When Eddie Murphy debuted on SNL in 1980, he instantly became the show’s biggest star — in large part because of the characters he created. And it definitely was characters, as in plural, as in many more than just one. In fact, they’ve transcended era, too, as they’ve remained some of the most well-known in SNL history, particularly Gumby, Buckwheat, Mr. Robinson and Murphy’s take on James Brown.

For the most part, Murphy crafted them with the help of the writing duo Barry W. Blaustein and David Sheffield, both of whom would later play a big part in Murphy’s film career, writing Coming to America, Nutty Professor and several other of his movies.

I recently caught up with Blaustein about his time writing with Murphy on SNL, who, during our call, shared the financial advice James Brown gave Murphy, why Gumby’s creator loved Murphy’s twist...

The Twilight Zone Helicopter Crash is one of the most infamous accidents in Hollywood history. It claimed the lives of three people – veteran actor Vic Morrow and two child actors – Myca Dinh Le (age 7) and Renee Shin-Yi Chen (age 6). It led to a nine-month involuntary manslaughter trial, and numerous lawsuits and was considered the moment Hollywood finally started to take child labour laws seriously. It’s become a permanent stain on the legacy of director John Landis, and ghoulish footage of the incident is on permanent record, proving how complicated sequences can have deadly outcomes in only a split second. Indeed, in this episode of JoBlo Scandals, we’re digging into the Twilight Zone accident and the man at its heart, director John Landis.

Before the accident, Landis was one of the top directors in Hollywood. Two movements were going on in seventies films that forever changed the medium. One was the “New Hollywood” movement,...

This article contains discussion of addiction.

2024 has been a really huge year for "Saturday Night Live," the sketch comedy institution that operates out of Studio 8 in New York City's famous 30 Rockefeller Center. With the show entering its 50th season during its September premiere -- which brought Emmy-winning "Hacks" star Jean Smart on board as a host -- and a major election this year providing plenty of material week after week, more eyes are on Lorne Michaels' 90-minute late-night show than ever. Not only that, but Jason Reitman's film "Saturday Night," which focuses on the show's humble beginnings and its messy, chaotic 1975 premiere, releases on October 11 (the anniversary of the "Saturday Night Live" series premiere). 

It feels like Michaels and company are pulling out all the stops this fall to celebrate the show -- John Mulaney (one of the most popular hosts in recent memory) will star in an upcoming episode,...

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The year 2024 brought us a long-awaited fourth installment of the "Beverly Hills Cop" franchise. Led by Eddie Murphy, the action comedy film series began back in 1984, with the comedian and "Saturday Night Live" veteran playing smart-ass Detroit cop Axel Foley, who follows a case that takes him to the upscale Los Angeles locale, where he inevitably stirs up trouble. Riding a wave of stardom thanks to big screen roles in "48 Hrs." and "Trading Places," Murphy became a big screen phenomenon after "Beverly Hills Cop," as he took the lead for the first time and sparked a box office success that resulted in a trilogy of films (though each was worse than its predecessor).

Despite the decline in quality, with "Beverly Hills Cop 3" being an atrocious addition to the franchise, fans still wanted to see what Axel Foley might...

Well, folks, summer is almost over. For some of you, this will be bad news — summer is a time of fun in the sun! Others will find solace in the fact that fall, arguably the best season, is on the way. But no matter how you feel, the simple fact of the matter is that change is inevitable. We can't stop the seasons anymore than we can stop Netflix from saying goodbye to certain titles once the calendar rolls over. So as August gives way to September, it will be time to part ways with several movies and TV shows currently available on the streaming giant. As usual, we're here to both list all the titles leaving the service and highlight a handful that you definitely want to check out before they're gone. There's always a chance these films and TV shows will return to Netflix one day, but for now,...

Usher has officially kicked off the Past Present Future Tour after needing to postpone his first few shows due to an injury.

The 45-year-old singer packed in more than 45 songs into a two-hour set list on opening night on Tuesday (August 20) at Capitol One Arena in Washington, D.C.

Usher told USA Today, “I’m promoting a legacy: past, present and future. I’ve been doing this long enough to celebrate the legacy of my music from the beginning of my career up until an incredible moment that I’m having.”

The setlist spans 30 years of music and definitely includes all of the fan-favorite songs!

Head inside to check out the set list…

Keep scrolling to check out the full set list…

**This set list is representative of opening night on the tour and might not be completely accurate for every show.

1. Coming Home

2. Hey Daddy (Daddy’s Home)

3. Big

4. Call...

Jamie Lee Curtis was awarded with an honorary Doctorate of Fine Arts by the American Film Institute at the conservatory‘s commencement ceremony. The Oscar winner was the keynote speaker at the event, held Aug. 10. at the Tcl Chinese Theatre in Hollywood.

