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1985’s Fletch was directed by Michael Ritchie and written by Andrew Bergman. The film is an adaptation of the popular novels written by Gregory McDonald and brings a more comedic and dry approach to its titular character, Fletch, played by Chevy Chase. Fletch is an investigative journalist working the undercover beat as a homeless beach junkie as he tries to uncover the truth behind a kingpin-level drug ring that is looming over greater L.A. While undercover, Fletch is propositioned by a rich man called Alan Stanwick who claims to be dying of bone cancer to kill the man in his upper-class home so that his family can reap the benefits of his life insurance. In exchange, Fletch will receive $50,000 cash and a ticket out of the country.

When this movie was made, Chevy Chase was arguably at the height of his career. While he’d opened the decade with a few horrible flops,...

In 1972, Woody Allen scored a surprise success with his audacious sketch comedy film "Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Sex* (*But Were Afraid to Ask)." This rambunctious collection of ribald bits was both uproarious and deceptively off-handed. Suddenly, there was a market for loosely stitched-together, adult-skewing yuk-fests. These movies could be made fast and on the cheap because you didn't need production value to get a belly laugh out of dirty jokes or gratuitous nudity. This was smash-and-grab comedy, and it thrived throughout most of the decade.

One such practitioner of this scandalous style was Ken Shapiro. The counterculture satirist had created an underground comedy hit in New York City with his Channel One Theater, an innovative live show that barraged audiences with tawdry skits via three television sets. With Allen's movie, Monty Python's "And Now for Something Completely Different" and Brian De Palma's "Hi, Mom!" making untoward hay in movie theaters,...

Back in 1986, director Jim Wynorski brought us the cult classic Chopping Mall (watch it Here, check out our Wtf Happened to This Horror Movie? episode on the film Here), which was about the robots that have been tasked with serving as the security guards in a shopping mall going on a killing spree. The original title for that movie was Killbots, and a while back it was announced that Wynorski was going to be directing a new movie called Killbots for Full Moon. It would have nothing to do with Chopping Mall, it was just going to be using that discarded original title. Well, the title plans changed along the way. The Wynorski / Full Moon project is now called Murderbot – and you can watch the trailer in the embed above!

Murderbot is scheduled to be released through the Full Moon Features streaming service on March 31st.

Starring Melissa Brasselle (The Curse of the Komodo...

After Chevy Chase left Saturday Night Live for Hollywood, he had a career full of ups and downs. For every Foul Play or National Lampoon’s Vacation, there was a Modern Problems or Deal of the Century.(And yes, there are good reasons why you don’t remember them.) But in 1985, Chase found a role perfectly suited [...]

The post Upon Reflection, Chevy Chase Really Was ‘Fletch’ appeared first on Hollywood Outbreak.

Ken Shapiro, who directed, produced, co-wrote and starred in The Groove Tube, the seminal 1974 sendup of television that marked the movie debuts of Chevy Chase and Richard Belzer, has died. He was 76.

Shapiro died Nov. 18 at his home in Las Cruces, New Mexico, after a long struggle with cancer, his friend Arthur Sellers told The Hollywood Reporter.

Shapiro also directed Chase in another comedy feature, the sci-fi fantasy Modern Problems (1981), which he co-wrote with Sellers and Tom Sherohman.

The Groove Tube employed a hilarious series of skits that spoofed everything from commercials and public service announcements to...

Plus: Nancy Meyers in Ace honour; Sony promotes Pam Kunath; and more…

Oscilloscope Laboratories has acquired Us rights to L’Attesa (The Wait), the feature directorial debut from Paolo Sorrentino’s assistant director on The Great Beauty, Piero Messina. Juliette Binoche stars and the film premiered in Venice. Oscilloscope plans a spring 2016 theatrical release.

What Women Want, Something’s Gotta Give and The Intern director Nancy Meyers will collect the American Cinema Editors’ Ace Golden Eddie Filmmaker of the Year Award in Los Angeles on January 29, 2016.Sony Pictures Motion Picture Group has promoted veteran Screen Gems executive Pam Kunath to the newly created position of evp, content strategy. Kunath will be responsible for coordinating and leveraging the studio’s branded content across all distribution channels. Rachel Nichols, Laura Dreyfuss, Sean Kleier, Scout Taylor Compton and Steve Guttenberg have joined Monolith Pictures’ dark comedy After Party. Amos Posner directs and the film is shooting in New York state...

The holiday season is here and like a lot of you, I plan on staying inside as much as I can and watching some great TV and movies. Thankfully Netflix is here to help with a new batch of offerings for December. They are also removing some titles you may want to watch while you can! Of course we are all waiting to see this Bill Murray Christmas special which arrives December 4th. Have a safe and happy viewing month everyone! Check out the full listings below:

All Title Dates are Subject to Change

Netflix U.S. Release Dates Only

Available 12/1

#DeathToSelfie (2014)

30 for 30: Chasing Tyson (2015)

50 Shades of They: Season 1

A Christmas Star (2015)

A Genius Leaves the Hood: The Unauthorized Story of Jay Z (2014)

Amnesiac (2015)

Broadchurch: Season 2

Cbgb (2013)

Christmas Wedding Baby (2014)

The Chronicles of Riddick: Dark Fury (2004)

Cradle 2 the Grave (2003)

Darkman (1990)

Detectorists: Season 1

I’m Brent Morin — Netflix Original...

