Category: Humor

“The Naked Gun 2½: The Smell of Fear” (1991) starring Leslie Nielsen, Priscilla Presley and George Kennedy / Z-View

Posted on by

The Naked Gun 2½: The Smell of Fear (1991)

Director:  David Zucker

Screenplay: David Zucker, Pat Proft; based on Police Squad! by David Zucker,  Jim Abrahams, Jerry Zucker

Stars: Leslie Nielsen, Priscilla Presley, George Kennedy, O.J. Simpson, Robert Goulet, Richard Griffiths, Jacqueline Brookes, Anthony James, Tim O’Connor, Peter Mark Richman, Peter Van Norden, Gail Neely, Mel Tormé, Zsa Zsa Gabor, ‘Weird Al’ Yankovic and Lloyd Bochner. 

Tagline: If you see only one movie this year…you ought to get out more often.

The Plot…

Dr. Albert Meinheimer is an advisor to the President.  Meinheimer supports renewable energy sources (solar, wind, etc.) and plans to get the President to move the country in that direction.  Quentin Hapsburg, of Hexagon Oil has other ideas.  Hapsburg kidnaps Meinheimer and replaces him with a lookalike.

And that’s where Frank Drebin and the police squad come in.

Annnnnnnd action!

 

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

If you enjoyed Airplane and The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad!, then you should get a kick out of The Naked Gun 2½: The Smell of Fear.

Lloyd Bochner has a brief cameo.  He is seen in a crowd carrying a large book titled TO SERVE MAN, as he yells, “It’s a cookbook!  It’s a cookbook!”.  This of course refers to the classic Twilight Zone episode, To Serve Man which he starred in.

The Naked Gun 2½: The Smell of Fear (1991) rates 4 of 5 stars

“Freaky Tales” (2024) starring Pedro Pascal, Ben Mendelsohn and Jay Ellis / Z-View

Posted on by

Freaky Tales (2024)

Director:  Anna Boden, Ryan Fleck

Screenplay: Anna Boden, Ryan Fleck

Stars: Pedro Pascal, Ben Mendelsohn, Too $hort, Jack Champion and Tom Hanks. 

Tagline: In 1987, Oakland was hella freaky.

The Plot…

Freaky Tales features four fictionalized interconnected stories about real events that took place in Oakland, California in 1987.

  • “Strength in Numbers: The Gilman Strikes Back” – A group of skinheads attacks kids attending a punk rock nightclub.  It’s not the first time.  It won’t be the last.  But the kids have had enough.  Next time they’ll be prepared to strike back.  Hard.

 

  • “Don’t Fight the Feeling” – Two young women, Barbie and Entice leave the punk rock nightclub just before the skinheads attack.  Barbie and Entice are rappers who preform under the stage name Danger Zone.  They want to be stars.  And they will get an opportunity… if they can rise to the occasion.

 

  • “Born to Mack” – Clint wants to end his life of crime.  His wife is pregnant and will deliver his first child soon.  Unfortunately Clints bosses want him to perform one last job — something to do with a pro basketball player.

 

  • “The Legend of Sleepy Floyd” – While Sleepy Floyd, a pro basketball player, is having a record setting game, his house is being robbed by a group of skinheads.  During the robbery his girlfriend is murdered.  Little do the skinheads know, they picked on the wrong guy.  Sleepy not only has super martial arts skills, he has supernatural powers.  And he will have his revenge.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

Freaky Tales has it’s moments, but it was just a little too, freaky for me.

Freaky Tales (2024) rates 2 of 5 stars

“Long Distance” (2024) starring Naomi Scott & Anthony Ramos / Z-View

Posted on by

Long Distance (2024)

Director:  Josh Gordon, Will Speck

Screenplay:  Spenser Cohen

Stars: Anthony Ramos, Naomi Scott, Kristofer Hivju and Zachary Quinto. 

Tagline: None.

The Plot…

A spaceship carrying off-world miners is hit by asteroid.  As the ship begins to explode, escape pods are jettisoned.  One carrying Andy lands on a nearby planet.  Andy has a small air supply and his AI-equipped spacesuit.  When radioing for other survivors, Andy hears back from only one.  Her name is Naomi and she’s trapped in her escape pod.

