Tag: Comedy

‘Spaceballs’ Animated Series, ‘Force: Five’ Available on Disc in MVD Rewind Collection

Spaceballs: The Totally Warmed Animated Adventures! and the actioner Force: Five are available on disc in the MVD Rewind Collection from MVD Entertainment Group.

Spaceballs: The Totally Warmed Animated Adventures!, available on DVD, is based on Mel Brooks’ 1987 Star Wars spoof Spaceballs. It follows the adventures of Yogurt, President Skroob, Lone Starr, Barf, Princess Vespa and the dastardly, dorky Dark Helmet. Directed and voiced by Mel Brooks and featuring voices from the film’s original stars Daphna Zuniga and Joan Rivers, the series pokes fun at everything from pop culture and politics to megahit movies and more. The release includes all 13 episodes plus the two-part pilot episode. Bonus materials include the Spaceballs (1987) original theatrical trailer; the Spaceballs 2 (2027) teaser trailer; a collectible mini-poster; and a limited edition slipcover.

In Force: Five, available on Blu-ray Disc, a powerful and dangerous cult, hidden on a remote island fortress, has brainwashed the daughter of a U.S. senator. With local authorities powerless and time running out, the government turns to a highly specialized team of martial arts experts known as “Force: Five.” Led by seasoned agent Jim Martin, the team includes five elite fighters, each with unique combat skills — from unarmed street-fighting and karate to high-impact kickboxing. Their mission: infiltrate the island compound, uncover the secrets of the cult’s charismatic and manipulative leader, and rescue the senator’s daughter before she becomes permanently indoctrinated — or worse. From writer-director Robert Clouse, the auteur of Bruce Lee’s Enter the Dragon and Jackie Chan’s The Big Brawl, the film features a diverse cast of martial arts legends, including Joe Lewis (Bloodfight 2: The Deathcage), Bong Soo Han (Kill the Golden Goose), Sonny Barnes (Black Belt Jones), Benny “The Jet” Urquidez (Dragons Forever) and Richard Norton (Mad Max: Fury Road), as well as Amanda Wyss (A Nightmare on Elm Street). Bonus materials include an archival interview with actor Joe Lewis; an archival interview with Benny Urquidez; an archival “Benny Urquidez Fight” featurette; the original theatrical trailer; a collectible mini-poster; and a limited edition slipcover.

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Apple TV Renews ‘Shrinking’ for Season 4 Ahead of S3 Debut

Apple TV has announced a season four renewal for the comedy “Shrinking,” starring Emmy Award nominee Jason Segel and multi-award winner Harrison Ford.

The series will also see the return of cast members Christa Miller, Emmy Award nominee Jessica Williams, Luke Tennie, Emmy Award nominee Michael Urie, Lukita Maxwell and Ted McGinley.

The news comes just ahead of the premiere of “Shrinking” season three, which returns to Apple TV with the first episode on Jan. 28, with new episodes debuting every Wednesday through April 8.

“Shrinking” follows a grieving therapist (Segel) who starts to break the rules and tell his clients exactly what he thinks. Ignoring his training and ethics, he finds himself making huge, tumultuous changes to people’s lives — including his own.

In addition to the ensemble cast, “Shrinking” season three welcomes back guest stars Brett Goldstein, Damon Wayans Jr., Wendie Malick and Cobie Smulders, along with new additions Jeff Daniels and multi-award winner Michael J. Fox, as well as Candice Bergen, Sherry Cola and Isabella Gomez.

“Shrinking” is produced for Apple TV by Warner Bros. Television (where Bill Lawrence and Goldstein are under overall deals), along with Lawrence’s Doozer Productions. Lawrence, Segel, Goldstein, Neil Goldman, James Ponsoldt, Jeff Ingold, Liza Katzer, Randall Winston, Rachna Fruchbom, Brian Gallivan, Ashley Nicole Black and Bill Posley executive produce.

The series has earned multiple Primetime Emmy Award nominations and a Critics Choice Award win for Urie for his performance in the show’s sophomore season.

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British Comedy ‘Can You Keep a Secret?’ Premieres Feb. 12 on Paramount+

Paramount+ has announced the new original comedy series “Can You Keep a Secret?” will premiere Feb. 12 on the service in the United States.

The British series follows a domineering granny who fakes her husband’s death for the insurance money — only for her family to discover that the biggest threat isn’t the law, but her. All six episodes of the series will be available to stream at launch.

The series stars seven-time BAFTA TV Awards nominee Dawn French (“French & Saunders”) as Debbie Fendon, Mark Heap (“Friday Night Dinner”) as William, Craig Roberts (Submarine) as Harold, and Mandip Gill (“Doctor Who”) as Neha.

In the series, domineering granny Debbie Fendon (French) is a woman who will stop at nothing to protect her family — it’s just the person they most need protecting from is her. When her hermit-like husband, William, unexpectedly dies, she makes an outlandish decision that will put the family under more pressure than ever before. Because William isn’t actually dead — he just got mistakenly declared it and has been living in the loft while they wait for the life insurance to pay out. This comes as a bit of a shock to their easily frazzled son Harold, whose wife Neha works for the local police. Just as they come to terms with the baffling behavior of these geriatric toddlers, Debbie reveals another secret she’s been keeping up her sleeve — and this one could bring the whole family down.