“If you look at the paper, I’m not supposed to be here,” Curtis stated as began her speech. “I am the underachiever who just was awarded this incredible honor.”

Curtis’ resume would beg to differ: the actor, who won an Oscar in 2023 for her role in “Everything Everywhere All at Once,” has built an extensive filmography that includes the “Halloween” movies, “Freaky Friday,” “Knives Out,” “Trading Places,” “My Girl,” “A Fish Called Wanda” and “True Lies,” plus television credits like “Scream Queens” and “Anything But Love.”

“I am, for you graduates, the representation of the underachiever who has achieved,” Curtis continued. “I am an artist, I can say it to you today.

Jamie Lee Curtis was a highlight of The Bear season 2 and the actress is opening up about her acclaimed turn in the hit show!

Curtis has been a notable Hollywood star since she was a child. The fact she’s the daughter of legendary actors Tony Curtis and Janet Leigh means she was literally born for the business. Her breakout turn in Halloween kicked off a film career that included hits like Trading Places, True Lies, Freaky Friday and culminating in Curtis winning an Oscar for Everything Everywhere All At Once.

In terms of television, Curtis has had surprising appearances, such as starring in the ABC sitcom Anything But Love. She’s had recurring roles on NCIS and New Girl yet given her movie fame, seeing Curtis on TV is rare.

That made her turn on The Bear so notable. A highlight of season 2 of the hit FX/Hulu drama was “Fishes,...

Dr. Curtis at your service.

Academy Award winner Jamie Lee Curtis, who just snagged an Emmy nomination for her critically-acclaimed turn on The Bear, is poised to receive another accolade. The American Film Institute announced today that it will present a doctorate of fine arts degree honoris causa to Curtis in honor of “contributions of distinction to the art of the moving image.”

Curtis will receive the shine and the diploma during the AFI Conservatory’s commencement ceremony celebrating the class of 2024 at Hollywood’s Tcl Chinese Theatre on Aug. 10.

With the honor, Curtis joins a roster of past recipients that includes such notable names as Robert Altman, Angela Bassett, Kathryn Bigelow, Mel Brooks, Carol Burnett, Clint Eastwood, Nora Ephron, James Earl Jones, Jeffrey Katzenberg, Kathleen Kennedy, Angela Lansbury, Spike Lee, David Lynch, Helen Mirren, Rita Moreno, Gina Prince-Bythewood, Paul Schrader, Quentin Tarantino, Lily Tomlin, Robert Towne, Cicely Tyson and John Williams.

Robin Williams, who would have turned 73 over the weekend, loved making “strange films.” Out-of-the-box early choices like The World According to Garp and Moscow on the Hudson let Williams stretch his acting wings. But did their middling box-office success lower his status in the comedy hierarchy?

He was especially freaked out by the success of Trading Places, according to Dave Itzkoff’s biography, Robin. The odd couple/buddy comedy starring Dan Aykroyd and Eddie Murphy went gangbusters in the summer of 1983, and by Williams’ math, that was a problem. In his eyes, one comedian coming up meant another had to come down.

While Williams had a hard time translating his Mork & Mindy TV success into a film career, at least at first, Murphy was making the SNL-to-the-movies transition look easy. “Eddie is ideal. He knows exactly what he does and how to get it out on film perfectly,” Robin said.

Eddie Murphy has a lot of standalone movies that are great like Trading Places, Harlem Nights, and the more recent Dolomite is my Name, but he’s also been a bit of franchise gold in the past. Obviously, Beverly Hills Cop is the biggest and most recent example, but he’s also been part of 2 48 Hours movies, a couple Nutty Professor flicks, a couple Doctor Dolittle movies and is an integral part of the mega franchise that is Shrek. While we unfortunately have to call Coming to America a franchise now after that abysmal rehash that Amazon dropped on us, there is another movie and character that I actually wouldn’t mind being brought back and has potential, under the right writer and director combo, to be a fun time and maybe even fix some of the mistakes from its predecessor. While Pluto Nash and Norbit are all time stinkers...

Eddie Murphy has made sure to don some of the most fan-favorite roles throughout his star-studded career, with his iconic Beverly Hills Cop role of Axel Foley ranking as one of his best ones to date. Even then, despite holding some really significant titles to his role like Coming to America and Trading Places, the actor holds some serious regrets about the roles he turned down.

Eddie Murphy in Beverly Hills Cop 3 | Paramount Pictures

While one of the roles that he was offered but couldn’t take on included one from the critically acclaimed Ghostbusters film franchise, it wasn’t the only one. As it turns out, one other $351 million comedy movie that he was offered but ended up turning down eventually became one of his biggest regrets in Hollywood. This movie was 1988’s Who Framed Roger Rabbit?

Eddie Murphy Deeply Regrets Turning Down Who Framed Roger Rabbit?

Within...

