, there is relentless physical comedy. Frank will cause one character to take a pratfall, then deliver another bit of slapstick himself. There is a literal cold case office in Police Squad headquarters that has more to do with temperature than running out of leads. The new film invents a hilarious running gag where Frank and Ed Hocken Jr. (Paul Walter Hauser) are handed a fresh coffee cup every time they enter a scene. This leads to additional jokes about where they dispose of the old ones and the empties piling up. The best part about this running gag is that just when the audience may have forgotten about it, Frank grabs yet another cup of coffee. Schaffer also follows the comedy rule of threes, ensuring that the third instance of a joke is its most ridiculous. The original films had some topical jokes about then-current political figures and scandals, but they weren't so topical that modern audiences can't still laugh at Gorbachev and George H.W. Bush jokes today. Likewise, writers Schaffer, Dan Gregor and Doug Mand use these comedy tools to attack modern police issues and the true crime phenomenon. The overwhelming percentage of Black victims of police violence makes the rare White victim a poignant punchline that will unfortunately remain relevant for quite some time. Villain Richard Cane (Danny Huston) uses the "R-word" as a comment on how offensive that word is now. It's not just that villains use it, but that Cane empowers others to use it. Neeson is the right kind of modern star to place in this kind of comedy. Nielsen had already done Airplane! before playing Drebin Sr., but what made his deadpan so funny was that he had a body of work as a dramatic actor. Naked Gun plays off of Neeson's intense action persona, only now his very particular set of skills include absurd fight gags. Trailers show him stabbing bad guys with the end of a lollipop, but the rest of his Naked Gun repertoire makes even less sense. Neeson also delivers both voiceover and in-scene dialogue with dramatic intensity that makes it take a second to realize he's told a poop joke. That delay makes the poop joke exponentially funnier. In addition, Schaffer's visual style builds up to jokes. Scenes begin in a close-up that appears to be a normal scene, then cut to a wide shot to reveal the absurdity. Cinematographer Brandon Trost captures more of an action movie look than the police drama style David Zucker gave the original films. Composer Lorne Balfe gives the musical score the gravitas of his Mission: Impossible music. This film uses more special effects for jokes than the original films would have. That is Schaffer's generation of comedian applying the Zucker/Abrahams/Zucker style to new technology. Each use of effects is silly, and everything else looks better than the girl scout morphing into Neeson shown in the trailers. Schaffer saves the most direct callbacks to the original Naked Gun for the end credits so the new jokes have a chance to land free of nostalgia. There are cameos throughout the film, and a stuffed beaver is visible but nobody calls it out. The Naked Gun is easily the funniest movie of the year, but it doesn't even necessitate those qualifiers. It's as funny as the original Naked Gun trilogy, too. Fred Topel, who attended film school at Ithaca College, is a UPI entertainment writer based in Los Angeles. He has been a professional film critic since 1999, a Rotten Tomatoes critic since 2001, and a member of the Television Critics Association since 2012 and the Critics Choice Association since 2023. Read more of his work in Entertainment. Liam Neeson, Pamela Anderson attend 'Naked Gun' premiere Cast members Pamela Anderson (L) and Liam Neeson arrive on the red carpet for the premiere of "The Naked Gun" in New York City on July 28, 2025. Photo by John Angelillo/UPI | License Photo
See - Sada Elbalad
3 hours ago
- Entertainment
- See - Sada Elbalad
"Gremlins 3" Gets Promising Update
Yara Sameh 'Gremlins' lead actor Zach Galligan recently said during an appearance at Comic-Con Manchester (via Games Radar) that Warner Bros. is 'incredibly interested' in 'Gremlins 3.' Not only that, but the script is on the desk of executive producer Steven Spielberg and awaiting his sign-off. Galligan played the lead role of Billy Peltzer in 1984's 'Gremlins' and 1990's 'Gremlins 2: The New Batch.' 'After 35 years, they've come up with a script,'Galligan said. 'Warner Bros. is incredibly interested in doing it, apparently it's waiting on Mr. Spielberg to read it and approve it. But you can thank the success of 'Beetlejuice Beetlejuice.'' Warner Bros. released 'Beetlejuice Beetlejuice' in theaters in September 2024 to the tune of $452 million at the worldwide box office. Like 'Gremlins,' Tim Burton's original 'Beetlejuice' was a beloved movie classic from the 1980s. 