Legacy sequels might be becoming more common in Hollywood, but the upcoming Spaceballs 2 seems like a project to get excited about. Mel Brooks is once again involved as a producer, and much of the original Spaceballs cast, including the previously retired Rick Moranis, are reprising their roles. The cast also includes some new faces, like Lewis Pullman, and the gushed about how exciting it was to see Moranis back in action (and gave me FOMO in the process).

Pullman recently promoted his latest film, Remarkably Bright Creatures and, during the chat, he also fielded a question about Spaceballs: The New One. While speaking to Collider, Pullman opened up about what it has been like joining the long-awaited sequel alongside Moranis, who is reprising his role as the humorously villainous Dark Helmet. Pullman's description of the experience sounds unreal and makes me wish I could've been on set with them. He said:

This sounds incredible and suggests that the character hasn’t left Rick Moranis even after all these years. Moranis stepped away from acting 30 years ago to be a single father and decided not to return. Over the years, he declined invitations to reprise famous roles, even turning down the new Ghostbusters films, because he didn't feel like it made sense for him.

I guess there was something about this sci-fi follow-up that made him get the acting bug again, and he even helped promote the movie at CinemaCon earlier this year. Leave it to Mel Brooks to make the impossible possible.

I’m excited to see Lewis Pullman in the new Spaceballs movie as well. Notably, his father, Bill Pullman, Lone Starr in the franchise's original film and will be reprising his role in the upcoming sequel.

Lewis has acted alongside his dad before in The Ballad of Lefty Brown and in Battle of the Sexes but, this time around, the Pullmans will be playing father and son in the aforementioned legacy sequel, which I think is truly adorable. I can’t wait to see how they play off of each other. They are both immensely talented, and this will give them both space to show off their comedic chops.

Between Rick Moranis slipping back into Dark Helmet and the real father-and-son dynamic between the Pullmans, Spaceballs 2 seems like it’s about to be more than a nostalgia trip. It feels like the creative team is putting together something that's been worth waiting 40 years for. As a comedy nerd and a Mel Brooks fan, I wish I could've been behind the scenes watching all of this unfold. So, when Moranis, Pullman and co. start promoting the movie, I'll certainly be keeping my ears perked up for BTS stories.

You will be able to see both Lewis Pullman and Rick Moranis in Spaceballs: The New One when it hits theaters on April 23, 2027. In the meantime, fans can stream the original 1987 film now with a Prime Video subscription.

I’ve always struggled to picture a Spaceballs sequel without John Candy. His role as Barf was the heart of the movie, and recasting that energy feels impossible. So when I heard about the upcoming Spaceballs: The New One, I wasn’t sold. After hearing Bill Pullman’s recent reassuring Josh Gad comments, I’m feeling a bit better about it.

In a recent interview clip shared by Fandango, Bill Pullman weighed in on Josh Gad and how he fits into this new version of the story. The way he framed it isn’t about replacing Candy, but about carrying something forward. He shared:

The biggest concern with something like a Spaceballs sequel isn’t just whether it can be funny. It's not just whether it can follow up one of the greatest parody movies of all time. Instead, it’s whether it can feel like it's still a Spaceballs film 40 years after the original's release, and without some of the people who made it what it was. Candy, in particular, brought a warmth that balanced out all the absurdity. He wasn’t just there for the jokes, but he grounded them. That’s where Gad becomes an interesting choice.

If you look at his past work, especially in comedies, there’s a similar kind of energy there. Not identical, and it shouldn’t be, but adjacent. He’s someone who can lean into the ridiculous while still making the character feel like a person you want to root for or hang out with. That’s not easy to pull off, especially in something as intentionally over-the-top as Spaceballs. Still, it sounds like the Olaf voice star has the best intentions, which is probably good considering he co-wrote the Spaceballs 2 screenplay.

Pullman’s comments also tap into something many reboots struggle with. You don’t need to recreate what came before beat for beat, but you do need a similar tone and feel. A lot of the sense of fun in original rested on John Candy’s comedic shoulders.

If Josh Gad really does bring that same kind of Candy joy to the set, that might be the closest thing you can get to honoring the late actor and what he brought to the big screen, without trying to imitate it. There’s still a lot we don’t know about Spaceballs: The New One. Details are pretty limited, and there’s always a risk when you revisit something this beloved. Comedy, especially, is tricky. What worked decades ago doesn’t always land the same way now, and the balance between nostalgia and something fresh is hard to get right.

This is the first time the project feels like it might truly grasp what made the original special. I suppose I’ll have to give the film a chance when it finally reaches theaters, not on the 2026 movie calendar, but on April 23, 2027. While we wait for the follow-up release, you can revisit the OG flick with an Amazon Prime Video Subscription.

Josh Gad teased Spaceballs 2 plans for years and, now, the film is truly coming to fruition. What's particularly exciting about the sci-fi spoof sequel is that the vast majority of the surviving main cast members are returning, and that includes Rick Moranis. Of course, Moranis, who's been out of the live-action acting game since 1997’s Honey, We Shrunk Ourselves, is reprising his role as the villainous Dark Helmet. So this film marks an auspicious moment for Moranis and, in terms of how the filming experience compared to the first one, he cited one key difference.

When a BTS Instagram photo surfaced of the Spaceballs 2 cast uniting for a table read, you better believe fans were in their feels seeing Rick Moranis there. It was fortunate that producer Mel Brooks was able to sell Moranis on returning for the legacy sequel. The cast recently assembled at CinemaCon to promote the film (which is now officially subtitled The New One), ET asked about what made filming this latest movie different from the first. In Moranis' estimation, it has to do with a key casting addition:

It must have been an amazing feeling to reunite with the same budding cast almost 40 years later. And, yes, Lewis Pullman is indeed joining his dad, Bill in Spaceballs 2 as the son of Lone Starr and Queen Vespa, because who else would he play?

Honestly, it's easy to understand why Moranis would have a surreal feeling while being on set with his co-star and his son (who's the spitting image of him). Of course, it was also a momentous moment for the Bill Pullman. He previously shared a sweet take on working with Lewis, saying like he was watching himself, as his son was the same age as him when he did the first movie. I can't wait to see their father/son dynamic play on the big screen.

Other than Rick Moranis, his other castmates chimed in on other ways the Spaceballs 2 experience was unique. For instance, Vespa actress Daphne Zuniga humorously said this time that she needed “naps and more coffee.” (Considering her iconic character is going from Princess to Queen, she’s clearly ruling space more caffeinated and refreshed this time.)

As for Bill Pullman, not only will his son be joining the cast, but his wife will also be playing a role in the space opera parody, and “she gets a laugh.” Clearly, the Pullmans are a very talented clan with a sense of humor that’s sure to play a great role in a galaxy “very, very, very, very far away.”

Of course, I'm supremely excited to see Rick Moranis don his helmet once more and play the humorously evil space villain he's become synonymous with. Considering the original Spaceballs is one of the best parody movies of all time, I hope Josh Greenbaum's film channels the Mel Brooks magic while also adding fresh elements to the franchise.

Spaceballs: The New One hits theaters on April 23, 2027. In the meantime, fans can watch the first movie using a Prime Video subscription.

When Mel Brooks decided it was finally time to move forward with the long-rumored Spaceballs 2, there was one return that mattered above all others. Fans have waited decades to see Rick Moranis back on the big screen, and there was no more fitting role for that comeback than Dark Helmet. For years, the idea seemed unlikely. Moranis famously stepped away from Hollywood in the late 1990s to focus on raising his children, quietly turning down countless offers. But one brutally honest question from Brooks ultimately convinced him to return for Spaceballs 2.

Brooks detailed how he persuaded Moranis to sign on during a wide-ranging interview with The Hollywood Reporter, conducted in connection with the release of his new HBO documentary, Mel Brooks: The 99-Year-Old Man! Reflecting on the moment, the legendary comedy writer didn’t sugarcoat his approach, explaining:

The bluntness of the pitch fits neatly within the larger portrait of the Young Frankenstein director that emerges in the documentary and interview. Over nearly a century, he has trusted his instincts over caution. Whether pushing boundaries in Blazing Saddles or spoofing Hitchcock with High Anxiety, the iconic comedy writer and performer has always believed that if the joke is right, permission is optional.

That belief also explains why Moranis’ return feels different from the typical legacy sequel play. This is not about resurrecting a brand or squeezing nostalgia for profit, because, as the Producers creator framed it, it is about purpose. Dark Helmet was one of Moranis’ most indelible comic creations, and one that has only grown in stature as Spaceballs became a cult classic and one of Brooks' best films. The comedy pioneer is right. This definitely feels like the right time and the right role for a full fledged Moranissance.

​​The original Spaceballs has only grown in stature since its 1987 release, becoming one of the most beloved parodies of the sci-fi genre. Dark Helmet, with his oversized headgear and fragile ego, remains one of the film’s most quoted and enduring characters. For many fans, the idea of a sequel without him would have felt incomplete.

It's bold for the most influential comedians of all time to call Moranis “even better than in the first edition.” Still, it’s one that’s hard not to get excited about, especially for longtime fans of the Ghostbusters alum. If that praise holds, Spaceballs 2 could be more than just a long-awaited comedy sequel. It could also mark a proper reentry for one of the most gifted comedic actors of the 1980s, finally returning on his own terms. The arrival of that big-screen reprisal can’t come soon enough.

For fans who grew up quoting Dark Helmet lines like “Smoke ’em if you got ’em,” or who stumbled across Spaceballs during late-night TV reruns, Moranis’ return feels almost miraculous. And, fittingly, it seems it all came down to one brutally honest question from Mel Brooks.

Spaceballs 2 is expected to arrive in theaters in 2027. Until then, fans can revisit the OG flick, which is currently streaming with an HBO Max subscription.

There are oh so many reasons to be stoked about the release of Spaceballs 2. It’s the long-awaited sequel to one of the best parody movies ever, it will see a lot of the original cast return (including Rick Moranis), and it’s co-written by Josh Gad. However, one of the reasons I’m the most excited for this project is because it will star both Bill and Lewis Pullman. Now, the Independence Day actor has shared his sweet take on working with his son, which has made me even more thrilled that they’re both in this movie.

Now, before they started filming Spaceballs 2, Lewis Pullman said he was “excited as hell” to work with Bill, and noted that it’s “pretty monumental” to be doing something like this with his father. They’re done filming the comedy now, and while at the premiere for his son’s latest movie, The Testament of Ann Lee, Bill was asked about working with him on the parody sequel. In response, he told Us Weekly:

First of all, it’s amazing and hilarious that Lewis will be playing Bill’s son in Spaceballs 2. Considering the Casper actor’s character Lone Starr is a whole lot like Han Solo, it would track if the Top Gun: Maverick actor’s character, Starburst, was kind of like Kylo Ren. That’s not confirmed; however, people are guessing that the last Star Wars trilogy will serve as inspiration for this comedy, and it would be unsurprising if this is the case.

Now, back to the Pullmans working together. Bill noted that it was special for more reasons than one. That’s because Lewis is actually the same age now that his dad was when he played Lone Starr for the first time. Speaking to that point, the While You Were Sleeping actor said:

It must be kind of a trip to return to a project like Spaceballs for Bill Pullman. That’s because it was his second movie ever (his first was 1986’s Ruthless People), and it helped kickstart his career in a big way. To this day, Spaceballs, which you can stream with an HBO Max subscription, is one of his most beloved films. However, adding your son to the cast has to make it all the more surreal.

Then, it gets wilder because Lewis, who looks a whole lot like his dad, is the same age now as Bill was back in 1987. Now, notably, Lewis has done a bunch of work before this, as he’s starred in Top Gun: Maverick, Lesson in Chemistry, Outer Range, Thunderbolts* and more. However, he’s still very much in the early years of his career and is growing as a star, just like his father did.

Hopefully, Spaceballs 2 can be added to our list of the iconic parent-child duos, and it makes it even better that said duo will be played by an actual parent and child. Based on Bill and Lewis Pullman’s enthusiasm about this project and collaborating together, I’m feeling pretty good about it, and now I really can’t wait to travel back to this silly galaxy far, far away in 2027.

In Mel Brooks' classic spoof Spaceballs, his character Yogurt jokes that hopefully all the characters will reunite again in Spaceballs 2: The Search for More Money. It was a joke at the expense of the endless sequalizing of film that was already a thing in the late 1980s, and yet conversations around an actual sequel to Spaceballs were always there. And now, four decades later, whatever's happening now is happening now.

The reason we know for certain that Spaceballs 2 isn’t just some weird dream is that the principal photography on the film has officially wrapped. Josh Gad posted to Instagram with the news that filming is done. It feels like production had only just started, and Gad himself says that the entire experience has gone by faster than Ridiculous Speed. He said:

From the point that Josh Gad shared a script title page with the actual title blacked out, fans have been looking forward to the new film, and the excitement has only grown the more we’ve learned. The film will see many of the core cast, including Bill Pullman, Daphne Zuniga, and Mel Brooks himself, all return, while also giving us new characters in the form of Keke Palmer and Lewis Pullman, who will play the son of his real-life dad.

Gad takes a moment in his post to thank many in the crew as well as the cast for making Spaceballs 2 a great experience, especially the most surprising member of the cast, the long-retired Rick Moranis. Gad wrote:

Rick Moranis’ Dark Helmet in the first Spaceballs became one of the actors signature roles. However, the actor, who has been largely retired for the entirety of the 21st century, has avoided returning to other film franchises that made him a star. This made the fact that he did choose to return to Spaceballs, a surprise, but a welcome one. Check out Josh Gad’s full post below.

What I wouldn’t give for an instant cassette right about now, so I didn’t have to wait for the movie to go through post-production. Spaceballs 2 has no official release date yet, but is expected to open in 2027. I guess now it's time for Spaceballs: The Wrap Party.

Nearly four decades ago, the original Spaceballs made a joke about a potential sequel. Ever since then fans of Mel Brooks’ Star Wars send-up have quietly hoped we might actually get that sequel. Now, thanks to Josh Gad, Spaceballs 2 is a real movie, or at least it will be very soon. That point was driven home earlier this week when the film's table read was revealed. Since then, fans have seemingly been over the moon, especially over the prospect of actor Rick Moranis being in the mix.

Yesterday, an official photo was released of "Spaceballs: The Table Read". The cast of Spaceballs 2 came together to review the film’s final script as production on the movie officially began. The parody has already started, as the picture itself is a clearly intentional reference to a similar photo that was released when Star Wars: The Force Awakens held a table read. Take a look:

It’s a great picture with a lot of fun references. There’s what looks to be a Spaceballs soldier’s helmet on the crate in the middle, next to a laptop, which appears to be how the 99-year-old Mel Brooks, who will be returning, attended the gathering. There’s a pizza in a chair, which indicates that Pizza the Hutt, or some similar character, might be appearing in the sequel.

However, something that has fans absolutely freaking out is that the long-retired Rick Moranis is in the room. Comments on Twitter include…

• in all honesty I’m more excited for Rick Moranis’s return to acting in Spaceballs 2 than anything else. That man deserves the absolute WORLD. - @cosmic__kitty
• there is one important thing to know about me and it is that I FUCK with rick moranis - @RachelLeishman
• Will forever be sad about Shrunk, but also grateful that you were able to bring Rick Moranis back to us here - @exclusivejimmyc
• The world doesn't deserve Rick Moranis to come out of retirement. - @Billydelphia215
• Rick Moranis coming out of retirement to star in 99 year old Mel Brooks-produced sequel…I am seated - @carlsraye
• The excitement to see Rick Moranis in another movie again OMG - @mrbrianrowe

While it had previously been reported that Rick Moranis would be reprising his role as Dark Helmet in the Spaceballs sequel, that fact had not been officially confirmed by the production. So this picture is the official confirmation that, yes, this is actually happening. Fans of Moranis are obviously thrilled, and I can't blame them. The man is an incredible comic talent, and Spaceballs includes one of Moranis' best roles.

It’s been nearly 20 years since we’ve seen Rick Moranis in a new production, save for a brief appearance a couple of years ago in a Mint Mobile commercial with Ryan Reynolds. There had certainly been attempts to get Moranis back on the screen. He was reportedly offered cameos in the newer Ghostbusters movies, but he declined to appear. He was reportedly on board a planned reboot of Honey, I Shrunk the Kids, which also would have included Josh Gad, but that project has yet to see the light of day.

Given all of that, it's wonderful to see Rick Moranis is officially returning for Spaceballs 2, and I'm intrigued as to what's planned for the comedically villainous Dark Helmet this time around. The movie will open in theaters in 2027 and, in the meantime, fans can stream the OG film with an HBO Max subscription.

If you’ve been keeping up with the hype around the upcoming Spaceballs 2, you probably know a few exciting things about the sequel. First off, it's actually happening! Mel Brooks is returning as Yogurt, and Josh Gad is on board as a co-writer and star. Plus, Bill Pullman is returning as Lone Starr, but this time he’s got some company—his real-life son, Lewis Pullman, is joining the cast, too. Lewis just shared a humorously sweet take on getting to suit up for the sequel to one of the best parody movies of all time alongside his dad.

In a recent interview with IMDbPro, shared via a clip on the platform’s official Instagram account, Lewis Pullman opened up about the surreal and special experience of acting alongside his father who, famously, along with the late John Candy, starred in the original 1987 Mel Brooks comedy. He told the outlet:

It’s a charmingly humble take from the younger Pullman, who’s been carving out a solid filmography of his own with hits like Top Gun: Maverick, Bad Times at the El Royale, and of course the 2025 movie release, Thunderbolts*. Pullman is certainly on the rise as he steps into the orbit of a cult classic that helped launch his dad’s career nearly four decades ago. So, in other words, he’s not trying to be Lone Starr Jr., but instead is bringing his own flavor to the party, with dad still holding the keys to the Winnebago.

Lewis Pullman was honored with the IMDb ‘Fan Favorite’ STARmeter Award at this year’s Toronto International Film Festival, where he also debuted his latest project, The Testament of Ann Lee. And while he may be dancing in a different pair of shoes, fans are all in—especially after the hilarious teaser trailer dropped, teasing the generational team-up we've all been waiting for. Spaceballs 2 was once a mythic maybe in the Mel Brooks universe. So I'm really enthused that it's not only real now but also has some family power behind it.

Plot details remain tightly under wraps (possibly locked in a galaxy very, very, very, very far away). But here’s what we do know: Rick Moranis is back as Dark Helmet, Daphne Zuniga is returning as Princess Vespa, and Keke Palmer is joining the cast in a brand-new role. Also, Josh Greenbaum has been tapped to direct.

The real-life father-son duo adds a perfect layer of meta commentary to Spaceballs 2. Think about it—Lewis Pullman, who proved he can be seriously intimidating as Sentry in Thunderbolts*, could totally lean into that energy and play a Kylo Ren-style villain. The parody potential is off the charts. But, hey, I’ll leave the jokes to the pros.

With Mel Brooks returning, Josh Gad co-writing and starring, and the Pullmans front and center, Spaceballs 2 isn’t just a sequel—it’s a full-on passing of the Schwartz. I don't know about anyone else, I’m all in.

Spaceballs 2 is set to open in theaters sometime in 2027. Until then, you can revisit the original film, as its streaming with an HBO Max subscription.

If you’ve been tracking the warp-speed march toward the upcoming Spaceballs 2, you'll know a few key details about the sequel. For one, it's actually happening with Mel Brooks back as Yogurt, and Josh Gad co-writing and starring for Amazon MGM, which has staked out a 2027 theatrical release. That alone is enough to send a can of Perri-Air flying but, to make things even more interesting, a Star Wars alum just pitched themselves for the long-gestating comedy sequel, and man, I really hope they manifest this!

The moment came from comments made by none other than Finn star John Boyega while he attended Dragon Con (via Popverse). The veteran of the Star Wars franchise (streamable with a Disney+ subscription) used a fan panel to openly audition for the gig, turning a Q&A into a charming “call me” to the filmmakers. Boyega told the crowd:

If you’re putting together a fresh take on Spaceballs, casting a real Star Wars actor is not only hilarious but also makes total sense for the parody. John Boyega has proven he can switch between being a serious hero and a comedic force (no pun intended), which is precisely what made the original movie one of the greatest parody movies.

The meta jokes would be absolutely hilarious—just imagine Finn battling it out with lightsabers (or, you know, Schwartzes) against Dark Helmet. It’s such a fun idea. Plus, since John Boyega has been pretty vocal about his issues with his character’s story and the Star Wars fandom after racial backlash, the writers could really give him a better character arc, or at least throw in some clever references to the Disney trilogy.

We’ll have to see whether Gad or another Spaceballs 2 producer picks up the phone for Boyega, but we do know some legacy players are circling back. Reports indicate that Bill Pullman and Rick Moranis are in the mix, and Gad recently teased that if Moranis returns after a decades-long retirement, it’ll be because the movie is “worthy” of him. The bar is high, by design.

The casting energy around Spaceballs 2 already blends nostalgia and new blood—think Lewis Pullman (Lone Starr actor Bill Pullman’s real-life son), Keke Palmer, and Gad himself. So adding a marquee Star Wars veteran would sharpen the satire and broaden the audience in one move. Needless to say, the Schwartz works in mysterious (and very commercial) ways.

Will Amazon MGM pick up the phone? That’s above my pay grade. But, if Spaceballs 2 is aiming to be both a worthy sequel and a victory lap for the galaxy’s funniest spoof, bringing in John Boyega would be one giant step for parody-kind. Until casting is official, consider this the most entertaining open audition in the cosmos. May the Schwartz be with whoever’s manning the call sheet.

Spaceballs 2 is expected to have a theatrical release sometime in 2027, and it will more than likely will hit streaming for anyone with a Prime Video subscription sometime after that.

The Schwartz is about to awaken again. Nearly four decades after Mel Brooks skewered the original Star Wars trilogy with one of the greatest parody movies, Spaceballs, and an endless barrage of gags, Spaceballs 2 is finally on the way. With the OG cast -- Rick Moranis, Bill Pullman, Daphne Zuniga, and even Brooks himself -- all set to return, fans are buzzing about what exactly will be parodied this time around. Well, as the writers share some teasy comments about that, I have a pretty good idea what's in store for spoofing.

What Spaceballs 2's Writers Said About Their Creative Inspiration

Writers Benji Samit and Dan Hernandez recently spoke to Collider, hinted that Mel Brooks' long-gestating sequel will have no shortage of material to mine. However, they were particularly coy about which Star Wars projects are front and center. They told the outlet:

The hilarious Spaceballs 2 teaser, although mostly just a text in the vein of the iconic Star Wars opening crawl, featured a closing moment that leaned heavily on sequel-trilogy imagery. It specifically included a broken Dark Helmet mask and the line “The Schwartz awakens in 2027.” And yet, as the writers clarified, nothing is off the table:

That “anything” is doing a lot of heavy lifting, and it’s where my theory begins. Let’s break it down.

I Think I Know What Star Wars Projects Will Be Lampooned

If the Spaceballs sequel is free to parody any post-1987 Star Wars, I think it’s almost certain the somewhat controversial sequel trilogy will be the primary target. Rey, Kylo Ren, Finn and the rest of that era are the most mainstream and recognizable characters of the modern franchise, making them perfect for a broad comedy.

Rick Moranis, who has been mostly retired, returns as Dark Helmet, which, for my money, is another clue. I’d be shocked if Brooks brought him back just to play second fiddle. My guess? Instead of being just a Vader knockoff, Dark Helmet might be reimagined with a Kylo Ren–style twist—possibly as Starburst’s relative or even mentor. Unlike Vader in the sequels, there's a fair chance Helmet won’t be dead, and that could open the door for parodying the “family drama” trope.

And let’s face it, as big a meme Baby Yoda parody became, even leading to a standalone upcoming Mandalorian and Grogu film, a spoof on that front is inevitable. Whether it’s “Baby Yogurt” or some other pun, Grogu’s cultural footprint is way too big to ignore.

Beyond Star Wars, These Franchises Might Be Fair Game

Star Wars will no doubt serve as the backbone of the upcoming sci-fi movie spoof, but the writers have seemingly hinted that Spaceballs 2 won’t limit itself to just one galaxy. I expect the sequel to take aim at a wide range of blockbuster universes that have shaped pop culture since the late ’80s.

The teaser already hinted at targets like Jurassic Park, Dune, Avatar (past and future installments) and the ever-growing slate of new superhero films. In other words, just about any mega-franchise from the last few decades could end up in the crosshairs—including some recent hits that fans might not see coming. The original Spaceballs earned its laughs by poking fun at sci-fi as a whole, and it looks like the sequel is gearing up to do the same—only this time with an even bigger playground.

Bottom line, I think Spaceballs 2 will anchor itself in a parody of the Star Wars sequels, layering in Kylo-esque family dynamics, a Grogu spoof, and then broadening out to skewer every billion-dollar franchise that’s dominated theaters since the original. In other words, the sequel isn’t just a return to a galaxy far, far away, but it’s shaping up to roast the entire modern blockbuster landscape.

And honestly? That feels exactly like the Spaceballs sequel we’ve been waiting for. Check out the film when it hits theaters in 2027, and stream the OG flick now using an HBO Max subscription.

After constantly pondering if a Spaceballs 2 would actually happen, fans like me jumped for joy a year ago when Josh Gad teased he was writing a script for the anticipated sequel. With Gad’s comedic talents and Mel Brooks’ signature parodying magic coming into play, the Schwartz is strong with this long-awaited film! So, when Brooks displayed a Spaceballs sweatshirt during Spaceballs 2's hilarious teaser, it naturally made the internet’s week (and I've gotta say the EGOT winner looks amazing at 98).

Like Yogurt said in the original Mel Brooks movie, merchandising is important for a film's success. So, someone has already created their own merch with their fake popcorn bucket for Spaceballs 2 that needs to be a reality. I’m also still waiting to get my own Yogurt doll that adorably speaks, “May the Schwartz be with you!” However, Brooks was really already ahead of the merchandising game, wearing a “Spaceballs the Sweatshirt” sweatshirt at the end of the teaser that announced Spaceballs 2's upcoming release:

With this hilarious sweatshirt worn by the one and only Mel Brooks, I already have a feeling that Yogurt’s merchandising lair will make its way into the real world soon.

After seeing The Producers director wearing “Spaceballs the Sweatshirt," it deservingly made the internet’s week with plenty of X users chiming in with love, praise and questions about how to get this item of clothing:

• Mel Brooks wearing a Spaceballs: The Sweatshirt sweatshirt lol love it -@Todd_Spence
• Merchandising merchandising merchandising!!! Love Mel Brooks!!! 👏💖🐰🦄💯💖👏 -@tjx555
• Where can I purchase one?! -@gorham_betsy
• He is a comedy legend!!! -@Thp38
• Damn. I haven't been a merch type of person in a long time, but a new space balls is something to look forward to and it might make me merch guy again. -@taggart_wyatt

I can already imagine a full flood of Spaceballs fans searching far and wide for this sweatshirt so they can wear it to the long-awaited sequel's premiere. May the Schwartz be with them on their quest to acquire more fan gear.

Another topic a few users tweeted about in reference to this video that I agree with is how amazing Mel Brooks looks at 98. You’d never know that the US Army vet is very close to being a century old.

Born in 1926, Brooks is an example of a director who made a really good movie on their first try with The Producers and then continued making a name for himself with comedy gold like Blazing Saddles, Young Frankenstein, History of the World, Part 1, and, of course, Spaceballs. I’m honestly so happy that he is still with us, working and able to produce the space opera parody sequel fans have been waiting over three decades for. Clearly, timeless talent and a fantastic sense of humor are good ingredients for aging like fine wine.

The internet is going wild not only for Mel Brooks’ Spaceballs sequel sweatshirt, but for looking so amazing at 98. Based on the loving praises they have for the Silent Movie director, Spaceballs 2 will be a great time for fans to celebrate the movie that taught us about the power of the Schwartz and the ageless comedy legend who created it. By the time the space opera sequel hits theaters in 2027, I’m expecting merch galore to make its way to die-hard fans.

While it’s long felt like a fan’s pipedream, Spaceballs 2 is finally in the works, with Josh Gad producing alongside the incomparable Mel Brooks. The project was confirmed in 2024, but the prospect of it now feels more real, given that a hilarious Spaceballs sequel teaser has been unveiled. In the aftermath, fans seemed to be pumped over the possibility of another installment in Brooks’ screwball, space odyssey series. One fan was actually so pumped that they created a fake popcorn bucket for the film, and I’m loving this faux trinket.

Popcorn buckets have been all the rage as of late, with various studios looking to craft creative receptacles that tie in with their films. (We can probably thank Dune: Part Two for truly ushering in this era of fancy snack containers.) Of course, given that Spaceballs 2 hits theaters in 2027, it’s way too early for an official bucket to hit the market. However, thanks to X user Rudy A, fans now have an idea of what such an item could look like. Feast your eyes on the photo that was shared:

So… can we make this a real product, please? The Eagle 5 – the Winnebago-esque starship that Lone Starr and Barf travel in – is a perfect template for a popcorn bucket. I could honestly see myself sitting in a theater with that container in hand and happily munching on my snack. Considering how ideal this concept seems to be, I can’t imagine that Amazon MGM Studios wouldn’t at least consider this. Of course, I can also think of another cool item as well.

An even more obvious choice would be to have a popcorn bucket that resembles the helmet of the original 1987 film’s iconic (and hilarious) antagonist – Lord Dark Helmet. Such an idea is even less far-fetched than the notion of an Eagle 5 bucket. Just earlier this year, a bucket resembling the helmet of Darth Vader – on whom Dark Helmet is based – was released for the 20th anniversary of Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith. Seriously, Amazon MGM and theaters chains, there’s money to be made with these buckets.

The merchandising possibilities aside, the mere fact that Spaceballs 2 is actually happening is just too exciting. For the uninitiated, the original film – which Mel Brooks directed and co-wrote – centers on space adventurers and mercenaries Lone Starr and Barf, who must rescue Princess Vespa (and her wise-cracking droid, Dot Matrix) from the clutches of the President Skroob and his Spaceballs. Along the way, Starr also attempts to wield the power of the Schwartz.

Fans can thank Josh Gad for helping to spearhead the production and pitching it to Brooks, who trusted his vision. So far, the upcoming science fiction parody film has been described as “A Non-Prequel Non-Reboot Sequel Part Two but with Reboot Elements Franchise Expansion Film.”

Plot details are currently being kept under lock and key (and probably in a galaxy very, very, very, very far away). What’s been reported, however, is that Bill Pullman will reprise his role as Lone Starr, and he’ll be joined by his son, Lewis Pullman. Rick Moranis is also returning as Dark Helmet, while Daphne Zuniga is playing Princess Vespa again. Keke Palmer is also set to join the cast as a new character. Josh Greenbaum has also been tapped to direct.

Hopefully, more Spaceballs 2 updates will arrive sooner rather than later. I’m looking forward to seeing what the cast and crew have in store and, of course, I’m also eager to see the tie-in products that are released. Considering how meta the franchise is, I wouldn’t be surprised if the popcorn bucket craze is directly addressed in the movie. We’ll have to wait and see but, in the meantime, I’ll just be thinking about that Eagle 5 bucket. Fans can also use their time to stream the original film, which is available with a Max subscription.

If you felt a disturbance in the Schwartz yesterday, that was millions of Spaceballs fans losing their minds over the news that Spaceballs 2 has a release window set for 2027 and Bill Pullman and Rick Moranis may even return for the new movie, penned by Josh Gad. But the fun doesn’t stop there, as another actor is reportedly in talks to join the film, and fans have already cast him.

Alongside the news that Pullman and Moranis had reportedly signed on to this sequel came the news that Keke Palmer was on board to play a new character as well. Now THR reports that Lewis Pullman, son of Bill, is in talks to join his father in the sequel. To say fans are on board with the casting of one of the stars of the recent Thunderbolts* movie would be an understatement, and they’ve already cast him as the film’s version of Kylo Ren. Comments include:

• no other option than for lewis to parody ben solo - @balancedpadawan
• BEN SOLO PARODY I USED TO PRAY FOR TIMES LIKE THESE - @theres_a_bea
• If this ends up true and he plays the parody of Ben Solo you’ll never hear me shut up about it - @isacchili
• WELCOME BACK KYLO REN - @hxwkes_
• omg is he gonna be the kylo ren knock off?? if so, i will be obsessed - @anxious_kitty

Once somebody says it, it’s difficult to see anything else. If we assume that Spaceballs 2 is going to take more than a little inspiration from the Star Wars sequel trilogy, then creating a character who is a take on Kylo Ren makes sense. And since that character should be the son of Lone Starr, Bill Pullman’s Han Solo-esque character from the first film, casting his actual son makes all the sense in the world.