Although some younger audiences may not realize it, Eddie Murphy has been one of the biggest, most famous movie stars on the planet for more than 40 years. Part of the gap of knowledge for Gen Z might be the reality that Murphy stepped away from the limelight aside from a couple of notable titles that went straight to streaming over the last few years, such as the Amazon Original film "Coming 2 America," over the last decade. But Murphy is roaring back on screen this week with a vengeance by returning to one of his most recognizable and beloved characters in the new Netflix action comedy "Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F." With his return to this now-40-year-old character in mind, it's worth looking at the whole "Beverly Hills Cop" series. The 1984 original is one of the seminal action comedies ever made, but how does the rest of the franchise hold up?...

First released in 1984, Martin Brest’s “Beverly Hills Cop” was one of the defining movies of its decade, and a huge stepping stone (along with “48 Hrs.” and “Trading Places”) toward stardom for Eddie Murphy. It not only spawned two sequels over the next decade, but set a template for action comedies that persists today. “Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F” marks the overdue fourth installment in the franchise and introduces with it a director to watch: Mark Molloy.

After beginning his career as a director of commercials for brands like Nike, Google and Apple, Molloy makes his feature debut with “Axel F,” which drew heavily from the first two “Beverly Hills Cop” films while pushing forward the story of its eponymous detective, now father to an equally-driven but estranged daughter (played by “Zola” breakout Taylour Paige).

While Netflix commemorates the 40th anniversary of Brest’s original with this sequel, Molloy...

Eddie Murphy was only 23 when "Beverly Hills Cop" arrived in theaters in 1984, and the action comedy helped make him a superstar. Murphy's raw talent was already apparent thanks to his work on "Saturday Night Live," a show he joined when he as 19. His feature debut in Walter Hill's 1982 flick "48 Hrs." took him even further, as did his follow-up movie, 1983's "Trading Places". But "Beverly Hills Cop," directed by Martin Brest, helped solidify that Murphy was the real deal; a bonafide movie star. It was a mega-hit, and almost immediately made trash-talking Detroit cop Axel Foley an iconic character. Murphy was so cool, so confident, so suave that he took the character to extreme heights, taking a high concept pitch — what if a tough city cop ended up in posh Beverly Hills? — and creating movie magic in the process. Like Eddie Murphy, Axel Foley was young, hip, and in-demand.

There are a few valid reasons to make a sequel four decades down the track from an action-comedy blockbuster that left an indelible pop-cultural imprint: 1. A smart script with a completely fresh take on a formulaic genre. 2. Writing that digs into the ways an iconic character known for his rule-breaking irreverence adjusts to the social shifts of a different century. 3. New technology that allows for more explosive thrills. 4. The nostalgia of audiences for whom the original holds enduringly fond memories. 5. Lil Nas X agrees to write and perform a song, spinning rap verses around synthmeister Harold Faltermeyer’s catchy theme tune.

Sauntering along 30 years after the third installment opened to scalding reviews and underwhelming grosses, Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F justifies its existence only with points 4 and 5. Which will likely be enough to satisfy diehard fans. Directed with journeyman efficiency by first-timer Mark Molloy and written by a committee that...

Stepping into a project that was built for another actor has gone wrong dozens of times in the past. However, Jerry Bruckheimer, Don Simpson, and Martin Brest hit a home run with Beverly Hills Cop. Originally developed as a project for names like Sylvester Stallone and Mickey Rourke, the casting of Eddie Murphy launched the comedic talent into the stratosphere. It was far from a sure thing, but Murphy proved too magnetic to ignore. It’s why Netflix pushed hard to acquire Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F, and a huge reason for Murphy’s rise into the mainstream.

Suggested“I thought the movie was going to be horrible”: One Stone-Cold Incident Had Eddie Murphy Convinced That His First Beverly Hills Cop Movie Would Be a Huge Failure Eddie Murphy Before Beverly Hills Cop

While Beverly Hills Cop was not Murphy’s first leading role, it paved the way for him as an A-lister.

Eddie Murphy revealed on The New York Times’ “The Interview” podcast that Marlon Brando told him that “acting is bullshit, when Murphy’s star profile was on the rise in the wake of “48 Hrs.” Murphy was a known comedian at the time thanks to his stint on “Saturday Night Live,” but “48 Hrs.” was his first movie role and started his ascent as a film star. “Trading Places” and “Beverly Hills Cop” followed and cemented his status.

“I was having these famous people that I grew up watching on television wanting to have a meal with me,” Murphy remembered about becoming famous in Hollywood. “After ’48 Hrs.’ Marlon Brando calls my agent and wants to meet me. Now I look back and go, ‘Wow, that’s crazy: The greatest actor of all time wants to have dinner with you!’ But back then I just thought, ‘Well, that’s the way...