Andy sets out to free her unaware of the creatures and dangerous terrain ahead.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

Long Distance starts with a literal bang.

Although Naomi Scott gets top billing, she doesn’t appear on screen until about halfway through the movie.

Zachary Quinto voices Andy’s spacesuit AI.

Long Distance (2024) rates 3 of 5 stars

“The Pickup” (2025) starring Eddie Murphy, Pete Davidson, Eva Longoria and Keke Palmer / Z-View

Posted on by

The Pickup (2025)

Director:  Tim Story

Screenplay:  Matt Mider, Kevin Burrows

Stars: Eddie Murphy, Pete Davidson, Keke Palmer, Jack Kesy, Ismael Cruz Cordova, Eva Longoria, Jef Holbrook, Enoch King, Nelson Bonilla, Joe Anoa’i (aka Roman Reigns), Ray Murphy Jr., Keith Adams,  Regina Ting Chen, Marshawn Lynch and Andrew Dice Clay. 

Tagline: They’re armed but she’s dangerous.

The Plot…

Russell Pierce, an armored car driver nearing retirement, cannot wait to finish his day.  He’s got dinner plans with his wife for a celebration.  When Russell learns his driving partner for the day is the crazy rookie, Travis Stolly, Russell hopes for an easy route.

But that’s not to be.

Instead their given a long drive through a radio dead zone.  And they’ll be carrying millions.

Of course as soon as they hit the dead zone, a trio of well armed thieves make their move.

Russell is going to be a little late.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

I was hoping for better.  But I have to say Keke Palmer is easy on the eyes.

The Pickup (2025) rates 2 of 5 stars

“Madea’s Destination Wedding” (2025) written, directed by and starring Tyler Perry / Z-View

Posted on by

Madea’s Destination Wedding (2025)

Director:  Tyler Perry

Screenplay: Tyler Perry

Stars: Tyler Perry, Cassi Davis, David Mann, Tamela J. Mann, Diamond White, Xavier Smalls, Bree Shannon and Rocky Myers.

Tagline: Hellur from Bahamas.

The Plot…

Madea, the immediate family and a couple of friends are invited to a quicky wedding for Madea’s grandniece, Tiffany.  All expenses paid.

Tiffany’s dad, Brian, is concerned since he just met the groom-to-be, Xavier.  Xavier is arrogant and immature.  Worse still, Brian has been put in a position where he feels he needs to foot the entire wedding bill.  As if that weren’t enough, Tiffany wants a destination wedding at an expensive resort in the Bahamas.

Brian suggests that Tiffany not rush into things.  Tiffany’s mom appears to want the wedding even more than Tiffany.

There are a number of mishaps getting ready for the trip.  But when Madea and the family arrive at the resort they start living it up.  Then Madea discovers something that could change everything.

If anyone has a reason why these two should not be joined in holy matrimony, speak now or forever hold your peace.  Madea isn’t one to hold her peace.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

Tyler Perry writes, directs and stars (playing three characters) in Madea’s Destination Wedding.  This is the first Madea film where Perry doesn’t use make-up.  Instead he used digital technology to erase his beard and change his face.

Madea’s Destination Wedding is the 13th in the series!

Madea’s Destination Wedding (2025) rates 2 of 5 stars

“Stuber” (2019) starring Dave Bautista & Kumail Namjiani / Z-View

Posted on by

Stuber (2019)

Director:  Michael Dowse

Screenplay: Tripper Clancy

Stars: Dave Bautista, Kumail Nanjiani, Mira Sorvino, Natalie Morales, Iko Uwais, Betty Gilpin, Karen Gillan, Steve Howey, Rene Moran, Amin Joseph and Christine Horn.

Tagline: Saving the day takes a pair

The Plot…

Six months ago L.A. Detective Vic Manning’s partner was killed by Oka Tedjo, a notorious drug kingpin.  Vic blames himself.  He lost his glasses in pursuit and was seconds late to his partner being gunned down.