Now I’m envisioning Lewis Pullman as an extra winy goth kid throwing a temper tantrum, and I’m already laughing. The Top Gun: Maverick actor won’t just look the part because he’s the son of Bill Pullman either; he would simply be an inspired choice to be a parody of Adam Driver. I am fully on board with this entire idea.

And if the reports of Rick Moranis being back turn out to be accurate, then things could get really exciting. Kylo Ren never got to actually interact with Darth Vader. One can only imagine how hilarious it will be if their parody versions cross paths.

With the film still two years away, there’s a lot that could still happen, but the fact that the sequel is on the way with a fantastic reported cast is glorious. Now we can focus on the important debate of whether it should be called Spaceballs 2: The Search For More Money or if they should title it Spaceballs 3: The Search For Spaceballs 2.

Mel Brooks is one of the great comedy geniuses of the 20th century. He has so many fantastic films that it's hard to pick a favorite, but Spaceballs has to be near the top of any list. His Star Wars spoof is so spot on that it even makes fun of franchises and sequels. Well, soon it will be one.

Spaceballs 2 Has The Perfect Announcement Teaser

Josh Gad had previously revealed that he had written a sequel to Spaceballs, but beyond the fact that it existed, what we know about Spaceballs 2, like what it will be about or when we might see it, was limited at best. That just changed as an official Spaceballs 2 announcement just dropped that confirmed the movie is coming and set for a 2027 release. Check out the hilarious announcement above.

The teaser is perfect. The original Spaceballs included a Star Wars-style opening crawl that was as funny as anything else in the movie. This one is focused on poking fun at the absolutely massive number of sequels and reboots that have been released over the last four decades.

Rick Moranis And Bill Pullman Are Set To Return For Spaceballs 2

However, the best part of the Spaceballs 2 news isn't the jokes, it's the news of who will be in the movie. Deadline reports Bill Pullman, who starred in the first film as Lone Starr, will be back, as will Dark Helmet himself, Rick Moranis.

The Rick Moranis return is especially noteworthy, as the actor has been largely retired from acting for quite some time. He did not return for either of the recent Ghostbusters sequels, even though there were apparently attempts to get him back. So it's worth calling out how his return for this sequel is a big deal.

As a huge Rick Moranis fan in general, and an equally big Dark Helmet fan specifically, this has me quite happy. Any attempt to make another Spaceballs would be handicapped from the outset if Moranis wasn't involved. Nobody else is quite as capable of being as funny, even while being covered by a giant metal facemask.

It seems that Josh Gad and Rick Moranis were simply destined to work together at some point. Gad spent several years trying to get a legacy sequel to Honey, I Shrunk the Kids off the ground. There were reports at one time that Moranis would return for the sequel, and while those rumors were never confirmed, the whole project eventually fell apart anyway.

Mel Brooks will also be back in the new Spaceballs. Brooks played two parts in the original film: as the leader of the Spaceballs, President Skroob, and as the Yoda parody, Yogurt. Brooks is confirmed to be playing Yogurt again. No word on if he'll also play Skroob, but considering Skroob ends the original movie with Dark Helmet on the Planet of the Apes, it's at least possible.

A common criticism thrown around when judging an actor’s performance is that they seem too “robotic,” while some roles, particularly in sci-fi movies and TV shows, actually require that sort of demeanor. Then again, the best robot portrayals usually come from performers who attempt to bring a sense of humanity to their mechanical characters. See for yourself by revisiting some of the most acclaimed, iconic, and even underrated robotic performances – including friendly robots and sinister machines alike – on the big and small screen.

Anthony Daniels - C-3PO (Star Wars)

I can understand why some fans of the Star Wars movies do not care much for C-3PO as a character, as I, too, feel annoyed by his constant complaints, especially in the 1977 original. However, his shortcomings are outweighed by the droid's heroic moments, and, not to mention, Anthony Daniels' commitment to the role (he even wears that visibly uncomfortable suit) is a highlight of the franchise.

Alicia Vikander - Ava (Ex Machina)

I consider Alex Garland's 2014 directorial debut, the classic A24 movie, Ex Machina, to be one of the most powerful cautionary statements on artificial intelligence, and the reason lies in Alicia Vikander's performance as Ava. The stunningly humanesque android convinces both programmer Caleb (Domhnall Gleeson) and the audience that she is worth trusting before pulling the rug from underneath us in the shocking finale.

Rutger Hauer - Roy Batty (Blade Runner)

Fans of director Ridley Scott's Philip K. Dick adaptation, Blade Runner, would agree that the real hero of the 1982 film is not Harrison Ford's Rick Deckard, but Roy Batty. Rutger Hauer brings a refreshing aura of humanity to his performance as the Replicant, who wants nothing more for himself and other artificial beings like him but a chance to live a full and free life, which his programming and the laws of his dystopian society do not allow.

Brigitte Helm - Maschinenmensch (Metropolis)

One of the most essential silent era movies is director Fritz Lang's 1927 adaptation of Thea von Harbou's 1925 novel, Metropolis, which takes place in a seemingly utopian society that secretly relies on a secret underground of tireless workers to function. Brigitte Helm stars in the dual roles of a saintly figure named Maria and a mechanical being made in her likeness called Maschinenmensch – an iconic robot character that even those who have not seen the film should surely recognize.

Ian Holm - Ash (Alien)

In some movies, the goal of a robotic character is to blend in among its human peers, which Ash (Ian Holm) accomplishes for most of Alien. When his true identity is revealed, Holm brings out a chilling demeanor in his android character that almost makes you forget that there is a deadlier threat onboard the Nostromo, and one of the all-time scariest movie aliens, called a Xenomorph.

Vin Diesel - The Iron Giant (The Iron Giant)

Funny how most of Vin Diesel's more acclaimed performances have been voice acting roles, such as when he voiced the title role of 1999's The Iron Giant. The actor brings such a charming, childlike innocence to an otherwise physically intimidating character, who befriends young sci-fi fan Hogarth Hughes (Eli Marienthal) in Brad Bird's directorial debut, which could have won the Best Animated Feature Oscar had the category existed then.

Peter Weller - Alex Murphy (RoboCop)

There are some iconic movie robot characters who started off as humans before being rebuilt into something more, such as Alex Murphy in 1987's RoboCop. Peter Weller gives, arguably, his definitive and most heartfelt performance in director Paul Verhoeven's action-packed, cleverly satirical sci-fi classic as the brutally murdered police officer who is selected by a powerful corporation to become the ultimate crime-fighting machine.

Brent Spiner - Data (Star Trek: The Next Generation)

Arguably, the heart and soul of the Star Trek: The Next Generation cast and an essential reason why the Emmy-winning series is one of the most beloved iterations of the long-running franchise is Brent Spiner's performance as Data. Captain Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) sums up what makes the Soong-type android one-of-a-kind when he eulogizes him in Star Trek: Nemesis, referencing how he reflected the best of humanity by striving to be better than he was.

Peter Cullen - Optimus Prime (Transformers)

Some might say that Chris Hemsworth did an exceptional job voicing a young Optimus Prime in Transformers One, but the role will always belong to the actor who first brought the shapeshifting alien robot to life. Peter Cullen's portrayal of the Autobots' leader became so essential to the original beloved animated series that he readily accepted the chance to reprise the role in Michael Bay's 2007 live-action reboot.

Arnold Schwarzenegger - T-800 (The Terminator)

Playing an unstoppable, unfeeling killing machine from the future in 1984's The Terminator made Arnold Schwarzenegger a bona fide movie star. However, his arguably stronger performance in James Cameron's action-packed franchise of time travel movies comes from 1991's Terminator 2: Judgment Day as a T-800 reprogrammed to protect John Connor (Edward Furlong), to whom he becomes a much-needed father figure.

Haley Joel Osment - David (A.I.: Artificial Intelligence)

Steven Spielberg took over for Stanley Kubrick to direct A.I.: Artificial Intelligence, which is essentially a futuristic take on the story of Pinocchio. Haley Joel Osment gives one of the most profound and riveting performances of his early career as an android designed to both authentically resemble and act like an 11-year-old who, in order to please his new family, longs to become a real boy.

Sophie Thatcher - Iris (Companion)

SPOILER ALERT for anyone who has not seen one of the great horror movies of 2025, Companion: it is not until near the end of the first act when Iris (Sophie Thatcher), as well as the audience, discovers she is really a robot programmed with undying affection for her purchaser, in this case Josh (Jack Quaid). However, Josh turns out to be a really terrible "boyfriend," awakening a part of Iris that longs for independence, which Thatcher's commanding performance makes it easy to root for.

Kenny Baker - R2-D2 (Star Wars)

Have you ever considered the fact that Star Wars fans owe the entire franchise to none other than R2-D2? If the droid (played beautifully by the late Kenny Baker, who actually operated the character from within) had not successfully delivered Princess Leia's message to Obi-Wan Kenobi, the Resistance might not have thrived in its war against the Empire.

Lupita Nyong’o - Roz (The Wild Robot)

The Wild Robot became an instant classic kids movie for the way it also appeals to adult viewers with a heartwarming commentary on the challenges of parenthood, as seen through the eyes of an unlikely character. Lupita Nyong'o is wonderful as the voice of a mechanical assistant that must alter her programming to take on the responsibility of raising an abandoned gosling and helping her other animal friends survive.

Ben Burtt - WALL-E (WALL-E)

You could easily cite Ben Burtt's enchanting vocal performance as a lonely robot tasked with cleaning up an abandoned Earth as to why WALL-E is one of the best Pixar movies, but that is the tip of the iceberg. The Oscar-winning animated sci-fi drama also offers a frighteningly plausible premonition of what humanity could become, not only if we are forced to leave our planet, but also if indolence is encouraged in favor of a fully automated lifestyle.

Paul Bettany - Vision (Avengers: Age of Ultron)

After years of lending his voice to Tony Stark's A.I. assistant Jarvis for years in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Paul Bettany was given the chance to play an artificial being with a bit more personality named Vision, who debuted in 2015's Avengers: Age of Ultron. The English actor's performance as the unique superhero only became stronger with each subsequent appearance, especially at the moment of his death(s) in Avengers: Infinity War and his mysterious resurrection in the Disney+ series, WandaVision.

Alan Tudyk - K-2SO (Rogue One: A Star Wars Story)

Robots always seem to steal the show in the Star Wars franchise, especially if they have an exceptionally talented actor at the helm. Case in point, one of "Geek God" Alan Tudyk's best roles is the voice of K-2SO, an Imperial droid reprogrammed with an assignment to help the Resistance (and with an extra dose of snark) in the 2016 prequel film, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story.

Lance Henriksen - Bishop (Aliens)

One of the few trustworthy androids in the Alien movie franchise is Bishop, whom Ripley is understandably slow to warm to upon discovering he is not human in 1986's Aliens. Lance Henriksen would later appear in Alien 3 as the human who created Bishop, Michael Bishop of the Weyland-Yutani corporation.

Robert Patrick - T-1000 (Terminator 2: Judgment Day)

As a cyborg made of liquid metal, which makes it able to shapeshift, able to pass through small openings, and nearly impossible to kill, the T-1000 did not need a great performance to make it cool. Yet, Robert Patrick made the main antagonist of 1991's Terminator 2: Judgment Day a special kind of villain with his cold, fierce demeanor.

Joan Rivers - Dot Matrix (Spaceballs)

Just about every major character in the Star Wars universe is sent up with a parodic counterpart in Mel Brooks' hilarious spoof movie, 1997's Spaceballs. For instance, the mocking equivalent to C-3PO is Princess Vespa's droid, Dot Matrix, who is voiced by the incomparable Joan Rivers.

David Jonsson - Andy (Alien: Romulus)

Most critics and audiences would agree that the standout performance of Fede Alvarez's terrifying 2024 sequel, Alien: Romulus, is David Jonsson as Andy. The English actor stole the show with what technically counts as a dual role, initially introducing Andy as unassuming, innocent, and consistently loyal to Rain (Cailee Spaeny) until he is reprogrammed with a new directive that makes him a threat.

Bill Irwin - TARS (Interstellar)

One of the most entertaining characters in Christopher Nolan's acclaimed space movie, Interstellar, is not a human, but still highly relatable, especially for its spicy humor setting. Bill Irwin not only provided the voice for TARS, but also was involved with puppeteering the uniquely designed robot that accompanies Matthew McConaughey's Cooper and others on a mission to find a habitable replacement for Earth.

Ryan Gosling - K (Blade Runner 2049)

Ryan Gosling's penchant for stoicism serves him very well as the hero of Denis Villeneuve's 2017 Blade Runner sequel, Blade Runner 2049. He plays "K," a Replicant assigned to hunt other Replicants, who begins to question his job and his true identity after making a startling, conspiratorial discovery.

Scott Adsit - Baymax (Big Hero 6)

What makes Disney's Oscar-winning, animated 2014 comic book adaptation, Big Hero 6, an instant classic superhero movie is not just its spectacular action and heartwarming coming-of-age themes. The most charming element is Scott Adsit's hilarious performance as the voice of Hiro's (Ryan Potter) cuddly robot friend, Baymax.

Yul Brynner - The Gunslinger (Westworld)

Years after starring as a heroic gunslinger in the classic Western movie, The Magnificent Seven, Yul Brynner played a role that is the opposite in every way, from his sinister aura and mechanical infrastructure, in Westworld. Director Michael Crichton's 1973 sci-fi thriller later inspired an acclaimed HBO series of the same name.

Alan Rickman/Warwick Davis - Marvin (The Hitchhiker’s Guide To The Galaxy)

Some might call 2005's The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy an underrated adaptation of Douglas Adams' cult favorite sci-fi farce, especially for its portrayal of Marvin. Alan Rickman provides the voice, and Warwick Davis wears the suit of the android who is perpetually depressed for having no reason to apply his immense knowledge of the universe.

Alan Tudyk - Sonny (I, Robot)

Will Smith may receive top billing for 2004's futuristic detective story, I, Robot, but Sonny is its heart and soul. Alan Tudyk captures the "unique" machine's inner turmoil beautifully as he evolves from a confused murder suspect to a hero.

Paul Reubens - MAX (Flight Of The Navigator)

One of Paul Reubens' best roles outside of his time playing Pee-wee Herman comes from Disney's 1986 cult favorite sci-fi classic, Flight of the Navigator. The comedian voices MAX, which is the computer that powers an extraterrestrial vessel that young David Freeman (Joey Cramer) must help navigate.

Michael Fassbender - David (Prometheus)

It is never clear whether or not Michael Fassbender's David is an android worth trusting... at least in 2012's Prometheus. He is clearly revealed to be a malevolent presence in 2017's Alien: Covenant, in which the actor also plays a friendlier robot named Walter.

Summer Glau - Cameron (Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles)

The underrated TV series, Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles, reinvents and continues the adventures of the titular hero (Lena Headey) and her son, John (Thomas Dekker). It also partners the mother-son duo with Summer Glau as Cameron, who is a cyborg unlike any previously seen in the franchise, equipped with an emotional core and the ability to feel sensations.

Robin Williams - Andrew (Bicentennial Man)

Robin Williams gives a heartfelt performance in director Chris Columbus' Bicentennial Man as a service android named Andrew, who longs to become human.

Various - Tom Servo And Crow T. Robot (Mystery Science Theater 3000)

The art of audibly poking fun at a cheesy movie is perfected in the long-running sci-fi comedy series, Mystery Science Theater 3000, which follows a human forced to watched low-grade flicks with his mechanical companions. Much like the rotating selection of human hosts, the actors known for playing the two main robot characters, Tom Servo and Crow, have changed over the years (such as Kevin Murphy and Baron Vaughn as Servo and Trace Beaulieu and Hampton Young as Crow, for instance), but the portrayers' hilarious improv skills have never faltered with each succession.

There really isn't anything more fun than Easter Eggs that filmmakers sneak into their movies. Often it's in tribute to past work, or to other things they admire. Sometimes they even reference real-world events. We collected a bunch of our favorites, so let's get into them! Tell which ones you knew about and which ones were unseen until now.

The Spinal Tap Hat In The Princess Bride

The story behind director Rob Reiner sneaking his hat from This Is Spinal Tap! into The Princess Bride is that Mark Knopfler, who did the soundtrack for the fantasy movie, only agreed to do the movie if Reiner got the hat into a scene. He did, by hanging it on the wall in Fred Savage's character's room.

Avengers Comic In The Electric State

In a blink-or-you'll miss-it moment, there is a quick call back a previous Russo Brothers' movie in the Netflix original film, The Electric State. A robot can be seen reading an Avengers comic.

R2-D2 In Close Encounters Of The Third Kind

Steven Spielberg paid tribute to his good buddy George Lucas in his film Close Encounters Of The Third Kind by adding a little R2-D2 to the underside of the alien ship. It can be seen very briefly as the ship takes off.

The Duke Brothers In Coming To America

In Trading Places, Eddie Murphy and Dan Aykroyd's characters take down the Duke Brothers and leave them broke. A few years later, in Coming To America, Eddie Murphy's character Prince Akeem hands a homeless man a wad of cash. The bum turns out to be Mortimer Duke, who shakes his brother Randolph awake, and they celebrate being back.

Pac-Man In Tron

Disney's Tron broke a ton of new ground with CGI use, and in the first wave of the video game craze, it makes sense they would find a way to work in Pac-Man, the biggest video game of the character at the time, and really the first video game superstar.

The HMS Surprise In Deadpool & Wolverine

There are a ton of Easter Eggs in Deadpool and Wolverine, many of them when the characters land in the void. One of the most subtle, and one of the funniest, has to be the HMS Surprise from Master And Commander: The Far Side Of The World, a movie that many people are sad wasn't turned into a franchise. Or maybe this wasn't an Easter Egg? There is a debate that it could be a fake.

Ezekiel 25:17 In Captain America: The Winter Soldier

You wouldn't think a Marvel movie would reference a Quentin Tarantino film, but that's what happened in Captain America: The Winter Soldier. At the end of the movie, the audience sees Nick Fury's "grave," and on the tombstone, there is a quote from Ezekiel 25:17, which, of course, is where Samuel L. Jackson's Pulp Fiction character gets his famous speech in the opening scene.

Binford Tool Box In Toy Story

If you weren't a big fan of Home Improvement, the reference to the sitcom in Toy Story would be easy to miss. In the show, Tim Allen's character's show-in-a-show "Tool Time" is sponsored by Binford Tools. In Toy Story, Allen's character is seen trying to move a Binford Tools toolbox.

Club Obi-Wan In Indiana Jones And The Temple Of Doom

Of the many times Steven Spielberg has made reference to Star Wars, the most fun might be in Indiana Jones And The Temple of Doom. The name of the club at the beginning of the movie, as seen as Indy jumps out of the window, is "Club Obi-Wan."

E.T. In Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace

George Lucas paid a tribute to Steven Spielberg in Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace. During the scene in the Galactic Senate, one group of diplomats appears to be from E.T.'s home planet. It's good to know that everything was represented, even aliens in other universes.

Jimmy Buffett With Two Margaritas In Jurassic World

This is really more of a cameo than an Easter Egg, but it's kind of both. Sitting in Jurassic Park's Margaritaville is none other than the man who wrote the song and opened the first restaurant, the late, great Jimmy Buffett.

Goya's Portrait Of The Duke of Wellington In Dr. No

This has to be one of the best Easter Eggs ever. In the very first James Bond, and one of the best of the Sean Connery era, Dr. No, James briefly pauses to examine a painting in Dr. No's secret lair. The painting is a portrait of the Duke of Wellington by Francisco Goya. In the real world, that painting had famously been stolen the year before the movie came out, and at the time, it was missing. It seems Dr. No had it.

Starbucks Cups In Fight Club

This one is wild. Fight Club is a lot of things, and on one level, it's a pretty harsh critique of capitalism. As part of that, director David Fincher made sure that Starbucks cups appeared in every - or at least many - scenes in the movie. They are all over the place, and next time you watch it, you'll see them, we promise.

A Cowbell In The Jungle Book (2016)

Now this one is great. Director Jon Favreau seems to have snuck a great reference to a classic Saturday Night Live episode into his live-action version of The Jungle Book in 2016. When Mowgli visits King Louie, he bangs on a cowbell to summon the king. King Louie, of course, is voiced by Christopher Walken, who starred in the famous "more cowbell" skit on SNL.

Lou Ferrigno In The MCU Movies

One of the coolest things about the Hulk-centered movies in the MCU is that Lou Ferrigno gets his due. He famously played the superhero in the 1980s, of course. Getting his due in the modern movies is a fantastic tribute.

A Xenomorph Skull In Predator 2

Many years before they would meet in Predator V. Alien, it was established that the two franchises existed in the same universe. In Predator 2, there is a very clear Xenomorph skull on the wall in a trophy room of the team of hunters.

Yoda In E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial

Steven Spielberg really loves making sly references to the Star Wars franchise in his movies. In E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, there is a kid dressed as Yoda on Halloween, and very briefly, you can hear Yoda's theme music from Empire Strikes Back. E.T. recognizes Yoda, but is pulled back before he can speak to him.

Batman V. Superman In I Am Legend

This one is wild. In I Am Legend, there is a billboard in a post-apocalyptic Times Square advertising a "Batman vs. Superman" movie. Legend came out in 2007, a full nine years before Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice came out. Of course, the idea of a team-up between the two giant DC comic characters goes way back, but still, it's almost like I Am Legend predicted the future in a movie set in the future.

License Plate THX-138 In American Graffiti

George Lucas' breakout movie was American Graffiti, and he found a way to work the name of his first movie, THX-138, into the movie set in the fifties. It appears on a license plate in the movie. Lucas has snuck it into most of his movies since, as well.

The Millennium Falcon In Spaceballs

Spaceballs is one of Mel Brooks's best movies. It's a parody of Star Wars, and Brooks manages to pay direct tribute to the epic space opera by sneaking in The Millennium Falcon at the end of the movie. As the main characters pull into the space truck stop, they park their RV right next to it. Sadly, Han and Chewie aren't seen inside the diner.

OB-3PO In Raiders Of The Lost Ark

This is one of our favorites. Lots of people are aware that Steven Spielberg snuck R2-D2 and C-3PO into the hieroglyphics in Raiders of the Lost Ark, but did you know that wasn't the only tribute? The tail number of the plane at the beginning of the movie (the one with the snake in the seat) is "OB-3PO," referencing Obi-Wan and C-3PO.

Douglas Adams' Face In The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy

Towards the very end of The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy, the filmmakers pay quick tribute the Douglas Adams, the author of the beloved "trilogy" the movie is based on. The face of the late writer is seen very briefly as the ship swings around to head to the restaurant at the end of the universe.

Rango's Shirt In Rango

Johnny Depp voices the character Rango in the movie of the same name, and throughout the movie, there are a few references to one of Depp's other classic movies, Fear & Loathing In Las Vegas, most notably Rango's shirt, which is the same as Depp's character wears in Fear & Loathing.

A113 In Every Pixar Movie

One of the most famous Easter Eggs in movies has references to room A113 in almost all of the Pixar movies. Room A113 at California Institute of the Arts is where many of the artists and animators at Pixar studied in college, and they add it into the movie as a tribute to their education.

The Tesseract In Iron Man 2

The first time The Tesseract is properly introduced into the MCU is in the post-credit scene in Thor, but the first time it's ever referenced was in the preceding movie, Iron Man 2, when Tony Stark is seen looking through his father's journal is pauses on a drawing of the powerful object.

Hank Hill In Idiocracy

This one is really hard to catch, but it's there. At the beginning of director Mike Judge's Idiocracy, there is a family tree of the "idiot," and there are dozens and dozens of photos of his descendants. One of those, if you look closely towards the bottom, just left of center, is none other than Hank Hill. Judge, of course, is also the creator of King Of The Hill.

Roald Dahl Original Text In The Fantastic Mr. Fox

Director Wes Anderson paid a wonderful tribute to author Roald Dahl, whose story he adapted for The Fantastic Mr. Fox, and included a little of Dahl's original writing from the book.

Fire Marshall Bill In Liar, Liar

Jim Carrey had a lot of crazy ideas and nutty characters when he starred on In Living Color, and one of the most popular was Fire Marshall Bill. The idiotic fireman is seen very briefly in the background in Liar, Liar, and it's, frankly, brilliant.

Huttese Language In Men In Black

It's rare that you get an audio Easter Egg, but that's what we get in Men in Black. As K is showing J around the Men In Black headquarters, K stops for a cup of coffee, and there is a cadre of aliens making the coffee. They are speaking "Huttese," or the language of the Hutts, in the Star Wars universe. It's a great little tribute.

Callahan Institute in 50 First Dates

Lucy, played by Drew Barrymore in 50 First Dates, learns about her memory problems by visiting Dr. Keats, played by Dan Aykroyd. Keats works at the Callahan Institute. Callahan Auto, of course, is the name of the auto parts company Akyroyd's character tries to buy from Tommy Callahan (Chris Farley) in Tommy Boy.

Easter Eggs In The Rocky Horror Picture Show

Did you know that there are literal Easter Eggs in a few scenes in The Rocky Horror Picture Show? The lore surrounding the eggs is that the cast had their own Easter Egg hunt and they either left some on purpose, or failed to find a few, but there are at least three that can be seen in the "Time Warp" scene, including on top of the statue to the right of Frank's throne.

The Race In Ready Player One

It feels a little like cheating by adding it to this list, since Ready Player One is basically one big Easter Egg. So we could mention dozens, but in the race alone, there is a Knight Rider car, Christine, The A-Team van, and a whole lot more.

In one of the best parody movies, Spaceballs, the wise sage Yogurt says we’ll all meet again for Spaceballs 2: The Search For More Money. Well, it’s been over 35 years since the space opera spoof first made us laugh, and we’re still waiting to see the hilarious cast of characters again. As Josh Gad works on a Spaceballs sequel, he recalls the funny story of pitching the new movie to creator Mel Brooks – which involves decades of Star Wars history and the “greatest compliment” from him.

The closest we’ve ever gotten to a Spaceballs continuation was in G4’s short-lived Spaceballs: The Animated Series, which was more of a retelling of the movie than a sequel. The second Spaceballs that never was first was thought of in 2013 with Dark Helmet’s Rick Moranis saying he and Mel Brooks were unable to come up with a working deal for it. Two years later, Brooks wanted to make a Spaceballs 2 that would start filming after Star Wars: The Force Awakens, but it still never happened.

Finally after talks with MGM, a Spaceballs sequel is a-go with Josh Gad starring, co-producing, and co-writing the script. In a podcast episode of Let’s Talk Off Camera with Kelly Ripa, the Frozen actor spoke about when he starred on the FX series The Comedians, he met his “idol” Mel Brooks when he came on as a guest star. Being such a fan of one of the best ‘80s movies, Gad shared a funny story of pitching his idea to Brooks:

For the record, Josh Gad does a scarily spot-on impression of Mel Brooks in the podcast episode! To tell Gad he’s got his “finger on the pulse” of the anticipated sequel must have been a real honor to receive from the man responsible for shaping the comedy film genre. It’s clear that The Wedding Ringer actor truly is a Spaceballs fan for constructing a 40-minute pitch of what he envisioned a sequel would be like. As the best movies from the Star Wars franchise have expanded ever since the 1987 classic, there’s so much more to spoof for a new movie that could come from the prequels, the J.J. Abrams sequels, and maybe even the TV shows. For Brooks to place his trust in Gad to take care of his comedy masterpiece truly is a genuine compliment.

Josh Gad’s latest update about Spaceballs 2 came from November when he said the draft was done and those who read the script were “blown away.” The Tony nominee talked more about his excitement about the highly-anticipated sequel and what we can expect from it, saying,

News like that makes the Spaceballs fan in me incredibly excited. Not only are we going to get some nostalgia feels for the spoof comedy it originated from but for the creator behind some of the best spoofs in film history. Mel Brooks movies have a way of relating to audiences by bringing back absurd moments found in our favorite movies, political issues, and life in general. I’m really curious what a modern sequel of the classic sci-fi comedy would look like and what would be spoofed this time around.

So far what we know about the sci-fi movie spoof is that Mel Brooks plans to produce with Josh Gad. Strays director Josh Greenbaum will be directing the second Spaceballs film, and he actually has a Star Wars connection of his own: He profiled sound designers of the franchise in the documentary short Behind the Mac: Skywalker Sound, which clearly means he has a passion for the George Lucas film series as well. With no word yet on the plot, I’d like to believe we’ll see some jokes surrounding the recent Star Wars films. Hopefully something in there about a certain Jedi’s hatred of sand, if we’re lucky.

With Gad being such a superfan of the original movie, I’m confident he’ll wow audiences with the continuation just like Brooks wowed him with his parody movie. Until we get sequel release date news, you can watch the movie that started it all on your AMC+ subscription.

Almost every Mel Brooks movie is hilarious, but the comedian’s greatest work is probably his Star Wars parody, Spaceballs. Unfortunately, despite a joke in the movie about a sequel, the biggest way the 1987 film would end up different from Star Wars is that no sequel would come in the short term. But Josh Gad is now attached to a sequel, and he just provided and update that should get fans excited.

Last summer, Josh Gad first teased that he had co-written a script for a Spaceballs sequel. Beyond that, details about Spaceballs 2 have been scarce. However, while speaking with Forbes, Gad confirmed that the script for the movie is complete. Not only that, but he also revealed what the reactions have been like from those who've been able to feast their eyes on the screenplay:

Considering that the Frozen alum makes reference to the film “Prophesied by Yogurt” one has to wonder if the movie will actually be called Spaceballs 2: The Search For More Money, considering that was what Mel Brooks' character, Yogurt, calls the sequel in the original movie. Alternatively, Rick Moranis had previously suggested that he thought the sequel should be called Spaceballs III: The Search For Spaceballs II.

Whatever the movie was called, Brooks previously recalled the idea of making a sequel surfacing almost as soon as the original film came out. Yet, ultimately, nothing ever came of it. Interestingly, the news that SB2 was being written came after Josh Gad appeared in another Mel Brooks revival, History of the World Part Two, a limited series that's available with a Hulu subscription.

As we understand it, Gad is set to star in the new film, with Mel Brooks acting as producer. Having said that, it still doesn’t look like the film has officially been greenlit. In addition, it's been reported that Josh Greenbaum will direct the long-awaited comedy. Greenbaum is known for directing the comedy films Barb and Star Go To Vista Del Mar and Strays.

While Spaceballs 2 may still be in the early days of conception, it certainly sounds like, from Josh Gad’s point of view, the film is honestly and truly making progress. As a fan of the classic sci-fi romp, I’m certainly excited to see the new movie, whatever it ends up looking like.

The spoof movie is a greatly under-appreciated genre, with many critics assuming they try to take the easy way out by merely referencing the films they target without putting much effort into actual jokes. While those kinds of parodies do exist, there are more than enough classics that make up for them. Let's celebrate the all-time best parody movies by recounting some of their funniest lines and most uproarious sight gags.

Farts Around The Campfire (Blazing Saddles)

These days, flatulence is widely considered a lazy and infantile way to get a cheap laugh, but it was revolutionary in Blazing Saddles. A scene from writer, director, and star Mel Brooks' classic Western movie send-up in which Hedy— er, Hedley Lamarr's (Harvey Corman) cowboys take turns expelling gas around a campfire marked the very first time any fart had ever been depicted in a feature film.

Dead Meat's Foreboding Signs (Hot Shots!)