Eddie Murphy may have just been born uber-confident. From a young age, he knew was gonna make it and, indeed, by just 19, he was already a cast member on “Saturday Night Live.” From there, he would go on to star in comedy hits like “48 Hrs.” and “Trading Places,” which is when he started receiving recognition from his fellow thespians. A recognition he says in a recent interview with The New York Times, he didn’t quite appreciate it at the time.

“I started at maybe around 13, 14, saying that I was going to be famous,” Murphy said. “I’d tell my mother, ‘When I’m famous…’ So when I got famous, it was like, ‘See, I told you.’ I was having these famous people that I grew up watching on television wanting to have a meal with me. After ‘48 Hrs.’ Marlon Brando calls my agent and wants to meet me.

It’s always fun to find a hidden gem from a star’s early years. Eddie Murphy’s Best Defense is not one of them – at least according to the star. But Kino Lorber is going to try to give it a new life, announcing that they will release Best Defense on 4K later this year.

Best Defense came out at the dawn of Eddie Murphy’s box office tear, arriving after 48 Hrs. and Trading Places and before Beverly Hills Cop. Those are all classics of ‘80s comedy, but Murphy would apparently prefer you just ignore Best Defense altogether…so we can’t imagine he’ll be too happy hearing it is getting a restoration.

Murphy was pretty much in a position to take any movie he wanted at that time. Yet, even knowing the script was awful, he signed on anyway – hey, that’s what a $1 million paycheck can...

Actor and comedian Dan Aykroyd has had a long and steady career ever since he first began doing improvisational comedy with the famed Second City troupe in both their Chicago and Toronto theaters.

Fame came to Aykoyd when he was hired for what seemed like a low expectations comedy/variety show NBC was beginning for late Saturday evenings. “Saturday Night Live” became a bit of a phenomenon launching all the original “Not Ready for Prime Time Players” (as the cast was called) into stardom. Aykroyd along with Chevy Chase, John Belushi, Gilda Radner, Jane Curtin, Laraine Newman and Garrett Morris suddenly found themselves among the most talked about television stars working in the business.

Aykroyd and Belushi became especially close friends during the series run and began working in films together such as “Neighbors,” “The Blues Brothers” and potentially “Ghostbusters,” but Belushi’s overdose at the age of 33 caused Bill Murray...

Columbia Pictures never wanted to make Ghostbusters. Well, to put a finer point on it, those who technically ran the studio out of New York City (then as a Coca-Cola subsidiary) wanted no part in the catching ghost business—so much so that lawyers got involved. But by the time the Manhattan executives heard about the project, the Columbia Pictures chairman out in actual Hollywood, Frank Price, had already greenlit the movie and put a seeming target on his back.

Such was the opinion of “high-concept” and special effects-driven comedies in the early 1980s.

Released 40 years ago this month, Ghostbusters has obviously outlived those early doubts. It’s a pop culture touchstone with the same kind of tenacity Slimer displays at a wedding reception buffet. There’s always room for more bustin’, whether it be by way of loving tributes to this classic of 1980s comedy, or through new attempts to expand the brand.

Spoiler Warning: This interview contains spoilers for “The Bear,” including a surprise cameo.

Matty Matheson has spent his career running restaurants. Now, he’s focused on a fictional one.

With FX’s “The Bear,” the Toronto-based celebrity chef and restaurateur added actor to his resume, playing the loud, lovable and sometimes immature handyman Neil Fak in addition to his role as a culinary consultant and producer on the show.

Matheson’s role behind the scenes of the Emmy-winning kitchen dramedy expanded from co-producer in Season 1 to executive producer for the next two seasons. And so too did his role in front of the camera. Together with Ricky Staffieri, who plays Neil’s brother Ted, Matheson has proudly shouldered the comic relief of “The Bear,” a responsibility he doesn’t take lightly.

“I think I was able to create more of a character out of Fak,” Matheson tells Variety, adding that...

Bill Cobbs, a prolific film and TV actor with memorable performances in Night At The Museum, Brother From Another Planet, Oz The Great And Powerful, The Sopranos and dozens of others, died surrounded by family Tuesday, June 25, of natural causes at his home in Inland Empire, California. He was 90.

His death was announced by family members on Facebook, and confirmed to Deadline by his publicist Chuck I. Jones.

“We are saddened to share the passing of Bill Cobbs,” wrote brother Thomas G. Cobbs. “On Tuesday, June 25, Bill passed away peacefully at his home in California. A beloved partner, big brother, uncle, surrogate parent, godfather and friend, Bill recently and happily celebrated his 90th birthday surrounded by cherished loved ones. As a family we are comforted knowing Bill has found peace and eternal rest with his Heavenly Father. We ask for your prayers and encouragement during this time.”

Said Jones, “Bill...