'Gremlins' has franchised with the 1990 sequel and various video games. An animated series, subtitled 'Secrets of the Mogwai' for Season 1 and 'The Wild Batch' for Season 2, started airing on HBO Max in 2023, with the last batch of new episodes hitting the streamer earlier this year in April. Galligan had a recurring guest voice role on the animated series. In an April interview with Deadline, Warner Bros. Pictures co-chief Pam Abdy let it slip that the studio was working with Spielberg's Amblin Entertainment on 'developing new entries in the 'Gremlins' and 'Goonies' franchises.' News broke earlier in the year that Potsy Ponciroli had been hired to write the script for 'Goonies 2,' with Spielberg returning as a producer. As far as 'Gremlins 3,' no writer or director has been announced for the project by Warner Bros. The original 'Gremlins,' which famously led to the creation of the PG-13 rating along with Spielberg's 'Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom,' was a box office hit with $212 million dollars worldwide. The sequel was less successful with $41 million but became a cult classic. read more New Tourism Route To Launch in Old Cairo Ahmed El Sakka-Led Play 'Sayidati Al Jamila' to Be Staged in KSA on Dec. 6 Mandy Moore Joins Season 2 of "Dr. Death" Anthology Series Don't Miss These Movies at 44th Cairo Int'l Film Festival Today Amr Diab to Headline KSA's MDLBEAST Soundstorm 2022 Festival Arts & Culture Mai Omar Stuns in Latest Instagram Photos Arts & Culture "The Flash" to End with Season 9 Arts & Culture Ministry of Culture Organizes four day Children's Film Festival Arts & Culture Canadian PM wishes Muslims Eid-al-Adha News Israeli-Linked Hadassah Clinic in Moscow Treats Wounded Iranian IRGC Fighters Arts & Culture "Jurassic World Rebirth" Gets Streaming Date News China Launches Largest Ever Aircraft Carrier News Ayat Khaddoura's Final Video Captures Bombardment of Beit Lahia Videos & Features Tragedy Overshadows MC Alger Championship Celebration: One Fan Dead, 11 Injured After Stadium Fall Business Egyptian Pound Undervalued by 30%, Says Goldman Sachs Lifestyle Get to Know 2025 Eid Al Adha Prayer Times in Egypt Arts & Culture South Korean Actress Kang Seo-ha Dies at 31 after Cancer Battle Arts & Culture Lebanese Media: Fayrouz Collapses after Death of Ziad Rahbani Sports Get to Know 2025 WWE Evolution Results
Los Angeles Times
4 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Los Angeles Times
For Jenna Ortega, Catherine Zeta-Jones and Luis Guzmán, ‘Wednesday' proves ‘weird is beautiful'
Jenna Ortega has just finished a long day on set in London for an upcoming project when she gets on the phone to speak with me from a moving car — not an uncommon occurrence for an in-demand star. Despite the whirlwind nature of the last few hours, the gracious 22-year-old actor sounds genuinely invested when answering questions with a respectful straightforwardness. In addition to Ortega's multiple big-screen titles out this year, 'Wednesday' — the Tim Burton-helmed show that propelled her from rising talent to Hollywood 'it girl' — returns for the first part of its second season on Aug. 6 after a three-year pause. And while this latest chapter in the story of the Addams Family and their morbidly brilliant daughter Wednesday sees her grappling with newfound, unwanted fame after saving Nevermore, the school for outcasts, Ortega doesn't like to dwell on the pitfalls of celebrity, unlike her character. 'Oh, I don't really think about it too much. I used to, but I don't really see a point anymore. It is what it is,' Ortega says politely when I ask how she deals with the increased popularity the series has brought her. 'Maybe that was the writers' intention, to be slightly meta.' The first season of 'Wednesday' became Netflix's most-watched show when it was released in 2022 and soon inspired a viral social media trend around Ortega's dance moves to the Cramps' 'Goo Goo Muck.' Her character's wit, confidence and modern goth style made Ortega an instant hit with viewers. She captured Wednesday's essence with such biting precision that her performance now feels inextricable from the role. Since that breakthrough, the actor has consolidated her status as a brooding leading lady starring in the horror hit 'Scream VI,' diving deeper into Burton's universe with 'Beetlejuice Beetlejuice,' appearing in the fantastical dark comedy 'Death of a Unicorn' and joining the music-laced thriller 'Hurry Up Tomorrow' opposite pop star the Weeknd. 'Growing up, I actually played the really nerdy, awkward character. I was never pegged as the dark one,' Ortega explains. 'That's why it's kind of funny that it's sort of my MO now, because I was always being described in scripts as a mouse or like, really intelligent but lacked some sense of confidence.' While Ortega hopes that some of her credits on the horizon will change that narrative, she acknowledges that a 'dark' character like Wednesday Addams offers complexity that's exciting for an actor to play. 'It's weird that oftentimes when people see you as one thing, they only want to see you as that,' she says. 