In 1991's Hot Shots! (which mostly takes aim at the '80s movie classic, Top Gun), Dead Meat's (William O'Leary) wife, Mary (Heidi Swedberg) shows up just as he is about to go on a flight and, as they walk to the plane, a black cat crosses their path, he walks under a ladder, and she breaks a mirror while giving him a life insurance form to sign. However, he says there will be more time to sign it afterward and also says he has an idea to reverse global warming and evidence about JFK's assassination which he will discuss after he comes back because "what could go wrong" in his jet?

Mortars' Men Accidentally Destroy John McClane's House (National Lampoon's Loaded Weapon 1)

While the Lethal Weapon movies are the main target in 1993's National Lampoon's Loaded Weapon 1, there is a memorably hilarious reference to the Die Hard movies, too. William Shatner's Gen. Mortars orders his henchpeople to destroy what they believe is Jack Colt's (Emilio Estevez) house, only for Bruce Willis to appear from the wreckage as John McClane, informing them that they have the wrong house.

Ludicrous Speed (Spaceballs)

In order to catch up with Lone Starr (Bill Pullman) and Barf (John Candy), Dark Helmet (Rick Moranis) orders to put his ship beyond lightspeed and engaged "ludicrous speed," which he comes to regret when the ride proves too intense. This could be one of the few concepts from Spaceballs referenced more often than anything from the actual Star Wars movies, which Mel Brooks' 1987 favorite sends up.

Ashtray's Impossibly Young Father (Don't Be A Menace To South Central While Drinking Your Juice In The Hood)

One of the Wayans Family's best movies, Don't Be a Menace to South Central While Drinking Your Juice in the Hood, pokes fun at Black dramas like Menace II Society and Boyz n the Hood by sending up the way they portray real-life urban issues. For instance, co-writer, Shawn Wayans' character, Ashtray, goes to stay with his dad (played by Lahmard J. Tate), who is a bit young to be his father. In fact, he is only a couple of years older than his son.

Drew Follows The Death Sign (Scary Movie)

While none of the best horror movies are safe in 2000's Scary Movie, the cold opening is a direct parody of the first kill in Scream (not to mention how the entire movie heavily follows the 1996 slasher's story). As Drew Decker (Carmen Electra) tries to outrun her killer, she is faced with two signs — one that points to safety and another to her death. Needless to say, she takes the wrong turn.

King Arthur Vs. The Black Knight (Monty Python & The Holy Grail)

One of the most widely celebrated moments from 1975's Monty Python & the Holy Grail sees King Arthur (Graham Chapman) engage in a duel with a knight in black armor (played by John Cleese), who proves to be quite the sore loser, to say the least. After lobbing all four of the Black Knight's limbs off, Arthur decides to call it a draw and leaves while the obliviously defeated opponent calls him a coward for running away so soon.

Robin Checks The Script (Robin Hood: Men In Tights)

In 1993's Robin Hood: Men in Tights, Mel Brooks' version of the legendary thief, portrayed by Cary Elwes, is so shocked that he has lost an archery tournament that he looks to the screenplay for his own movie to make sure there is no mistake. He then discovers that he has another chance to win and proves victorious.

Janey Receives Misguided Fatherly Advice (Not Another Teen Movie)

In Not Another Teen Movie, Janey Briggs (Chyler Leigh) tells her dad (Randy Quaid) she suspects something is amiss about popular jock Jake Wyler (one of Chris Evans' most underrated roles) and his sudden interest in her, feeling he may only be looking for a good time. In other high school movies, the fatherly character would tell her to follow her heart and not give in to such a thing but he insists she go for it, believing his daughter could use the "popularity points."

"Don't Call Me 'Shirley'" (Airplane!)

One of the most famous WTF moments from 1980's Airplane! is an exchange between Ted Striker (Robert Hays) and Dr. Rumack (Leslie Nielsen) on a doomed commercial flight. When the doctor asks the disgraced former fighter pilot if he can take over for the ill pilots, he says, "Surely you can't be serious," which convinces Rumack that he was calling him by the name "Shirley."

Frederick Gets Stuck In The Revolving Bookshelf (Young Frankenstein)

In one of the best Mel Brooks movies, 1974's Young Frankenstein, Gene Wilder's Dr. Frederick Frankenstein ("fronk-en-steen") and Inga (Teri Garr) search for a secret passage behind a bookshelf and accidentally discover it rotates by removing a nearby candle from its holder. When Frederick becomes trapped behind the bookshelf, he attempts to block it with his own body, which he immediately regrets.

Topper's Body Count (Hot Shots! Part Deux)

In one of many uproariously gratuitous scenes from Hot Shots! Part Deux in which Charlie Sheen's Topper mows down enemy soldiers, a counter appears on the screen to keep track of how many he has killed. Captions also appear, comparing his body count to that of classic action flicks like RoboCop and Total Recall.

The Large-Eyed Bookstore Proprietor (Top Secret!)

Jim Abrahams and David and Jerry Zucker's 1984 follow-up to Airplane!, Top Secret!, puts the spy movie genre in the hot seat. One of the funniest moments sees Peter Cushing as a bookstore owner holding what appears to be a magnifying glass up to his eye, making it appear larger than average. It is actually window glass and his eye is truly that large.

Gary's Song For Lisa (Team America: World Police)

Like many of the best movies by South Park creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone, 2004's action-packed, puppet-tastic Team America: World Police is a musical and one of its funniest tunes is a love song about Lisa (Kristen Miller) by Gary (Parker). However, in a moment of unapologetic brilliance, the lyrics become more preoccupied with savagely roasting Michael Bay's Pearl Harbor, which he claims "sucks a little more than" he misses his girlfriend.

The Youth Gang Competition (I'm Gonna Git You Sucka)

Writer and director Keenon Ivory Wayans' underrated '80 movie, I'm Gonna Git You Sucka, is a clever send-up of Blaxploitation cinema. One of the best bits sees Wayans' character Jack Spade going to the neighborhood Youth Gang Competition, where petty street crimes like robbery and junking cars are treated as a sport.

Tom Vs. Michael Jackson (Scary Movie 3)

In a Scary Movie 3 scene poking fun at a memorable moment from The Others, Tom (Charlie Sheen) walks into his daughter's room and suspects the person under the sheet is not her. It turns out to be none other than Michael Jackson (portrayed by impersonator Edward Moss), with whom Tom engages in a fight that most consists of classic dance moves on King of Pop's end. In the end, Tom gives him a taste of his own medicine by holding him outside the window.

"Lend Me Your Ears!" (Robin Hood: Men In Tights)

In Robin Hood: Men in Tights, Robin (Cary Elwes) stands before a group of potential recruits for his band of Merry Men, whom he asks to lend him their ears. He is disgusted to see them take this command literally, pulling their ears from their heads to throw at him.

"I Fart In Your General Direction" (Monty Python & The Holy Grail)

In Monty Python & the Holy Grail, King Arthur (Graham Chapman) and his knights ask a French guard (John Cleese) if they could seek shelter in his master's castle. Instead, he refuses to allow them in and showers them with insults, including what might be the all-time greatest in cinematic history: "I fart in your general direction."

Frederick And The Creature Perform "Puttin' On The Ritz" (Young Frankenstein)

When Frederick (Gene Wilder) decides to unveil his creation (played by Peter Boyle) to the public, he does so by performing a dance number to Irving Berlin's "Puttin' on the Ritz." Until an electrical fire frightens the Creature and puts everything to a halt, the show goes quite well, save the Creature's failure to properly pronounce the song's title through his screeching.

Benson's Sensitive Ear Canal (Hot Shots!)

After showing off his stainless steel ear canals, due to a bullet that passed "right through," by running a cloth between his ears, Admiral Benson (Lloyd Bridges) is offered earplugs to muffle the jet engine sounds by Smalley. However, he mistakes them for pills and pops them right in his mouth in a gut-buster from the first Hot Shots!

Moviegoers Gang Up On Brenda (Scary Movie)

Everybody can, unfortunately, say they have encountered a disruptive audience member at the movies like Brenda (Regina Hall), who makes comments out loud, takes a phone call, and even tries to film a bootleg in Scary Movie. Usually, all it takes to solve the problem is asking the person to keep it down or talking to management but these people go to the extreme and take turns stabbing her to death in a spoof of the Scream 2 cold open.

Nick Fights Nigel At An Underwater Bar (Top Secret!)

In the final act of Top Secret!, rock-star-turned-secret-agent Nick Rivers (Val Kilmer) chases after Nigel "The Torch" (Christopher Villers) after he is revealed to be a traitor. Their quarrel reaches its peak when fall into a river with a fully operational, western-style saloon at the bottom floor, where Nick manages to defeat Nigel.

Malik Meets Another Black Party Guest (Not Another Teen Movie)

In Not Another Teen Movie, Malik (Deon Richmond) openly acknowledges that he is the movie's token Black character, which he has to explain to another Black teen he spots at a party. They both acknowledge that the situation is "wack" and the other guy (played by Sean Patrick Thomas from dance movie favorite, Save the Last Dance) graciously accepts and sees himself out.

"Walk This Way" (Young Frankenstein)

When Frederick meets Marty Feldman's Igor ("eye-gore") at the train station in Transylvania, the humpbacked assistant tells him to "Walk this way" as he hobbles down the stairs. However, he repeats it again to indicate that he wants Frederick to mimic his hobbling. The classic Young Frankenstein bit actually inspired the title of a hit Aerosmith son, according to bass player Tom Hamilton.

The Jailers Feign Inarticulation (Monty Python's Life Of Brian)

In Monty Python's Life of Brian, a Roman guard played by John Cleese goes to the prison and asks two jailers (Eric Idle and Terry Gilliam) where a prisoner has gone but they are unable to form complete sentences. When he leaves, we discover their brutish accents and communication struggles were all a front when Idle's character says, "Anyway, get on with the story."

The Johnsons (Blazing Saddles)

In Blazing Saddles, the citizens of Rock Ridge hold a town hall meeting where Gabby Johnson (Jack Starrett) delivers some "authentic frontier gibberish" about not letting his home be taken advantage of that is praised by Olson Johnson (David Huddleston). Dr. Samuel Johnson (Richard Collier) stands up to voice his agreement, and then another Johnson, and another. It then becomes apparent that just about every citizen of Rock Ridge has the same last name.

Trooper Champlin's Hat Keeps Growing (Scary Movie 3)

Similar to a scene from the M. Night Shyamalan movie, Signs, Tom (Charlie Sheen) invites Trooper Champlin (Camryn Manheim) to his farm to check out the crop circles in Scary Movie 3. However, as she is leaving, the brim of her hat inexplicably grows larger each time the camera cuts back to her.

"I Can Speak With An English Accent" (Robin Hood: Men In Tights)

When Prince John (Richard Lewis) asks Robin (Cary Elwes) why the citizens would listen to him, he says that he can speak in an English accent, "unlike some other Robin Hoods." This is a clear jab at the film that Robin Hood: Men in Tights is poking fun at, Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves, which stars the American Kevin Costner in the title role.

The Runaway Bus (Spy Hard)

Probably the funniest sequence in what is believed to be one of Leslie Nielsen's weakest spoofs, 1996's Spy Hard, takes aim at the unstoppable bus plot from Speed. When Dick Steele (Nielsen) and Veronique Ukrinsky (Nicolette Sheridan) board a city bus with a cut brake line, he attempts to stop with his feet while her driving causes issues for a dentist trying to give a root canal and a baker decorating a cake. Why they chose a public transit vessel to perform those hasty acts is anybody's guess.

"It's Good To Be The King" (History Of The World: Part I)

In the "French Revolution" segment of History of the World: Part I, Mel Brooks plays King Louis XVI, who seizes the opportunity to have his way with a woman every chance he gets, and much to the ladies' amusement. Each time, he breaks the fourth wall to remind the audience that this is why he believes, "It's good to be the king."

Dracula's Shadow Takes A Tumble (Dracula: Dead And Loving It)

Mel Brooks' retelling of Bram Stoker's seminal novel, 1995's Dracula: Dead and Loving It, sees Leslie Nielsen play the titular bloodsucker, whose own shadow can move separately from his body, which he demonstrates when he meets Renfield (Peter MacNicol). After slipping on a patch of bat guano and falling down the stairs, the Count assures Renfield that such a tumble could not hurt him, but the same cannot be said about his shadow, seen holding its sides and making sounds of discomfort a moment later.

"Somehow The Killer Always Knows Where We Are" (Shriek If You Know What I Did Last Friday The Thirteenth)

Released in the same year as Scary Movie, 2000's Shriek If You Know What I Did Last Friday the Thirteenth is a horror movie parody that is also largely inspired by Scream. In one scene, the five young main characters are sitting at a picnic table discussing the killer who always seems to be one step ahead of them as one points out. The camera then cuts to underneath the table where the film's version of Ghostface is just chilling out, completely undetected.

When looking over all the Mel Brooks movies, it’s safe to say that 1987’s Spaceballs, a parody of the original Star Wars movies, is one of the filmmaker’s more well-known cinematic offerings. Among the funniest jokes in the movie is when Brooks as Yogurt informed Bill Pullman’s Lone Starr that they may meet again in Spaceballs 2: The Search for More Money. Although Brooks never ended up making such a flick in real life (though he did express interest in doing so), it appears that Josh Gad may have teased he’s working on a Spaceballs sequel.

Gad, of course, is no stranger to comedy, from his time on stage productions like The Book of Mormon and Gutenberg! The Musical!, to appearances in movies and TV shows like The Wedding Ringer, New Girl and Avenue 5, not to mention how funny his Frozen character Olaf is across that franchise. But Gad also has a sizable amount of writing experience under his belt, which includes him creating the short-lived sitcom 1600 Penn and the animated Apple TV+ series Central Park (which ended last year). Gad has now revealed on his social media channels, including Instagram, the latest project he’s penned, so take a look:

As seen in the caption, Josh Gad thinks this film script, which he wrote with Dan Hernandez and Benji Samit, may be the “funniest and best thing he’s ever worked on,” but almost all the details in the pages he shared are blacked out. So why am I bringing up a Spaceballs sequel? Well, there are two potential clues that have many people thinking that this is Gad’s upcoming projects.

First, whatever this script is about involves a preexisting IP, as evidenced by the “Based on Characters Created by” part. If you look closely though, the first name of the creator appears to be Mel, so when you combine that with the fact that this is a comedy, Mel Brooks is a logical conclusion. Second, the little portion of the second page shown says “EXT. STAR FIELD,” so whatever movie Gad, Hernandez and Samit have written opens with a scene set in outer space.

Now obviously we can’t say with 100% certainty that Josh Gad is working on Spaceballs 2, but it’s looking pretty likely given what little information is available. Ideally Gad will confirm or debunk this belief sooner rather than later, but of all the contemporary comic talents to revive Spaceballs, I trust he and his partners to handle this material effectively. It also helps that not only does Gad know Brooks and worked with him (Brooks guest-starred as The Producer in the cast recording for Gutenberg! The Musical!), he’s already acted in a different Brooks-related revival, History of the World Part II, the limited series that can be streamed with a Hulu subscription.

If this Spaceballs sequel is indeed on the way, it will be the second time the property has been revisited, as Spaceballs: The Animated Series aired 13 episodes from June 2008 to March 2009. It’ll also be interesting to see if the sequel would bring back surviving cast members from the original like Bill Pullman, Daphne Zuniga and Rick Moranis, or if it would star all-new faces, and thus function as more of a reboot.

Whatever the case, we’ll either let you know if Spaceballs 2 is moving forward if there’s official confirmation or pass along if Josh Gad said this was a script for something completely different. For now, look through our 2024 movies schedule to see what cinematic entertainment is out now and arriving later in the year.

The late great John Candy had a way with comedy, and he had a way with words. So it’s no surprise that throughout his classic ‘80s movies, there’s a good number of quotes that still stick with fans to this very day. It’s time to celebrate that legacy, by running down the wit and wisdom found within some truly memorable quotes from Mr. Candy’s best movies. 

“Who wants an orange whip? Orange whip? Orange whip? Three orange whips.” - The Blues Brothers (1980)

Playing as a part of the all-star cast in The Blues Brothers movie, Candy’s law enforcement agent wasn’t without a sense of humor. Not to mention, it was rather polite to offer his co-workers all orange whips on the job! 

“You ever travel by bus before? Hmm. Your mood's probably not going to improve much.” - Planes, Trains, and Automobiles (1987)

In buddy comedy scenarios, it’s all about knowing how to play your partner. Planes, Trains, and Automobiles puts that practice to the test in several ways, as John Candy gets to needle Steve Martin with lines such as this. Absolutely knowing that Neal isn’t going to take to bus travel very well, Del confirms as much with this well played, well timed moment.

“You might have noticed that, uh, I've got a slight weight problem.” - Stripes (1981)

Rather than giving John Candy a simple, self-deprecating fat joke, Stripes saw his character of Dewey “Ox” Oxenberg calling his larger body type out from the jump. Turning it all around into a fun punchline, this admission leads to Ox’s backstory, which is just as humorous as the reaction he provokes with this very line. 

“What’s your record for consecutive questions asked?”- Uncle Buck (1989)

Between John Candy and Macaulay Culkin, Uncle Buck scored a late comedy hit for the ‘80s. Culkin’s interrogation of the equally straight-faced Candy still stands out as an iconic moment of rapid fire back and forth. 

“Sorry folks, park’s closed. Moose out front shoulda told ya.” - National Lampoon’s Vacation (1983)

One of the best punchlines to a comedy movie, National Lampoon’s Vacation allowed John Candy to land a huge laugh with a very simple statement. The rest was history, especially with a patented Chevy Chase freak out in the mix. 

“I'm a mog: half man, half dog. I'm my own best friend!” - Spaceballs (1988)

John Candy wasn’t always the smart alec with a sharp tongue. His humor also leaned in on the lovable and the absurd, with both factors colliding in Mel Brooks’ Star Wars spoof Spaceballs. Barf the Mog explains himself so clearly, but so adorably, that even John Candy's prosthetic issues couldn't stop him from delivering.

“She could probably speak English already. I think she was in shock from bein' arrested y'know.” - Splash (1984)

Initially Daryl Hannah’s mermaid in Splash didn’t seem to speak English when she met Tom Hanks’ lovesick Allen. After a quick TV spree Madison seems to pick up the language with no problems, which pays off in a couple of ways. One of which is John Candy getting to treat his on-screen brother to this theory of how that changed so quickly.

“Those aren’t pillows.” - Planes, Trains, and Automobiles (1987)

The right line can lay out so many implications without needing to spell everything out. Planes, Trains, and Automobiles has one of those moments, which aptly pairs John Candy with Steve Martin, in a scene that slowly escalates into those three simple-but-audience-breaking words.

“Trapped in a tiger trap, by a tiger. This could be a setback.” - Volunteers (1985)

A little wordplay can go a long way, especially when this scenario from Volunteers saw John Candy’s Tom Tuttle outfoxed by a big cat. Capping his bewilderment off by writing it all off as a slight inconvenience, rather than a pretty big reversal, just makes it all the more amusing to hear Candy dance with this alliterative accident.

“You don’t want to eat in a place where there’s rats. And I just found some rats in the back!” - Summer Rental (1985)

Crusading for the little guy in 1985’s Summer Rental, John Candy’s Jack Chester leaves a seafood restaurant in a dramatic huff. After losing out on a table, and the remaining lobsters, to a snooty resident (Richard Crenna), Candy leaves the scene with this crazy last ditch attempt to sully the dining establishment’s name.

“Monty, this is Hackensack, NJ. No scout comes here, you understand that. Trains are going through the outfield right now.” - Brewster’s Millions (1985)

While the New Jersey baseball scene has changed, especially in the Minor Leagues, this Brewster’s Millions line is still pretty funny. This is especially true when taking into account John Candy and his joke about a rather inconvenient railway situation; which leads to a promise of drinking with his in-movie buddy, and pitcher for the Hackensack Bulls, Monty Brewster (Richard Pryor).

“Bear... bear... Big Bear... big bear chase meeeeeeee...!” - The Great Outdoors (1988)

John Candy plays exasperation like a pro, especially in the face of fear. So when he tried to warn his family in The Great Outdoors of a particularly big bear that was chasing him, the resulting advisory came out in fits and starts. 

“Take this quarter, go downtown, and have a rat gnaw that thing off your face!” - Uncle Buck (1989)

Insults have always been something that John Candy has had a way with delivering. After defending his family against a particularly tough principal (Suzanne Shepherd), the character Uncle Buck gets its name from allows our hero to produce that very coin, and some stinging word of wisdom. You can't easily copy something like this; just ask anyone who remember ABC's short lived Uncle Buck series.

“My reputation precedes me. Otherwise I'd be late for all my appointments.” - Who’s Harry Crumb? (1989)

Believe it or not, a joke can be made funnier by its comedian’s laughter. Who’s Harry Crumb? gave John Candy a moment where that was proven to be true, as he drops this Marx Bros. style wisecrack, and chuckles at just about the time the audience would be laughing as well. 

“Come on thru. I'm Joe Public, welcome to my beach.” - Summer Rental (1985)

It may be a simple gag that includes the help of a well placed sign, but that’s all John Candy needed to make this Summer Rental moment work. His dejected annoyance that a public beach entrance is right in the eye line of his family’s vacation digs lands without fail, right down to sarcastically proclaiming himself as “Joe Public.” 

“It's not that you had too much to drink. You're just too skinny.” - Splash (1984)

Spoken with an air of academic assurance, John Candy gives Tom Hanks a firm reason as to why he hasn’t had enough to drink in 1984’s Splash. Candy’s lines paired with Hanks’ drunken despair makes waves in a movie that you can actually catch on streaming; albeit with some Disney+ friendly alterations.

“That's not a real gun, is it Clark?” - National Lampoon’s Vacation (1983)

Chevy Chase terrorizes poor John Candy in National Lampoon’s Vacation with what looks like an actual gun. At least, he does so until the moment where Candy’s security guard character calls it out as a BB gun. A little bit of back and forth, plus a BB fired at John’s backside, makes for an excellent punchline to this running gag.

“Well sir, we were going to this bingo parlor at the YMCA, well one thing led to another, and the instructions got all fouled up…” - Stripes (1981)

Coming up with a good excuse that gets you and your buddies off the hook is always a valuable skill. But even Dewey “Ox” Oxenberg couldn’t vouch for his friends, especially when trying to explain their supposed “bingo night” is a feat he attempts while sporting still drying mud from a bikini wrestling incident.

“Our speedometer has melted and as a result it's very hard to say with any degree of accuracy exactly how fast we were going.” - Planes, Trains, and Automobiles (1987)

Excuses to get out of any sort of traffic ticket have to be creative and logical. This laugh line from Planes, Trains, and Automobiles falls into the first category, as John Candy makes this admission to Michael McKean, in the name of trying to get on the good side of his scene partner. Admittedly, while being very humorous, it’s not the best line to use on a cop during a traffic stop. 

“I did it.” - The Great Outdoors (1988)

What else could anyone say after polishing off most of “The Old 96-er” from The Great Outdoors? Mr. Candy seemed to have won a battle with his iconic 96 oz. steak nemesis, and all that was left was to preemptively celebrate with a weak, but humorous cheer of victory. 

“Nice dissolve.” - Spaceballs (1988)

Mel Brooks movies love to break the fourth wall ever so delicately in the name of laughs. Barf the Mog’s comment on the transition between scenes in Spaceballs stands as proof that such a gag can play like gangbusters. Provided, of course, you’ve got a legend like John Candy delivering the line.

“Sergeant, does this mean we're through for the day?” - Stripes (1981)

While Dewey “Ox” Oxenberg doesn’t deserve the throttling he gets from Sgt. Hulka (Warren Oates) in Stripes, it is the perfect button to this particular line. Ox’s innocent inquiry of whether his day in military training is done sets it all up for an expert payoff, showing that John Candy was just as funny teeing up a joke as he was taking the swing.

“If they told you wolverines would make good house pets, would you believe them?” - Planes, Trains, and Automobiles (1987)

Steve Martin’s Neal really tries to hold out hope for getting home to his family in time for Thanksgiving throughout every inch of Planes, Trains, and Automobiles. While that’s not a bad thing, certain situations like hoping for a flight right before Thanksgiving need to be brought down a peg. Enter John Candy’s Del, who defuses such hopes with creative reference to dangerous animals.

“I'm Buck Melanoma. Moley Russell's wart.” - Uncle Buck (1989)

Over a decade before Austin Powers had his own run-in with a pronounced mole, and some tricky wordplay, Uncle Buck tangled with that scenario in a rather hysterical fashion. As John Candy’s character couldn't stop himself from blundering in reference to Anita Hogarth (Suzanne Shepherd) and her notable facial feature, we the audience got a nice little ramble that got him there in the end.

“I must warn you, Vince Barnes, I have a black belt in Aikido...and the boots to match.” - Who’s Harry Crumb? (1989)

Harry Crumb is a secret weapon when it comes to failing upwards. He’s also a master wordsmith who can drop a pithy line like this, and still do an impressive (stunt double assisted) backflip in Who’s Harry Crumb? If only he was that delicate around the Pterodactyl eggs he almost breaks in the process.

“With all this mess, that the radio’s the only thing that’s really working good. It’s clear as a bell!” - Planes, Trains, and Automobiles (1987)

Everything and anything happens to John Candy and Steve Martin during their Planes, Trains, and Automobiles journey. With an incident rendering their rental car a burnt out, open air cruiser in the middle of the midwestern fall, you have to admit Candy’s Del tries his best to convince a law enforcement officer (Michael McKean) that they’re still riding in a somewhat legal style.

“They’ve gone to Plaid.” - Spaceballs (1988)

Selling the absurd is a comedian’s job, and a movie like Mel Brooks’ Spaceballs had folks like John Candy lovingly putting in overtime. With this flick’s answer to hyperspace involving going to Plaid, the visuals were already there to make the joke stick the landing. But hearing Candy as Mog reinforcing things with his dialogue above really made the gag work like a charm.

“Say I wish you folks at home could see this. Seymour, where’d you get such a weeeeeeird plant?” - Little Shop of Horrors (1986)

In a brief appearance in the film version of Little Shop of Horrors, John Candy pulls out all the stops in setting up “Wink Wilkinson’s Weird World.” By time he introduced guest Seymour Krelborn (Rick Moranis) and his strange and interesting plant Audrey II, even the mere elongation of the word “weeeeeeeeird” is turned into an easy laugh.

“You know, that may be worth something.” - Who’s Harry Crumb? (1989)

Never underestimate the power of a good deadpan delivery. In Who’s Harry Crumb?, our titular sleuth has no idea the paperweight he’s playing around with is a fossilized Pterodactyl egg. And yet when he’s informed of this fact, all he can muster is a strict and serious utterance that’s so sharp, it just makes the line sing even more.

“Oh, he’s drunk. How would he know where we’re going?” - Planes, Trains, and Automobiles (1987)

You wouldn’t be faulted for almost missing this line from Planes, Trains, and Automobiles, as John Candy delivers it in the middle of a pretty busy sequence. However, if you’re a frequent watcher of this movie, you’d probably be able to enjoy it pretty easily; especially since Candy makes physical reference to this implication with a funny drinking motion.

“One.” - Planes, Trains, and Automobiles (1987)

Getting a temperature check on your journey is as easy as looking at your dashboard these days. But in the days of Planes, Trains, and Automobiles, it wasn't always that easy. Especially when Del (John Candy) and Neal (Steve Martin) are riding in the back of an uncovered truck. When Neal poses that question on a particularly cold day, Del's response of "One" may not be a warm though, but it's certainly a comedic ice breaker. 

"I bet you fifty bucks any one of those guys could tell you where Jimmy Hoffa is buried!” - Armed and Dangerous (1986)

There are two John Candy jokes that any one from New Jersey would especially appreciate. One is a joke in Brewster's Millions about the state of Jersey minor league baseball. The other is this gag from Armed and Dangerous, a movie teamed Candy with former SCTV partner Eugene Levy. It goes over as well as one would hope.

In a career that saw so many iconic roles and fun John Candy trivia come to pass, the actor still has a treasure trove of memorable '80s moments that truly shine. They will continue to live on for years to come, so long as people are ready to laugh with a man who made laughter so very easy to come by.

Did you know that some of the best horror movies of all time were rated PG? What about those early Indiana Jones movies? Yep, those, along with some of the most iconic films from the ‘70s and ‘80s, which many of us grew up watching religiously, were technically PG movies. 

In fact, there were a great number of comedies, dramas, and fantasy films that were initially released with a PG rating that would be either PG-13 (a rating not introduced until the mid ‘80s) or R by today’s standards. But as folks like to say, things were different back then. 

Here are 30+ classic PG movies that would never be PG today…

Jaws (1975)

It may seem hard to believe, but Jaws, Steven Spielberg’s 1975 summer blockbuster about a vicious shark preying on beachgoers in a New England seaside town was released with a PG rating. Between the violent attacks sequences, that terrifying and grotesque visual of Ben Gardner’s corpse (missing eye and all), and some truly frightening moments, this would surely be a PG-13 movie by today’s standards.

Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984)

Child slavery, hearts being ripped out of chests, and chilled monkey brains are just some of the grotesque and unsavory moments from Steven Spielberg’s Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom. Released in 1984 with a PG rating, this Indiana Jones sequel would lead to a major change in the rating system moving forward.

Ghostbusters (1984)

Ivan Reitman’s Ghostbusters is a movie that surely would have had a PG-13 rating if released in 2023, but 1984 was a different place and didn’t have anything between PG and R. That being said, Bill Murray, Harold Ramis, Dan Aykroyd, and the rest of the cast use some adult language that would never make it today. The same goes for the ghostly seduction scene involving Aykroyd’s Ray Stantz and and unseen spirit.

Poltergeist (1982)

One of the best haunted house movies, Tobe Hooper’s supernatural horror movie, Poltergeist, was, surprisingly enough, released with a PG rating, but only because it wasn’t quite extreme enough for the R designation. But still, there’s no way a movie that used real skeletons, featured some of the most terrifying scenes in movie history, and showed characters rolling and smoking a joint would be considered “PG” in 2023.

Gremlins (1984)

Joe Dante’s Christmastime horror comedy, Gremlins is a bundle of seasonal joy (just as long as you don’t feed it after midnight) with its demented and mutated mogwai bringing death and destruction to a once quiet town. This could very well be the most extreme PG movie thanks to its visceral stabbing scenes, decapitations, explosions, and profanity. It’s wild, it’s festive, and it’s violent.

Spaceballs (1987)

Believe it or not, the 1987 Star Wars parody, Spaceballs, was given a PG rating upon its release, at which time PG-13 was already around. There’s not a lot of violence in Lone Starr (Bill Pullman) and Barf’s (John Candy) quest to save Princess Vespa (Daphne Zuniga), but there’s plenty of profanity, which is to be expected with a Mel Brooks movie.

Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)

Shooting people point blank, Nazis having their faces melted off, a man backing into a propeller, and some choice language make Steven Spielberg’s Raiders of the Lost Ark one of the more intense PG-rated movies released over the years. 

Sixteen Candles (1984)

One of the best examples of an ‘80s movie that didn’t age well, John Hughes’ Sixteen Candles pushes the envelope when it comes to sex, language, and substance abuse in a PG-rated movie. There isn’t any violence to speak of, but those slurs and actions by several characters, mostly Anthony Michael Hall’s Ted Farmer, have not aged well one bit.

Beetlejuice (1988)

Tim Burton’s 1988 horror-comedy, Beetlejuice, isn’t all that terrifying, but the movie about a recently deceased couple who call on the services of a raucous spirit to scare away the new owners of their home does feature some language that would never fly in a PG movie today.

The Goonies (1985)

Released with a PG rating in 1985, Richard Donner’s The Goonies isn’t as extreme as some of its contemporaries, but it certainly pushes the rating to the max, especially when it comes to the language used by the young cast. Sean Astin, Josh Brolin, and company aren’t throwing out F-bombs like Tony Montana, but there are some choice four-letter words throughout the gang’s quest to find One-Eyed Willy’s treasure.

Big (1988)

There’s a lot going on in Penny Marshall’s Big that would totally prevent the movie from having a PG rating 35 years later. The profanity (a certain four-letter word starting with “F” would never fly today), the whole subplot of Susan (Elizabeth Perkins) sleeping with Josh (Tom Hanks), a 12-year-old in an adult’s body, and other sexual references would put this in prime PG-13 territory.