Sad news to report today as it has been confirmed that legendary character actor Bill Cobbs has died at the age of 90. The actor’s publicist, Chuck I. Jones, told TMZ that Cobbs passed away at his home in Riverside. He recently celebrated his 90th birthday. Cobbs leaves behind an incredible body of work, with memorable roles in movies such as The Hudsucker Proxy, The Bodyguard, That Thing You Do!, Ghosts of Mississippi, Night at the Museum, and so much more.

After serving for eight years in the U.S. Air Force, Cobbs sold cars and worked for Ibm before he decided to give acting a try. After appearing in various theater productions, he made his feature film debut in The Taking of Pelham One Two Three. “I came back home to see my mom and dad, and all our friends and neighbors went to see the movie, and everyone was waiting for my appearance,...

Bill Cobbs, the convincing character actor who had pivotal turns in such films as The Hudsucker Proxy, Sunshine State and Night at the Museum, has died. He was 90.

Cobbs died Tuesday night at his home in Riverside, his publicist, Chuck I. Jones, told TMZ.

A native of Cleveland who excelled at comedy as well as drama, Cobbs portrayed Whitney Houston’s manager in The Bodyguard (1992), the older brother of Medgar Evers in Rob Reiner’s Ghosts of Mississippi (1996), a jazz pianist in Tom Hanks’ That Thing You Do! (1996) and the Master Tinker, builder of the Tin Woodsman, in Sam Raimi’s Oz the Great and Powerful (2013).

He also played the wise coach who put a basketball-playing dog into the Timberwolves lineup in Air Bud (1997).

On television, Cobbs stood out as the sardonic bartender The Dutchman on the Dabney Coleman-starring The Slap Maxwell Story, the bus driver Tony on The Drew Carey Show,...

On Monday, June 18, Bravo’s Watch What Happens Live welcomes actor Eddie Murphy and author Nicola Yoon to the show. Eddie Murphy, an American comedian, actor, and singer, joins the show to discuss his upcoming film, “Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F.” Murphy is known for his roles in “Saturday Night Live,” “Trading Places,” and “Beverly […]

Watch What Happens Live: Eddie Murphy, Nicola Yoon...

After 20 years, a graphic novel series, a feature film and a video game, it’s no wonder that Bryan Lee O’Malley was hesitant to dive into another adaptation of his Scott Pilgrim series. After what he describes as a “jokey” conversation with BenDavid Grabinski, the two decided to flip the script and take the Netflix series in an entirely new direction for Scott Pilgrim Takes Off.

The Netflix series begins similarly to the other tellings of Scott Pilgrim’s story, but diverges when Scott seemingly loses during his battle with Ramona’s first evil ex. Suspecting that Scott may still be alive, Ramona goes on her own journey tracking down the evil exes and finding out what really happened. Both Lee O’Malley and Grabinski were excited for this adaptation to not just feature Ramona as the driving narrative force, but also give a greater backstory to her connection with each of the exes.

“Let’s face it, I had a bad script,” director Michael Bay said on the commentary track of his debut feature film, Bad Boys. Bay isn’t wrong. Bad Boys relies on buddy comedy tropes already established in 1974’s Freebie and the Bean and 1982’s 48 Hrs., complete with nonsense plot points. “But I had real comic talent in my two stars.” Bay of course means Martin Lawrence and Will Smith. Drawn from the popular sitcoms Martin and The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, Lawrence and Smith saved the movie from the clunky script with their easy chemistry and comic timing.

At one point, however, Bad Boys had two very different stars in mind with a comic chemistry unlike that of Lawrence and Smith.

Live From Miami, It’s Saturday Night!

In the 1980s, there were no greater kingmakers than Jerry Bruckheimer and Don Simpson. Not only did the super producers turn...

Veteran actress Jamie Lee Curtis has had a plethora of movies to her name ever since starring in Hollywood from 1978’s horror film Halloween. With the actress starring mainly in horror films throughout her decades-long career, Lee Curtis is regarded as one of the scream queens of Hollywood.

Jamie Lee Curtis in a still from the Halloween franchise

Despite having quite an iconic career, Lee Curtis had her fair share of moments that she felt, were embarrassing for her. Most notably known for undressing in her 1983 film Trading Places, Lee Curtis revealed that she felt deeply embarrassed by that scene and would not do anything like that again!

Jamie Lee Curtis Is Embarrassed by Her Nude Scene!

The actress, who is now 65 years old, was once young and had just entered Hollywood when she starred in the 1983 film Trading Places. Starring alongside Eddie Murphy and Dan Aykroyd, Jamie Lee Curtis...

Aziz Ansari cast Keanu Reeves as an angel named Gabriel in his new Lionsgate film Good Fortune, but God apparently wasn’t looking out for Reeves when he tripped on a rug in his trailer.

“About 15 days into shooting with me, I said, ‘Go chill in your trailer,'” Ansari recalled during an appearance at CinemaCon on Wednesday. “He tripped on a rug … Poor guy, he was such a trooper, and he fractured his kneecap and continued to do all the scenes.”