'And when you venture outside of it, it can be quite disengaging for people.' Also back for the wonderful weirdness of 'Wednesday' are Catherine Zeta-Jones and Luis Guzmán, the veteran performers who play the heroine's parents Morticia and Gomez Addams. This season features their characters more prominently, much to their delight. 'Me and Luis were like, 'Can we do any more?'' says Zeta-Jones on a video call from Spain about their roles in the first season. The YA series catapulted fresh faces like Ortega and Emma Myers, who plays Wednesday's roommate Enid, to stardom, but Zeta-Jones and Guzmán have dozens of film and TV credits between them, bringing decades of experience to the show. (Zeta-Jones is also an Oscar winner for her supporting role in 2003's 'Chicago.') When she learned that series creators Alfred Gough and Miles Millar planned to look closer at the other members of the Addams clan, including Gomez and Morticia, Zeta-Jones was eager to flesh out her part, signing on for Season 2. 'I was thrilled because for such an iconic character, you don't really know a lot about Morticia,' adds Zeta-Jones in her distinct Welsh accent. 'They finely tuned her vulnerability, her emotion, her fraught dynamic with Wednesday, and then brought in Grandma Frump [Morticia's mother, played by Joanna Lumley].' Guzmán describes the new episodes as a continuation of the ethos of inclusion established in the first season, a quality that has helped the Addams Family endure across generations. 'Our show shows people that it's OK to be who you are no matter what,' he says during an interview inside a trailer at the Forum before taking the stage for Netflix's Tudum event in May. 'It's not about fitting in — it's just about living your life, and it's OK to be how you are. Weird might not be the best word, but in our case, weird is beautiful.' Guzmán, who often speaks about his character in the first person, is pleased that audiences will discover Gomez's nuances this season. 'You find out more about his fathering. I do have a whole segment with my son [Pugsley, played by Isaac Ordonez] this season,' he says. 'And you just see how I navigate my life as a father in all the different circumstances that we come across.' This larger dose of Gomez features a rendition of the Spanish-language romantic track 'Bésame Mucho,' a 1930s bolero written by Mexican songwriter Consuelo Velázquez for which countless versions exist, in a scene that allowed the Puerto Rican actor, whose storied career includes multiple collaborations with director Paul Thomas Anderson, to flex his passion for singing. 'They're just so excellent as the characters and so funny together. They bring such a great sense of humor,' Ortega says about her on-screen mom and dad, who share a passionate relationship like past iterations of the characters. 'And who doesn't want to see Gomez and Morticia all over each other? That's half the point of the series in general.' It's not the first time the actors have worked together, either. 'Wednesday' reunited Guzmán and Zeta-Jones for the first time in more than two decades after sharing the screen in Steven Soderbergh's 2000 Oscar-winning crime drama 'Traffic.' 'We hadn't seen each other in all this time, and then we totally picked up where we left off,' says Zeta-Jones. 'I was pregnant with my son during 'Traffic,' and Luis used to take such good care of me, making sure I had my tea and my stool to put my feet up.' Guzmán said their reunion was 'incredibly rewarding,' calling her 'kind and precise in her work.' Ortega, who is well aware of her co-stars' careers and accolades, treasures the time she's spent with these seasoned artists — first in Romania, where the first season was shot, and more recently in Ireland for this return — particularly because it's a show that required them to create a familial bond while playing peculiar characters. 'They've had such extensive careers and have done all sorts of genres, so they're very malleable performers,' she says. 'And to be able to work with them on a show that is kind of a conglomerate of so many different ideas — it's incredibly beneficial and has just been such wonderful education for me.' The admiration is mutual. Zeta-Jones believes sometimes great success at a young age is bestowed on individuals who are not equipped to deal with it no matter how many mentors they have on their side. Ortega, she thinks, represents the antithesis and is effusive about her work. 'I can't think of anyone more deserving or more prepared for what has happened to her in such a short space of time, because she's the real deal,' says Zeta-Jones about Ortega. 'She's got her head screwed on right. And more importantly, she's unwavering in her strength as a young woman. We talked art, politics, a whole bunch of s— that has nothing to do with 'Wednesday.'' The two actors have already shot another project together, 'The Gallerist,' an upcoming thriller filmed in Paris that also stars Natalie Portman and was directed by Cathy Yan ('Birds of Prey') . 