Airplane! (1980)

It seems like 1980s movies got away with a lot compared to more modern releases, and that can be said about the 1980 parody film, Airplane!, which was full of one offensive or unsavory joke after another. Drug use, cussing, all sorts of sexual references, and more made this an unforgettable hit but also would hurt the film’s chances of getting a lighter rating by today’s standards.

Top Gun (1986)

Top Gun should have mostly likely been a PG-13 movie instead of being released with a PG rating, because Tony Scott’s 1986 high-stakes action flick is wild. Broken necks, shirtless volleyball, multiple bar scenes, a romantic sex scene, and so much profanity make this one of Tom Cruise’s best movies but also one with a questionable rating.

Annie Hall (1977)

How Woody Allen’s Oscar-winning Annie Hall was released with a PG rating instead of being rated-R in 1977 is one of cinema’s great mysteries. Sure, there’s no nudity and the only on-screen violence involves lobsters and spiders, but there’s so many sexual situations and references, drug use, and other scenes that haven’t aged well. Plus, you don’t kids watching this because they just might turn into cinefiles who write about movies for a living.

Clue (1985)

Clue, a classic whodunit based on an iconic board game, is another movie that pushes the PG rating to the extreme with its violence, language, and not-so-subtle sexual references. It’s not as wild as movies like Knives Out that would follow decades later, but this should have totally being a PG-13 movie looking back.

Dead Poets Society (1989)

You can’t have a teenage coming-of-age story without including some scenes that push the envelope, and Dead Poets Society has that in spades. Nude women in magazines, a great deal of profanity, and the whole part where a student commits suicide (off-screen) make this Robin Williams classic a movie that would never get a PG rating today.

The Witches (1990)

Who would have thought a movie about witches abducting and trapping children or turning them in rodents would be so terrifying, but Nicolas Roeg’s The Witches is just that. This Roald Dahl adaptation isn’t gory, filled with extreme language, or overly sexualized, but that iconic transformation scene is enough to put this in the running for a PG-13 rating, for sure.

Goldfinger (1964)

This could be applied to many of the older James Bond movies, but 1964’s Goldfinger, a film that includes scenes like a woman being turned into gold, lasers pointed at crotches, and multiple shootouts and heavily-implied sex scenes, was rated PG upon release. 

The Graduate (1967)

Mike Nichols’ 1967 Oscar winner, The Graduate, is a movie that would have surely been released with a PG-13 rating if it would have come out 20 years later. There’s no way the seduction by Mrs. Robinson (Anne Bancroft) and her affair with Benjamin Braddock (Dustin Hoffman) would go over well with the MPAA and its PG rating nowadays.

Smokey and the Bandit (1977)

A cross-country journey to illegally deliver a truckload of Coors beer across the Mississippi River that is full of profanity and sexual innuendoes would never get a PG rating in 2023, but that was the case for Smokey and the Bandit upon its release in 1977. This Burt Reynolds classic is a relic of a bygone era.

Some Like It Hot (1959)

Released in 1959, Some Like It Hot is one of those movies that would definitely be released with a PG-13 rating, but it was considered PG at the time of its debut. Yeah, it’s nothing extreme, but the sexual innuendoes, drinking, and crass dialogue wouldn’t be as well-received by parents in 2023.

The Right Stuff (1983)

Philip Kaufman’s 1983 historical epic, The Right Stuff, follows some of NASA’s earliest and most iconic astronauts as they put their lives on the line in the name of science and national pride. Clocking in at over three hours in length, this movie is also filled with quite a few cuss words and fatal crashes. You could argue this one being a PG-13, or even R, movie by today’s standards.

The King of Comedy (1982)

Though not as extreme as other Martin Scorsese movies, the filmmaker’s 1982 crime drama, The King of Comedy, would definitely not have a PG rating 40+ years later. Rupert Pupkin (Robert De Niro) loses his mind and kidnaps late-night TV host Jerry Langford (Jerry Lewis) to get a spot on his successful show. Oh, and it inspired Todd Phillips’ Joker. 

Uncle Buck (1989)

John Hughes’ late ‘80s classic, Uncle Buck is a movie that would never be PG today due to all the profanity and alcohol use. In fact, the 2016 CBS sitcom inspired by the John Candy movie had a TV-14 rating, the small-screen equivalent of PG-13.

Splash (1984)

Splash, the fantasy romantic comedy starring Daryl Hannah and Tom Hanks is a film that was released not long before the inception of the PG-13 rating designation, and one that would have probably not been a PG movie if it would have come out any later. Some of the nudity was edited out for the Disney+ streaming debut.

Barry Lyndon (1975)

There were quite a few PG Stanley Kubrick movies back in the day, including his 1975 historical epic, Barry Lyndon, which featured topless women, several instances of violence, and some drinking in its story about the titular social climber played by Ryan O’Neal.

The Outsiders (1983)

Francis Ford Coppola’s adaptation of S.E. Hinton’s The Outsiders helped launch the careers of stars like Matt Dillon, Ralph Macchio, C. Thomas Howell, and Tom Cruise, but this 1983 PG-rated movie also got away with a lot. There’s a great deal of violence, a decent amount of cussing, and so many underage kids drinking and smoking.

Planet Of The Apes (1968)

The original Planet of the Apes was released with a PG rating, but that probably wouldn’t be the case today. There’s some violence, slight profanity (thought nothing extreme), and uncomfortable sexual tension between man and ape, but the icing on the cake is the naked swimming scene early on. Just a bunch of butts, but too much for a PG rating.

The Bad News Bears (1976)

A kids movie is almost always going to be PG, even if said flick has all kinds of cuss words, children smoking cigarettes, and alcoholic coaches. Still, The Bad News Bears is a great baseball movie, as well as a time-capsule to the wild times of the ‘70s.

Kramer Vs. Kramer (1979)

Kramer vs. Kramer, Robert Benton’s legal drama about a couple (Meryl Streep and Dustin Hoffman) getting divorced and making sense of their new world, won five Oscars and told a brilliant story. However, there’s no way a movie with this much nudity and profanity would be PG today. Marriage Story, which is very similar in tone, had an R-rating upon its release in 2019.

Grease (1978)

The 1978 musical comedy, Grease, was released with a PG rating, something that’d never happen today. There’s those lyrics in “Summer Nights” that make you go “Yikes,” the mooning scene, and other parts that would probably be better suited for a PG-13 audience. 

Grease 2 (1982)

Grease 2, took the formula from its predecessor and added more singing and more double-entrendres. It’s hard to see this one getting anywhere close to a PG rating today, but that was the case back in 1982.

All of these movies were once considered okay for the PG rating, though none of them would fall into that category in 2023. If anything, it’s amazing to see how much someone could get away with 30, 40, or 50 years ago.

For more than half-a-century, Mel Brooks has written, directed, and starred in some of the best comedies of all time. With movies that pushed boundaries, made light of stereotypes, and poked fun at just about everyone under the sun, the EGOT winner has been a constant source of entertainment as well as great stories that seem too good to be true. 

With the elder statesman of American comedy being back in the limelight once again with the release of his star-studded Hulu original series, History of the World, Part II, now seems like a good a time as any to revisit not just some of Brooks’ best movies, but all of them, as well as where you can watch them. There’s a lot to unpack here, so let’s get this one started… 

The Producers (1968)

When down-on-his-luck Broadway producer Max Bialystock (Zero Mostel) and his new accountant, Leo Bloom (Gene Wilder), discover a loophole that will allow them to keep all the money raised for their new show if it’s a flop, the pair put together what could be the most egregious production of all time: “Springtime for Hitler.”

Since its release in 1967, Mel Brooks’ The Producers has gone on to become one of the funniest and most consequential musicals of all time, and has even been adapted multiple times, including a 2005 remake also directed by the comedy legend.

Rent The Producers (1967) on Amazon.
Also try: The Producers (2005) on Amazon.

The Twelve Chairs (1970)

Released in 1970, Mel Brooks’ adaptation of The Twelve Chairs follows Ippolit Matveyevich Vorobyaninov (Ron Moody), a former aristocrat whose fortunes went out the window during the Bolshevik Revolution, as he teams up with local conman, Ostap Bender (Frank Langella) to find his mother-in-law’s missing jewels that have been sewed into one of 12 chairs. But, the unlikely pair isn’t alone in the search, as a corruptible priest named Father Fyodor (Dom DeLuise) is also after the hidden treasure.

Buy The Twelve Chairs on DVD on Amazon.

Blazing Saddles (1974)

Mel Brooks’ all-time great parody movie, Blazing Saddles, pokes fun at anything and everything under the sun with its story about a railroad magnate (Harvey Korman) installing a black man (Cleavon Little) as sheriff of a small frontier town to cause chaos and make the community more easily destroyed for his new line. But, as the wild, wild story unfolds, getting the Johnsons of Rock Ridge to leave their homes, new sheriff, and his drunk gunman (Gene Wilder), is anything but an easy task.  

Nearly 50 years later, Blazing Saddles is just as controversial as the day it was released.

Rent/buy Blazing Saddles on Amazon.

Young Frankenstein (1974)

One of the best 20th Century Fox movies, Brooks’ 1974 horror comedy, Young Frankenstein, follows Dr. Frederick Frankenstein (Gene Wilder) as he discovers that he’s the heir to his grandfather’s estate, and everything that comes with it. Just like in Mary Shelly’s classic horror novel, this black-and-white romp sees the ambitious scientist bring the dead back to life, but this monster (Peter Boyle) is only keen for “puttin’ on the ritz.”

Stream Young Frankenstein on HBO Max.

Silent Movie (1976)

In 1976, Brooks went old school with his slapstick comedy, Silent Movie, which as the name implies, didn’t feature any dialogue. Don’t let the lack of his mastery of the spoken word dissuade you, though, for all his physical humor and incredibly crafted scenes are all here, and better than ever in the story about a once successful Hollywood director attempting to make a silent movie in 1970s Hollywood.

Buy Silent Movie on DVD on Amazon.

High Anxiety (1977) 

Psychoanalysis and Alfred Hitchcock movies become the target of his unique brand of satirical comedy in the 1977 parody film, High Anxiety. Brooks stars as Dr. Richard Thorndyke, an overly neurotic psychiatrist who begins to experience a series of increasingly troublesome occurrences after a recent promotion. Diagnosed with “high anxiety,” the hapless doctor finds himself in all kinds of danger as he attempts to figure out what is actually happening to him.

Rent/buy High Anxiety on Amazon.

History Of The World, Part I (1981)

Spanning from the dawn of man to the French Revolution, his 1981 comedy classic, History of the World, Part I, recounts some of civilization’s biggest, brightest, and most ridiculous moments, including what came of the other five Commandments, a song and dance number for the Spanish Inquisition, and so much more.

Stream History of the World, Part I on Hulu.
Rent/Buy History of the World, Part I on Amazon.

Spaceballs (1987)

What could very well be one of the best movies for each member of its cast, 1987’s Spaceballs saw Brooks do to Star Wars what he did to Westerns, horror films, and human history with this iconic space opera comedy. The movie follows space pilot Lone Star (Bill Pullman) and his human-dog hybrid companion, Barf (John Candy), as they attempt to save Princess Vespa (Daphne Zuniga) from the clutches of Dark Helmet (Rick Moranis). And, seriously, can we finally get Spaceballs 2: The Search for More Money?

Stream Spaceballs on AMC+.
Rent/Buy Spaceballs on Amazon.

Life Stinks (1991)

Successful businessman Goddard Bolt (Brooks) takes his feud with rival Vance Crasswell (Jeffrey Tambor) to the next level when he makes a bet that he could survive on the streets of Los Angeles for one month with nothing more than the clothes on his back. In Life Stinks, the arrogant and ungracious Bolt quickly finds out that he is not as well-equipped for the pauper life as he once thought.

Stream Life Stinks on Tubi.
Rent/buy Life Stinks on Amazon.

Robin Hood: Men In Tights (1993)

Even though it received poor reviews upon its initial release, his 1993 adventure parody comedy, Robin Hood: Men In Tights, has since become a cult classic with its story about Robin of Loxley (Cary Elwes) and his crusade to take back his family’s home from the clutches of Prince John (Richard Lewis). That may not be the biggest obstacle the returning nobleman will face, however, in his epic and hilarious journey.

Stream Robin Hood: Men in Tights on HBO Max.
Rent/buy Robin Hood: Men in Tights on Amazon.

Dracula: Dead And Loving It (1995)  

More than 20 years after poking fun at Frankenstein, Mel Brooks turned his attention to another horror icon in Dracula: Dead and Loving It. The movie follows Count Dracula (Leslie Nielsen) as he moves from his dreary castle and finds new life in Victorian Era London, where he also finds a new source of blood in the city’s hopping social scene. When the fiancé of one of his targets catches on, though, Dracula’s longtime nemesis, Van Helsing (Brooks) comes into the picture to settle things once and for all.

Stream Dracula: Dead and Loving It on Tubi.
Rent/buy Dracula: Dead and Loving It on Amazon.

Well, those are all of the movies either written or directed by Mel Brooks, as well as how to watch them. And while a lot of his acting roles were left off the list, maybe we’ll revisit the likes of The Little Rascals, Toy Story 4, the Hotel Transylvania movies, and countless others in the future.

Among the actors who are most famous for starring in some of the funniest comedy movies ever made, a handful of them are known for bringing audiences equal amounts of laughter and tears, such as John Candy. I say this because rewatching the work of the two-time Emmy-winning star of the hit sketch comedy series, SCTV, reminds fans that he passed away at the age of 43 in 1994, while filming the movie Wagons East in Mexico.

While it is sad that comedy icon John Candy died so young and is no longer around to entertain us with his pristine talent, at least he still gave us plenty of reasons to keep laughing with the exceptional variety of hilarious movie classics in his filmography. The following are our picks for John Candy's best movies you can find right now on streaming, as a digital rental or purchase, or on physical media — starting with one of the greatest movies set during Thanksgiving ever made.

Planes, Trains And Automobiles (1987)

In a desperate attempt to make it home to his family in Chicago in time for Thanksgiving, an uptight advertising executive (Steve Martin) is forced to become travel buddies with a vexing shower curtain ring salesman (John Candy) on a one way trip to disaster.

Why it’s one of John Candy’s best: Among his many collaborations with writer and director John Hughes, perhaps the most iconic of the bunch was when Candy was perfectly cast as the lovably obnoxious Del Griffith in Planes, Trains and Automobiles, which is also one of the best Steve Martin movies and, arguably, the ultimate “road trip from hell” comedy.

Stream Planes, Trains and Automobiles on Paramount+.
Buy/Rent Planes, Trains and Automobiles on Amazon.
Get Planes, Trains and Automobiles on Blu-Ray on Amazon.

Uncle Buck (1989)

When a family crisis forces his brother and his sister-in-law out of town, a carefree bachelor (John Candy) is tasked with looking after his nieces and nephew (Macaulay Culkin) whose lives are turned upside down by his unconventional approach to parenting.

Why it’s one of John Candy’s best: Two years after Planes, Trains and Automobiles, writer and director John Hughes would once again re-team with Candy and cast him in the title role of the hilarious family comedy, Uncle Buck, who was not much different from the actor’s real personality, according to his daughter.

Stream Uncle Buck on FuboTV.
Buy/Rent Uncle Buck on Amazon.
Get Uncle Buck on Blu-Ray on Amazon.

The Blues Brothers (1980)

After he is released from prison, a musician (John Belushi) and his brother (co-writer Dan Aykroyd) aspire to reunite their old band for a show in the hope of raising money to save the orphanage they grew up in.

Why it’s one of John Candy’s best: John Candy worked with a large variety of other comedy legends like himself, including former SNL stars Aykroyd and Belushi in director John Landis’ timeless musical comedy, The Blues Brothers, as Burton Mercer — a detective with a keen sense of humor, an appreciation for the blues, and a thirst for Orange Whips.

Stream The Blues Brothers on Fubo TV.
Buy/Rent The Blues Brothers on Amazon.
Get The Blues Brothers on Blu-Ray on Amazon.

Stripes (1981)

Unhappy with the way their lives are going, a pair of immature men (Bill Murray and co-writer Harold Ramis) believe they can turn their lives around by enlisting in the United States Army, unwitting of the harsh truths about the career that they are in for.

Why it’s one of John Candy’s best: Another SNL veteran John Candy worked with is Murray, when he played Ox — a man who joins the Army to “lose a few pounds” — in the raunchy, politically incorrect favorite, Stripes, which is also one of the best movies by director Ivan Reitman.

Stream Stripes on Tubi.
Buy/Rent Stripes on Amazon.
Get Stripes on Blu-Ray on Amazon.

Spaceballs (1987)

An oafish outlaw pilot (Bill Pullman) and his half-man, half-dog companion (John Candy) are tasked with rescuing a princess (Daphne Zuniga) from the clutches of an evil, helmeted tyrant (Rick Moranis).

Why it’s one of John Candy’s best: In addition to sharing the screen with SNL stars, Candy would often reunite with his SCTV co-stars like Moranis, with whom he reunited in Spaceballs — one of the greatest spoof movies from co-writer, director, and star Mel Brooks, in which he targets the Star Wars movies, specifically.

Stream Spaceballs on Fubo TV.
Buy/Rent Spaceballs on Amazon.
Get Spaceballs on Blu-Ray on Amazon.

Splash (1983)

Years after he is rescued by a young mermaid when he was a little boy, a New York City produce manager (Tom Hanks) is suddenly reunited under similar circumstances with the aquatic, mythological beauty (Daryl Hannah) and is immediately lovestruck.

Why it’s one of John Candy’s best: Another fellow SCTV vet whom John Candy would reunite with on the big screen is future Schitt’s Creek star Eugene Levy, such as in director Ron Howard’s fun, supernatural romantic-comedy, Splash, which is also one of a few different times Candy acted alongside future two-time Academy Award winner, Hanks.

Stream Splash on Disney+.
Buy/Rent Splash on Amazon.
Get Splash on DVD on Amazon.

Armed And Dangerous (1986)

A bumbling former cop (John Candy) and a disgraced lawyer (Eugene Levy) begrudgingly take jobs as security guards and discover they were hired to be scapegoats for a warehouse robbery scheme, inspiring them to team-up against their shady bosses.

Why it’s one of John Candy’s best: A few years after Splash, Candy and Levy would reunite again and share the spotlight as the unlikely heroes of Armed and Dangerous — a riotous and underrated action-comedy which Candy’s Stripes co-star Harold Ramis actually co-wrote and helped produce, and also stars Meg Ryan.

Stream Armed And Dangerous on HBO Max.
Buy/Rent Armed And Dangerous on Amazon.
Get Armed And Dangerous on DVD/Blu-Ray on Amazon.

Who’s Harry Crumb? (1989)

The latest descendant from a long line of successful private investigators and masters of disguise (John Candy) just cannot seem to live up to his family’s legacy, but does manage to land a case involving a kidnapped young heiress 

Why it’s one of John Candy’s best: Another fairly underrated comedy in which Candy plays a bumbling cop unwittingly hired by the bad guy and appears alongside an SCTV vet (future Freaks and Geeks cast member Joe Flaherty, in this case) is Who’s Harry Crumb? — which was directed by SCTV writer Paul Flaherty and executive produced in part by Candy himself.

Stream Who’s Harry Crumb? on HBO Max.
Buy/Rent Who’s Harry Crumb? on Amazon.
Get Who’s Harry Crumb? on Blu-Ray on Amazon.

The Rescuers Down Under (1990)

Two mice (Bob Newhart, Eva Gabor) from a secret organization that specializes in retrieving people in need are assigned to travel to Australia and team up with a local kangaroo agent to safely return a boy and a rare golden eagle from a deadly poacher.

Why it’s one of John Candy’s best: Among his few notable voice acting roles, the one that John Candy is, arguably, best known for is when he leant his voice to one of the best animated sequels, The Rescuers Down Under, as Wilbur — an ambitious and friendly albatross whose brother, Orville, was the albatross featured in the original The Rescuers from 1977.

Stream The Rescuers Down Under on Disney+.
Buy/Rent The Rescuers Down Under on Amazon.
Get The Rescuers Down Under on Blu-Ray on Amazon.

JFK (1991)

A district attorney (Kevin Costner) suspects that there is more to learn about the assassination of President John F. Kennedy than the government would like the American public to know.

Why it’s one of John Candy’s best: Among his few dramatic roles, the one that is, arguably, John Candy’s most underrated but, inarguably, most transformative is his performance as shady New Orleans-based lawyer Dean Anderson in JFK — Oliver Stone’s controversial, conspiratorial, and thrilling courtroom drama.

Stream JFK on HBO Max.
Buy/Rent JFK on Amazon.
Get JFK on Blu-Ray on Amazon.

Cool Runnings (1993)

After a devastating loss that costs him a spot in the Olympics, an ambitious track runner (Leon) enlists the help of a disgraced former athlete from America (John Candy) to mentor him and his teammates in bobsledding — a sport almost entirely unheard of in Jamaica at the time.

Why it’s one of John Candy’s best: In a role that sees him utilize both his dramatic talents and his comedic talents wonderfully, Candy plays the initially unwilling coach of the first Olympic bobsled team from Jamaica in Cool Runnings — one of the best sports movies of its time and one based on an inspiring true story.

Stream Cool Runnings on Disney+.
Buy/Rent Cool Runnings on Amazon.
Get Cool Runnings on DVD on Amazon.

Canadian Bacon (1995)

When the President of the United States (Alan Alda) begins to suffer a slump in approval ratings, a political strategist (Kevin Pollack) convinces him that a great way to get in good standing with the American people is to start a Cold War with Canada.

Why it’s one of John Candy’s best: In his final acting credit, released a year after his death, the Canadian-born John Candy, ironically, plays an American who aspires to invade the Great White North after catching heat for criticizing its beer during a hockey game in Canadian Bacon — an uproarious political satire that could only have been written and directed by Academy Award-winning documentarian Michael Moore.

Stream Canadian Bacon on Tubi.
Get Canadian Bacon on Blu-Ray on Amazon.

John Candy is still deeply missed, but he lives on in the great movies above!

It’s no secret that platforms like Netflix, HBO Max, and Disney+ are home to some of the greatest movies of all time (and largest monthly fees), but did you know there are even more free movies streaming out in the wild? No, I’m not talking about the kind you find sailing the seas as a pirate, but instead on services like Tubi, Plex, Pluto TV, and even YouTube.

At any given moment, you can watch intense dramas, over-the-top action flicks, anxiety-inducing horror films, family-friendly movie night options, and so much more. Let’s dive into some of the best free movies streaming right now…

Intense Dramas

Are you looking for a night of intense drama? Well, the following titles will give you that and more, without breaking the bank.

Platoon (1986)

The Director: Oliver Stone

The Cast: Charlie Sheen, Tom Berenger, Willem Dafoe

What It’s About: A fresh-faced U.S. soldier is thrust into the middle of combat (and a combative relationship between his sergeant and squad leader) soon after arriving in Vietnam.

Why It’s One Of The Best Free Movies Streaming: The first of Oliver Stone’s Vietnam War trilogy, Platoon is a harrowing, unflinching, and unforgettable exploration of armed combat and its effect on the human psyche.

• Stream Platoon on Pluto TV.

A Few Good Men (1992)

The Director: Rob Reiner

The Cast: Tom Cruise, Jack Nicholson, Demi Moore

Based On: A Few Good Men by Aaron Sorkin

What It’s About: A group of JAG attorneys are tasked with representing two Marines charged with the murder of one of their own only to uncover an even bigger controversy hiding beneath the surface.

Why It’s One Of The Best Free Movies Streaming: Even if you take away the classic “You can’t handle the truth” back-and-forth between Tom Cruise and Jack Nicholson’s characters, A Few Good Men is a top-notch legal drama with an intense pace, demanding performances, and so many twists and turns.

• Stream A Few Good Men on Tubi.

No Country For Old Men (2007)

The Director: The Coen Brothers

The Cast: Josh Brolin, Tommy Lee Jones, Javier Bardem

Based On: No Country for Old Men by Cormac McCarthy

What It’s About: After stumbling upon a bag of cash at a drug deal gone wrong in the middle of the desert, a Vietnam veteran finds himself being hunted by an ice-cold killer who’ll stop at nothing.

Why It’s One Of The Best Free Movies Streaming: Winner of countless awards, including Best Picture, No Country for Old Men is a slow, methodical, and extremely violent exploration of good and evil.

• Stream No Country for Old Men on YouTube.

Requiem For A Dream (2000)

The Director: Darren Aronofsky

The Cast: Ellen Burstyn, Jared Leto, Jennifer Connelly, Marlon Wayans

Based On: Requiem for a Dream by Hubert Selby Jr.

What It’s About: Four drug addicts attempt to pull themselves out of dangerous situations, only to be pulled further down the drain.

Why It’s One Of The Best Free Movies Streaming: Requiem for a Dream isn’t for the light of heart, but the distressing and gut-wrenching moments that make up this movie do a remarkable job of capturing the pain, suffering, and delusions of someone who just can’t quit.

• Stream Requiem for a Dream on Plex.

Over-The-Top Action Movies

Sometimes, nothing is better than watching an absurd and over-the-top action movie. Here are some of the best examples!

Robocop (1987)

The Director: Paul Verhoeven

The Cast: Peter Weller, Nancy Allen, Kurtwood Smith

What It’s About: After being brutally murdered by a ruthless gang, a Detroit police officer is brought back as an armored, state-of-the-art cyborg to clean up the streets.

Why It’s One Of The Best Free Movies Streaming: Paul Verhoeven’s Robocop is one of the most utterly ridiculous sci-fi action movies of the ‘80s… in all the best ways.

• Stream Robocop on Pluto TV.

First Blood (1982)

The Director: Ted Kotcheff

The Cast: Sylvester Stallone, Brian Dennehy, Richard Crenna

Based On: First Blood by David Morrell

What It’s About: A Vietnam veteran attempting to pay respects to an old Army buddy is accosted by a sheriff and his deputies in a small Washington town.

Why It’s One Of The Best Free Movies Streaming: Though not as wild as the later Rambo films, First Blood is a dramatic, action-packed, and incredibly violent movie that doesn’t hold back.

• Stream First Blood on YouTube.

Toy Soldiers (1991)

The Director: Daniel Petrie Jr.

The Cast: Sean Astin, Wil Wheaton, Lou Gossett Jr.

Based On: Toy Soldiers by William P. Kennedy

What It’s About: When a prestigious boarding school becomes the center of an international hostage crisis, it’s up to a group of wise-cracking and rebellious students to save the day.

Why It’s One Of The Best Free Movies Streaming: Toy Soldiers may have gotten lost in the shuffle of a busy 1991 (T2 and Point Break both came out that year), but this movie is just so much fun. With elements of Die Hard and Home Alone combined with killer performances from Sean Astin and Wil Wheaton, there’s so much to love here.

• Stream Toy Soldiers on Tubi.

Hard Boiled (1992)

The Director: John Woo

The Cast: Chow Yun Fat, Tony Leung, Teresa Mo

What It’s About: After his partner is gunned down in Hong Kong, Inspector "Tequila" Yuen Ho-yan (Chow Yun Fat) goes on a one-man mission to find and take out the gun smugglers with blood on their hands.

Why It’s One of the Best Movies Streaming: One of the most decorated collaborations between John Woo and Chow Yun Fat, Hard Boiled is a bullet-ridden, blood-soaked, and action-packed crime flick like no other.

• Stream Hard Boiled on Pluto TV.

Fun Comedies

Are you ready to laugh so hard your sides are going to hurt?

48 Hrs. (1982)

The Director: Walter Hill

The Cast: Nick Nolte, Eddie Murphy, Annette O’Toole

What It’s About: The unlikely duo of a down-on-his-luck cop and a charismatic convict are forced to team up to track down a pair of sadistic criminals who are willing to cross any and every line.

Why It’s One Of The Best Free Movies Streaming: The movie that turned Eddie Murphy into one of Hollywood’s biggest, brightest, and baddest stars, 48 Hrs. revolutionized the game and influenced countless “buddy cop” movies in the years and decades that followed.

• Stream 48 Hrs. on Pluto TV.

Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (1986)

The Director: John Hughes

The Cast: Matthew Broderick, Mia Sara, Alan Ruck

What It’s About: With his adolescence all but over, a high school senior decides to have the most epic “skip day” of all time with his girlfriend and best friend in the “Windy City.”

Why It’s One Of The Best Free Movies Streaming: One of John Hughes’ best movies, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, perfectly captures the heart and soul of the high school experience and those not-so-small acts of rebellion that turn teenagers into legends.

• Stream Ferris Bueller’s Day Off on Pluto TV.

A Fish Called Wanda (1988)

The Director: Charles Crichton

The Cast: John Cleese, Jamie Lee Curtis, Kevin Kline

What It’s About: With their leader in jail, a gang of diamond thieves begins to turn against one another in hopes of finding a hidden, and massively valuable, stash.

Why It’s One Of The Best Free Movies Streaming: An all-time great heist film, a laugh-a-minute comedy, and some of the best comedic performances of the ‘80s, A Fish Called Wanda has it all.

• Stream A Fish Called Wanda on Plex.

Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975)

The Director: Terry Gilliam, Terry Jones

The Cast: Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Terry Gilliam

What It’s About: King Arthur and his knights set off on an epic adventure to find the mythical Holy Grail. However, the Black Knight, a man-eating rabbit, and other obstacles stand in their way.

Why It’s One Of The Best Free Movies Streaming: If you’ve never watched a Monty Python movie or show, you’re in for a wild, nonsensical, and utterly hilarious journey. If you are familiar, you know what to expect.

• Stream Monty Python and the Holy Grail on YouTube.

Intense Horrors

Yup, already horrified by all of these:

Shaun Of The Dead (2004)

The Director: Edgar Wright

The Cast: Simon Pegg, Nick Frost, Kate Ashfield

What It’s About: A 20-something slacker in London is given a chance to prove himself when he is thrust into the middle of a zombie apocalypse.

Why It’s One Of The Best Free Movies Streaming: Inspired by iconic zombie movies like Night of the Living Dead, Shaun of the Dead feels less like a parody comedy and more like a love letter to the horror subgenre. It’s vulgar and violent, but this one has a whole lot of heart.

• Stream Shaun of the Dead on YouTube.

Killer Klowns From Outer Space (1988)

The Director: Stephen Chiodo

The Cast: Grant Cramer, Suzanne Snyder, John Vernon

What It’s About: When a race of clownlike aliens invades the planet and starts trapping humans in cotton candy cocoons, a handful of heroes attempt to stop them before it’s too late.

Why It’s One Of The Best Free Movies Streaming: Killer Klowns from Outer Space is the very definition of campy horror. It’s silly, it’s violent, and it’s over-the-top. While it’s not for everyone, this classic is just too sweet to pass up.

• Stream Killer Klown from Outer Space on YouTube.

Scream (1996)

The Director: Wes Craven

The Cast: Neve Campbell, Courteney Cox, David Arquette

What It’s About: A quiet California town becomes the center of a national news story when a masked killer begins attacking local residents and testing others.

What To Expect: A movie that reinvented horror as we know it, Scream is an incredibly violent and viciously funny slasher where anything can happen.

• Stream Scream on Pluto TV.

Night Of The Living Dead (1968)

The Director: George A. Romero

The Cast: Duane Jones, Judith O’Dea, Marilyn Eastman

What It's About: A group of strangers forced to take refuge together attempts to survive the sudden onslaught of flesh-eating, reanimated corpses, while also struggling to survive each other.

Why It's One Of The Best Free Movies Streaming: Romero basically defined the zombie genre as a whole, so this is the zombie movie to check out, but trust me, it’s really not that scary – at least in comparison to today’s zombies.

• Stream Night of the Living Dead on Peacock.

Fun For The Whole Family

Everyone could check out and have fun with these films:

Uncle Buck (1989)

The Director: John Hughes

The Cast: John Candy, Amy Madigan, Macaulay Culkin

What It’s About: When his brother and sister-in-law have to leave for a family emergency, Buck Russell (John Candy) swoops in to save the day and take care of their three kids. If only it were that simple…

Why It’s One Of The Best Free Movies Streaming: One of John Candy’s most iconic films, Uncle Buck does so many things right (even if Buck can’t get his act together). Full of unforgettable moments and hilarious encounters, this one never goes out of style.