Ansari, appearing opposite Lionsgate’s motion picture group chair Adam Fogelson during the studio’s presentation in front of theater owners, suggested that the accident was even more striking considering that through all his physically demanding work in action pics like the John Wick franchise and Speed, “he never had to go to the hospital or anything.”

After an image surfaced earlier this year from the set showing...

Pluto TV, Paramount’s free streaming service, has revealed its April highlights. The Pluto TV April 2024 schedule celebrates the service’s 10th anniversary, highlights star-studded dramas, and marks the halfway point to Halloween with April Ghouls, where you’ll find spooky marathons across its channels.

Pluto TV is the leading free streaming television service, delivering hundreds of live, linear channels and thousands of titles on-demand to a global audience.

The Emmy Award-winning service curates a diverse lineup of channels in partnership with over 400 international media companies. It offers a wide array of genres, languages, and categories featuring movies, television series, sports, news, lifestyle, kids, and much more.

Pluto TV April 2024 Programming

10th Anniversary

Pluto TV is giving the gift of great TV and movies for its birthday.

April 1 at 8 p.m. Et on Action Drama: 10-Hour Seal Team marathon.

April 1 on Pluto TV Spotlight: 2014 Movie Marathon featuring Big Eyes, Noah,...

Recently, I had the chance to sit down with Paul Rudd and Carrie Coon, who are out promoting Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire. Both Rudd and Coon have been outspoken in their love of the original Ghostbusters, as well as the original cast, and I couldn’t help but put them both on the spot a little bit. Given that young audiences are discovering the original Ghostbusters thanks to these new movies, I wondered which classic comedy featuring some of the cast Rudd and Coon might suggest younger audiences check out next.

“I love so many of them. I might say Stripes because of the Harold Ramis connection there. But, you can also do Groundhog Day because of the Harold Ramis connection. Or Caddyshack. I mean, my God, there’s so many! And with Aykroyd, The Blues Brothers is obviously such a major thing.”

Coon also chimed in, mentioning that the old...

Intro: The heat is back on for a third time in this episode of Revisited, but after huge success with the first two installments, can lightning strike a third time in the massively popular Beverly Hills Cop series? Of course it can. I mean, the formulas there, the main star of the franchise is back and the poster has a kick-ass rollercoaster on it, which is pretty edgy…If you’re a ten year old. So, naturally, nothing could go wrong.

Well, look, the franchise has legs, with part four in post production at the time of writing this episode, and Netflix looking at a summer release for the movie. It’s a popular modern trend in Tinseltown, where legacy characters, or franchises, are being resurrected for final outings, or a continuation of the mythology to keep modern audiences interested in a known and historically lucrative IP. Indy may have...

Trading Places, currently streaming on Netflix, is a romantic comedy portraying an estranged couple who get to know each other better after their bodies get swapped. These days, we do not get to see much of the body-swap comedies that were a hit during the 90s. Films like Vice Versa (1988), where a body-swap between the father-son duo occurs, have been missing from the list of comedies in current times. Will Mduduzi and Zenokuhle be able to understand each other’s emotions better after the swap? Will they decide to stick to each other or split up in the process? The movie is intriguing and will keep us seeking answers to many more similar questions.

Spoilers Ahead

How Did Mduduzi And Zenokuhle Meet?

Mdu spotted Zeno standing outside a pub all by herself, waiting for her friend Azizwe to come, as she did not have the tickets to go to the concert.

As Hollywood neared the midpoint of the 1980s, the industry had abandoned the risk-taking ethos of the 1970s and unabashedly embraced formula filmmaking. Stars still mattered, but the pitch was king. Studio executives keen on becoming their generation's Jack Warner, Daryl Zanuck and Louis B. Mayer were through humoring unpredictable auteurs like Martin Scorsese and Hal Ashby. They wanted can't-miss high-concept projects powered by high-wattage stars that could play for months on end in theaters because, despite the skyrocketing value of home video and pay cable channels, theatrical was still king.

"Beverly Hills Cop" traversed a rocky path from inception to production, but producers Don Simpson and Jerry Bruckheimer doggedly developed and re-developed the project until they paired a 23-year-old comedy superstar with a once-hot director who'd two years prior gotten himself fired off "WarGames." The particulars of the fish-out-of-water plot shifted many times over the years (it was nearly...

Actor Jamie Lee Curtis had to rely on a lot of physical comedy for her role in Freaky Friday. So, the star took a cue from this Three’s Company alum to inform her performance.