The series will air on BBC iPlayer and BBC One in the United Kingdom. The series is distributed by Paramount Global Content Distribution.

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Mexican Cult Comedy Anthology ‘The Body of Crime’ Available on Disc From MVD and VCI

MVD Entertainment Group and VCI Entertainment Jan. 20 released the 1970 Mexican cult comedy anthology El Cuerpazo Delito (The Body of Crime) on Blu-ray Disc and DVD for the first time in the United States..

Featuring Silvia Pinal, Elsa Aguirre, Mauricio Garcés, and Chespirito, the trio of sexy, satirical tales showcases the golden age of Mexican cinema — newly remastered with English subtitles. In “The insatiable,” Indalecio, a professor of morals, husband of Enriqueta and father of eight children and another on the way, is intrigued because his neighbor Magda receives many men in her house, makes them undress, and burns one of them with a cigarette. In “The Rebel,” the young Angélica, furious because her father the millionaire G.P.’s heavy pranks prevent her from having a boyfriend, is kidnapped by a gang led by Dandy and also composed of Dedos, Gordo, Pípila, and Goliat. And in “The Seductress,” Chuchette exploits men to obtain the money that allows her and her friend Julia, a frontón player, to go to Europe. As Julia always wins her matches, Chuchette bets on her favor and increases her capital.

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Horror Comedy ‘Vampire Zombies From Space!’ Due on Blu-ray Jan. 20 From Cleopatra and MVD

The horror comedy Vampire Zombies From Space! will be released on Blu-ray Disc Jan. 20 from Cleopatra Entertainment and MVD Entertainment Group.

The film is set in 1947 in the small town of Marlow, where young Mary witnessed her amother’s gruesome death when the infamous Dracula emerged from the shadows to claim her life. Now, 10 years later, the trauma of that night still haunts her, especially as strange occurrences begin to plague her town. When her sister and father mysteriously vanish, Mary knows something sinister is at play. Determined to uncover the truth, Mary starts digging into the events surrounding her sister and father’s disappearances. At the same time, hard-nosed police Chief Clarke and a new transfer, Detective Wallace, eager to prove himself, also begin piecing together clues linked to the recent strange occurrences. The deeper they delve, the more they realize that something far worse than they imagined is unfolding in Marlow.
Terror grips the town as a full-blown zombie outbreak erupts, leaving chaos in its wake. The military is swiftly deployed, led by the over-the-top Colonel Talbit, who declares a state of emergency. Amidst the panic, Mary finds an unlikely ally in Wayne, a chain-smoking greaser with a heart of gold and a knack for trouble. As they investigate further, they uncover Dracula’s true plan: to build an unstoppable army of vampire zombies, using the unsuspecting townspeople of Marlow as his soldiers. His goal is to unleash this nightmarish force upon the world, plunging it into eternal darkness under his rule. Mary, Wayne, Chief Clarke, and Wallace must band together to stop Dracula before his army grows too powerful to contain.

Special features include a slide show, promotional clips and trailers.

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Stadium Media to Bow Classic ‘The Plot Against Harry’ Digitally Dec. 19 in New Deal With The Film Desk

The 1971 classic The Plot Against Harry, directed and written by Michael Roemer, will be released digitally Dec. 19 from Stadium Media in a new deal with The Film Desk.

In the crime comedy, starring Martin Priest, Ben Land and Maxine Woods, when a former big shot in the Jewish Mafia is released from prison, his ex-wife and family try to set him straight.

Next up under the deal is another Michael Roemer film, the 1984 drama Vengeance Is Mine, due digitally on Dec. 23. In the film, unsuccessfully trying to close old family wounds on a trip back to the Rhode Island home of her miserable childhood, a troubled woman (Brooke Adams) finds her new friendship with neighbor has her stuck in another family drama.

The Film Desk was founded by Jacob Perlin in 2008. The company’s mission is to introduce, or re-introduce, international classics to audiences.

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Comedy ‘Good Fortune’ Due via Premium Digital Nov. 7, on Disc Dec. 9

The comedy Good Fortune will be available for premium digital rental and sale Nov. 7, and on Blu-ray (plus digital), DVD, and an Amazon-Exclusive 4K Ultra HD (plus Blu-ray and Digital) combo pack Dec. 9 from Lionsgate.

The film has earned $15.9 million at the global box office.

Written, produced, directed, and starring Aziz Ansari, the film also features Seth Rogen, Keke Palmer, Sandra Oh and Keanu Reeves.
 