Vic decides to get eye surgery so he won’t need glasses.  The operation was a success, but it will be a few days before Vic’s vision returns to normal.  The time off will do him good.  But when one of his informants gives Vic info on the location of Oka Tedjo, Vic knows he can’t wait.

Vic’s nearly blind,  so he calls an Uber to take him to killer’s location.  Stu, a timid man, shows up.  One thing leads to another a Stu finds himself partner to a nearly blind cop on a mission to catch a killer.

The meter is running!

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

Dave Bautista and Kumail Nanjiani had fun chemistry.  It was nice seeing Mira Sorvino.  Bautista gives a funny performance as a nearly blind cop.  Stuber is a much better film than expected.

Stuber (2019) rates 3 of 5 stars

“National Lampoon’s Animal House” (1978) directed by John Landis, starring John Belushi / Z-View

Posted on by

National Lampoon’s Animal House (1978)

Director:  John Landis

Screenplay: Harold Ramis, Douglas Kenney, Chris Miller

Stars: John Belushi, Karen Allen, Tom Hulce, Stephen Furst, Mark Metcalf, Mary Louise Weller, Martha Smith, James Daughton, Douglas Kenney, James Widdoes, Tim Matheson, Peter Riegert, Bruce McGill, Donald Sutherland, John Vernon, Cesare Danova, Verna Bloom, Stephen Bishop, Otis Day and Kevin Bacon.

Tagline: It was the Deltas against the rules… the rules lost!

The Plot…

1962.  Dean Vernon Wormer has had enough from the antics of the Delta Tau Chi fraternity. Wormer wants Faber College to be respectable… even if he has to play underhanded.  So Wormer enlists Greg Marmalard, President of the elite Omega Theta Pi fraternity to join him.  Wormer places the Delta house on “Double Secret Probation” and the plan is set in place to rid the campus of the Delta‘s once and for all.

What Wormer didn’t take into consideration is that although the Delta ringleaders, John “Bluto” Blutarsky, Robert “Hoov” Hoover, Eric “Otter” Stratton, Daniel Simpson “D-Day” Day, Donald “Boon” Schoenstein as well as new pledges Larry “Pinto” Kroger and Kent “Flounder” Dorfman are flunking out of college, they won’t be expelled without a fight!

Toga Party!

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

John Belushi improvised his cafeteria scenes of loading his tray and “I’m a zit!” Belushi also improvised the scene where he suddenly grabs Stephen Bishop’s guitar and smashes it into the wall.

After the success of Animal House, DeWayne Jessie legally changed his name to Otis Day and he began touring with a band he named Otis Day and the Knights.

For three days work, Donald Sutherland was offered a percentage of Animal House’s gross or $75,000.00.  Sutherland opted for the cash.  Had he taken the percentage he would have made three or four million dollars more.  Interesting to note, that even though Sutherland only appeared in a few scenes he made more than John Belushi, the movie’s star.  Belushi made $40,000.00.

Animal House features Kevin Bacon and Karen Allen’s feature film debuts.

1962 as selected for Animal House because the writers thought it was America’s last innocent year.  The climatic homecoming parade occurs on November 21, 1963, the day before President Kennedy’s assassination.

The actor who played the bass player in Otis Day’s band was legendary blues artist Robert Cray!  Cray was unknown at the time.

Animal House has an amazing supporting cast!

When Animal House was released I was the perfect age for it.  I had just graduated high school the year before and was enjoying my freshman year in college.

National Lampoon’s Animal House (1978) rates 5 of 5 stars

“MIB: NEURALIZE THIS!” | A Men in Black Comedy Short written & directed by Martin Sofiedal is Here!

Posted on by

Men in Black: Neuralize This written and directed by Martin Sofiedal is one of the best fan films I’ve seen in a very long time. Heck, even the poster is better than many that major studio releases get.

Sofiedal needs to be given a major feature film assignment.  Check out Men in Black: Neuralize This and I’m sure you’ll agree.

Source: FirstShowing.net.

