What to watch: Let's get 'Naked'
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There never will be another Leslie Nielsen. Liam Neeson is pretty singular himself.
From the infamous "Airplane!" and "Police Squad!" to "Dracula: Dead and Loving It," Nielsen was the type of comedian that both children and adults could appreciate. Neeson is a guy not known for being endlessly silly, but he does OK channeling Nielsen for a wacky new take on the cop spoof "The Naked Gun." In this first weekend of August, put that on your to-watch list in addition to "Together," a wholly freaky relationship horror flick with real-life couple Alison Brie and Dave Franco. And if you're kicking it at home, needing a laugh, comedian Leanne Morgan and sitcom king Chuck Lorre have teamed for Netflix's "Leanne."
Now on to the good stuff:
See a very goofy Liam Neeson at work in the new 'Naked Gun'
As a young cinephile in the '80s, I was exposed to "Airplane!" and the original "Naked Gun" movies at the perfect time, embracing the silliness and shenanigans, while as an adult I could appreciate the double entendres and non sequiturs that flew over my little kid head. The new "Naked Gun" doesn't totally nail the throwback humor but Liam Neeson goofing on his action-hero persona as the new Frank Drebin and Pamela Anderson stealing scenes as a femme fatale help a lot. Plus, Paul Walter Hauser, as Drebin's partner, is an absolute delight. (Peep my ★★½ review.)
Make sure you hit up your fave streamers for more notable movies, including "Final Destination Bloodlines" and "My Oxford Year."
Squirm at the sight of Alison Brie and Dave Franco's 'Together'
The horror movie "Together" has a killer premise: A codependent couple (Brie and Franco) at a make-it-or-break-it place in their relationship move to the countryside, but as they begin to drift apart emotionally, a powerful supernatural force forces them back together. Quite literally and to a gory degree, their limbs and appendages start to fuse in painful, chill-inducing fashion, with body horror inspired by "The Thing."
Brie and Franco, who married in 2017 after five years of dating, acknowledge to my pal Patrick Ryan that the film's aim is to make folks think about their own relationships as much as gross them out. “When something insane is happening to your body, it’s maybe the most terrifying thing because there’s nowhere to go,” Franco says. “This movie is taking these fears of monogamy and toxic codependency and extrapolating it to its craziest conclusions.”
Stream Leanne Morgan's new Netflix sitcom 'Leanne'
Leanne Morgan's 2023 Netflix comedy special was such a hit, they gave her a sitcom. (And one created by "The Big Bang Theory" mastermind Chuck Lorre.) Morgan stars as a woman heartbroken over the end of her 33-year marriage – the result of her husband's philandering – who navigates the aftermath while also caring for her parents and her kids. Morgan told my colleague Erin Jensen that her own children have long been subjects of her comedy act, especially during their elementary school years. “Middle school was a dry time because everybody said, ‘Don't put my name in your mouth, Mom. Don't talk about me,' " Morgan says. "But they came around in high school."
Itching to watch more shows? TV critic Kelly Lawler rounds up what's premiering this week, including Jason Momoa's new "Chief of War" and Marvel's "Eyes of Wakanda" animated series.
Even more goodness to check out!
- In golf terms, "Happy Gilmore 2" had an epic shot off the tee in its first week on Netflix. We rounded up the key celebrity cameos and also updated our official Adam Sandler movie rankings.
- Heidi Klum says it was "a very easy yes" to return for "Project Runway" Season 21.
- The streets are saying Jeremy Allen White is aces as the Boss in the new Bruce Springsteen biopic.
- The full cast for Netflix's "Price & Prejudice" adaptation has been revealed, with Rufus Sewell and Fiona Shaw joning Emma Corrin and Jack Lowden.
- Stephen Colbert's "Late Show" career is coming to an end. Is a new career in podcasting next?
Got thoughts, questions, ideas, concerns, compliments or maybe even some recs for me? Email btruitt@usatoday.com and follow me on the socials: I'm @briantruitt on Bluesky, Instagram and Threads.