In Ansari’s directorial debut, Reeves stars as a well-meaning but rather inept angel named Gabriel who observes a struggling gig worker, Arj (Ansari), who is barely making ends meet in Los Angeles, and intervenes to show him that money can’t solve all his problems. Gabriel swaps Arj’s life with a wealthy venture capitalist, Jeff (Seth Rogen), but the plan backfires when Arj is convinced his newfound wealth has, in fact, solved all his problems. As Arj refuses to switch back, Jeff is left without his fortune, Gabriel loses his wings, and all three are forced to confront what it truly means to be human.

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Bonus materials include:

  • “Task Sergeant Ride-Along” (Fandango at Home exclusive), which explores the harsh realities faced by food delivery drivers and how their experiences contributed to shaping the story about wealth inequality;
  • “Do You Want to Dance?” (Apple Exclusive), following renowned choreographer Michael Arnold as he puts the cast through their paces, teaching them fresh dance moves;
  • Audio commentary with Ansari and producer Alan Yang;
  • “Life Swap: Making Good Fortune,” about the cast;
  • “The Los Angeles of Good Fortune,” about the iconic and real locations from the film;
  • “The Clothes Make the Man … and the Angel,” following the costume department as they share the intricate process of creating the wardrobe and wings of the angel; and
  • The theatrical trailer.

 

2000 Disney Animated Comedy ‘The Emperor’s New Groove’ Due on 4K Disc and Digital Dec. 9

Disney will celebrate the 25th anniversary of the animated comedy The Emperor’s New Groove with its return to the big screen at Hollywood’s legendary El Capitan Theatre Nov. 21-24 before arriving Dec. 9 on 4K for the first time through digital platforms and on 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray.

In the film, emperor Kuzco (David Spade) thought he had it all: a devoted populace to rule over, a wardrobe of glamorous garb and his unwavering “groove.” But his world is flipped upside down when he’s turned into a llama by his devious adviser Yzma (Eartha Kitt) and her hunky henchman Kronk (Patrick Warburton). Now the once-mighty ruler is forced into an unlikely alliance with pleasant peasant Pacha (John Goodman). Together, they must overcome their differences as they embark on a groovy adventure. 

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Season 3 of Apple TV Comedy ‘Shrinking’ to Start Streaming Jan. 28

Apple TV announced that the 11-episode third season of the Emmy Award-nominated comedy series “Shrinking” will debut Jan. 28 globally with a one-hour premiere episode, followed by one new episode weekly, every Wednesday until April 8, 2026.

Starring Emmy Award nominee Jason Segel and multi-award winner Harrison Ford, along with performances from stars Christa Miller, Emmy Award nominee Jessica Williams, Luke Tennie, Emmy nominee Michael Urie, Lukita Maxwell and Ted McGinley, the series was created by Emmy Award winners Bill Lawrence and Brett Goldstein alongside Segel.
 
“Shrinking” follows a grieving therapist (Segel) who starts to break the rules and tell his clients exactly what he thinks. Ignoring his training and ethics, he finds himself making huge, tumultuous changes to people’s lives — including his own. 
 
In addition to the ensemble cast, “Shrinking” season three brings back guest stars Goldstein, Damon Wayans Jr., Wendie Malick and Cobie Smulders, along with new additions Jeff Daniels and multi-award winner and activist Michael J. Fox.
 
“Shrinking” is produced for Apple TV by Warner Bros. Television, where Lawrence and Goldstein are under overall deals, and Lawrence’s Doozer Productions. Lawrence, Segel, Goldstein, Neil Goldman, James Ponsoldt, Jeff Ingold, Liza Katzer, Randall Winston, Rachna Fruchbom, Brian Gallivan, Ashley Nicole Black and Bill Posley executive produce.
 
“Shrinking” marks the third partnership for Apple, Lawrence and Warner Bros. Television, alongside the multi-Emmy Award-winning, global phenomenon “Ted Lasso,” and the comedy series “Bad Monkey,” which was recently renewed for a second season. The series also marks the latest collaboration for Apple TV and Goldstein following Apple original film All of You, which is now streaming globally on Apple TV. Segel also previously collaborated with Apple TV in the starring role in Apple Original Films’ The Sky Is Everywhere.
 
The first two seasons of “Shrinking” are now streaming on Apple TV.

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Comedy ‘The Roses’ Debuting via Premium Digital Oct. 21, on Disc Nov. 25

The comedy The Roses, starring Benedict Cumberbatch and Olivia Colman, arrives for premium digital purchase and rental Oct. 21, and on Blu-ray and DVD Nov. 25 from Disney and Searchlight Pictures.

A reimagining of the 1989 classic film The War of the Roses, based on the novel by Warren Adler, the film has earned $50.6 million at the global box office.
 
In director Jay Roach’s The Roses, life seems easy for picture-perfect couple Ivy (Colman) and Theo (Cumberbatch): successful careers, a loving marriage, great kids. But beneath the façade of their supposed ideal life, a storm is brewing. As Theo’s career nosedives while Ivy’s own ambitions take off, a tinderbox of fierce competition and hidden resentment ignites.

The film’s 4K edition is available only digitally.

Bonus materials include a gag reel and the featurettes “A House to Fight For,” “The Roses: An Inside Look” and “Comedy Gold.”

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