When the alien explodes, the neuralizer fails, and a little girl sees everything…

“NEURALIZE THIS!” is a fan-made Men in Black short film — a gooey, action-comedy tribute where nothing goes according to MIB protocol.

Two agents try to contain an alien incident, but end up dealing with a malfunctioning neuralizer, a Nerf gun, a confused child, and a very angry Polish muscle man.

🎬 Directed & Written by: Martin Sofiedal
🎭 Starring:
• Torgny Gerhard Aanderaa
• Cecilie Svendsen
• Eirik Hallert
• Lijana Brahimi

📍 Shot in Oslo, Norway
⏱ Runtime: 7 minutes
🎥 Practical effects, VFX, real stunts, and lots of slime
🎞 View on IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt21618634

💬 Not affiliated with Sony or the official Men in Black franchise. This is a not-for-profit fan film made with love, humor, and one completely dead neuralizer.

📸 Follow me for more shorts and behind-the-scenes fun: [‪@MartinSofiedal‬ ]
📥 Contact: [post@martinsofiedal.com]

Don’t forget your sunglasses.

“Dr. Strangelove or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb” (1964) directed by Stanley Kubrick; starring Peter Sellers and George C. Scott / Z-View

Posted on by

Dr. Strangelove or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964)

Director:  Stanley Kubrick

Screenplay: Stanley Kubrick, Terry Southern, Peter George; based on RED ALERT by Peter Bryant (pseudonym of Peter George)

Stars: Peter Sellers, George C. Scott, Sterling Hayden, Slim Pickens, Peter Bull, James Earl Jones, Tracy Reed, Jack Creley, Robert O’Neil, Glenn Beck, Shane Rimmer, Hal Galili and Keenan Wynn.

Tagline: “Gentlemen, you can’t fight in here! This is the War Room!”

The Plot…

Brigadier General Jack D. Ripper is mentally unstable.  Nobody realizes this until Ripper has put his plan into motion.  Ripper believes the Soviets are poisoning Americans through the use of fluoride in the water supply.  Ripper’s solution is to put his base on a condition red alert (so no one can get in or out).  Armed guards with shoot to kill orders will ensure this.  Ripper also confiscated all personal radios and shut down outside communication.  Ripper then ordered two Bombers carrying nuclear weapons to drop them on cities in Russia.  Since they can only communicate with him, the pilots believe the US is under attack.  They fly towards Russia intent on dropping their payload.

Once Merkin Muffley, the US President, gets word of what is happening, there is little time before the bombs drop.  President Muffley knows Russia will respond in kind.  That would trigger an all-out war.  Mutually assured destruction.

President Muffley brings General Buck Turgidson, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and other officials into the War Room to formulate a plan.  Included in the group is a former Nazi, now a US scientist named Dr. Strangelove and Soviet Ambassador Alexi de Sadesky.  They get  Soviet Premier Dimitri Kisov on the hotline.  Kisov promises if a single bomb is detonated on Russian soil, they will unleash their doomsday device!

The clock is ticking.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

Dr. Strangelove was nominated for four 1965 Academy Awards…

  • Nominee for Best Writing, Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium – Stanley Kubrick, Peter George, Terry Southern
  • Nominee for Best Director – Stanley Kubrick
  • Nominee for Best Actor in a Leading Role – Peter Sellers
  • Nominee for Best Picture – Stanley Kubrick

George C. Scott as General Turgidson trips in the War Room and then quickly gets up and continues talking.  Scott really tripped but didn’t break character.  Kubrick thought he was just acting.  The accident stayed in the film.

Peter Sellers was paid $1 million or 55% of the film’s budget.  In the film Sellers plays three characters so maybe the producers got a bargain.

Peter Sellers improvised most of his lines including the classic he yelled as Dr. Strangelove, “Mein Führer! I can walk!”  Peter Bull as the Soviet Ambassador can be seen breaking character when Sellers says it.

James Earl Jones thought that Slim Pickens stayed in character even off camera.  It wasn’t until later that Jones leaned that Pickens always talked like that.  Speaking of James Earl  Jones, Dr. Strangelove was his feature film debut.