• Stream Uncle Buck on YouTube.

Real Genius (1985)

The Director: Martha Coolidge

The Cast: Val Kilmer, Gabe Jarret, William Atherton

What It’s About: An incredibly smart college senior teams up with the new kid on campus to construct a chemical laser, but only if they don’t blow up the school (and their futures) in the process.

Why It’s One Of The Best Free Movies Streaming: Though critics were brutal on this one back in the day, Real Genius is a fun, funny, and utterly ridiculous comedy about finding your place in the world, even if it doesn’t accept you.

• Stream Real Genius on Tubi.

The Iron Giant (1999)

The Director: Brad Bird

The Cast: Jennifer Aniston, Harry Connick Jr., Vin Diesel

Based On: The Iron Giant by Ted Hughes

What It’s About: A young boy finds and befriends a mysterious robot from outer space and is then forced to hide and protect him from the U.S. military.

Why It’s One Of The Best Free Movies Streaming: With a whole lot of heart and wonder, The Iron Giant has become a beloved classic and one of the most consequential films of its time, even if it failed to move the needle back in 1999.

• Stream The Iron Giant on YouTube.

Osmosis Jones (2001)

The Director: The Farrelly Brothers

The Cast: Chris Rock, Bill Murray, Laurence Fishburne

What It’s About: An anthropomorphic white blood cell police officer attempts to prevent his human host from being destroyed by a raging virus determined to wipe out all life.

Why It’s One Of The Best Free Movies Streaming: With a combination of live-action and animation, a variety of wild action set pieces, and performances from two Saturday Night Live legends, there’s so much to love here.

• Stream Osmosis Jones on Tubi.

Thrilling, Twisty, And Exciting Sci-Fi And Fantasy

In the mood for some old-fashioned escapism? Look no further than these sci-fi and fantasty stories.

Death Race 2000 (1975)

The Director: Paul Bartel

The Cast: David Carradine, Simone Griffeth, Sylvester Stallone

Based On: “The Racer” by Ib Melchior

What It’s About: The defending champion of a nitro-fueled and blood-soaked contest called the Transcontinental Road Race tries to win it all again in a dystopian future. But it isn’t just his fellow racers he’s looking out for this time…

Why It’s One Of The Best Free Movies Streaming: Released in the mid ‘70s, Death Race 2000 is a shockingly violent and intense sci-fi action film full of over-the-top personalities, death machines, and wild vibes.

• Stream Death Race 2000 on Tubi.

The War Of The Worlds (1953)

The Director: Byron Haskin

The Cast: Gene Barry, Ann Robinson, Les Tremayne

Based On: The War of the Worlds by H.G. Wells

What It’s About: After witnessing an alien war machine kill defenseless victims, two scientists attempt to find a weakness and save humanity from total annihilation.

Why It’s One Of The Best Free Movies Streaming: One of the most transformative sci-fi movies of the ‘50s, The War of the Worlds takes H.G. Wells’ classic novel and turns it into a frightening and exciting race against time.

• Stream The War of the Worlds on YouTube.

Heavy Metal (1981)

The Director: Gerald Potterton

The Cast: Rodger Bumpass, Jackie Burroughs, John Candy

Based On: Heavy Metal magazine

What It’s About: A series of animated shorts connected by a mysterious and powerful sphere explores vastly different locations, ranging from civilizations in deep space to a futuristic NYC.

Why It’s One Of The Best Free Movies Streaming: This is definitely not a kid-friendly animated movie, as it’s full of drugs, sex, and violence. It’s painstakingly animated, full of a wide range of stories, and has some of the most unforgettable movie moments of the ‘80s.

• Stream Heavy Metal on Tubi.

A.I. Artificial Intelligence (2001)

The Director: Steven Spielberg

The Cast: Haley Joel Osment, Jude Law, William Hurt

Based On: “Superboys Last All Summer Long” by Brian Aldiss

What It’s About: A young android programmed with the ability to love embarks upon an epic journey to find a place where he belongs and can feel love.

Why It’s One Of The Best Free Movies Streaming: Originally supposed to be a Stanley Kubrick movie, A.I. Artificial Intelligence is a thoughtful, ambitious, and visually impressive sci-fi epic that touches on so many universal themes.

• Stream A.I. Artificial Intelligence on Pluto TV.

With all these free movies, you’ll be busy for some time! After that, just think of all the other free movies you could check out.

When you look at the 2021 release schedule, or any year at the box office, there’s an overwhelming picture of what’s being made in Hollywood and what’s not. There are several genres that we used to see a lot more of on the big screen that seem to have lost market share over the years, giving way to more comic book movies or other adaptations of recognized properties. While it’s no crime to give the people what they want, there are some types of films that deserve a resurgence, and it’s about time we saw them made on a regular basis. Let's start with original musicals.

Original Movie Musicals

2021 is a pretty exciting year for musicals, with stage favorites like In The Heights, Dear Evan Hansen and Everybody’s Talking About Jamie heading to a screen near you. So the musical clearly isn’t dead; but what seems to be dormant right now is original movie musicals that aren’t based on a pre-existing play. With audiences in the need of some fresh distraction as they head back into theaters, musicals could be a premium investment at the movies; which only doubles if it’s something no one’s ever seen before. It worked for The Greatest Showman and La La Land, and it could work for anyone else who decides to take a gamble on creating a new songbook.

Whodunnits

The whodunnit looked like it was dead and buried, with the possibility that it may or may not have been done in by the butler. However, two movies revived it to the point where Hollywood started to pay attention again. As both Rian Johnson’s Knives Out and Kenneth Brannagh’s Murder on the Orient Express became surprise smash hits, sequels were quickly greenlit and put into production to capitalize on that opportunity. Should another studio or two try to bring us a quirky sleuth that’s stumbling their way through a case, it would be a welcomed return to a crowd pleasing format.

Westerns

After a year of being cooped up indoors, and the world starting to open up in its own time, the wide open spaces of the frontier are a welcomed sight. The Tom Hanks film News of the World reminded audiences that a traditional Western can still captivate the attention of both audiences and actors, while the Kevin Costner/Diane Lane neo-noir Let Him Go used a format adjacent to the Western to make for a thrilling personal drama. It’s time to head back out to the prairie and make a fortune in the great frontier again. Whether that frontier happens to be on a planet far away or a prairie that the saw massive action in the past, as long as there's a lot of sun and some squinty showdowns, the Western can live on!

Screwball Comedies

Simple misunderstandings that get blown out of proportion. Physical pratfalls that see actors we know and love in embarrassing situations. The occasional pie in the face. All of these were the hallmark of the screwball comedy, which, with or without its romantic component, has persevered in modern society thanks to the grace of films like The Coen Bros’ Hail, Caesar. They’re practically movies that pull out all the stops with wordplay and hijinks to make the audience laugh, and much like original musicals, it’s high time studios start to try and revive this genre on a more periodic basis.

Parody Movies

We all know why parody movies died out, as horrific failures like Disaster Movie and projects of that ilk happened to torpedo a genre that once laid claim to movies like Airplane! and Spaceballs. There’s been enough time between the failures of recent memory and our current moment to allow this type of movie to return, so it’s time to give it another shot. All we need is the right sharp-minded comedy talent of today to find the perfect window of topical, yet timeless humor, and the world will be allowed to laugh again. We can even pretend that Superhero Movie never happened and let someone new take a shot at lampooning superhero movies.

Emotional Dramas

Returning to the example of Let Him Go, that film also represents another bygone genre that seems to have been sent down to the indies: emotional dramas. Whether it’s centered around familial strife or a romance that’s falling apart, major Hollywood muscle doesn’t seem to sit behind these sorts of movies as much as it used to. Quiet and sometimes epic stories about people living their lives don’t take up as much space on the major movie calendar as they used to, and it’s about time they did.

Silent Movies

Ok, this is going to feel like an oddball choice, especially when The Artist still gets a ton of side-eye for winning Best Picture at the Oscars. But that should only be proof that something so archaic as the silent movie is something that’s worthy of a more modern approach. Whether it’s focusing on visuals and a more symbolic journey, or a return to the classic format with title cards and a score-driven audio soundscape, experiments in narrative without dialogue could be a canvas that filmmakers could take full advantage of.

In the absence of the types of movies we’ve mentioned above, there comes an opportunity to jump back into once familiar waters. With some of these sorts of films already testing the waters, it’s only a matter of time before the next big hit strikes in one or more of these formats; which will trigger an onslaught of even more experiments designed to replicate that feat. It’s just the ebb and flow of cinema, and right now these are the ebbs that we hope to see flowing again.

Of course, if you’re more focused on the here and now, the 2021 film release schedule is available to answer your questions of what movies are headed into theaters throughout the year. And as always, stay locked on CinemaBlend for the latest in movie news, including if any of these genres look to be making the desired resurgence.

The list of the best ‘80s movies is a massive and diverse list of everything from iconic action movies to Best Picture winners, and so much more. With so many great movies having come out in the penultimate decade of the 20th century, keeping track of all those rom-coms, sci-fi thrillers, horror flicks, and tear-jerking dramas is no easy task.

Looking for a way to revisit your favorites from the ‘80s while waiting for those new releases on the 2025 movie schedule? Well, come with us as we explore the best the ‘80s had to offer and how to watch those movies on some of the best streaming services. There’s a lot to unpack, so let’s go back to the ‘80s with these great movies…

The Big Chill (1983)

The Director: Lawrence Kasdan

The Cast: Glenn Close, Kevin Kline, William Hurt

What It’s About: A group of college friends reunite to bury one of their own who has committed suicide. Together for the first time in years, the once close-knit gang examine their college experience and what has changed.

What To Expect: With one of the best movie soundtracks ever assembled, incredible performances by some of the biggest ‘80s stars, and an unflinching story about friendship and identity, The Big Chill has it all.

• Stream The Big Chill on Max.
  Rent/Buy The Big Chill on Amazon.
• Get The Big Chill on DVD on Amazon.

Major League (1989)

The Director: David S. Ward

The Cast: Charlie Sheen, Tom Berenger, Wesley Snipes

What It’s About: After discovering that their team’s new owner is planning on tanking the team to relocate to sunny Florida, the ragtag group of misfits that make up the Cleveland Indians take matters into their own hands and attempt to pull off the impossible.

What To Expect: One of the best baseball movies of all time, Major League hits the triple crown of a sports flick: comedy, drama, and all kinds of web gems.

• Rent/Buy Major League on Amazon.
• Get Major League on DVD on Amazon.

Clue (1985)

The Director: Jonathan Lynn

The Cast: Tim Curry, Madeline Kahn, Michael McKean

What It’s About: Six seemingly random strangers, who appear to have nothing in common with one another, are summoned to a mansion for dinner, only to discover they are in the middle of a murder mystery where no one can be trusted, not even the staff.

What To Expect: With its multiple endings, hilarious gags, and unforgettable performances by some of the funniest people in Hollywood, Clue takes a classic board game and turns it into a classic whodunit comedy.

• Rent/Buy Clue on Amazon.
• Get Clue on DVD on Amazon.

Honey, I Shrunk The Kids (1989)

The Director: Joe Johnston

The Cast: Rick Moranis, Matt Frewer, Amy O’Neill

What It’s About: After being in the wrong place at the wrong time, a group of teenagers are turned into a fraction of their normal size and are forced to survive the dangerous hellscape that is their backyard.

What To Expect: One of the most hilarious Rick Moranis movies, Honey, I Shrunk the Kids, is full of great practical effects, a wild story, and some of the most iconic movie moments of the ‘80s.

• Stream Honey, I Shrunk the Kids on Disney+.
• Rent/Buy Honey, I Shrunk the Kids on Amazon.
• Get Honey, I Shrunk the Kids on DVD on Amazon.

Field Of Dreams (1989)

The Director: Phil Alden Robinson

The Cast: Kevin Costner, James Earl Jones, Ray Liotta

What It’s About: Ray Kinsella’s (Kevin Costner) life is forever changed after hearing a mysterious voice whisper “If you build it, he will come” while out in his cornfield.

What To Expect: What follows is one man’s journey to “ease the pain” of his hero, an odyssey that concludes with one of the most emotional scenes in any sports movie.

• Rent/Buy Field of Dreams on Amazon.
• Get Field of Dreams on DVD on Amazon.

Raising Arizona (1987)

The Director: The Coen Brothers

The Cast: Nicolas Cage, Holly Hunter, John Goodman

What It’s About: A down-on-their-luck couple goes to extreme lengths to have a baby of their own, even if that means kidnapping one from a wealthy family.

What To Expect: One of the Coen Brothers’ best movies, Raising Arizona has a perfect blend of comedy and crime, as well as no shortage of iconic and unforgettable characters.

• Rent/Buy Raising Arizona on Amazon.
• Get Raising Arizona on Blu-ray on Amazon.

9 to 5 (1980)

The Director: Colin Higgins

The Cast: Jane Fonda, Lily Tomlin, Dolly Parton

What It’s About: A trio of fed-up secretaries team up to get even with their sexist boss, but things get out of hand when they learn their dream may have come true.

What To Expect: In addition to having one of the best movie songs of all time, 9 to 5 also has one of the best premises of the ‘80s and a cast that is untouchable.

• Rent 9 to 5 on Amazon.
• Get 9 to 5 on DVD on Amazon.

A Christmas Story (1983)

The Director: Bob Clark

The Cast: Peter Billingsley, Darren McGavin, Melinda Dillon

What It’s About: A young boy named Ralphie (Peter Billingsley) tries to convince everyone from his parents to his teacher and even Santa Claus himself to bring him a Red Ryder BB gun for Christmas.

What To Expect: Made up of a series of vignettes showcasing life in 1940s Indiana, A Christmas Story perfectly captures childhood obsession and what happens when reality brings your dreams crashing down.

• Rent/Buy A Christmas Story on Amazon.
• Get A Christmas Story on Blu-ray on Amazon.

Adventures In Babysitting (1987)

The Director: Chris Columbus

The Cast: Elisabeth Shue, Anthony Rapp, George Newbern

What It’s About: After being stood up by her boyfriend, high school senior Chris Parker (Elisabeth Shue) decides to spend the night watching a group of young siblings. What at first seems like a quiet night and easy money quickly turns into anything but.

What To Expect: Adventures in Babysitting, one of the best movies set in Chicago, is full of great and hilarious moments, all kinds of danger, and Elisabeth Shue in all her glory.

• Stream Adventures in Babysitting on Disney+.
• Rent/Buy Adventures in Babysitting on Amazon.
• Get Adventures in Babysitting on Blu-ray on Amazon.

Airplane! (1980)

The Directors: Jim Abrahams, David Zucker, Jerry Zucker

The Cast: Robert Hays, Julie Hagerty, Leslie Nielsen

What It’s About: With the crew and passengers incapacitated and no one else left to land the plane, a nervous pilot has to rise to the occasion and save the day.

What To Expect: The 1980 disaster film spoof, Airplane!, answers the question: what happens when a man who’s afraid to fly is the only one who can prevent a jumbo-jet from crashing?

• Rent/Buy Airplane on Amazon.
• Get Airplane! on Blu-ray on Amazon.

Aliens (1986)

The Director: James Cameron

The Cast: Sigourney Weaver, Lance Henriksen, Michael Biehn

What It’s About: After spending decades floating through space, Ellen Ripley is awoken and sent with a group of highly-trained space Marines to investigate a mining colony that has gone dark.

What To Expect: Ripley is back with a vengeance in James Cameron’s 1986 sci-fi action flick, Aliens, and she isn’t stopping until the final Xenomorph is launched into outer space.

• Rent/Buy Aliens on Amazon.
• Get Aliens on Blu-ray on Amazon.

Back To The Future (1985)

The Director: Robert Zemeckis

The Cast: Michael J. Fox, Christopher Llyod, Lea Thompson

What It’s About: When Marty McFly (Michael J. Fox) steps into a DeLorean time machine and is transported back to 1955, he must avoid high school bullies and a younger version of his own mom if he wants to get back to 1985.

What To Expect: With great time-traveling scenes, Michael J. Fox at his best, and some hilarious scenarios (both in the past and the present), Back to the Future has everything you’d want in an ‘80s movie.

• Rent/Buy Back to the Future on Amazon.
• Get Back to the Future on Blu-ray on Amazon.

Batman (1989)

The Director: Tim Burton

The Cast: Michael Keaton, Jack Nicholson, Kim Basinger

What It’s About: After falling into a vat of toxic chemicals, one of Gotham’s most ambitious and dangerous criminals is transformed into the prince of crime, and only Batman can stop him.

What To Expect: Tim Burton’s dark and moody 1989 unconventional superhero film, Batman, forever changed the face of comic book movies and gave audiences one of the best representations of the iconic character.

• Stream Batman on Max.
• Rent/Buy Batman on Amazon.
• Get Batman on Blu-ray on Amazon.

Beetlejuice (1988)

The Director: Tim Burton
The Cast: Michael Keaton, Winona Ryder, Geena Davis, Alec Baldwin

What It’s About: When the efforts by a ghostly couple (played by Geena Davis and Alec Baldwin) to scare away the new owners of their country home are fruitless, they turn to a spirit by the name of Beetlejuice (Michael Keaton) to regain control.
What To Expect: More than 35 years after its release, Beetlejuice remains one of the most inventive, iconic, and hilarious additions to Tim Burton’s massive library of movies.

• Stream Beetlejuice on Max.
• Rent/Buy Beetlejuice on Amazon.
• Get Beetlejuice on Blu-ray on Amazon.

Beverly Hills Cop (1984)

The Director: Martin Brest

The Cast: Eddie Murphy, Judge Reinhold, John Ashton

What It’s About: A wise-cracking and rebellious Detroit police officer comes to Los Angeles to track down those responsible for his best friend’s murder.

What To Expect: Expect to laugh, like a lot, because this Eddie Murphy classic starts and doesn’t stop until the credits roll.

• Stream Beverly Hills Cop on Paramount+.
• Rent/Buy Beverly Hills Cop on Amazon.
• Get Beverly Hills Cop on Blu-ray on Amazon.

Big (1988)

The Director: Penny Marshall

The Cast: Tom Hanks, Elizabeth Perkins, Robert Loggia

What It’s About: When 12-year-old Josh Baskin (David Moscow) wishes he was a little bigger, he gets his wish and then more when he wakes up to find he has been transformed into a full-grown adult (Tom Hanks).

What To Expect: Penny Marshall’s timeless comedy sees Baskin navigate 1980s New York City, but as a child trapped in a man’s body and various situations.

• Stream Big on Disney+.
• Rent/Buy Big on Amazon.
• Get Big on Blu-ray on Amazon.

Bill And Ted’s Excellent Adventure (1989)

The Director: Stephen Herek

The Cast: Keanu Reeves, Alex Winter, George Carlin

What It’s About: Strange things are afoot at the Circle K in Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure when two dopey high schoolers (played by Alex Winter and Keanu Reeves) are given access to a time-traveling phone booth to pass their history exam and keep their band together.

What To Expect: Looking for righteous time-traveling sequences, air guitar, and Napoleon going to a water park? Well, look no further.

• Rent/Buy Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure on Amazon.
• Get Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure on Blu-ray on Amazon.

Blade Runner (1982)

The Director: Ridley Scott

The Cast: Harrison Ford, Rutger Hauer, Sean Young

What It’s About: Blade Runner follows replicant hunter Rick Deckard (Harrison Ford) as he tracks down four escaped criminals who have returned to Earth from an off-world colony.

What To Expect: What starts off as a simple game of cat and mouse slowly turns into something much more complex.

• Rent/Buy Blade Runner on Amazon.
• Get Blade Runner on Blu-ray on Amazon.

Blue Velvet (1986)

The Director: David Lynch

The Cast: Kyle MacLachlan, Dennis Hopper, Isabella Rossellini

What It’s About: College student Jeffrey Beaumont (Kyle MacLachlan) becomes involved with the dark and twisted world of his town’s criminal underbelly after finding a dismembered ear.

What To Expect: Come in expecting Lynchian twists and turns, unforgettable characters (that you’ll want to forget), and a great soundtrack.

• Rent/Buy Blue Velvet on Amazon.
• Get Blue Velvet on Blu-ray on Amazon.

The Blues Brothers (1980)

The Director: John Landis

The Cast: Dan Aykroyd, John Belushi, Carrie Fisher

What It’s About: Two brothers attempt to get their old band back together to help save the orphanage in which they were raised.

What To Expect: In the mood for great music, even better characters, and quite possibly the best car chase of all time? Well, look no further than The Blues Brothers.

• Stream The Blues Brothers on Prime Video.
• Rent/Buy The Blues Brothers on Amazon.
• Get The Blues Brothers on Blu-ray on Amazon.

Broadcast News (1987)

The Director: James L. Brooks

The Cast: Holly Hunter, Albert Brooks, William Hurt

What It’s About: In addition to presenting the news day in and day out, a news producer finds herself in the middle of a love triangle with her longtime best friend and a dreamy yet under-qualified anchorman.

What To Expect: James L. Brooks’ romantic comedy, Broadcast News, finds the perfect balance between drama and comedy, composure and awkwardness, and so much more.

• Stream Broadcast News on Starz.
• Rent/Buy Broadcast News on Amazon.
• Get Broadcast News on Blu-ray on Amazon.

Caddyshack (1980)

The Director: Harold Ramis

The Cast: Rodney Dangerfield, Bill Murray, Chevy Chase

What It’s About: Set at the Bushwood Country Club, which is infested with rodents and yuppies alike, Harold Ramis’ 1980 sports comedy, Caddyshack, follows caddies (led by Michael O’Keefe), grounds crew (led by Bill Murray), and all other sorts of characters who spend a summer at the prestigious club.

What To Expect: Considered one of the best sports comedies ever made, Caddyshack has some of the subgenre’s most quotable scenes and one of Hollywood’s most hatable villains.

• Rent/Buy Caddyshack on Amazon.
• Get Caddyshack on Blu-ray on Amazon.

Coming To America (1988)

The Director: John Landis

The Cast: Eddie Murphy, James Earl Jones, Arsenio Hall

What It’s About: John Landis’ 1988 comedy, Coming to America, follows Prince Akeem Joffer (Eddie Murphy) as he travels to Queens to find a wife to bring back to the African nation of Zamunda.

What To Expect: If you’re in the mood for classic Eddie Murphy moments, some outrageous characters, and a great look at ‘80s NYC, this will do the trick.

• Rent/Buy Coming to America on Amazon.
• Get Coming to America on Blu-ray on Amazon.

Dead Poets Society (1989)

The Director: Peter Weir

The Cast: Robin Williams, Robert Sean Leonard, Ethan Hawke

What It’s About: Set in a prestigious college prep academy, the 1989 drama Dead Poets Society follows newly arrived English teacher John Keating (Robin Williams) as he spends a semester opening the eyes and changing the lives of his students, for better or for worse.

What To Expect: Dead Poets Society, one of the great coming-of-age stories of all time, is at times incredibly hopeful while at others utterly heartbreaking.

• Rent/Buy Dead Poets Society on Amazon.
• Get Dead Poets Society on Blu-ray on Amazon.

Die Hard (1988)

The Director: John McTiernan

The Cast: Bruce Willis, Alan Rickman, Bonnie Bedelia

What It’s About: NYPD officer John McClane (Bruce Willis) finds himself in the right place at the right time in Die Hard when his wife’s holiday Christmas party is overtaken by a group of international terrorists who hold them hostage in hopes of securing unfathomable wealth.

What To Expect: Bruce Willis’ wisecracks, explosive action scenes, and one of Alan Rickman’s great villains all make Die Hard an unforgettable classic.

• Stream Die Hard on Hulu.
• Rent/Buy Die Hard on Amazon.
• Get Die Hard on Blu-ray on Amazon.

Dirty Dancing (1987)

The Director: Emile Ardolino

The Cast: Jennifer Grey, Patrick Swayze, Jerry Orbach

What It’s About: Frances “Baby” Houseman (Jennifer Grey) goes to spend a summer in the Catskills with her family in Dirty Dancing. Thinking she’ll spend the time bored out of her mind, Baby quickly finds herself learning what it means to dance, love, and stand up for herself, thanks to her dance instructor-turned-lover Johnny Castle (Patrick Swayze).

What To Expect: There is no short order of romance, drama, dancing, and legendary ‘50s music in this decorated classic.

• Rent/Buy Dirty Dancing on Amazon.
• Get Dirty Dancing on Blu-ray on Amazon.

Do The Right Thing (1989)

The Director: Spike Lee

The Cast: Spike Lee, Danny Aiello, Ossie Davis

What It’s About: What initially starts out as a disagreement over which actors should or shouldn’t be included on the wall of a Brooklyn pizzeria quickly escalates into a full-blown riot in Spike Lee’s Do the Right Thing.

What To Expect: If you’re looking for comedy, drama, and a large dose of social commentary, give Do the Right Thing a shot.

• Stream Do the Right Thing on Prime Video.
• Rent/Buy Do the Right Thing on Amazon.
• Get Do the Right Thing on Blu-ray on Amazon.

E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial (1982)

The Director: Steven Spielberg

The Cast: Henry Thomas, Robert MacNaughton, Drew Barrymore

What It’s About: Steven Spielberg’s 1982 sci-fi adventure E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial follows a young boy (Henry Thomas) as he forms an unbreakable bond with a gentle alien who is trapped on Earth and just wants to go home.

What To Expect: This 1982 sci-fi classic is full of wonder, adventure, and quite possibly one of the best John Williams scores of all time.

• Rent/Buy E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial on Amazon.
• Get E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial Blu-ray on Amazon.

Escape From New York (1981)

The Director: John Carpenter

The Cast: Kurt Russell, Lee Van Cleef, Ernest Borgnine

What It’s About: John Carpenter’s 1981 dystopian thriller, Escape From New York, sees Snake Plissken (Kurt Russell) attempt to save the U.S. President from a group of fanatical criminals who run the streets of Manhattan, which has been turned into a prison colony.

What To Expect: With one of Kurt Russell’s most badass characters, some great practical effects by James Cameron, and a legendary John Carpenter score, there’s a lot to love here.

• Stream Escape from New York on Prime Video.
• Rent/Buy Escape from New York on Amazon.
• Get Escape from New York on Blu-ray on Amazon.

Fast Times At Ridgemont High (1982)

The Director: Amy Heckering
The Cast: Sean Penn, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Judge Reinhold
What It’s About: The school lives, social lives, and love lives of several teenagers are explored both in and outside their California high school.
What To Expect: If you’re looking for a movie that captures the heart and soul of the ‘80s high school experience, look no further than Fast Times at Ridgemont High. Yes, that includes the good, the bad, and the unbearingly uncomfortable.

• Rent/Buy Fast Times at Ridgemont High on Amazon.
• Get Fast Times at Ridgemont High on DVD on Amazon.

Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (1986)

The Director: John Hughes
The Cast: Matthew Broderick, Alan Ruck, Mia Sara

What It’s About: John Hughes’ Ferris Bueller’s Day Off follows the charismatic titular high school senior (Matthew Broderick) as he convinces his girlfriend and best friend to skip class and have an epic adventure in Chicago.

What To Expect: A quintessential ‘80s movie, and one of John Hughes’ best cinematic experiences, there are few teenage comedies that hit as hard (or as often) as this one.

• Rent/Buy Ferris Bueller’s Day Off on Amazon.
• Get Ferris Bueller’s Day Off on DVD on Amazon.

Footloose (1984)

The Director: Herbert Ross

The Cast: Kevin Bacon, Lori Singer, John Lithgow

What It’s About: When Ren McCormack (Kevin Bacon), a dance-obsessed high schooler, moves to a small town that has banned all forms of music and dancing, he does what any teenager would do in his position: rebels with loads and loads of dancing, in Footloose.

What To Expect: If you’re in the mood for angry dancing, John Lithgow villains, and great movie songs, look no further than Footloose.

• Rent/Buy Footloose on Amazon.
• Get Footloose on DVD on Amazon.

Friday The 13th (1980)

The Director: Sean S. Cunningham

The Cast: Betsy Palmer, Kevin Bacon, Adrienne King

What It’s About: The slasher film Friday the 13th follows a group of counselors as they are picked off one by one by a sadistic killer with one hell of a backstory involving Camp Crystal Lake.

What To Expect: You won’t see Jason Voorhees tracking down and killing teenagers this time around, but the killer in this iconic slasher is just as brutal and perhaps even more unhinged.

• Rent/Buy Friday the 13th on Amazon.
• Get Friday the 13th on Blu-ray on Amazon.

Ghostbusters (1984)

The Director: Ivan Reitman

The Cast: Bill Murray, Harold Ramis, Dan Aykroyd, Ernie Hudson

What It’s About: Who ya gonna call? Well, Ghostbusters if you’re looking for a fun supernatural comedy involving college professors who use their knowledge to rid New York City of ghostly threats.

What To Expect: Want to go back and see how the Ghostbusters got started? Want to see the Marshmallow Man walk through NYC again? Want to experience one of the best ‘80s movies? Here’s your chance!

• Rent/Buy Ghostbusters on Amazon.
• Get Ghostbusters on Blu-ray on Amazon.

Gremlins (1984)

The Director: Joe Dante

The Cast: Zach Galligan, Phoebe Cates, Hoyt Axton

What It’s About: Written by Chris Columbus and directed by Joe Dante, the 1984 horror flick Gremlins answers the question: What’s the worst that could happen when you spill water on your new pet and feed them after midnight?

What to expect? Well, you’ll find out what happens when you feed a gremlin after midnight. That’s for sure!

• Rent/Buy Gremlins on Amazon.
• Get Gremlins on DVD on Amazon.

Lethal Weapon (1987)

The Director: Richard Donner

The Cast: Mel Gibson, Danny Glover, Gary Busey

What It’s About: Los Angeles police detectives Martin Riggs (Mel Gibson) and Roger Murtaugh (Danny Glover) are forced to look past their differences and opposing lifestyles to uncover a massive drug-trafficking ring in Richard Donner’s Lethal Weapon.

What To Expect: If you want to see one of the premier buddy action movies, Lethal Weapon is going to do the trick, and then some.

• Rent/Buy Lethal Weapon on Amazon.
• Get Lethal Weapon on Blu-ray on Amazon.

Midnight Run (1988)

The Director: Martin Brest

The Cast: Robert De Niro, Charles Grodin, John Ashton

What It’s About: Bounty hunter Jack Walsh (Robert De Niro) sets out to capture mob accountant Jonathan “The Duke” Mardukas (Charles Grodin), who has skipped out on his bail.

What To Expect: What follows is a cross-country adventure involving two personalities that mix like oil and water. But with mobsters, bounty hunters, and the FBI hot on their tail, they’ll have to work together.

• Rent/Buy Midnight Run on Amazon.
• Get Midnight Run on Blu-ray on Amazon.

National Lampoon's Vacation (1983)

The Director: Harold Ramis

The Cast: Chevy Chase, Beverly D’Angelo, Anthony Michael Hall

What It’s About: Bumbling father, Clark Griswold (Chevy Chase), takes his wife and two children on what is supposed to be two weeks of family bonding but quickly devolves into a trip from hell in National Lampoon’s Vacation.

What To Expect: Expect chaos. Pure chaos!

• Rent/Buy National Lampoon’s Vacation on Amazon.
• Get National Lampoon’s Vacation on Blu-ray on Amazon.

A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)

The Director: Wes Craven

The Cast: Robert Englund, Heather Langenkamp, Johnny Depp

What It’s About: Wes Craven’s A Nightmare on Elm Street follows a group of teenagers who are being terrorized by the undead killer Freddy Krueger, who attacks them when most vulnerable: while they sleep.

What To Expect: If you came looking for an iconic horror villain to be both unbelievably brutal yet undeniably hilarious, as well as terrifying dream sequences, this franchise starter will do the trick.

• Rent/Buy A Nightmare on Elm Street on Amazon
• Get A Nightmare on Elm Street on Blu-ray on Amazon.