'It was wonderful to work with her not in the 'Wednesday' world,' adds Zeta-Jones. These days, Zeta-Jones, who says she wants to direct in the future, feels she has nothing left to prove in this industry. The actor established herself with films like 'The Mask of Zorro' and 'Entrapment,' leading to a successful Hollywood career by many measures. Now, every job she takes is out of pleasure. 'I am enjoying this bit of a renaissance, this new chapter,' she says. Her outlook wasn't always so peaceful, however. 'I remember literally having nightmares on that Friday of box office numbers,' recalls Zeta-Jones. 'It was really terrifying, and now everything's a bonus, so the pressure's off now.' Asked about any piece of knowledge she would have liked to have known when she was Ortega's age, the actress looked inward. 'The biggest one for me, just in general in my career, in my life, is that you can't please everybody,' says Zeta-Jones. 'And you can't be liked by everybody.' For his part, Guzmán says the key to professional longevity is humility. With a resume as eclectic and consistent as his, he must be on to something. 'Carlito's Way,' 'Boogie Nights' and 'Punch-Drunk Love' feature some of his most memorable parts. And for his role in Soderbergh's 1999 crime saga 'The Limey,' Guzmán received an Independent Spirit Award nomination for best supporting male. 'Grounded' and not blinded by her 'star power' is precisely how he thinks of Ortega. 'She carries herself like a seasoned veteran,' he adds. 'This business could make you think that you're the greatest thing alive. And you might be, but you're also bound to remember where you come from,' he says. 'Remember what steps you had to take in order to get to where you are at the moment. My philosophy when I work is I always want to be invited to the next party, and I've been invited to many parties.' For Ortega, who's been in front of the camera since she was 9 years old, the lesson she wishes she'd learned sooner was knowing how to assert her agency as an artist in an environment eager to diminish her. 'I wish I had felt more secure in my position or in myself,' says Ortega. 'I felt like I was always having to be somebody else or put on another mask or face, because it's hard getting jobs and there's so much competition. There's so much rejection, and I wasn't always what they were going for.' Now, with more power to be selective about her projects, Ortega no longer wants to be a 'workhorse,' and she aims to dictate more closely where her time and energy go. 'I had been recommended to change myself for other people, which I think, as a young girl — that could probably be really confusing,' Ortega adds. 'And I don't know what that does on the psyche, but it's something that I've learned now, more so in the recent years after all this stuff that I wish I had taken on much sooner.' Whatever self-possession Ortega thinks she may have lacked, Wednesday has it in spades. But does she hope that her performance, and the way she handles her professional life, could inspire young viewers? Perhaps even spark an interest in acting just like watching Dakota Fanning in 'Man on Fire' did for her at a young age? 'It's really hard for me to think about myself in that sense, but with a character like Wednesday, I do think she's a good role model for girls, considering her strength and courage and confidence in herself,' Ortega says. 'She doesn't underestimate her power and is always pushing herself to learn more. She's a curious individual.' Curiosity is a trait that Ortega and Wednesday share. Even as she juggles a challenging schedule, the actor, whom Zeta-Jones describes as 'well-read with an amazing knowledge of directors and movies of great historical importance,' still finds time to watch films and expand her artistic landscape. 'Sometimes it's hard when you're filming because too many stories can be a bit heavy on the mind,' Ortega says. 'I read less books, but I still always watch at least a movie on the weekend. I'll read plays because they're a bit easier to pick up and put down and finish, so it doesn't take from you too much and it's still involved in my craft and the history of it all.' Stardom born from diligent work does come with its dazzling perks. At Tudum, Ortega appeared on stage during Lady Gaga's performance as part of a lugubrious ensemble. The pop star has a cameo appearance in this season of 'Wednesday.' 'That was something that came up the night before,' says Ortega. 'I didn't have much time to think about it, but that seems like something you would be regretting for a very long time afterwards if you didn't take her up on it.' As she tries to balance spontaneity with strategy moving forward, Ortega, who doesn't much enjoy pondering the future, might lean more on Guzmán and Zeta-Jones for advice on what it takes to build a long-lasting, fulfilling career amid hurdles and triumphs. 'Maybe I've got to talk to them a bit more about that instead of making silly jokes sometimes,' Ortega says. 'I get very easily overwhelmed, and I've got to take things a day at a time before I start thinking too far in advance.'
