Latest news with #Spaceballs
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
41 years later, the movie sequel I've always wanted is looking like a comedy masterpiece
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. Quick Summary One of the greatest comedies of the 1980s is finally getting a sequel, with Spinal Tap II: The End Continues hitting cinemas this September. We can now see what to expect too, with a few production stills having been released by the studio. If you're of a certain age, there are a handful of comedy movies made in the 80s that were absolute must-sees (usually on VHS). Airplane, The Blues Brothers, The Naked Gun and Spaceballs near the top of that list for sure. However, there's another that's arguably even more fondly remembered. This is Spinal Tap was released in 1984 and almost instantly became a cult hit. Directed by Rob Reiner (When Harry Met Sally, A Few Good Men), its mockumentary style and exemplary performances by Christopher Guest (Saturday Night Live), Michael McKean (Better Call Saul) and Harry Shearer (The Simpsons) made stars of the cast and even enabled them to go on tour as the fictional band they portrayed. Even today I laugh whenever I drive past Stonehenge, and was turned into a giddy mess when visiting Marshall's UK headquarters where I saw and touched the actual fabled amp that goes up to 11. So the fact that, 41 years later, the trio are back (along with their 12th drummer) is the stuff of dreams. And newly released images of the movie give me hope that it'll be everything I've hoped for. Image 1 of 3 Image 2 of 3 Image 3 of 3 Spinal Tap II: The End Continues will be released in cinemas on 12 September 2025 and reunites the main cast with Reiner. It once again focuses on the band as they get back together for one final concert before permanent retirement. Cue the hilarity once more. We're yet to see a full trailer (beyond a brief teaser released earlier this year), but the images show at least one extra special guest will be joining Tap on stage – Elton John. There are also some visible nods back to the original, with the crowd in one shot holding up their homemade 'Henges. I cannot wait and will certainly be watching the first film again in preparation. Thankfully, it's also been remastered in 4K HDR for a new release. So if like me you fancy a trip back in time, or you've never seen it before, you can catch the new version of This is Spinal Tap on the likes of Amazon Prime Video and Apple TV – having been released in the US this week and hopefully elsewhere soon. I guarantee a fair few laughs ahead.
Daily Mail
18-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE Spaceballs star Rick Moranis, 72, does not look like this anymore
Rick Moranis hasn't been seen on screen in a theatrical feature film in nearly three decades. So it was quite the shock for fans of the 72-year-old actor and comedian when it was announced last week that he will be making his long-awaited return to movies. Director Mel Brooks, 99, was in fine spirits as he shared the news that Moranis would be back in action for a sequel to his sci-fi parody Spaceballs (1987). The Canadian comedy legend appeared in the original film — which was beset by middling reviews before being adopted as a cult classic — as Dark Helmet, a parody of Star Wars ' Darth Vader. Since his comedy heyday in films of the 1980s and '90s, Moranis has been on a decades-long Hollywood hiatus to allow him to focus on raising his children as a single parent. Now, nearly 30 years after he stepped back from the silver screen, takes a look at what Moranis looks like today. The comic star was nearly unrecognizable when he was spotted this week on a busy day running errands in New York City. Moranis was on the move in a casual but sporty outfit with a pale yellow ribbed polo shirt, blue athletic shorts and a white baseball cap. He stuck with simple black trainers and carried a reusable back to take care of some shopping while he was out. The actor has stayed impressively trim over the last few decades, but his appearance was considerably different after losing the baby-faced looks that helped him get laughs early on. Moranis soundtracked his walk with earbuds, and he was seen marching back with two full bags after finishing his shopping. The Ghostbusters star's gradual retreat from Hollywood began following the tragic death of his wife Ann Belsky in 1991 after a battle with cancer. In a 2005 interview with USA Today, Moranis clarified that his family was his main motivation for holding off on more time-consuming film shoots. 'I'm a single parent and I just found that it was too difficult to manage to raise my kids and to do the traveling involved in making movies. So I took a little bit of a break,' he explained. 