Platoon (1986)

The Director: Oliver Stone

The Cast: Charlie Sheen, Tom Berenger, Willem Dafoe

What It’s About: Oliver Stone’s 1986 Academy Award-winning military drama, Platoon, follows a group of American soldiers in the Vietnam War who are pushed to the brink of losing what little humanity they have left.

What To Expect: Don’t go into Platoon looking for a happy-go-lucky or romantic view of war, because this brutal, realistic, and unflinching military drama doesn’t hold back.

• Rent/Buy Platoon on Amazon.
• Get Platoon on Blu-ray on Amazon.

Raging Bull (1980)

The Director: Martin Scorsese

The Cast: Robert De Niro, Joe Pesci, Cathy Moriarty

What It’s About: Robert De Niro plays Jake LaMotta, a former heavyweight champ whose life is falling apart in Martin Scorsese’s 1980 acclaimed, all-time great boxing movie, Raging Bull.

What To Expect: You won’t find likable or redeemable characters, but you will find one of the most engaging and hard-hitting stories ever told in and out of the boxing ring.

• Rent/Buy Raging Bull on Amazon.
• Get Raging Bull on Blu-ray on Amazon.

Raiders Of The Lost Ark (1981)

The Director: Steven Spielberg
The Cast: Harrison Ford, Karen Allen, John Rhys-Davies
What It’s About: The world is introduced to Harrison Ford’s iconic archeologist in Steven Spielberg’s 1981 adventure film Raiders of the Lost Ark, which kicked off the Indiana Jones franchise with a story about the mysterious Ark of the Covenant.
What To Expect. You can expect legendary movie sequences, Nazis losing their faces, and Harrison Ford being charming as all hell.

• Stream Raiders of the Lost Ark on Disney+.
• Stream Raiders of the Lost Ark on Paramount+.
• Rent/Buy Raiders of the Lost Ark on Amazon.
• Get Raiders of the Lost Ark on Blu-ray on Amazon.

Rain Man (1988)

The Director: Barry Levinson
The Cast: Dustin Hoffman, Tom Cruise, Valeria Golino

What It’s About: Barry Levinson’s 1988 drama, Rain Man, netted Dustin Hoffman an Academy Award for his portrayal of Raymond Babbitt, an autistic man who has a knack for counting cards and the game of blackjack.

What To Expect: Rain Man features what could be one of Hoffman’s best performances as well as a story that is both heartwarming and incredibly maddening at times.

• Get Rain Man on Blu-ray on Amazon.

Scarface (1983)

The Director: Brian De Palma
The Cast: Al Pacino, Michelle Pfeiffer, Steven Bauer

What It’s About: Brian De Palma’s sprawling 1983 crime epic, Scarface, follows Cuban immigrant Tony Montana (Al Pacino) as he climbs from the bottom of the food chain to the top of Miami’s booming cocaine market.
What To Expect: Though being a remake itself, Scarface would go on to become one of the most influential crime films of the ‘80s and of all time, thanks to its electric tone, over-the-top violence, and one of Al Pacino’s most unhinged characters.

• Rent/Buy Scarface on Amazon.
• Get Scarface on Blu-ray on Amazon.

Spaceballs (1987)

The Director: Mel Brooks
The Cast: Rick Moranis, Bill Pullman, John Candy

What It’s About: Mel Brooks’ 1987 sci-fi spoof Spaceballs takes plot points from the likes of Star Wars and other classic adventures and creates a farcical race to save the galaxy from the evil President Skroob (Brooks) and Dark Helmet (Rick Moranis).

What To Expect: Spaceballs has some of the most hilarious spoof movie gags, great comedic moments, and one of the wildest villains of the decade.

• Rent/Buy Spaceballs on Amazon.
• Get Spaceballs on Blu-ray on Amazon.

Stand By Me (1986)

The Director: Rob Reiner
The Cast: Wil Wheaton, River Phoenix, Corey Feldman, Jerry O’Connell

What It’s About: Based on a story by Stephen King, Rob Reiner’s 1986 coming-of-age story, Stand By Me, follows a group of childhood friends as they spend the final days of their summer break looking for the dead body of a missing boy.

What To Expect: This is perhaps the best “end of childhood” movie ever released, as well as a drama that never gets old no matter how many times you watch it.

• Rent/Buy Stand By Me on Amazon.
• Get Stand By Me on DVD on Amazon.

Star Trek II: The Wrath Of Khan (1982)

The Director: Nicholas Meyer
The Cast: William Shatner, Ricardo Montalban, Leonard Nimoy
What It’s About: The 1982 sci-fi adventure film Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan sees Enterprise commander Captain James Kirk (William Shatner) cross paths with the villainous Khan Noonien Singh (Ricardo Montalbán), a genetically enhanced superhuman he never thought he’d have to see again.
What To Expect: In the mood for one of the best Star Trek movies as well as an iconic space film, look no further.

• Stream Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan on Paramount+.
• Rent/Buy Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan on Amazon.
• Get Star Trek II: The Wrath Of Khan on Blu-ray on Amazon.

Steel Magnolias (1989)

The Director: Herbert Ross

The Cast: Sally Field, Julia Roberts, Dolly Parton

What It’s About: The 1989 Golden Globe winner, Steel Magnolias, follows a tight-knit group of women in northwestern Louisiana who stand together through thick and thin.

What To Expect: Expect to laugh, cry, and then cry some more. Seriously, try watching this movie without crying.

• Stream Steel Magnolias on Max.
• Rent/Buy Steel Magnolias on Amazon.
• Get Steel Magnolias on DVD on Amazon.

The Abyss (1989)

The Director: James Cameron

The Cast: Ed Harris, Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio, Michael Biehn

What It’s About: James Cameron’s 1989 sci-fi thriller, The Abyss, follows a group of Navy Seals and petroleum engineers as they go to the bottom of the ocean to make a remarkable discovery, one that could destroy or save humanity.

What To Expect: If you want to see state-of-the-art visuals from the late ‘80s that stand up 36 years later, an engaging story, and one of Ed Harris’ best performances, check out The Abyss.

• Rent/Buy The Abyss on Amazon.
• Buy The Abyss on DVD on Amazon.

The Breakfast Club (1985)

The Director: John Hughes

The Cast: Emilio Estevez, Anthony Michael Hall, Molly Ringwald, Ally Sheedy, Judd Nelson

What It’s About: John Hughes’ 1985 “Brat Pack” classic, The Breakfast Club, follows five high school students from different walks of life who are brought together during Saturday detention, forever changing their lives.

What To Expect: This is one of the best “Brat Pack” films and a movie that everyone needs to watch at least once.

• Stream The Breakfast Club on Peacock.
• Rent/Buy The Breakfast Club on Amazon.
• Get The Breakfast Club on Blu-ray on Amazon.

The Goonies (1985)

The Director: Richard Donner

The Cast: Josh Brolin, Sean Astin, Corey Feldman

What It’s About: Richard Donner’s 1985 coming-of-age film, The Goonies, centers on a group of friends who set out for one more adventure together before their neighborhood is demolished and turned into a multi-million-dollar development.

What To Expect: An adventure like no other, The Goonies is all of your childhood dreams (and nightmares) come to life. Pirate ships, mobsters, a “monster” who’s actually a hero, and so much more.

• Rent/Buy The Goonies on Amazon.
  Get The Goonies on Blu-ray on Amazon.

Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back (1980)

The Director: Irvin Kershner

The Cast: Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher

What It’s About: The best Star Wars movie, 1980’s The Empire Strikes Back starts off with an epic battle on the ice planet of Hoth and only picks up from there as Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) uncovers a dark secret about his past.

What To Expect: Seriously, this is the greatest sequel ever made.

• Stream The Empire Strikes Back on Disney+.
• Rent/Buy The Empire Strikes Back on Amazon.
• Get The Empire Strikes Back on Blu-ray on Amazon.

The Karate Kid (1984)

The Director: John G. Avildsen

The Cast: Ralph Macchio, Pat Morita, Elisabeth Shue

What It’s About: When high schooler Daniel LaRusso is forced to pack up his life and leave the East Coast, he lands in Southern California, where he finds himself the target of the evil Cobra Kai dojo. That is, until he learns a few tricks of his own in The Karate Kid.

What To Expect: You want karate? You want drama? You want evil dojo owners willing to do anything and everything to win? Time to watch The Karate Kid.

• Stream The Karate Kid on Netflix.
• Rent/Buy The Karate Kid on Amazon.
• Buy The Karate Kid on DVD/Blu-ray on Amazon.

The Little Mermaid (1989)

The Director: Ron Clements, John Musker

The Cast: Jodi Benson, Pat Carroll, Samuel E. Wright

What It’s About: The 1989 Disney animated film The Little Mermaid follows the rebellious Ariel (Jodi Benson) as she tries to chart her own course in life, even if that means sacrificing everything.

What To Expect: There’s a reason why people say The Little Mermaid helped start the Disney renaissance that would follow in the early ‘90s. Simply put, this movie is a masterpiece of animation.

• Stream The Little Mermaid on Disney+.
• Rent/Buy The Little Mermaid on Amazon.
• Get The Little Mermaid on Blu-ray on Amazon.

The Princess Bride (1987)

The Director: Rob Reiner

The Cast: Cary Elwes, Robin Wright, Mandy Patinkin

What It’s About: Rob Reiner’s 1987 fantasy comedy, The Princess Bride, offers a new spin on the classic fairy tale setup with an epic and hilarious story about a man who would go to the end of the Earth to save the woman he loves.

What To Expect: The Princess Bride is a great movie that literally anyone in the family can enjoy, which isn’t something you can say too often.

• Stream The Princess Bride on Disney+.
• Rent/Buy The Princess Bride on Amazon.
• Get The Princess Bride on Blu-ray on Amazon.

The Shining (1980)

The Director: Stanley Kubrick

The Cast: Jack Nicholson, Shelley Duvall, Danny Lloyd

What It’s About: Stanley Kubrick’s controversial 1980 adaptation of Stephen King’s The Shining follows writer/caretaker Jack Torrance as he descends into madness while isolated with his family in the Overlook Hotel in Colorado one winter.

What To Expect: The Shining slowly builds the tension until the movie reaches a tipping point and we’re given one of the most unsettling yet exciting chase sequences ever captured on film.

• Rent/Buy The Shining on Amazon.
• Get The Shining on Blu-ray on Amazon.

The Terminator (1984)

The Director: James Cameron

The Cast: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Linda Hamilton, Michael Biehn

What It’s About: James Cameron’s iconic sci-fi thriller, The Terminator, centers on Sarah Conner (Linda Hamilton) as she is hunted down by a cyborg assassin from the future who has been sent to the past to kill the young waitress before she can give birth to John Connor, humanity’s last hope.

What To Expect: Want to see an emotionless silent killer stalk his prey through 1980s Los Angeles, as well as one of the best sci-fi thrillers of all time? Well, time to start watching The Terminator.

• Rent/Buy The Terminator on Amazon.
• Get The Terminator on Blu-ray on Amazon.

The Thing (1982)

The Director: John Carpenter

The Cast: Kurt Russell, Keith David, Wilford Brimley

What It’s About: The crew of a remote research facility in Antarctica is torn apart when a shapeshifting alien finds its way into the complex in John Carpenter’s The Thing.

What To Expect: Please know that this movie will make you twist and turn in your chair, leave you with trust issues, and will leave you traumatized (especially when it comes to that dog sequence).

• Rent/Buy The Thing on Amazon.
• Get The Thing on Blu-ray on Amazon.

They Live (1988)

The Director: John Carpenter

The Cast: Roddy Piper, Keith David, Meg Foster

What It’s About: Wrestler-turned-actor Roddy Piper plays a drifter armed with a pair of sunglasses that give him the ability to see behind the illusions of an alien race that has invaded the planet in They Live.

What To Expect: Come for the sunglasses scene, stay for the best fight ever recorded on film.

• Rent/Buy They Live on Amazon.
• Get They Live on Blu-ray on Amazon.

Tootsie (1982)

The Director: Sydney Pollack

The Cast: Dustin Hoffman, Jessica Lange, Teri Garr

What It’s About: Fed up with not being able to get a job, struggling actor Michael Dorsey (Dustin Hoffman) does the unthinkable in Tootsie and reinvents himself as Dorothy Michaels, a female actor who quickly lands a starring role on a popular daytime soap opera. It only gets more complicated from there.

What To Expect: Tootsie has just about everything you’d want in an ‘80s movie, plus one of the best “walking through NYC” shots of all time.

• Rent/Buy Tootsie on Amazon.
• Get Tootsie on Blu-ray on Amazon.

Top Gun (1986)

The Director: Tony Scott

The Cast: Tom Cruise, Val Kilmer, Kelly McGillis

What It’s About: Tom Cruise plays Pete “Maverick” Mitchell in Tony Scott’s 1986 action thriller Top Gun. Upon being invited to a specialized fighter pilot school, Maverick’s skills, as well as his attitude, are put to the ultimate test.

What To Expect: Beach volleyball, epic dogfights, and multiple iconic ‘80s tracks are on full display here.

• Stream Top Gun on Paramount+.
• Rent/Buy Top Gun on Amazon.
• Get Top Gun on Blu-ray on Amazon.

Trading Places (1983)

The Director: John Landis

The Cast: Eddie Murphy, Dan Aykroyd, Jamie Lee Curtis

What It’s About: In John Landis’ 1983 comedy, Trading Places, Dan Aykroyd and Eddie Murphy play two men who find their positions reversed as part of a sick game by a duo of villainous millionaires.

What To Expect: A young Eddie Murphy steals the show in this 1983 comedy classic.

• Rent/Buy Trading Places on Amazon.
• Get Trading Places on Blu-ray on Amazon.

WarGames (1983)

The Director: John Badham
The Cast: Matthew Broderick, Dabney Coleman, Ally Sheedy

What It’s About: The 1983 thriller WarGames follows high school student David Lightman (Broderick) as he begins to play what he believes to be a high-tech arcade game but what is actually a supercomputer that could bring on the destruction of the planet through nuclear war.

What To Expect: If you’re looking for a chess match between a teenager and a supercomputer, here ya go!

• Stream WarGames on Max.
• Rent/Buy WarGames on Amazon.
• Get WarGames on DVD on Amazon.

When Harry Met Sally (1989)

The Director: Rob Reiner

The Cast: Billy Crystal, Meg Ryan, Carrie Fisher

What It’s About: Written by Nora Ephron and directed by Rob Reiner, the all-time great romantic comedy, When Harry Met Sally, follows the titular characters played by Billy Crystal and Meg Ryan as they try to prove that a man and woman can have a relationship that doesn’t involve sex.

What To Expect: Seriously, this movie is perfect. No notes.

• Rent/Buy When Harry Met Sally on Amazon.
• Get When Harry Met Sally on Blu-ray on Amazon.

Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988)

The Director: Robert Zemeckis

The Cast: Bob Hoskins, Christopher Lloyd, Charles Fleischer

What It’s About: Robert Zemeckis’ 1988 live-action/animation hybrid, Who Framed Roger Rabbit, follows Hoskins’ hardened private investigator who is tasked with proving the titular rabbit has been framed with the murder of a high-profile figure.

What To Expect: Here is what can best be described as the ultimate animation/live-action hybrid and a tremendous example of competing movie studios working together to create an unprecedented cinematic experience.

• Stream Who Framed Roger Rabbit on Disney+.
• Rent/Buy Who Framed Roger Rabbit on Amazon.
• Get Who Framed Roger Rabbit on Blu-ray on Amazon.

Well, that was a comprehensive list of the best ‘80s movies streaming. Now that you know where and how to watch all these classics, all you have to do is start watching (but hopefully not all in one big marathon).

Late in August, to enormous success, Netflix debuted the first two seasons of YouTube Premium's Cobra Kai on its platform. While the sequel series — a decades-later continuation of 1984's The Karate Kid — found an audience on its original platform, it exploded upon its Netflix debut. It's also further proof that there's a substantial market of nostalgic viewers clamoring for TV or streaming shows centered around their 1980s favorites.

Though it wasn't the first show to try this format, as seen with Ash vs. Evil Dead and The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance (also on Netflix), this streaming show has exceeded expectations, making its third season even more anticipated. With Cobra Kai kicking butt on Netflix, is there room for more '80s movies in serialized form? What other '80s films are expandable to a sequel series/mini-series? We've got suggestions.

Ferris Bueller's Day Off

We only followed the antics of Ferris Bueller for one glorious day in his rambunctious teenage years. But what is life like for Bueller after that? It's hard to believe his days got any better. In fact, he probably peaked in high school. In that sense, what if we followed Bueller more than 30 years later? He hates his life. He hates his job. He's possibly even divorced, or in a marriage he detests. He needs an escape to renew his freedom. Life moves pretty fast, as he once said. That's when his friend Cameron Frye re-enters.

When these two buddies reunite, much like Cobra Kai, what if their roles were reversed? What if Cameron is now the cooler, more adventurous personality while Ferris is the one who settled? Together, they try reclaiming their youth — even in their mid-to-late 50s.

The Breakfast Club

While this idea might work better as a mini-series than as a continuous narrative, the Breakfast Club in the present day would be an intriguing concept to explore in a hypothetical sequel. Specifically, the idea of our titular club reunited years after for a high school reunion. These misfit delinquents are back together under the same roof again, only time has changed them. Some for the better, others for the worse. With decades of life experience now found between them, in this new cultural landscape, their perspectives won't be the same as they were in their teenage years.

Plus, these one-time high schoolers might have children of their own now, some of whom are possibly the same age as they were that fateful Saturday morning in detention. While the Breakfast Club would still have many thoughtful conversations, their individual outlooks — and possibly their personalities — would be notably different.

WarGames

While its dated high-grade technology makes it a product of its time, WarGames remains commendably gripping and thrilling, particularly with its still-timely fear of nuclear apocalypse at the advent of a third World War. Considering how these fears haven't dissipated over the years but rather accelerated, it could be interesting to see what a sequel to this '80s favorite would look like with a modern lens. Blending '80s nostalgia with a more present look at our cultural global political landscape, this updated sequel/revival could follow the film's lead characters recruiting a new age of video gamer nerds to once again tackle the impending threat of nuclear fallout.

While there's something enjoyably fun (at least, in my opinion) about WarGames' era-based cheesiness, this new sequel series could bring more modernized legitimacy to its warnings of national and global catastrophe, while also reflecting on our technology-advanced age and modern social/political worldview.

Gremlins

While there has often been talk of a third film or potentially a reboot, we still haven't gotten a direct continuation to Joe Dante's Gremlins and Gremlins 2: The New Batch. It's hard to know whether or not this is for the best, especially since it would be hard to top the utter zaniness of the second movie, but it's clear that Zach Galligan and other folks involved with the original movies want to see it happen.

Well, if it's not meant to be a movie, could it work as a show?

It wouldn't be easy to keep the wackiness going for a whole new movie, let alone a series with potentially multiple seasons. But if the third movie hasn't found much traction, it wouldn't hurt to try expanding it into a series instead. There's no guarantee it would work, but it could certainly be a lot of fun.

Big

What happens when the boy who briefly became an adult actually becomes an adult?

It's an intriguing idea — one that could be interesting for a sequel series. It's hard to imagine he'll be living a normal life, having previously gotten a glimpse into his future. While it'd be hard to bring Tom Hanks back to the role, particularly for a show, it could be fun to explore the ripple effect of such an event, notably when he's into his adult years and a father himself. Though, naturally, it wouldn't involve Hanks but rather David Moscow, who once played young Josh, and how his life and worldview shifted — especially if he has a son now. As Moscow would be well into his 40s, a full decade-or-two away from Hanks' age in Big, this middle-aged reflection could be an interesting way for this property to grow up.

Spaceballs

Additionally, this one would probably work better as a movie sequel. But if, say, Netflix forked up the money, it could be a fun series or, at least, mini-series.

With Disney's newest Star Wars sequel trilogy recently concluded, is it time to make a proper-and-true Spaceballs 2? Much like The Force Awakens, The Last Jedi, and The Rise of Skywalker, this sequel focuses on the newcomers to the Spaceballs galaxy while some of our favorite characters from the original, including Bill Pullman's Lone Starr and Daphne Zuniga's Princess Vespa, reprise their roles as mentors. It'd be a way to pay homage to the original spoof while not necessarily stepping on its toes. Mel Brooks is open to the idea of a sequel, too. Plus, obviously, it was proposed in the original as Spaceballs 2: The Search For More Money. Would Disney allow it, though? It's hard to say.

The Neverending Story

I mean, it's right there in the title. The Neverending Story made a promise to audiences back in 1984 that the story would simply not end. Even though we were given two sequels in 1990 and 1994, respectively, the story has, indeed, come to a close since then. But it doesn't have to end there.

Perhaps now is the right time to honor the title of this fantasy epic and keep the story going. Plus, considering how the movies strayed away from the source material written by Michael Ende, maybe a sequel series could honor the nostalgic movie while also providing more direct parallels to the material. Plus, with updated visual wizardry, The Neverending Story would look gorgeous — so long as they keep the puppetry. Giving us a proper continuation while also servicing the intent of the movie and book seems like a win-win. The end shall not be nigh!

These are only a few we had in mind. There's also room to explore what happened after the events of This Is Spinal Tap, The Goonies, Meatballs, Beetlejuice, Dead Poets Society, Labyrinth, or Splash. What about the continued adventures of Fletch? Or a reunion of The Lost Boys? The more you think about it, the more possibilities seem endless. But now, we want to hear from you. What are some other '80s movies that deserve or warrant a sequel like Cobra Kai? Please let us know in the comment section!

At the end of a long day, week, month, or even year, sometimes we want nothing more than to plop down on the couch and put on a movie, TV show, or comedy special that will make us laugh and forget the problems of the world if only for an hour or so. Luckily for anyone with a Netflix subscription (which is pretty much everyone at this point), there is a seemingly endless library of some of the best comedies you can find on a streaming service. From satire to slapstick and everything in between, here are the best comedies to check out on Netflix if you are looking for a good and hearty laugh.

Groundhog Day (1993)

When a self-obsessed and detestable TV weatherman (Bill Murray) is sent to cover Punxsutawney Phil for the town's annual Groundhog Day celebration, he finds himself trapped an endless loop of the same day repeating itself.

Why It'll Make You Laugh: Where to start with Groundhog Day? I don't know, maybe the repeated "Phil, Phil Connors? Phil Connors, I thought that was you," interactions and the thrilling chase involving a weatherman and stolen groundhog are good places to start.

Stream it on Netflix here.

Also try The Money Pit.

Tootsie (1982)

Michael Dorsey (Dustin Hoffman), a struggling actor, attempts to prove a point when he dresses himself up like a woman in order to get hired on a soap opera. Little does he know but he will soon become a national star and fall head over heels for his costar (Jessica Lange).

Why It'll Make You Laugh: Sydney Pollack's 1982 comedy has a near-perfect plot filled with funny moment after funny moment, but nothing compares to Michael Dorsey's big reveal at the end and Jeff Slater (Bill Murray) reacting with "That is one nutty hospital."

Stream it on Netflix here.

Also try Arthur, Grace and Frankie

The Death Of Stalin (2017)

When Russian dictator Joseph Stalin suddenly dies, the Soviet Union is left in disarray as his former allies and enemies, including Steve Buscemi as Nikita Khrushchev and Jeffrey Tambor as Georgy Malenkov, jockey for position in this insanely hilarious satirical look at a regime in transition.

Why It'll Make You Laugh: On the surface, a movie about the death of a tyrannical leader doesn't sound all that funny, but this dark comedy from the mind of Veep creator Armando Iannucci is full of side-splitting humor, especially Stalin's funeral.

Stream it on Netflix here.

Spaceballs (1987)

Mel Brooks' classic Star Wars spoof Spaceballs pokes plenty of fun at the saga from "a galaxy far, far away…" as it follows the evil mastermind Dark Helmet (Rick Moranis as he kidnaps Princess Vespa (Daphne Zuniga). Little does the oversized dome know but Lone Starr (Bill Pullman) and his trusty Barf (John Candy) are in pursuit.

Why It'll Make You Laugh: It's a Mel Brooks parody of Star Wars filled with enough cultural references to make you explode with laughter. Need I say more?

Stream it on Netflix here.

Airplane! (1980)

There are parody movies and then there is Airplane! which centers around a former combat pilot (Robert Hays) who is forced to rise to the occasion and land a passenger plane when the entire cabin crew goes down with a bad case of food poisoning.

Why It'll Make You Laugh: With everything from Leslie Nielsen's deadpan delivery as Dr. Rumack to Robert Stack's insane Capt. Rex Kramer, and "Otto," this cult classic is anything but serious, just don't call me Shirley.

Stream it on Netflix here.

The Addams Family (1991)

Adaptations of classic TV shows are a mixed bag, but that's not the case for the 1991 revival of The Addams Family, which centers around the titular family when Gomez Addams' (Raul Julia) long-lost brother Fester (Christopher Lloyd) returns after an unfortunate trip to the Bermuda Triangle.

Why It'll Make You Laugh: This creepy and kooky comedy has plenty of laughs for the whole family, but the most ridiculous thing you'll see throughout it all is the family duel at the school play involving Wednesday (Christina Ricci) and Pugsley Adams (Jimmy Workman). Add Christopher Lloyd in one of his best roles and you have plenty to look forward to.

Stream it on Netflix here.

Dave Chappelle's Standup Specials (2017, 2017, 2019)

Dave Chappelle marked his return to the comedy world with a series of specials as part of Netflix's major push in the world of standup. With three specials (two of which are two-parters) available on the platform, there's a lot to catch up on.

Why They'll Make You Laugh: I mean, it's Dave Chappelle doing what he does his best. None of the specials have the punch of Dave Chappelle's 2000 coming out party Killin' Them Softly, but modern-day Chappelle is better than most of his contemporaries.

Stream Dave Chappelle: Sticks & Stones here, Dave Chappelle here, and Dave Chappelle: Eqanimity & The Bird Revelation here.

Amy Schumer's Standup Specials (2017, 2019)

Amy Schumer made a name for herself in the world of standup comedy, and after a successful run in film and on television, the foul-mouthed comedian returns to the stage for two Netflix specials.

Why They'll Make You Laugh: Watching Amy Schumer poke fun at all the good things happening in her life — success, marriage, motherhood — never gets old and that can be said about the comedian's two Netflix specials that don't hold anything back.

Stream Amy Schumer: Growing here and Amy Schumer: The Leather Special here.

Also try Eliza Shlesinger's standup specials here, here, here, and here.

John Mulaney's Standup Specials (2012, 2015, 2018)

Former Saturday Night Live writer and one-time sitcom star John Mulaney has not one, not two, but three different standup specials on Netflix, all of which shouldn't be missed.

Why They'll Make You Laugh: If you are a fan of any of the skits from say 2008 to 2013 of Saturday Night Live (or any of John Mulaney's guest appearances since then), then these standup specials will have you coming back time and time again. And watching Mulaney compare a certain world leader to a horse in a hospital is comedy at its best.

Stream John Mulaney: New in Town here, John Mulaney: The Comeback Kid here, and John Mulaney: Kid Gorgeous at Radio City here.

Trailer Park Boys (2001 - 2008, 2014 - Present)

Trailer Park Boys is a long-running Canadian mockumentary series about the strange cast of characters that inhabit the Sunnyvale Trailer Park and its surrounding communities. Trailer park supervisor Jim Lahey (the late John Dunsworth) and his assistant Randy (Patrick Roach) constantly try to thwart the main trio of anti-heroes Ricky (Robb Wells), Julian (John Paul Tremblay), and Bubbles (Mike Smith) from succeeding, but things never really go according to plan.

Why It'll Make You Laugh: Just about every episode in the show's original seven-season run is can't-miss television (and some of the Netflix revival as well). Whether it be Mr. Lahey's annual downfall down the slippery road of the liquor or new residents like Philadelphia Collins (the late Richard Collins) showing up looking like a mustard tiger, there's never a shortage of laughs.

Stream it on Netflix here.

Arrested Development (2003 - 2006, 2003, 2018 - 2019)

Long before it was given a second chance at life on Netflix, Arrested Development had a tremendous, yet short-lived run on Fox where it won four Golden Globes and a pair of Emmys for its offbeat depiction of the formerly wealthy Bluth family making an attempt at a comeback.

Why It'll Make You Laugh: The question should be what about this show won't make you laugh. Everything from flashbacks of family patriarch George Bluth Sr. (Jeffrey Tambor) calling on a certain friend to teach his children a lesson to Ron Howard's perfect timing as the show's narrator, the laughs don't stop. And even if Season 4 took a rather strange approach to the format, the show remains just as funny now as it did when it first debuted back in 2003.

Stream it on Netflix here.

The Office (2005 - 2014)

The long-running NBC comedy series The Office has become a staple of Netflix for about as long as anyone can remember and shows up on plenty of lists like this, but there's a reason the mockumentary series about the employees of Dunder Mifflin is a favorite 15 years after it first hit the airwaves.

Why It'll Make You Laugh: With so many cleaver inside jokes, the all-star cast of all-star casts, and characters we just can't help but love to hate, there's just too much to cover in terms of the show's greatness. Might as well start over from the beginning for the 1,000th time.

Stream it on Netflix here.

Also try Parks and Recreation, The IT Crowd.

Those are just a dozen (and change) TV shows, standup comedy specials, and movies on Netflix that are worth checking out if you are in need of a good laugh. If there was something that I forgot to include, make sure you let me know in the comments below.

Netflix’s July lineup of both original and acquired films is quite spectacular, considering quite a few old favorites are returning to the platform. However, there are also some underseen gems that have built a bit of a following on their own that are coming online in the month ahead.

If you haven’t seen the total rundown for July 2020, you can head there in the link provided below. Otherwise, it’s time to go through the list of 12 movies that you should definitely be making room for in this next month of Netflix programming. Please note, every film below will be available on July 1, unless specified in their specific write-up.

A Walk To Remember

Quarantine has led to a lot of feelings in the world, and not all of them have been pleasant. That said, we could all use a good cry now and then to purge the soul and make the sweeter parts of life all the better. If you’re looking for a good way to milk some tears of your own, then the Mandy Moore/Shane West-starring adaptation of A Walk to Remember is here to help. Based on the memorable Nicholas Sparks novel of the same name, you can kind of see where things are going early on; but that doesn’t ruin the magic one bit.

Airplane!

If you’re not looking for a movie that’ll make you cry your eyes out, then maybe you should take a short vacation with the comedy classic Airplane! The movie that made Leslie Nielsen a comedic treasure, and launched a thousand memorable lines into the pop consciousness, you’ll be able to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Zucker Brothers’ mythic laugh riot properly. With July 2nd marking the exact day this flight of fancy first took off in 1980, there’s still plenty of time to avoid the fish for dinner, as well as decide whether or not it’s the right week to quit drinking.

Batman: Mask of the Phantasm

It’s time for a hot take, ladies and gentlemen: Batman: Mask of the Phantasm is, quite frankly, the best Batman movie ever committed to film. A story set in the world of the animated world of Batman The Animated Series, the film focuses on Kevin Conroy’s Bruce Wayne, as he investigates the shadowy Phantasm. Part origin story and part romantic drama, this film never really got the audience it deserved in theaters. Time has been kind to this film, exposing a greater fandom over the decades it’s existed; and this title is highly recommended to anyone who enjoys a layered, character-driven comic hero story.

Cloud Atlas

While Cloud Atlas has surely racked up its share of controversy and debate surrounding the way it handles the racial casting of some characters, the way that The Wachowskis and Tom Tykwer adapt David Mitchell’s supposedly unadaptable novel to the screen is something to behold. Six stories intertwine, with wildly disparate genres and historical periods coming together to tell one gigantic story. Tom Hanks, Halle Berry and Hugh Grant are only some of the familiar faces you’ll be seeing, as this movie dives deep into a story that could only be told with the help of the team behind The Matrix.