How this ‘Three’s Company’ star affected Jamie Lee Curtis’ ‘Freaky Friday’ performance John Ritter, Suzanne Somers, Joyce Dewitt | ABC Photo Archives/Getty Images

Curtis had the chance to show off her comedic chops by doing the 2003 feature Freaky Friday. The movie saw Curtis and Lohan playing a mother and daughter who switched bodies. In a resurfaced interview with Phase 9, Curtis asserted that Freaky Friday might’ve been the most successful feature she made at the time. The project fell in Curtis’ lap during a period where she was exploring interests other than acting. But apart from liking the film’s script, everything about Freaky Friday accommodated Curtis’ situation. In the end, Curtis felt she had to do the movie.

When Harry Met Sally (courtesy Columbia Pictures)Graphic: The A.V. Club

Whether it’s the tension of the countdown, the promise of romance, or simply the idea of letting go of the past and moving on into an unknown future, there’s just something about New Year’s Eve that brings on new revelations,...

Once upon a time, Hollywood studios made original movies. Lots of them. Granted, "original" is a relative term when we're talking about this industry. Studios have always hedged their bets by relying on popular genres or recycling tried-and-true formulas. When a film went into production, moguls and executives were hoping for a healthy return on their investment, while stars generally tried their damnedest not to alienate their fans while avoiding the perils of typecasting. Once the film wrapped, it was on to the next one — and the next one was rarely a sequel.

This business model changed drastically in the 1970s when films like "The Godfather," "The Exorcist" and "Love Story" became wildly profitable cultural phenomena. When the studios realized people were lining up to see these movies again and again like they were amusement park rides, they reasoned that the safest course of action would be to continue the...

Before 2023 comes to a close, there’s a host of new movies to stream — and it’s a good thing too, because plenty of folks are going to be in need of something to watch during the lengthy holiday break. Whether you’re looking for something to watch alone away from friends and family, with the entire gang or somewhere in between, we’ve put together a curated list of some of the best movies newly streaming on the major platforms this month. You’ll find picks from Netflix, Amazon, Max, Hulu, Disney+, Paramount+ and Peacock below, ranging from brand new releases to beloved classics finally making their way to your favorite streamer.

Check out our picks for the best new movies streaming in December 2023 below.

The DC Extended Universe Warner Bros.

Netflix – Dec. 1

It speaks to both the flexibility of streaming rights and just how over the last era...

With Christmas just one week (and one day) away, we wanted to ask you, the people, what your favorite Christmas Movie is? It doesn’t have to be the movie you think is the best, just the one that you eagerly anticipate watching every year. Is it the timeless tale of an angel getting its wings in It’s A Wonderful Life? or perhaps the under-appreciated (and genuinely hilarious) R rated The Night Before is how you kick off your holiday season?

Do you look forward to seeing Jack Skellington discover the true meaning of Christmas in the Christmas Movie Classic The Nightmare Before Christmas or watching Kevin McCallister take down the Wet/ Sticky Bandits in Home Alone 1&2 or perhaps seeing Clark W. Griswold struggle to have the perfect family Christmas in National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation is more your speed? Whatever film fills you with yuletide glee, we would love...

One cannot understate the impact Martin Brest's crime comedy "Beverly Hills Cop" had on popular culture when it was released in 1984. Between "Cop," the 1983 comedy "Trading Places," and Walter Hill's 1982 buddy film "48 Hrs.," Eddie Murphy was suddenly one of the largest and most striking movie stars in the world. His glib delivery and willingness to be crass rattled cinemas to an astonishing degree, and audiences began flocking to see Murphy in just about anything. Brest's film was made for a mere $13 million and would rack up about $316 million worldwide. It was also nominated for Best Original Screenplay at the Academy Awards.

In the film, Murphy played Axel Foley, a Detroit-based detective who says he's going on vacation to Beverly Hills, but who is secretly investigating the death of a friend, unbeknownst to his bosses. The film involves a lot of Murphy's bafflement at the posh, unusual, upscale...

Exactly 20 years after he made history as the first Black performer to win a Golden Globe for a multi-part limited series, Jeffrey Wright is widely expected to triumph on his second general notice from the same organization. According to Gold Derby’s odds, he is the frontrunner in the 2024 Best Film Comedy/Musical Actor race based on his work in “American Fiction,” which is also set to compete for Best Comedy/Musical Film and Best Screenplay. If Wright at least prevails and thereby maintains his perfect Golden Globes record, he will become the third Black winner in his category’s seven-decade existence.

Adapted from the no-holds-barred 2001 novel “Erasure,” “American Fiction” was written and directed by first-time feature filmmaker Cord Jefferson, who has collected numerous accolades (including a Primetime Emmy) for his script work on such TV programs as “Watchmen” and “Succession.” Wright leads a primarily Black cast as fictional author Thelonious “Monk” Ellison,...