Perth Now
7 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Perth Now
Gremlins 3 waiting on Spielberg script approval
Gremlins 3 has a script and is waiting on approval from Steven Spielberg. Gremlins lead actor Zach Galligan has revealed that Warner Bros is 'incredibly interested' in making a follow up to 1984's Gremlins 2 and are just waiting on executive producer Spielberg to approve the script. According to Games Radar, Galligan – who played Billy Peltzer in Gremlins and it's sequel - said during an appearance at Comic-Con Manchester: 'After 35 years, they've come up with a script. Warner Bros. is incredibly interested in doing it, apparently it's waiting on Mr. Spielberg to read it and approve it. But you can thank the success of Beetlejuice Beetlejuice.' Back in April, Warner Bros. Pictures co-chief Pam Abdy, revealed new entries in the Gremlins franchise were in the works. She told Deadline: 'Adding to things we're excited about, Andy Serkis doing the Gollum film, Drew Goddard writing a new Matrix. We're super excited about Amblin developing with Chris Columbus new entries in the Gremlins and Goonies franchises. We just had a dynamite check-in with Philippa Boyens on Gollum, and I think we're about to get that script in May. Cat in the Hat and the second Dr. Seuss adaptation Jon M. Chu is co-directing … there's really great stuff on the horizon.' Gremlins was a horror comedy directed by Joe Dante from a script written by Chris Columbus. The first movie starred Galligan, Phoebe Cates and Hoyt Axton with Howie Mandel voicing the character of Gizmo. In the film, Galligan's character is gifted a mogwai named Gizmo but things go horribly wrong after he fails to follow the three strict rules for looking after him.
Geek Tyrant
20 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Geek Tyrant
GREMLINS 3 Script Is Written and Ready to Go, but It's Waiting on Steven Spielberg's Greenlight — GeekTyrant
Several months ago we learned that Gremlins 3 was in development, and now it seems like its very close to going into production. According to Zach Galligan, who played Billy Peltzer in the original Gremlins films, the third installment has a completed script. All that's left is a thumbs-up from Steven Spielberg. Speaking at Comic-Con Manchester, Galligan told fans, 'After 35 years, they've come up with a script. Warner Bros. is incredibly interested in doing it, apparently it's waiting on Mr. Spielberg to read it and approve it.' That's big news for fans of the mischievous Mogwai. Galligan also pointed to the success of Beetlejuice Beetlejuice as the driving force behind the revival of legacy sequels. That movie brought back Michael Keaton nearly four decades after Tim Burton's original, and now Warner Bros. seems hungry to revisit more of its classic IPs, including Gremlins 3 and a new The Goonies sequel. Back in April, Warner Bros. Pictures co-chair/CEO Pam Abdy said, 'We're super excited about Amblin developing with Chris Columbus new entries in the Gremlins and Goonies franchises.' If these films are going to actually happen, I just hope that the stories and scripts are strong! I think it's pretty wild that we actually might be getting a Gremlin's 3 movie and it will be interesting to see what story it will tell. This isn't the first time Gremlins 3 has sparked excitement. The film has been in some form of development hell for years, with Chris Columbus, who wrote the original film and directed Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone , frequently championing the project. In fact, back in 2017, Columbus revealed he was 'aggressively working' on a 'twisted and dark script' with writer Carl Ellsworth. Importantly, Columbus has made it clear that Gremlins 3 would not be a reboot. It's a direct sequel and he even said in 2020 that the team would stick with practical effects rather than CGI, using classic puppets and animatronics to bring the creatures to life once again. If Spielberg gives his seal of approval and things move quickly, filming could begin next year. That means we might finally see Gremlins 3 hit theaters in 2027. Until then, you can stream Gremlins and Gremlins: The New Batch now on Amazon Prime. Keep your Mogwai dry, and stay tuned for more updates. Via: TikTok