Schindler's List

There are a couple of movies on the July 2020 docket of incoming Netflix titles that will be hard to watch for most viewers. However, that doesn’t mean a film like the Steven Spielberg drama Schindler’s List isn’t worth watching. A triumph of humane cinema, the story of how German industrialist Oskar Schindler (Liam Neeson) helped save countless lives during the Holocaust is also artistically important. But again, you may not feel up to watching a film that shines a light on this particularly tragic point in history. That being said, the captivating all-star cast, which also includes Sir Ben Kingsley and Ralph Fiennes, help bring history to life in this devastating, yet hopeful film.

Spaceballs

Conversely, there’s never a wrong time to watch writer/director Mel Brooks’ huge Star Wars spoof, Spaceballs. This cast roster that includes Bill Pullman, Daphne Zuniga and Rick Moranis, on top of late greats John Candy and Joan Rivers, is one that never fails to hit the punchlines with the right amount of oomph; especially when Brooks himself is along for the ride in dual roles. If you’ve been overloaded by Star Wars everything over on Disney+ as of late, use this as a welcomed palette cleanser for your heart and mind.

Splice

Just as it would be hard for some audiences to watch Schindler’s List, there are a couple of reasons why Vincenzo Natali’s sci-fi thriller Splice is a cautious recommendation. A twisted tale of two scientists (Sarah Polley & Adrian Brody) and their illegal experiments in genetic manipulation, the Frankenstein myth is alive and well in this dark parable on why one shouldn’t play God. Fair warning, you may want to [read up on this one](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Splice_(film) a little more before potentially partaking.

The Witches

If you were a kid who grew up with an HBO subscription, the film adaptation of Roald Dahl’s The Witches was a staple in your film education growing up. Anjelica Houston’s Grand High Witch and her quest to turn all of the children the world into easy-to-eat mice is one of those stories that, if you’ve seen it, you know the moment you see a screenshot. But if you want a refresher before getting too excited about that remake we’re supposed to be seeing in the near future, or if you haven’t had a chance to marvel at the magic that the Jim Henson Company wizards wove upon this particular beauty, The Witches will be coming for you soon!

The Naked Gun: From The Files Of Police Squad

TV series don’t always translate properly to the big screen; just ask anyone who saw Lost In Space back in 1998. And yet, when a movie like The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad comes along, it almost feels like a sort of alchemy when it sticks the landing. The start of Leslie Nielsen’s landmark trilogy of police work and shenanigans, it’s a flick that sets the tone from the first comedic set piece, and never lets up. Fingers crossed that the two following sequels don’t take too long to join the Netflix family.

Total Recall

Another milestone being celebrated this year is the 30th anniversary of the Paul Verhoeven sci-fi classic Total Recall. You probably know the story of Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Douglas Quaid and his journey to get his ass to Mars backwards and forwards; it’s that popular of a movie. However, you probably didn’t know that Schwarzenegger almost never got to star in this film’s lead role. Try imagining this film with that crucial change next time you watch it.

The Notebook

We’re back to crying again as The Notebook has yet again found its way onto Netflix. A periodic favorite of the streaming platform, we saw this movie come and go earlier this year, leaving fans of the Rachel McAdams/Ryan Gosling tearjerker a bit disappointed. Fear not, Nicholas Sparks fans, for if you really want to have a good double feature of bittersweet drama, this and A Walk To Remember will be available for you to partake in. The Notebook will be available on July 18.

Spotlight

We close this month’s lineup of notables with another Best Picture winner that tackles a very tender subject. Spotlight is the story of how an intrepid team of reporters and editors slowly uncovered, investigated and ultimately reported on a sexual abuse scandal involving members of the Catholic church in Boston. Telling the heart-wrenching story of how far this particular happening had gone, and the damage it had done over time, this movie is a prime case of why investigative journalism had, and always will be, a hallmark of a truly just society. Spotlight will be available on July 22.

As you can see, the Netflix notables for this month run a pretty emotional gamut. So be sure to do your research before watching, and don’t forget to check for availability as these titles are subject to change. Until next time, safe streaming to all, and to all a good July!

Rick Moranis has been largely out of the public eye for the last couple of decades. The comedian and actor, while not officially retiring, has only taken a handful of mostly voice over jobs since the mid-1990s, which made his appearance in an episode of Disney+'s Prop Culture series, which debuted last week, an especially nice surprise. He spoke with host Dan Lanigan about his time working on the hit film Honey, I Shrunk the Kids.

Honey, I Shrunk the Kids came out in the late 1980s which was the high point of Rick Moranis' career thanks to movies like Spaceballs, Ghostbusters, and the aforementioned Disney film, which spawned a pair of sequels. And as it turns out, if you look at a lot of the movies that Rick Moranis made during that period, an interesting theme begins to develop. Rick Moranis wore a lot of strange headgear on film. According to the actor...

It's something I'd never truly considered but there does seem to be a running theme where Rick Moranis ends up with weird looking things on his head. In Spaceballs it's the helmet, The Shrunk movies give him a variety of bizarre things of questionable purpose. Even in Ghostbusters, in one scene he ends up with what looks a colander with wires attached to it on his head. I guess if it was the late 80s and you needed a comedian to wear a funny hat, Rick Moranis was your guy.

It's certainly difficult to argue with Rick Moranis' assessment. Many of his most popular films are comedies with a science fiction element and so the movie includes many props designed to look futuristic or at least highly technological. In Honey, I Shrunk the Kids Moranis wears what is essentially a hockey helmet with lights and magnifying glasses attached to it. A replica of which is shown to Moranis in the Prop Culture episode.

And of course, one certainly has to credit Star Wars as an influence for what has to be Rick Moranis' most famous piece of movie headgear.

It's great to see Rick Moranis again, but this won't be our only chance. It's been confirmed that the actor will return for Shrunk, the sequel/reboot of the Honey, I Shrunk the Kids franchise that will also star Josh Gad, Perhaps his decision to appear on Prop Culture was part of a warm up, making himself familiar with the movies once again. If nothing else, seeing him again makes me excited for the fact that the movie is on the way. Although, especially now, we have no real idea when we'll see it.

If you, like me, are someone who misses the ridiculous ridicule and cartoonish commentary on cliche that come with parody movies (or spoof movies), I bet you will be happy to learn there is another Scary Movie sequel in the works right now. As we wait for Hollywood’s latest send-up of the best horror movies in recent memory, I have compiled a list of the greatest parody movies – along with a tip on how to watch them – that should keep you laughing for a while.

The Hot Shots! Movies (1991, 1993)

Director: Jim Abrahams

Starring: Charlie Sheen, Valeria Golino

What they are about: A skilled, but emotionally unstable fighter pilot is tasked with getting rid of nuclear weapons, and later enlisted to lead a rescue mission in Iraq.

Why they are some of the best parody movies: Hot Shots! basically takes the plot of Top Gun and adds an incessant run of ridiculous sight gags and Hot Shots! Part Deux targets Rambo: First Blood Part II (and many other classic action movies) with the same method.

How to watch the Hot Shots! movies

Not Another Teen Movie (2001)

Director: Joel Gallen

Starring: Chyler Leigh, Chris Evans

What it's about: The ridiculous coming-of-age misadventures of a group of high school students from various rungs on the social ladder.

Why it is one of the best parody movies: None of the best high school movies of all time are safe from uproarious send-ups in the deeply underrated Not Another Teen Movie, which stars Chris Evans in one of his earliest roles.

How to watch Not Another Teen Movie

• Rent or buy Not Another Teen Movie on Amazon
• Buy Not Another Teen Movie on Blu-ray on Amazon

Robin Hood: Men In Tights (1993)

Director: Mel Brooks

Starring: Cary Elwes, Richard Lewis

What it's about: To save England from a corrupt king, a talented archer and clever thief puts together a band of “merry men” for help.

Why it is one of the best parody movies: A ‘90s movie that does not quite get enough love is Robin Hood: Men in Tights – a classic Mel Brooks parody that takes aim at a beloved legend.

How to watch Robin Hood: Men in Tights

• Rent or buy Robin Hood: Men in Tights on Amazon
• Buy Robin Hood: Men in Tights on Blu-ray on Amazon

MacGruber (2010)

Director: Jorma Taccone

Starring: Will Forte, Kristen Wiig, Ryan Phillippe, Val Kilmer

What it's about: A bumbling special forces agent, his former partner, and a young lieutenant race to stop a notorious terrorist from unleashing a dangerous nuclear warhead.

Why it is one of the best parody movies: One of the most beloved movies based on SNL characters is MacGruber, which thankfully extends beyond the rigid conceit of the original recurring sketch in favor of poking fun at action movies.

How to watch MacGruber

• Rent or buy MacGruber on Amazon
• Buy MacGruber on Blu-ray on Amazon

Top Secret! (1984)

Director: Jim Abrahams, David Zucker, Jerry Zucker

Starring: Val Kilmer, Lucy Gutteridge

What it's about: A rock star becomes involved in a dangerous mission to rescue a scientist held captive in Germany.

Why it is one of the best parody movies: For their first major follow-up to Airplane! (more on that later) together, Jim Abrahams and David and Jerry Zucker took aim at classic spy movies with Top Secret!

How to watch Top Secret!

• Stream Top Secret! on Pluto TV
• Rent or buy Top Secret! on Amazon
• Buy Top Secret! on Blu-ray on Amazon

I’m Gonna Git You Sucka (1988)

Director: Keenan Ivory Wayans

Starring: Keenan Ivory Wayans, Bernie Casey

What it's about: A soldier wages war on a powerful criminal who caused the death of his brother.

Why it is one of the best parody movies: An ‘80s movie that deserves more attention today is I’m Gonna Git You Sucka – a send-up of the Blaxploitation genre and one of the more underrated parodies from Keenan Ivory Wayans.

How to watch I'm Gonna Git You Sucka

• Stream I’m Gonna Git You Sucka on Amazon Prime
• Stream I’m Gonna Git You Sucka on Tubi
• Stream I’m Gonna Git You Sucka on Pluto TV
• Buy I’m Gonna Git You Sucka on Blu-ray on Amazon

Scary Movie (2000)

Director: Keenan Ivory Wayans

Starring: Anna Faris, Regina Hall, Marlon Wayans, Shawn Wayans

What it's about: Ditzy teen Cindy Prescott and her buffoonish friends are stalked by a masked murderer.

Why it is one of the best parody movies: Easily the Wayans Brothers’ most successful spoof is Scary Movie, which actually bears the original working title for Scream – the 1996 slasher genre revival (and deconstruction) from Wes Craven that also inspired most of the comedy’s story and jokes.

How to watch Scary Movie

• Rent or buy Scary Movie on Amazon
• Buy Scary Movie on Blu-ray on Amazon

Airplane! (1980)

Director: Jim Abrahams, David Zucker, Jerry Zucker

Starring: Robert Hays, Julie Hagerty, Leslie Nielsen

What it's about: A disgraced former pilot becomes the only hope to bring a commercial plane to safety when the entire flight crew falls ill.

Why it is one of the best parody movies: Jim Abrahams and the Zucker brothers became the quintessential heroes of the parody movie with the instant classic, Airplane! – a nearly shot-for-shot recreation of 1957’s Zero Hour! with increasingly cartoonish hijinks.

How to watch Airplane!

• Stream Airplane! on Tubi
• Rent or buy Airplane! on Amazon
• Buy Airplane! on Blu-ray on Amazon

Blazing Saddles (1974)

Director: Mel Brooks

Starring: Cleavon Little, Gene Wilder

What it's about: A Black man rises from slave to hero after he is made the sheriff of a small, valuable town by an evil, greedy politician.

Why it is one of the best parody movies: Arguably the best Mel Brooks movie also qualifies as one of the all-time best Western movies, because the Oscar-nominated Blazing Saddles is a remarkably bold satire that could only be a product of its time.

How to watch Blazing Saddles

• Rent or buy Blazing Saddles on Amazon
• Buy Blazing Saddles on Blu-ray on Amazon

Monty Python And The Holy Grail (1975)

Director: Terry Gilliam, Terry Jones

Starring: Graham Chapman, Eric Idle, John Cleese, Michael Palin, Terry Gilliam, Terry Jones

What it's about: King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table encounter a series of ridiculous obstacles while searching for the lost cup said to have held the blood of Jesus Christ.

Why it is one of the best parody movies: Monty Python and the Holy Grail is commonly considered the British comedy troupe’s finest cinematic achievement, thanks to such bits as a far too resilient Black Knight, a homicidal rabbit, very rude Frenchmen, and a hilariously abrupt conclusion that supposedly birthed the term “cop out.”

How to watch Monty Python and Holy Grail

• Stream Monty Python and the Holy Grail on Amazon Prime
• Stream Monty Python and the Holy Grail on Tubi
• Buy Monty Python and the Holy Grail on Blu-ray on Amazon

The Naked Gun: From The Files Of Police Squad! (1988)

Director: David Zucker

Starring: Leslie Nielsen, Priscilla Presley

What it's about: The bumbling Lt. Frank Drebin is tasked with foiling an attempt to assassinate Queen Elizabeth II.

Why it is one of the best parody movies: From the creators of Airplane!, The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad! is a sharp and criminally absurd cop drama parody spun off from the short-lived crime procedural spoof series, Police Squad! and featuring some of Leslie Nielsen's funniest quotes ever.

How to watch The Naked Gun: From the Files Of Police Squad!

• Stream The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad! on Paramount+
• Rent or buy The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad! on Amazon
• Buy The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad! on Blu-ray on Amazon

Austin Powers: International Man Of Mystery (1997)

Director: Jay Roach

Starring: Mike Myers, Elizabeth Hurley

What it's about: A hip, British secret agent learns that the cliches of classic James Bond movies do not have the same effect they used to after he wakes up from a 30-year cryogenic slumber to catch his arch nemesis.

Why it is one of the best parody movies: Arguably the ultimate spy movie parody is Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery, which features some of Myers’ funniest quotes, many of which come from Dr. Evil.

How to watch Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery

• Rent Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery on Amazon
• Buy Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery on Blu-ray on Amazon

Young Frankenstein (1974)

Director: Mel Brooks

Starring: Gene Wilder, Marty Feldman, Peter Boyle, Teri Garr

What it's about: The grandson of an infamous mad scientist is initially reluctant to acknowledge his heritage until he pays a visit to his lab in Transylvania.

Why it is one of the best parody movies: Young Frankenstein (which Mel Brooks co-wrote with Gene Wilder) serves as both a sequel and a send-up of Universal's 1931 adaptation of Mary Shelley’s landmark horror novel.

How to watch Young Frankenstein

• Buy Young Frankenstein on Blu-ray on Amazon

Dude Bro Party Massacre III (2015)

Director: Tomm Jacobsen, Michael Rousselet, Jon Salmon

Starring: Alec Owen, Ben Gigli

What it's about: A young man infiltrates his slain twin brother’s popular fraternity in hopes of finding his killer: the notorious “Motherface.”

Why it is one of the best parody movies: Underrated horror-comedy movie Dude Bro Party Massacre III goes beyond spoofing the genre and recreates it convincingly by framing itself as a VHS recording of a cable access rerun of a banned ‘80s slasher, complete with cheesy gore, crappy acting, and fake commercial interludes.

How to watch Dude Bro Party Massacre III

• Stream Dude Bro Party Massacre III on Amazon Prime
• Stream Dude Bro Party Massacre III on Tubi
• Stream Dude Bro Party Massacre III on Pluto TV
• Buy Dude Bro Party Massacre III on Blu-ray on Amazon

Spaceballs (1987)

Director: Mel Brooks

Starring: Mel Brooks, John Candy, Rick Moranis, Bill Pullman, Daphne Zuniga

What it's about: An intergalactic pilot and his “half-man, half-dog” companion are hired to rescue a princess from the evil Dark Helmet.

Why it is one of the best parody movies: As you can probably tell, Spaceballs is, essentially, a reimagining of the Star Wars movies which has a sequel in the works.

How to watch Spaceballs

• Stream Spaceballs on MGM+
• Stream Spaceballs on Tubi
• Rent or buy Spaceballs on Amazon
• Buy Spaceballs on Blu-ray on Amazon

The Kentucky Fried Movie (1977)

Director: John Landis

Starring: Various

What it's about: An uproarious, raunchy, and simply out-of-control collection of fake consumer ads, faux movie trailers, and short films.

Why it is one of the best parody movies: Before Abrahams and the Zucker Brothers made Airplane!, they wrote The Kentucky Fried Movie – a hilarious anthology with no real structure or purpose, other than a shameless devotion to comedy.

How to watch The Kentucky Fried Movie

• Stream The Kentucky Fried Movie on Amazon for free
• Stream The Kentucky Fried Movie on Peacock
• Stream The Kentucky Fried Movie on Tubi
• Buy The Kentucky Fried Movie on Blu-ray on Amazon

Hollywood Shuffle (1987)

Director: Robert Townsend

Starring: Robert Townsend, Keenan Ivory Wayans

What it's about: Aspiring actor Bobby Taylor struggles to navigate the world of show business.

Why it is one of the best parody movies: Robert Townsend, who also co-writes with Keenan Ivory Wayans, famously self-financed Hollywood Shuffle, which takes aim at the movie business as a whole but really zeroes in on the kind of stereotypical film roles Black actors would often be shoehorned into in the late 1980s.

How to watch Hollywood Shuffle

• Stream Hollywood Shuffle on Amazon Prime
• Stream Hollywood Shuffle on Tubi
• Stream Hollywood Shuffle on Pluto TV

UHF (1989)

Director: Jay Levey

Starring: “Weird Al” Yankovic, Michael Richards

What it's about: A hyperactive daydreamer is appointed by his uncle to manage a dying television station.

Why it is one of the best parody movies: The world’s favorite parody musician brings his talents to the big screen by sending up the small screen in UHF, which was considered a failure upon release but has grown into a cult favorite over time.

How to watch UHF

• Stream UHF on MGM+
• Stream UHF on Tubi
• Stream UHF on Pluto TV
• Rent or buy UHF on Amazon
• Buy UHF on Blu-ray on Amazon

Don't Be A Menace To South Central While Drinking Your Juice In The Hood (1996)

Director: Paris Barclay

Starring: Shawn Wayans, Marlon Wayans

What it's about: A young man is sent to live in the inner city with his grandmother, where he gets a crash course in the culture from his loose-cannon cousin.

Why it is one of the best parody movies: If you have seen Menace II Society, South Central, Juice, or Boyz n the Hood, then you should know what you are in for with Don't Be a Menace to South Central While Drinking Your Juice in the Hood – a thoroughly funny parody of ‘90s urban dramas with a brutally honest satirization of the realties those films reflect.

How to watch Don't Be a Menace to South Central While Drinking Your Juice in the Hood

• Stream Don't Be a Menace to South Central While Drinking Your Juice in the Hood on Amazon Prime
• Buy Don't Be a Menace to South Central While Drinking Your Juice in the Hood on Blu-ray on Amazon

So, what do you think? Are these the funniest cinematic spoofs of all time, or do you assume I have been poking fun at myself this whole time?

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At long last, Rick Moranis is returning to the acting world. Following a 23-year absence from film and television, the actor recently revealed that he will be starring in the Disney+ series, Shrunk, a follow-up to the 1989 family classic, Honey, I Shrunk The Kids. No surprise here, but we’re all stoked to see one of the funniest actors from our childhoods come back to one of the franchises that made him a household name.

In light of the news, it got us thinking about some of the funniest and most iconic film appearances by the lovable Canadian actor. Here are 10 of Rick Moranis’ funniest movies.

10. The Flintstones (1994)

The 1990s were full of film adaptations of several iconic franchises from the golden age of television, and perhaps the most successful of those is the 1994 The Flinstones. Looking back, it's hard to believe that such a movie would make around $340 million globablly, but then again, The Flintstones was one of the biggest hits the year it was released.

With a cast that includes John Goodman as Fred Flintstone, Elizabeth Perkins as Wilma Flintstone, and Rosie O’Donnell as Betty Rubble, Moranis portrays Fred Flintstone’s longtime friend Barney Rubble.

It’s not the worst movie to ever be made, but it’s definitely a barren wasteland when compared to some of Moranis’ earlier roles. Despite this, Moranis does a tremendous job of transforming himself into Fred Flintstone's best friend, to the point where you no longer see him as this actor or even think about any of previous roles. Much of the laughs come at Barney's expense, but like the dinosaurs, stone-age technology, and callbacks to the original television series, the treatment of Barney Rubble remains on brand. The movie was torn apart by critics ahead of its release, but it still made everyone involved enough money to buy a giant slab of dino ribs.

Stream it here.

9. Little Giants (1994)

By the time the mid 1990s rolled around, Rick Moranis had started to take a step back from Hollywood and the 1994 family sports comedy Little Giants would be one of his final two live-action appearances before he retired from acting entirely.

Released in the fall of 1994, this box office flop follows the story of brothers Danny (Rick Moranis) and Kevin O’Shea (Ed O’Neill) from the time they were young kids to adulthood when the two coach opposing teams in a youth football league. There aren't as many side-splitting breakout scenes like in some of the older films starring Moranis, but there's something that can be said about the actor's ability to commit to the role of a character that knows absolutely nothing about the game of football (except for how not to use a protective cup). This is highlighted by the scene where Danny challenges his older brother to a football game to decide which team will represent the town, only to say to meet him at "half court." Much of the other laughs come from the surprising supporting cast primarily made up of child actors and professional football players (and coaches) in smaller roles.

Stream it here.

8. Ghostbusters II (1989)

Rick Moranis found himself in not one, not two, but three box office smashes in 1989, Ghostbusters II being the biggest of the three.

Reprising his role of Louis Tully, Moranis didn’t have as much of a key role as he did to the plot of the first film in the franchise, but he did have several key scenes including the one where he finally gets to suit up and help out the rest of the Ghostbusters as they prepare to battle Vigo the Carpathian (Wilhen von Humburg and voiced by Max von Sydow).

The scene where Louis is seen running through the streets of New York City dressed as a Ghosbuster telling himself “Stay fit, keep sharp, make good decisions,” is comedy gold even to this day.

7. Honey, I Shrunk The Kids (1989)

While not one of his funniest movies, so to speak, Honey, I Shrunk The Kids will go down as one of the most iconic, and successful, ventures for Rick Moranis. Starring as down-on-his-luck inventor Wayne Szalinksi, Moranis creates a machine his two children and their neighbors use to accidentally shrink themselves.

Moranis spends much of the 1989 family classic searching for his miniaturized children in his lab, the house, and backyard before they eventually turn up at the film’s joyful conclusion.

Over the years, this film has become a mainstay in millions of homes (it was one of two movies my brothers and I watched at our great-grandmother’s house), and remains a fan favorite. Why else would they be bringing Moranis out of self-imposed retirement for the new Disney+ series?

6. Parenthood (1989)

Released same year as Ghostbusters II is the 1989 Ron Howard picture Parenthood starring Steve Martin and Rick Moranis. Martin and Moranis — who were teaming up for the third time — portray brothers-in-law Gil Buckman (Martin) and Nathan Huffner (Moranis) as they, and the rest of the ensemble cast, struggle with the pains of parenthood.

The film was a major success at the box office, bringing in $126 million globally on a $20 million budget, and was even nominated for two Academy Awards (Dianne Wiest for Best Supporting Actress and Randy Newman for Best Song for “I Love to See You Smile.”

Parenthood also showed wider audiences that Moranis not only could act but could also sing with the best of them in a scene where Nathan serenades his wife and Gil’s sister, Susan (Harley Jane Kozak), to come back after the two have a disagreement over how many children they want to have.

5. My Blue Heaven (1990)

A year after Parenthood was released, Rick Moranis and Steve Martin would team up for the crime comedy My Blue Heaven in 1990. Just like the Martin Scorsese crime epic Goodfellas (released a month later), My Blue Heaven is based on the life of former mobster and protected witness Henry Hill (both scripts were based on the book Wiseguy by Nicholas Pileggi). Where Goodfellas takes a more dramatic and graphic approach to Hill’s story, My Blue Valentine plays the protected witness’ life for laughs.

Martin portrays Vincent “Vinnie” Antonelli (a fictionalized version of Henry Hill) as he moves to California to start a new life. Under the eye of FBI agent Barney Coopersmith (Moranis), Antonelli tries to settle in for a new life while waiting to testify against the men he used to consider close friends and business partners. What follows is the building of a close friendship between the former mobster and federal agent.

This comedy is often overshadowed by the more successful (critically and commercially) Goodfellas has become a quiet cult classic in the 30 years since its release, and should be sought out by anyone looking for a fun spin on the mobster genre.

4. Little Shop Of Horrors (1986)

Rick Moranis starred in the 1986 horror-comedy Little Shop of Horrors, where he plays a lovestruck flower shop assistant Seymour who is head over heels with his co-worker Audrey (Ellen Greene). There’s only one problem, Audrey is involved with Orin (Steve Martin).

Following an eclipse, one of the store’s plants comes to life with a hunger for human flesh and blood, so Seymour does what any guy would do when he’s trying to get rid of his crush’s boyfriend, he feeds Orin to the plant, which he names Audrey II. Seymour, however, soon realizes that he will need more bodies for his hungry plant.

The relationship between Seymour and Audrey II gives us one of the most ridiculous musical numbers in “Feed Me, Seymour” where the plant tries to justify why it needs so much blood. I remember watching this movie as a kid and finding this whole scene equal parts terrifying and hilarious. To this day, I still find myself saying, “Feed me, Seymour” whenever I get hungry.

3. Spaceballs (1987)

Coming off a string of successful roles in the early to mid 1980s, Moranis found himself in playing one of his most iconic characters, Dark Helmet in the 1987 Mel Brooks classic Star Wars parody, Spaceballs.

After planet Spaceball has depleted its oxygen supply, forcing inhabitants to rely on “Perri-Air,” the planet’s leader, President Kroob comes up with a plan to kidnap Princess Vespa (Daphne Zuniga) of the oxygen-rich Druidia in hopes of getting more air in return. To do his bidding, Kroob enlists Dark Helmet to hunt down the princess. What follows is one of the Brooks’ finest comedies, partilally due to the comedic timing of Moranis.

Like any good Mel Brooks film, Spaceballs is filled with zinger after zinger. From the “comb the desert” bit to “Careful you idiot! I said across her nose, not up it,” Moranis is at the center of most of the film’s most iconic scenes.

2. Strange Brew (1983)

Rick Moranis had already proved his comedy chops on SCTV by the time he and Dave Thomas co-wrote, co-directed, and co-starred in the 1983 oddball comedy Strange Brew, but the film about two brothers scheming to get free beer didn’t hurt his case.

Strange Brew follows brothers Bob (Rick Moranis) and Doug McKenzie (Dave Thomas) on their quest to drink as much free beer as possible. With a goal set in motion, the goofy brothers find themselves working at the Elsinore Brewery. Not long after working for the brewery and drinking free beer, the McKenzie brothers uncover Brewmeister Smith’s (Max von Sydow) plot to create a mind-controlling agent. Throughout the course of the film, the brothers find ways to thrwart the evil plot while also drinking as much beer as humanly possible.

This early showing by Moranis would lead to much bigger things later on (including Ghostbusters the following year), and showed an American audience what a comedian from north of the border could do.

1. Ghostbusters (1984)

Having a list of the funniest Rick Moranis movies without having Ghostbusters in the top spot would be a criminal offense in most countries, so we’ll do the right thing and go ahead and say that Moranis’ portrayal as Louis Tully, aka “Vinz Clortho, The Keymaster of Gozer” is the actor’s funniest role.

Ghostbusters follows a group of down-on-their-luck scientists who start a paranormal service to combat the growing presence of ghosts in New York City. Together, Peter Venkman (Bill Murray), Ray Stanz (Dan Aykroyd), Egon Spengler (Harold Ramis), and Winston Zeddemore (Ernie Hudson) are forced to take on the evil Gozer (in the form of the Stay Puft marshmallow man) after Louis Tully (Moranis) and Dana Barrett (Sigourney Weaver) become possessed by the forces of their apartment building.

Though early on in his career (only his third credited film role) Moranis shines as the aloof Louis Tully before and after he becomes “The Keymaster of Gozer,” and holds his own with some of the era’s most hilarious comedians. It’s just a shame Louis never got to enjoy that game of Parcheesi at his ill-fated party.

Stream Ghostbusters here.

Well, there you have you it, some of the funniest (and not funniest) movies to feature the Canadian comedy legend Rick Moranis. Do you agree with the list? Let us know in the comments below.

May the Ninth be with you! In a slightly belated nod to Star Wars Day, ABC's The Goldbergs will be paying tribute to not just one, but two Star Wars-related movies for next week's episode. The sitcom will raise its lightsaber in celebration of the Star Wars series for the installment "Spaceballs," which also pokes fun at Mel Brooks' popular spoof of the space saga. Here is what we know about the intergalactic episode of The Goldbergs.

In a galaxy not so far away, politics and pop culture will collide thanks to an understandable misunderstanding. In the episode, Adam goes to dinner with his girlfriend Jackie and her parents, and whenever the subject of then-President Ronal Reagan's Star Wars defense system comes up, Adam mistakes it for being one about the movie, Thereafter, Adam humiliates himself with a breathless monologue about the franchise, replete with impressions and plot summaries.

Pop culture fans can certainly feel Adam's pain. We have all been there at one point or another. As hinted at in this story's opening line, the Star Wars episode will not air on Star Wars Day, which is celebrated on May 4. Due to the fact that The Goldbergs airs on Wednesdays, that would have been impossible anyway. Instead, The Goldbergs will instead air in its normal Wednesday time slot on May 9, which will precede the release of the latest installment in the space-faring movie franchise, Solo: A Star Wars Story; the Han Solo origin story hits theaters on May 25.

Yes, Disney owns ABC and Lucasfilm, which means they own the Star Wars franchise. But just in case you are wondering if Disney unnecessarily arranged this special episode of The Goldbergs to promote the release of the sure-to-be blockbuster Solo, you can rest assured it has not. The Goldbergs' creator and executive producer, Adam F. Goldberg is a huge Star Wars fan. You need to look no further than his first script, Fanboys, for proof. The 2009 film focuses on a group of Star Wars fans who embark on a cross-country road trip to George Lucas' Skywalker Ranch so that their terminally ill friend can see Star Wars: Episode 1 -- The Phantom Menace before he passes away. I don't know about you, but there are plenty of people out there who would rather watch The Goldbergs than Phantom Menace again.

Not that Adam F. Goldberg hasn't made lots of other direct references to Star Wars on this sitcom in the past. Back in Season 1, the show recreated the release day opening for Return of the Jedi. And one episode reminded everyone how awkwardly horrible the Star Wars Holiday Special was, even though it gave the world Boba Fett and should be forgiven for all its sins.

This special Star Wars-themed episode of The Goldbergs will air Wednesday, May 9 at 8 p.m. ET on ABC. You can watch full episodes of the comedy on ABC's website. For what else is coming up on ABC and television in general, check out our guides to TV's summer premieres, so you don't miss anything.

Just one quick glimpse at John Candy as Barf in Spaceballs is enough to immediately induce laughter. I mean, just look at the above. Literally every little thing about it is hilarious. It turns out that a lot of thought and effort went into making John Candy's Barf costume as hilarious as possible, too. So much so that he actually went through various discussions with Spaceballs' writer, producer, and director Mel Brooks to get it just right. Spaceballs lead Bill Pullman recently recalled that John Candy had an issue portraying Barf in the first few days of production, especially because of the ears and tail on his costume. Bill Pullman revealed,

Bill Pullman has recently been discussing Spaceballs to mark the 20th anniversary of the beloved comedy, which originally hit screens in June, 1987. As you'd expect, he had nothing but kind of words to say about John Candy, who he revealed was a consummate professional throughout the production even though he was obviously frustrated at not being in control of his ears and the tails. Bill Pullman told The Hollywood Reporter that John Candy still remained calm and collected throughout filming, and when he did become a little frustrated he'd just take a break to regain his focus. Bill Pullman remarked,

The relationship between Barf and Bill Pullman's Captain Lone Starr is obviously a riff on that of Chewbacca and Harrison Ford's Han Solo from the Star Wars franchise. Spaceballs didn't stop there, though, because it continued its hilarious assault on George Lucas' beloved sci-fi series by lampooning a hoard of its characters. My personal favorite is when it turned Jabba The Hutt into Pizza The Hut. Mostly because it is so hilariously stupid. You can check out a clip of this below.