Plot: Eddie Murphy stars in this holiday comedy adventure about a man on a mission to win his neighborhood’s annual Christmas home decoration contest. After Chris inadvertently makes a deal with a mischievous elf named Pepper to better his chances of winning, she casts a magic spell that brings the 12 Days of Christmas to life, and wreaks havoc on the whole town. At the risk of ruining the holidays for his family, Chris, his wife Carol, and their three children must race against the clock to break Pepper’s spell, battle deviously magical characters, and save Christmas for everyone.

Review: Eddie Murphy’s career has changed dramatically over the decades. Once the most popular comedian and actor in Hollywood, Murphy’s focus shifted from edgy and mature comedies to more family-friendly fare in the late 1990s. With some recent turns invigorating his dramatic chops, Murphy has proven he still...

The star, along with Tracee Ellis Ross playing his wife, does his best but Amazon’s increasingly convoluted family film wears thin

We’re in the process of getting snowed in by flimsy festive fodder, most of which is indistinguishable – cheaply made, poorly written, floating on the assumed Christmas spirit of those watching – but there are moments when it’s easy to get naively hopeful. Seeing the involvement of Eddie Murphy in Amazon’s Candy Cane Lane is one such moment, the actor not only a key reason why Trading Places remains a December staple but a star who brightens whatever film he’s in, regardless of the season. It might have been a while since he’s been at his shiniest (2019’s Dolemite Is My Name being a fine example of what he can and will do) but at a time when star power as a whole is depressingly diminished,...

This post contains spoilers for Scott Pilgrim Takes Off, which is currently streaming on Netflix.

The first episode of Scott Pilgrim Takes Off seems designed to make even the most passionate fans of Bryan Lee O’Malley’s comic books — or the cult classic film Edgar Wright made from them — wonder if perhaps they’ve had their fill of Scott and friends up in Toronto. Much of the premiere, written by O’Malley and BenDavid Grabinski, is simply recreating scenes familiar from the comics and the movie. The dialogue is tweaked here...

She gained fame as a “scream queen” over 40 years ago, but in the four decades since has proven her versatility in a range of genres. Award-winning activist, author and daughter of two film icons, Jamie Lee Curtis has built an impressive resume over several mediums. And 2022 was an especially wonderful year for her with an acclaimed performance in “Everything Everywhere All at Once” that brought her an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress.

Curtis was born in Santa Monica on November 22, 1958 to actors Tony Curtis and Janet Leigh. After finishing school, she briefly pursued an education in law, but decided to follow in her parents’ footsteps instead. In 1977, she was given a small role in an episode of “Quincy M.E.,” followed by several more small parts and a role in the short-lived “Operation Petticoat,” based on the film which had starred her father. Then she received a part in a low-budget...

In the new Netflix documentary “Sly,” Sylvester Stallone reflects on a time in his career when he felt he lost his way — basically, a rare period during which he wasn’t making “Rocky” or “Rambo” movies. To hear Stallone tell it, taking a break from his two signature roles was misguided folly, corrected only when he wrote and directed “Rocky Balboa” in 2006 and followed it up with a new “Rambo” two years later.

“Sly” director Thom Zimny seems to more or less accept this version of film history, and if one’s only measure of value is box office grosses the idea has some validity; there’s no arguing with the fact that whenever Stallone strayed too far from his franchises (after “Rocky” and “Rambo” he managed to find one more with the “Expendables” series), audiences tended to stay away. Zimny doesn’t even need to spend much time on...

A Christmas classic is getting the high-end treatment this season when Scrooged celebrates its 35th anniversary! The comedy starring Bill Murray as the holiday-hating Frank Cross is arriving for the first time on 4K Ultra HD from Paramount Home Entertainment on November 7, 2023, with never-before-released special features!

Originally released on November 23, 1988, Scrooged is a hilarious take on a beloved Dickens tale that has become a perennial holiday favorite. The high-spirited and biting comedy follows a television executive with a heart of stone. It features an all-star cast including Karen Allen, John Forsythe, Bobcat Goldthwait, Carol Kane, Robert Mitchum, and Alfre Woodard.

This new release includes the remastered film in sparkling 4K Ultra HD, access to a Digital copy of the film, and over 50 minutes of never-before-released special features! Take a journey with the ghost of Christmas past to discover behind-the-scenes featurettes and an insightful commentary by director Richard Donner, now on disc for the first time.

If you plan to attend Usher's "My Way" Las Vegas residency, you'll want to arrive early because you don't want to miss the preshow dance party courtesy of his unmatched fans. As I walked into the Park MGM arena for the show I was attending in late June, my ears were greeted with classic R&b and hip-hop songs like Tevin Campbell's "Can We Talk" and Miguel's "Adorn You" as a DJ encouraged us to stand, dance, and sing along with the rest of the audience. Usher's dancers even came out and interacted with the audience, inviting some lucky attendees to dance with them on stage. The vibes felt more like a house party with all of my best friends than a concert surrounded by strangers. So much so that I didn't even realize the show was starting.

While the title of Usher's residency, "My Way," may...