'And the little bit of a break turned into a longer break, and then I found that I really didn't miss it.' Moranis' final on-screen appearance in a theatrical feature was for the 1996 comedy Big Bully, which he starred in opposite Tom Arnold. However, the following year he played a lead role in the straight-to-video sequel Honey, We Shrunk Ourselves. Moranis was more willing to focus on voice acting in subsequent years, as recording sessions take far less time than on-camera appearances. He voiced characters in multiple children's cartoons, as well as his final theatrical film, the 2003 Disney animated feature Brother Bear. He continued with voice acting throughout the 2000s, and he made a rare live-action return for the TV Movie Bob & Doug McKenzie's Two-Four Anniversary, a sequel to the 1983 cult classic comedy film Strange Brew that costarred Canadian comedy legend Dave Thomas. Aside from that, Moranis' only roles in recent years were a brief voice appearance as his Spaceballs character Dark Helmet in a 2018 episode of The Goldbergs and a 2020 Mint Mobile commercial that he starred in with Ryan Reynolds. Despite mostly eschewing the spotlight, Moranis has clarified that he doesn't consider himself officially retired. After it was reported that he turned down a cameo offer in the woman-led 2016 version of Ghostbusters — which original stars Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd and Sigourney Weaver all appeared in — Moranis explained prior to the film's release that he has only been on a 'hiatus,' and now that his children — Rachel and Mitchell — are grown up he is no longer opposed to acting. In 2015, he clarified that he didn't consider himself retired, but rather on hiatus, after he turned down a cameo in the 2016 woman-led Ghostbusters sequel He told The Hollywood Reporter in 2015 that he was simply much more selective about what roles he was willing to take on this far into his career. 'I took a break, which turned into a longer break,' he said. 'But I'm interested in anything that I would find interesting. I still get the occasional query about a film or television role and as soon as one comes along that piques my interest.' 'I wish them well,' he added. 'I hope it's terrific. But it just makes no sense to me. Why would I do just one day of shooting on something I did 30 years ago?' The film would have been a legacy sequel starring Josh Gad as the son of Moranis' reckless inventor, with the older star reprising his original role. However, the Covid-19 pandemic forced the production to be put on hold. Gad shared his desire to push forward with the project in subsequent years, and he said he had been collaborating with Moranis on the film as recently as 2022. However, Gad admitted in 2023 that the sequel is now dead in the water, though it could potentially be revived at a future date. Despite Shrunk's misfortune, Moranis will still be making his long-awaited return to movies with the Spaceballs sequel, which is slated for a 2027 release. The returning stars include Brooks, who will be playing his Yoda-like character Yogurt, along with Bill Pullman as Lone Starr and Daphne Zuniga as Princess Vespa. The film has also gotten some new blood, as Pullman's real-life son Lewis Pullman will be joining the cast to play his character's son Starburst, while Keke Palmer will be playing a character named Destiny and Josh Gad will be appearing in an undisclosed role. Brooks co-wrote and directed the original Spaceballs, but Josh Greenbaum is now taking over directing duties, while Gad, Dan Hernandez and Benji Samit are collaborating on the screenplay.
The Age
14-07-2025
- Sport
- The Age
Snowden out to continue winning start with Cluedo at Newcastle
Port Macquarie-based trainer Paul Snowden will be out to continue the winning start to his solo training career at Newcastle on Tuesday when last-start victor Cluedo contests the Newcastle Herald F&M Benchmark 64 Handicap (1400m). Snowden only has a small team in work but is slowly building his stable, and the support of the Moreton family, who race Cluedo and previously raced group 1-winning sprinter Gold Trail, has been very much welcomed. 'Cluedo was only having her first start for me when she ran at Taree at her last start and she won impressively,' Snowden said. 'She's up a little in grade on Tuesday, but we have Aaron Bullock sticking with her, and the big track at Newcastle should suit.' Cluedo is up against a couple of Ciaron Maher-trained gallopers in Spaceballs and Cheeky Dancer, as well as the Mitchell Beer-prepared Butterfly Style, which has won her past two starts. 'It's by no means an easy race, but Cluedo is heading in the right direction,' Snowden said. 'She should run very well again.' Snowden has enjoyed success with Lunaite winning a couple of races since he took up training. His only other starter so far, Cash And Cards, finished fifth at Port Macquarie and is an acceptor for Grafton on Thursday. 'The team is coming together nicely,' Snowden said. 'And I'm grateful for the support of the Moreton family. They have a number of horses in the stable, and we look to have some exciting times ahead.' Loading