Dr.  Strangelove is a classic.  Everyone should see it at least once.  (And it gets better with each repeated viewing.)

Dr. Strangelove or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964) rates 5 of 5 stars

“London Calling” starring Josh Duhamel – The Trailer is Here!

Posted on by

The trailer for London Calling starring Josh Duhamel looks to have the right mix of comedy and action.

Deal me in.

US Release Date: September 19, 2025
Starring: Josh Duhamel, Rick Hoffman, Aidan Gillen, Jeremy Ray Taylor
Director: Allan Ungar
Synopsis: After fleeing the UK from a job gone wrong, a down on his luck hitman is forced to babysit the son of his new crime boss and show him how to become a man.

“Wolfs” (2024) written & directed by Jon Watts, starring George Clooney & Brad Pitt / Z-View

Posted on by

Wolfs (2024)

Director:  Jon Watts

Screenplay: Jon Watts

Stars: George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Amy Ryan, Austin Abrams, Kymbali Craig, Linda Carola, Vladimir Sizov, Sammy Horowitz and Frank Trigg.

Tagline: They’re not partners. They’re not friends. They’re… Wolfs.

The Plot…

Margaret (Ryan), a Manhattan District Attorney gets a hotel room with a young man she just met.  When the man unexpectedly dies, Margaret uses a number she was given in case of emergencies.

Soon a fixer (Clooney) arrives to clean up the mess.  As the fixer prepares to remove the body, another fixer (Pitt) arrives.  He says the the hotel owner called him.  She was watching via a hidden camera.  The two fixers argue about who will do the job.  They reluctantly agree to team for the clean-up and disposal of the body.

Then a cache of drugs is found on the body.  The hotel owner convinces the fixers to find and return the drugs to their original owner.  Burdened with a dead body and drugs, the fixers learn much to late that nothing is as it seems.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

Apple wanted and announced a sequel, but writer/director Jon Watts refused, even returning advance money he’d been given.  Watts was upset because at the last minute, Apple decided to not give Wolfs a theatrical release.

George Clooney’s character’s BMW’s New York license plate is 3ABM582. Winston Wolf, (played by Harvey Keitel), the fixer in Pulp Fiction, drove an Acura NSX with the California license plate is 3ABM582.  It’s also interesting to note we never learn the names of Clooney or Pitt’s characters.  But the title of the movie is Wolfs which sounds like a call back to Winston Wolf.

I liked the movie, but expected more with Clooney and Pitt as the leads.

Wolfs (2024) rates 3 of 5 stars

“Abbott and Costello Meet the Invisible Man” (1951) starring Bud Abbott & Lou Costello / Z-View

Posted on by

Abbott and Costello Meet the Invisible Man (1951)

Director:  Charles Lamont

Screenplay: Robert Lees, Frederic I. Rinaldo, John Grant; story by Hugh Wedlock Jr., Howard Snyder; based THE INVISIBLE MAN by H.G. Wells

Stars: Bud Abbott, Lou Costello, Arthur Franz, Sheldon Leonard, Sam Balter, John Daheim, Bobby Barber and William Frawley.

Tagline:  AS PRIVATE EYES…they’re getting an Eyeful!

The Plot…

Bud and Lou get their first case after graduating from Detective School.  Tommy Nelson, a middleweight boxing contender on the lam from the cops after being accused of killing his manager, wants their help.  Tommy’s plan is to take a potion his fiancée’s uncle invented.  The drink will turn him invisible.  Tommy believes that once no one can see him, he can sneak around and get the evidence on the real killer.

Bud and Lou agree to help.  Let the good times roll!

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

The plot of this film (minus the Abbott & Costello comedy) was to be a sequel to The Invisible Man.  The success of Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein caused the studio to reformat the idea to fit the comedy of A & C.

The final scene of this movie has Lou briefly turning invisible.  As he reappears his legs appear to be on backwards.  While it makes no sense, it probably got some laughs.

Don’t Touch the Loot aka Grisbi (1954) rates 3 of 5 stars