Those of you that haven't seen Spaceballs should really mark its 20th anniversary by sitting down to do just that. There's actually increasing rumors that, in the wake of the recent rejuvenation of the Star Wars franchise, Mel Brooks will make a sequel. The fact that John Candy, Joan Rivers, Dick Van Patten, and Dom DeLuise are all dead would obviously be a hurdle for its production, but that hasn't stopped Mel Brooks from coming up with the perfect title for the possible follow-up, in the shape of Spaceballs 2: The Search For More Money.

A long time ago (1987) in a galaxy far, far away (a Hollywood film set), the wise and powerful Yogurt expressed hope that he would reunite with Lone Starr and his friends in Spaceballs 2: The Search for More Money. It was a funny, fourth wall-breaking line to drop into Spaceballs, but an actual sequel has never progressed much further than the conceptual stages. However, with the resurgence of the Star Wars franchise, Mel Brooks has revealed that there's renewed interest in making Spaceballs 2 happening. He stated:

During a recent screening of his 1974 hit Young Frankenstein (via njpac), Mel Brooks provided the above update on Spaceballs 2 to the audience. Evidently the success of Star Wars: The Force Awakens and Rogue One: A Star Wars Story has led MGM to talk with the legendary comedy actor, writer and director about revisiting the world of Spaceballs, which was primarily a satire of George Lucas' creation, but also took aim at plenty of other popular sci-fi properties.

This isn't the first time Me Brooks has expressed interest in making Spaceballs 2. He said a few years ago that a sequel "is actually going to happen," and last year he wisely noted in late 2015 that making it now in the midst of all these Star Wars movies coming out would likely be profitable. How fitting given the title Yogurt pitched for the follow-up all those years ago. Of course, assuming that Spaceballs 2 is eventually greenlit, it wouldn't be the only Star Wars spoof movie coming down the pipeline, as the guys behind Scary Movie announced in February that they're making Star Worlds Episode XXXIVE=MC2: The Force Awakens The Last Jedi Who Went Rogue.

Although Spaceballs 2 has never gotten off the ground, Mel Brooks did return to his laugh-packed sci-fi world last decade with Spaceballs: The Animated Series, which aired 13 episodes on G4 from late 2008 to early 2009. Spaceballs 2 would certainly face an uphill battle being made. Since Spaceballs' release, John Candy (Barf), Joan Rivers (Dot Matrix), Dom and Dick van Patten (King Roland) have passed away. Rick Moranis (Dark Helmet) has also been on an extended hiatus from acting since 1997, only taking on select voice roles in the years since. No doubt Mel Brooks would do his best to bring back Moranis, Bill Pullman (Lone Starr), Daphne Zuniga (Princess Vespa) and George Wyner (Colonel Sandurz), but just like Star Wars: The Force Awakens did, Spaceballs 2 will have to introduce a lot of new faces to fill out the main cast and set up the "next generation."

For now, Spaceballs 2 remains in the "talks" phase, so stay tuned to CinemaBlend for any updates that may come in concerning the sequel.

While the monthly purge of films from streaming services like Netflix, Amazon Prime, and Hulu can mean that an old favorite is vanishing with the wind, it also means that a restocking of titles is in order. Call it the natural balance of the streaming media world, as new titles come into play, and old friends switch allegiances, all in the name of entertainment. Clear your schedules for the following flicks that are hitting the Hulu line-up as of next month!

Spaceballs

Mel Brooks films are almost always an occasion to celebrate, depending on how much you're willing to defend Life Stinks or Dracula: Dead and Loving It!. But at the very least, we can all agree that out of all of his fake sequels he's promised us over the years, Spaceballs is the one we wish he'd deliver on in spades. If you can, watch this one on a double bill with Galaxy Quest, and give yourself a well earned break from everything.

Election

In 1999, the story of an election between a driven woman, a popular man "not ready for prime time," and a protest candidate that looks to spoil the campaigns of both was merely fodder for really funny independent comedies. Yet almost 20 years on, Election has now taken a really funny, really scary extra dimension of humor, what with 2016's electoral process coming extremely close to the clusterfuck that's seen in Reese Witherspoon's fight against the establishment, as well as her contemporaries. Watch this gem of a film to laugh, then maybe cry a little bit thanks to reality not being nearly as funny.

The Addams Family

No, this isn't deja vu, as we previously reported this title as leaving Netflix by the end of this month. However, it looks like this and a slew of other Paramount titles are making an exodus from the home of the red envelope to the house of something green! Which is a very good thing, considering that if you're a true Addams Family fan, you won't let something as silly as the passing of Halloween stop you from enjoying this comedy classic year round!

Addams Family Values

What's better than having one Addams Family film on Hulu? Having BOTH Addams Family films available for your streaming pleasure! (Addams Family Reunion doesn't count.) Call it crazy, but there's a case to be made about Addams Family Values being the better film out of the already exemplary duology. With Fester being given a hilarious love interest in Joan Cusack's Debbie, a new baby raising Hell for Morticia and Gomez, and Wednesday and Pugsley being away at summer camp, there's more morbid excitement to be had in this underrated follow-up.

Fatal Attraction

Another migrating favorite that's jumping off the Netflix bandwagon, Fatal Attraction is one of the best thrillers the 80's has ever had to offer. However, considering Glenn Close and Michael Douglas have both featured in separate corners of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, this could also be seen as a really interesting MCU spin-off, when framed in the right head-canon. Still, in its original form, Adrian Lyne's shocker about infidelity, obsession, and home cooking is a hell of a film to experience.

From Russia with Love

Bond is back! While there's no news about a new James Bond movie coming anytime soon, and with Daniel Craig's status still being in question, it's a good time to go back to the classics! And what better month than November, the unofficial month of James Bond celebrations, for some of his best outings to hit streaming! Arguably the best Sean Connery film in his tenure, From Russia With Love harkens from a time where gadgets weren't as prevalent, the action was more brutal, and the one liners were just as sharp. Robert Shaw's Red Grant is just the cherry on top of a beautifully kick-assed sundae.

The Living Daylights

Timothy Dalton never got his due as James Bond, especially because without his two extremely serious films in the series, we'd have never gotten the Casino Royale that we saw break new ground for Daniel Craig's interpretation back in 2006. The Living Daylights has more in common with traditional Bond than License To Kill ever did, but it's still an extremely solid entry in the '80s canon of the character. Dalton shines in this one, and you owe it to yourself to watch this one again.

On Her Majesty's Secret Service

A person's favorite Bond movie is something that's to be taken with the utmost care and diligence. If you're a Roger Moore fan, you're undoubtedly used to explaining yourself quite a bit, while most Sean Connery fans can fling a dart and defend any of his films with a drop of a hat. But to be a fan of On Her Majesty's Secret Service is an honor that requires the most explanation, as George Lazenby's solo performance as 007 is one of the deeper cuts of the series' history. Yet the honors it's received are well earned, and you can see why with each frame of brilliance, courtesy of Hulu.

The Manchurian Candidate

With an excellent remake in the Denzel Washington led 2004 interpretation, The Manchurian Candidate is a film that's a rare case of the revision being as good as the original. John Frankenheimer's 1962 adaptation of the novel with the same name saw Frank Sinatra and Laurence Harvey originating the roles that Washington and Liev Schrieber, as the two are ensnared in a Communist plot to assassinate a presidental candidate and install Harvey's Raymond Shaw as a puppet leader. Though if there was one highlight we had to provide from this film in order to entice you to watch it, it would be this: Angela Lansbury plays one stone cold villain in this picture, and she's amazing.

Mission: Impossible

Looking back to the beginnings of the Mission: Impossible franchise, there's no way Paramount could have seen it becoming as successful as it did. Audiences in 1996 were probably as surprised as studio execs when Tom Cruise helped turn an adaptation of a 1960's TV show into a pulse pounding franchise that's lasted for 20 years, and could probably go just as long if Cruise keeps it up. With a new film on the horizon, now's the perfect time to go back in time and see how it all began, should you choose to accept it.

Punch-Drunk Love

Every time Adam Sandler makes a new comedy, it's hard not to think back to the period in time when he looked to try new things and make drama his new home. Punch-Drunk Love is one of those experimental films that the funnyman had made earlier in his career, and has still stuck with us all this time. His portrayal of the constantly hectored Barry is sweet and earnest, while at the same time earning some of the laughs that Sandler was best known for in the late 90's / early aughts. Were we, and director Paul Thomas Anderson, ever that young?

Rounders

Did you watch Rounders like we told you to on Netflix? Are you upset that you're unable to memorize the slick dialogue and/or impressive poker skills on display? Well cheer up... because it's moving to Hulu in November! This noir-ish drama starring Matt Damon and Edward Norton is worth seeing more than once, as the acting alone is rich enough to keep coming back. Though, while we're on the subject, that rematch between Damon and John Malkovich's Teddy "KGB" is one hell of a final showdown.

Saved

Has it really been 12 years since Saved was in theaters? It honestly feels like a much longer gap, as not only has the entire cast grown older and wiser, but this sort of movie isn't like anything we've seen in some time. A dark comedy with a nicer streak than you'd think on the surface, Saved's story of a young Christian teen trying to do the right thing, and finding herself in a bigger mess than she'd ever hoped for, ultimately relies on its cast as its protagonist relies on her friends.

Showgirls

One critic's trash is another person's treasure, and nowhere is this more readily apparent than in the afterlife that Paul Verhoeven's trash-tastic classic Showgirls has enjoyed. While the film was panned in its 1995 release, it has since spawned a direct-to-video sequel, a musical parodying it, and scores of loyal fans who knew not to take the raunchy journey of Elizabeth Berkley's Nomi too seriously. Now, it's on streaming, waiting for you to take its surprisingly entertaining journey with every laugh, shock, and smile along the way. Oh, and needless to say, watch who you view this one with, as it's a hard NC-17.

Up in the Air

Up in the Air should have gotten more notice than it did the year it showed up to the Oscars. With Avatar and The Hurt Locker fighting it out for press and prestige, Jason Reitman delivered the best film of his career thus far, while also helping George Clooney and Vera Farmiga polish their stars a little brighter, and helping catapult Anna Kendrick to the heights she inhabits today. Topical for its era, yet still strongly resonant, the story of Clooney and Kendrick setting out on the road to better fire people across America has a very wry sense of humor, and an equally huge heart.

Creed

Chances are, you've already seen Creed, as it's not that old of a movie and it was quite heavily discussed during last year's awards season. However, if you haven't had the opportunity, Hulu is here to save the day, as Ryan Coogler's follow-up to the Rocky series is coming to streaming. Even better is the fact that Hulu will also become the home to every other Rocky film, allowing you to see Sylvester Stallone's climb to the top, before he shifted over to becoming Michael B. Jordan's stoic mentor. Sounds like a good Thanksgiving to us!

When trying to secure your various devices and accounts of electronic convenience, a strong password is always the first step to a good defense. Though creating a strong password is sometimes easier said than done, especially when most people use fandoms as inspiration. With Star Wars: The Force Awakens still fresh in people's minds, that periodic password change at work has already yielded some interesting results. Check out the full list of the 25 worst passwords below, which contains several references to everyone's favorite galaxy far, far away:

This list comes from internet security company SplashData, as they are promoting one of their security programs by culling this list from over 2 million passwords that were leaked last year. Sure enough, three of the brand new entries on the list were cribbed directly from the Star Wars universe, as "princess," "solo," and "starwars" all made their first foray onto the list. Though if you want to stretch a little, the word "master" was probably stuck in a lot of people's minds after re-watching the original trilogy in preparation for 2015's highest grossing film.

Using your fandom isn't a bad way to create a memorable, yet secure password. However, it is recommended that you follow the usual guidelines you'll see most sites requiring for password generation when signing up. The general rule of thumb has most passwords coming in anywhere between 8 and 16 characters long, with 12 being a good, solid number for security. Now as far as the actual content of the password goes, this is where you have to get creative, as the more complex the pattern, the more secure you are.

Say you're a big Rey fan after watching Star Wars: The Force Awakens. If you want to go with a standard passphrase, you could create something like, "@Bb8#HoLdON!" Note how the capitalization is mixed throughout the password, with special characters breaking up the words. Also, the 12 character length helps ensure that if anyone does end up trying to crack your password, it'll take them a pretty long time – due to the number of possibilities increasing exponentially with each character. So the more complicated the password, the better odds you won't have to have a security breach on your hands. And since you're already replaying it in your mind, here's the combination scene from Spaceballs:

Star Wars: The Force Awakens is currently in theaters, and if you need a new Fandango password, may we suggest "KyLo*ReN!15?"

Fans of Mel Brooks have long clamored for a follow-up to his 1987 classic comedy Spaceballs. The film dissected and then expertly lampooned numerous iconic science fiction franchises – with particular emphasis on the Star Wars galaxy far, far away. With the recent release of Star Wars: The Force Awakens, numerous rumors have continued to swirl that Brooks may intend to return to the franchise. Sadly, at this point that’s all they really seem like: rumors.

Uproxx reports that Brooks has vocally discussed the sequel in recent months during various interviews. Here’s what he said about the profitability of a Spaceballs sequel:

So really he isn’t saying that there will be a sequel to the classic comedy, just that now would be the opportune time because Star Wars mania has once again gripped the public consciousness and is making all of the money. The original Spaceballs broke the fourth wall numerous times, referencing the possibility that one day we would see a sequel called Spaceballs 2: The Search for More Money. It seems as though many people have misinterpreted this as a promise of a Spaceballs sequel rather than seeing it for what it really: a joke poking fun at cash-grab sequels.

As much as we claim to want a sequel to Spaceballs, we also acknowledge that it’s probably best that we never get it. It’s been almost 30 years since the original film hit theaters; with such high anticipation it seems unlikely that anything we get could never live up to its predecessor. After all, is it really possible to duplicate the genius of "when will then be now?"

It’s also worth noting that quite a bit has changed since 1987. For starters, John Candy and Joan Rivers – who portrayed Barf and Dot Matrix, respectively – have both tragically passed, and the portrayal of their characters proved fairly instrumental to the original. Also, as we have previously reported on, Rick Moranis has for the most part taken a step away from the public eye, and has been vocal about his disapproval for a Spaceball sequel. This means Dark Helmet won’t be rearing his oversized head anytime soon.

Of course, if Brooks ever changes his mind and decides to proceed with a Spaceballs 2 then you will be the first people we tell. For now we will just have to be happy with the new Star Wars films and enjoy our DVD copies of the original Spaceballs. Pop it in, have  a good laugh, and may the schwartz be with you.

As far as hilarious genre parodies go, you probably won’t be able to find a more beloved film than Mel Brooks’ Spaceballs. (Perhaps, with the exception of Brooks’ Blazing Saddles or Young Frankenstein.) The 1987 Star Wars satire gloriously took the then-recently-concluded Original Trilogy and mashed it up with a healthy dash of pop-culture lampooning into a heaping helping of hilarity. While rumors of a potential sequel have been floating around ever since, it seems that Brooks’ latest comments on the matter show that he remains committed to using The Schwartz to make the film a reality and SOON.

On a recent appearance on comedian Adam Corolla’s Take a Knee podcast (recounted on Reddit), Brooks would confirm to the audience that a Spaceballs sequel "is actually going to happen." The comedy icon further expressed that he "really wants to do it", with plans to ask back Rick Moranis and the other members of the original cast. (Obviously, minus John Candy and now, recently, Joan Rivers, who have passed.) It is apparently Brooks’ intent to start filming after the ever-impending release of this December’s Star Wars: The Force Awakens. In other words, filming for this nearly-three-decades-in-the-making project could be just under a year away!

As a joke in the film famously hinted, the sequel’s title would be, Spaceballs: The Search for More Money. While timely lampooning of the Prequel Trilogy would not get to happen during the contemporaneous period of those films, Brooks did put together Spaceballs: The Animated Series, which had a brief run in 2008 and did tackle some Prequel-related ribbing. However, it will be interesting to see exactly who Brooks would bring on to this project. The man is currently 88 years old and while his contributions to the comedic world have been vast, a fresh new take on Spaceballs with writing and directorial recruits who actually grew up laughing hysterically at the first film would probably be necessary. Such candidates not only need to understand Star Wars and its culture, but the deep, complex meta level of humor that Brooks brought to the table, like this famous scene provided below.

The original Spaceballs featured characters who were amusingly absurd amalgams of the Star Wars primary cast. Bill Pullman’s Lone Starr was something almost straight out of a Ralph McQuarrie early concept sketch of a Luke Skywalker/Han Solo nascent hybrid. Daphne Zuniga’s Princess Vespa was Princess Leia put through the ringer of Brooks’ signature self-deprecating humor. John Candy’s Barf and Joan Rivers’ Dot Matrix served as combinations of Chewbacca and C-3PO and the actors’ signature comedic personas. Rick Moranis’ Dark Helmet served up a scrawny Darth Vader, over-compensating with an obscenely large helmet, whose whiny nature almost foreshadowed the Anakin Skywalker character we’d get in the Star Wars prequels. (Burn!)

Even Brooks himself had a duel role as a non-Star Wars inspired bureaucratic nincompoop, President Skroob, and the wise, kosher-ized version of Yoda in Yogurt. The mere thought of seeing newer Star Wars concepts similarly put through the Brooks bonanza of satire is exciting.

Spaceballs: The Search for More Money (please, please call it that) still has no confirmed shooting date, much less a release date. However, the word from some folks who have nabbed the "Instant Cassette" thought it was an amazing return to form.

The wait is over, internet. Someone has finally used the teaser for The Force Awakens to create a mashup of Star Wars and Mel Brook’s hilarious Star Wars parody, Spaceballs. Take a peek at the mashup awesomeness below.

Who knew the internet could get such impressive mileage out of an 88-second clip? Since the teaser trailer for Star Wars: The Force Awakens was released on Black Friday, the internet has been filled with a veritable feast of fan-made takes on the teaser. There is a version of the teaser with an all-lego cast, there is a version of the trailer that pokes fun at George Lucas and his infamous "remastered" editions of the original Star Wars Trilogy, and TONS of internet memes and chatter based on the lightsaber broadsword.

However, this Spaceballs/Star Wars mashup, appropriately titled Spaceballs: The Schwartz Awakens, is basically the one mashup I didn’t realize I needed, but now I see it is everything I’ve waited for. If I’m honest, I’m a little surprised that it has taken so long for a mashup of the Star Wars and its parody universe in Spaceballs. The mashup, created by the Youtube channel Film Geekery does a pretty amazing job syncing the audio for the Force Awakens trailer to various clips from the film Spaceballs. There are points where the audio and the Spaceballs clips sync together almost perfectly--for instance, the opening shot of the Spaceballs "combing the desert", or the long shot of the Winnebago spaceship, the Eagle 5, screaming across the sky was just great--and some moments aren’t so perfect, but it doesn’t dampen the awesomenesss here.

The amount of time we’ve spent discussing this brief clip, and the amount of fan-made art, blogs, and videos that have sprung from the clip is nothing short of amazing--especially given the fact that we actually still have no idea what the plot of The Force Awakens will actually be. More than that, with the exception of characters like Han, Luke, and Leia, we don’t even know character names. I can’t even imagine what will happen once we get a full-length trailer.

We’ve still got a while to go before Star Wars: The Force Awakens actually hits theaters, so there is plenty of time for more fan-made mashups and parodies to hit the internet--and I’m sure this is only the beginning of what is to come. Personally, I’m hoping for a Bad Lip Reading of a trailer once one with spoken dialogue -- not just voiceover -- is released.

The Force Awakens will hit theaters on December 18, 2015. Hopefully the Star Wars fandom will be able to pace themselves in the creation of Star Wars parodies and mashups until that time.

Bless Rick Moranis. The prolific comedian-actor had an incredible run in the 80’s, moving from SCTV to Ghostbusters, moving on to Walter Hill’s Streets Of Fire, Little Shop Of Horrors, Spaceballs, Parenthood and even his own franchise, Honey I Shrunk The Kids. Ultimately, the roles dried up and Moranis was demeaning himself in a series of sidekick and wimp roles. And ultimately, six years after his wife’s passing, Rick Moranis fled filmmaking entirely, leaving behind an unimpeachable legacy.

While Rick Moranis has popped up sporadically in film and television, he’s mostly stayed home with his kids, enjoying life as a single father. He recently stopped by the podcast Bullseye with Jessie Thorn, and Uproxx collected the most notable portions. And his reasons from avoiding the limelight seem modest, respectable, believable.

The actor also doesn’t seem all that enthused about a third Ghostbusters, though he hasn’t been onscreen since 1996’s Big Bully, an unfortunate Tom Arnold vehicle. An approach to get him to act again would have to be very gracious and cater to his kids: he did offer a voice on the Ghostbusters video game, a break from his usual aversion to the spotlight. Otherwise, he seems happily retired.

Whatever the case, we’re not going to see him in any Ghostbusters or Spaceballs follow-ups any time soon (never mind a Honey I Shrunk The Kids relaunch), though it’s not like he hasn’t kept busy. Along with the endeavors mentioned in the podcast, he’s been a Grammy-nominated musician, with two albums to his name. Listen to Rick Moranis riff on his own homebody lifestyle and Willie Nelson below.

When you look at a lot of the comedy actors who were insanely popular in the 1980s, quite a few hit really rough patches in the 1990s only to make big resurgences in the last decade or so - Bill Murray being the prime example. Murray’s Ghostbusters co-star Rick Moranis spent the 1990s making films like the admittedly enjoyable Honey, I Shrunk the Kids (and it’s less enjoyable sequels), as well as the the godawfully repugnant Big Bully. Then he intentionally left acting in his rear view mirror, as a short hiatus soon became an extended break which soon became a complete career change for the Toronto-born actor.

While it’s known that his veering away from acting was due to both raising a family as a single dad as well as an increasing number of projects that wanted to use his identity more than his actual comedic talents, Moranis doesn’t often talk about the proposed sequels to his two biggest cult hits, Ghostbusters and Spaceballs. But in a candid interview with Heeb Magazine, Moranis has offered some insight as to why Spaceballs 2 never came into being, as well as a whole host of other interesting bits about where life has taken him in the last few years.

After admitting that he hasn’t been in contact with anyone he’s worked with for quite a while, Moranis was asked if he was still getting hit up for sequels and threequels. “Not anymore,” he said. “I think the sequels exhausted themselves from the old franchises. So I hadn’t heard any of that stuff for many years now.” And while Spaceballs jokingly told fans that everyone would be back together in Spaceballs 2: The Search for More Money, that wasn’t exactly the goal for all parties involved.

“Mel wanted to do a sequel after [Spaceballs] became a cult video hit,” Moranis continued. “It wasn’t a box office hit. It was a cult video hit, and MGM wanted to do a sequel. And my idea for it was Spaceballs III: The Search for Spaceballs II…But the deal he presented me, what he wanted me to do, was not workable. It was two or three years later…It’s better if I don’t get into the particulars of it…But I was unable to make a deal, and it would have been something I wanted to do.” And not even the Schwartz could bring him back years later for the 2008 Spaceballs: The Animated Series.

He also mentions “the perennial talk of another Ghostbusters," saying that he was contacted about Ghostbusters 3 years ago by a producer associate of Dan Aykroyd’s. The man asked him if he’d be interested, to which Moranis replied, “I don’t say no to anything until everything is presented to me.” Only a silly person would jump into a project that’s gone through as many behind-the-scenes changes as Ghostbusters 3 has without a fully-functional script and production plan set in stone. And after over 15 years of staying out of the acting limelight – only resurfacing for voiceover roles and a Bob and Doug McKenzie anniversary film – no one should expect any less from Moranis.

The interview also promotes Moranis’ newly–released Jewish-doused comedy album My Mother’s Brisket, and Other Love Songs, the third album of his career. Take a listen to one of the hilarious tracks below, titled “The Seven Days of Shiva.”

This past June 24th marked the 25th anniversary of what is arguably Mel Brooks' last top-notch comedy, a final hurrah before we were subjected to the mediocre Men in Tights and the downright depressing Dracula: Dead and Loving It. It's only appropriate that a movie featuring an ode to merchandising would line up a new release to celebrate the quarter-century mark, even if they did miss releasing it on the actual anniversary by a month or so. Yes, the Spaceballs: 25th Anniversary Edition Blu-ray is set to hit shelves on August 7th, and we've got a trailer to get you in the mood.

The 25th Anniversary Edition features over five hours of bonus features, including a new "Spaceballs and the Skroobing of Sci-Fi" featurette, a Mel Brooks commentary, costume and art galleries, and the inevitable bloopers. The disc retails for $19.99, but it's still available for pre-order over at Amazon for a mere $14.99. That's a deal even Skroob could appreciate.

Believe it or not, it's been a full quarter century since Mel Brooks' Spaceballs hit theaters back in the summer of 1987. It was a simpler time, when Brooks had yet to conquer Broadway with The Producers and the parody genre had yet to descend into the purgatory of Scary/Epic/Disaster Movies. Now Brooks fans will be able to celebrate the good old days with a 25th anniversary Blu-ray release of Spaceballs set to arrive on August 7th.

This isn't Spaceballs' first foray onto the high-def format, but the new edition does include a new featurette. Only one, however, so this probably isn't worth the upgrade if you already own the previously released Spaceballs Blu-ray. Unless, of course, you're a die-hard Brooks fanboy or have some pressing urge to own multiple editions. Of course, if that's the case, you probably already own this.

Here's the full rundown of the Blu-ray's five hours of bonus features.

• NEW!! "Farce Yourself! Spaceballs and the Skroobing of Sci-Fi" featurette
• Commentary by Mel Brooks
• Additional Commentary Tracks: Mawgese, Dinkese
• "Spaceballs: The Documentary" featurette
• "In Conversation: Mel Brooks & Thomas Meehan featurette"
• "John Candy: Comic Spirit" featurette
• "Watch the Movie in Ludicrous Speed" featurette
• The Behind-the-Movie Photos
• Spaceballs: The Costume Gallery
• Spaceballs: The Art Gallery
• Trailers: Exhibitor Trailer with Mel Brooks Introduction and Theatrical Trailer
• Storyboards-to-Film Comparison
• Film Flubs: Edge of the Mirror, Grabs Himself Early, The Magic Reappearing Ring, More Than His Head, No End in Sight, and Track Behind Dot

The existing Spaceballs Blu-ray was already pretty packed with goodies, but it still seems a shame that the set isn't getting more new material for this anniversary release. Sure, a new featurette is nice, but it hardly seems to be taking full advantage of the marketing potential that Skroob would prefer. If nothing else, how about a couple of isolated audio tracks where Brooks mocks the Star Wars prequels? Or maybe just a looping video of Skroob punching Jar-Jar Binks in the babymaker over and over? It's not like we're asking for a full Spaceballs sequel or anything…

Mel Brooks may not be the comedic institution he once was (Spaceballs: The Animated Series doesn't count), but this December you'll get to remember the golden years with nine of his best films in one Blu-Ray collection. Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment will release The Mel Brooks Collection on December 15th for $139.99.

It's a hefty price tag, but not a bad deal considering you're getting nine movies on Blu-ray, including pretty much all the Brooks highlights: Blazing Saddles, High Anxiety, History of the World Part I, Robin Hood: Men in Tights, Silent Movie, Spaceballs, To Be Or Not To Be, Twelve Chairs, and Young Frankenstein. In other words, pretty much every Brooks movie anybody would have any desire to own other than maybe -- maybe -- The Producers. The set also includes an exclusive book about Mel Brooks' life, and a ludicrous (speed) amount of special features.

Disc One

• Blazing Saddles – feature film
• Additional Scenes
• Scene-Specific Commentary by Mel Brooks
• Back in the Saddle
• Intimate Portrait: Madeline Kahn (Excerpt)
• Black Bart: 1975 Pilot Episode of the Proposed TV Series Spinoff
• Theatrical Trailer

Disc Two

• Spaceballs – feature film
• Commentary by Mel Brooks
• Spaceballs: The Documentary
• In Conversation: Mel Brooks & Thomas Meehan
• John Candy: Comic Spirit
• Watch the movie in Ludicrous Speed
• Still Galleries
• Film Flubs
• Storyboards-to-Film Comparison

Disc Three

• Young Frankenstein – feature film
• Commentary by Mel Brooks
• Inside The Lab: Secret Formulas in the Making of Young Frankenstein
• Deleted Scenes
• It’s Alive! Creating A Monster Classic
• Making FrankenSense of Young Frankenstein
• Transylvanian Lullaby: The Music of John Morris
• The Franken-Track: A Monstrous Conglomeration of Trivia -- Trivia Track
• Blucher Button
• Outtakes
• Isolated Score Track (DTS MA)

Disc Four

• High Anxiety – feature film
• Hitchcock and Mel: Spoofing the Master of Suspense
• Dr. Thorndyke’s Ink Blot Test
• How Anxious Am I?
• Don’t Get Anxious! The Trivia of Hitchcock -- Trivia Track
• Isolated Score Track (DTS MA)

Disc Five

• History of the World Part 1 – feature film
• Musical Mel: Inventing “The Inquisition”
• Making History: Mel Brooks on Creating the World
• The Real History of the World -- Trivia Track
• Isolated Score Track (DTS MA)

Disc Six

• Robin Hood: Men In Tights – feature film
• Funny Men In Tights: Three Generations of Comedy
• HBO Special: Robin Hood: Men In Tights -- “The Legend Had It Coming”
• LaserDisc Commentary by Mel Brooks
• Isolated Score Track (DTS MA)

Disc Seven

• Silent Movie – feature film
• Silent Laughter: The Reel Inspirations of Silent Movie
• Speak Up! Historical Hollywood -- Trivia Track

Disc Eight

• To Be Or Not To Be – feature film
• Brooks and Bancroft: A Perfect Pair
• How Serious Can Mel Brooks Really Get?
• Profiles of Mel Brooks, Anne Bancroft, and Charles Durning
• To Be Or Not To Be: That Is The Trivia! -- Trivia Track
• Isolated Score Track (DTS MA)

Disc Nine

• Twelve Chairs – feature film

Remember spoofs before the Wayans brothers? It’s time to remember the good old days of, er...slightly more respectable parodies like the 1987 film Spaceballs, in which Mel Brooks, Rick Moranis, and John Candy poke fun at beloved sci-fi films like Star Wars and Star Trek. In an effort to keep the twisted adventures alive, Brooks created Spaceballs: The Animated Series. The show premiered on G4 in 2008 and goofed on modern films including The Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter, and Titanic. The series even branches out to tackle other forms of entertainment, like the game Grand Theft Auto or American Idol.

For some reason, the DVD only includes four of the 13 episodes but has intermission shorts between each. Here’s the lineup:

• The Moron’s Guide
• Episode I – “Outbreak”
• Intermission – “Satisfied Customers”
• Episode II – “Skroobinator”
• Intermission – “Thanks For Your Order”
• Episode III – “The Deep Ship”
• Intermission – “Sing Along With Skroob”
• Episode IV – “Grand Theft Starship”
• And That’s Not All
• One More Goodie

The lists comes to a total of 93 minutes of material. If you’re interested in Spaceballs: The Totally Warped Animated Adventures, the disc streets on December 29th and will run you $19.98.

Spaceballs is one of those movies that I watched endlessly as a kid (like, to the point of knowing it practically by heart - I know I'm not alone there) and that’s probably why it’s been years since I’ve even thought of rewatching it. I haven’t even seen it playing on TV in a long time but it looks like G4 is giving us an opportunity not only to revisit the film but also to check out the new series, Mel Brooks’ Spaceballs: The Animated Series.

Spaceballs, the hilarious Mel Brooks spoof of the Star Wars films (for those of you who weren’t around back then), will air on Sunday, September 21st at 3:00 p.m. ET/PT on G4. Following the film, four back to back episodes of Mel Brooks’ Spaceballs: The Animated Series will begin airing at 5:00 p.m. ET/PT. Mel Brooks, Daphne Zuniga and Joan Rivers will all return to lending their voices to their characters in animated form.

Check out BounceYourSpaceBalls.com and watch the preview below for a little taste of what the animated series is all about (boobs… and phallic symbols mostly, I’m guessing):

May the Schwartz be with you!!!