Sydney Morning Herald
14-07-2025
- Sport
- Sydney Morning Herald
Snowden out to continue winning start with Cluedo at Newcastle
Port Macquarie-based trainer Paul Snowden will be out to continue the winning start to his solo training career at Newcastle on Tuesday when last-start victor Cluedo contests the Newcastle Herald F&M Benchmark 64 Handicap (1400m). Snowden only has a small team in work but is slowly building his stable, and the support of the Moreton family, who race Cluedo and previously raced group 1-winning sprinter Gold Trail, has been very much welcomed. 'Cluedo was only having her first start for me when she ran at Taree at her last start and she won impressively,' Snowden said. 'She's up a little in grade on Tuesday, but we have Aaron Bullock sticking with her, and the big track at Newcastle should suit.' Cluedo is up against a couple of Ciaron Maher-trained gallopers in Spaceballs and Cheeky Dancer, as well as the Mitchell Beer-prepared Butterfly Style, which has won her past two starts. 'It's by no means an easy race, but Cluedo is heading in the right direction,' Snowden said. 'She should run very well again.' Snowden has enjoyed success with Lunaite winning a couple of races since he took up training. His only other starter so far, Cash And Cards, finished fifth at Port Macquarie and is an acceptor for Grafton on Thursday. 'The team is coming together nicely,' Snowden said. 'And I'm grateful for the support of the Moreton family. They have a number of horses in the stable, and we look to have some exciting times ahead.' Loading
Business Insider
11-07-2025
- Business
- Business Insider
McDonald's (NYSE:MCD) Hiring Bot Exposes Pile of Information With Simple Password
Fans of the Mel Brooks classic Spaceballs will undoubtedly remember Dark Helmet's shock at the simplicity of the password protecting the Druidian Air Shield. An incredulous Helmet roared, '1-2-3-4-5? That's the kind of thing an idiot would have on his luggage!' Unfortunately, reports note, it is also the same kind of password used to protect job seekers' information on the McDonald's (MCD) hiring app. That revelation did little to hurt McDonald's stock, as shares were up over 2% in Thursday afternoon's trading. Don't Miss TipRanks' Half-Year Sale Take advantage of TipRanks Premium at 50% off! Unlock powerful investing tools, advanced data, and expert analyst insights to help you invest with confidence. Make smarter investment decisions with TipRanks' Smart Investor Picks, delivered to your inbox every week. McDonald's hiring policies, in many cases, run through Olivia, an AI chatbot that runs a lot of the basic screening for potential McDonald's employees. It gets things like contact data, work history, and so on. These are the kinds of things that help winnow down the pool of applicants before going to the interview phase with a human. But as it turns out, the password protection scheme protecting the data Olivia harvested was also shockingly simplistic. Apparently, all a hacker needed to do to get in was guess a username and supply the password: '123456.' A pair of security researchers, Sam Curry and Ian Carroll, revealed recently the disturbingly simple methods used to slip into the backend code on There, the pair found that '…simple web-based vulnerabilities—including guessing one laughably weak password (the aforementioned 123456)—allowed them to access a account and query the company's databases that held every McHire user's chats with Olivia.' This included roughly 64 million records, complete with a flood of personally-identifiable information. Snack Wraps Mean Goldman Sachs Upgrade Thankfully, there was good news for McDonald's in the picture as well. Goldman Sachs analyst Christine Cho —who has a three-star rating on TipRanks—recently upgraded McDonald's from Neutral to Buy, though she maintained the $345 per share price target currently held on McDonald's stock. While Cho acknowledged that the environment for any sort of restaurant right now is challenging, the combination of McDonald's scale, marketing, and digital operations was likely to make all the difference. The new 'daily double burger' on the McValue platform, as well as the return of the snack wrap, were also likely to fuel some gains for McDonald's going forward. Is McDonald's Stock a Good Buy? Turning to Wall Street, analysts have a Moderate Buy consensus rating on MCD stock based on 15 Buys, 14 Holds and one Sell assigned in the past three months, as indicated by the graphic below. After a 15% rally in its share price over the past year, the average MCD price target of $338.54 per share implies 12.86% upside potential.