It's last call for several horror films, including "The Silence of the Lambs" and the "The Omen" trilogy, which are leaving Netflix in December.

Also going bye-bye: Both versions of manly tearjerker "Brian's Song" and classics including "All About Eve" (1950), "The Great Escape" (1963) and "The Hustler" (1961). And if you want to stream '80s favorites "The Dark Crystal" (1982) or "Labyrinth" (1986), better get on that before December 1.

Here's what's leaving Netflix in December 2015.

Leaving December 1

"All About Eve" (1950)

"The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes": Season 1 (2012)

"Batman Begins" (2005)

"Beverly Hills Cop III" (1994)

"Brian's Song" (1971)

"Brian's Song" (2001)

"The Brothers Grimm" (2005)

"The Burbs" (1989)

"Cop Land" (1997)

"Damien: Omen II" (1978)

"The Dark Crystal" (1982)

"Employee of the Month" (2006)

"Forces of Nature" (1999)

"Get Low" (2009)

"The Great Escape" (1963)

"The Guardian": Season 1-3

"The High and the Mighty" (1954)

"The Hustler" (1961)

"Insomnia" (2002)

"Juice" (1992)

"K-19: The Widowmaker" (2002)

"Labyrinth" (1986)

"Last Night" (2010)

"Left Behind: The Movie" (2000)

"Left Behind II: Tribulation Force...

"Holiday Ro-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-oad, Holiday Ro-o-o-o-o-o-oad..."

Hard to believe it's been 30 years since the Griswold family first took to the road in "National Lampoon's Vacation." Ever since its release on July 29, 1983, the landmark comedy seems a permanent fixture of pop culture, having created the signature roles of Chevy Chase, Beverly D'Angelo, and Randy Quaid's careers, having helped make stars out of Anthony Michael Hall and Jane Krakowski, and having helped launch the filmmaking career of John Hughes. The movie seems to play on an endless loop on TV, like the neighbors' slideshow of a nightmarish trip you were grateful not to have taken yourself. (Except, let's face it, you probably have a family road trip this disastrous in your past.)

Still, as many times as you've seen the film, there are some details you may have missed. Read on to learn about the in-jokes you haven't spotted, the scenes you didn't get to see,...

This week: Steven Spielberg directs Daniel Day-Lewis in his Oscar-winning role in "Lincoln" as the 16th President of the United States who spent the last few months of his life making changes that would affect generations of Americans.

Also new this week is the crime drama "Killing Them Softly" with Brad Pitt, the horror sequel "The Collection," the family comedy "Parental Guidance" and Stuart Gordon's cult favorite "From Beyond" on Blu-ray for the first time.

'Lincoln'

Box Office: $182 million

Rotten Tomatoes: 89% Fresh

Storyline: Steven Spielberg directs this revealing historical drama about the final months of Abraham Lincoln's presidency. In a country torn apart by the Civil War, the 16th President of the United States ((Daniel Day-Lewis) pursues a course of action that will end the conflict and abolish slavery. On board for the history lesson are Tommy Lee Jones as Thaddeus Stevens, Sally Field as Mary Todd Lincoln, Joseph Gordon-Levitt...

Anchor Bay Entertainment is re-releasing writer/director Ken Shapiro's 1981 sci fi comedy "Modern Problems", starring Chevy Chase, on DVD :

"...'Max Fielder' (Chase), a high-strung air traffic controller has a bad day that is about to get worse. His girlfriend (Patti D’Arbanville) moves out, his ex-wife falls in love with an old friend and a splashing truck full of toxic waste makes him glow a very odd green.

"But when Max discovers that the radioactive sludge also gives him the power of 'telekinesis', he sets his mind –and various other flying objects – to winning back his girlfriend and getting some wildly outrageous revenge..."

Also starring are Dabney Coleman, Mary Kay Place, Brian Doyle-Murray and Nell Carter.

Music is by Dominic Frontiere ("Star Trek").

Click the images to enlarge and Sneak Peek "Modern Problems"...

In spite of my sincere effort to look at every movie in this series on its own merits and without a sense of nostalgia or eagerness to forgive, I fully believe in the idea of the "at that time" movie. We all have them - you know, those flicks we saw when we were ten or 12 or some other impressionable age that we still love, but we realize probably aren't that good now that we're grown up.

This seems especially true for folks who grew up in the 1980s, when cable television broadcast five or ten movies hundreds upon hundreds of times, immortalizing them in consciousnesses despite the fact that they mostly sucked (I'm looking in your direction, Modern Problems). Of course, the rise of VHS rentals also had much to do with these films' ubiquitousness, but there was an unusual (and I'd argue, unprecedented) connection viewers had with movies...

Don’t be fooled by her age, Mrs. Ganush packs a punch. The frightful hag has a bone to pick with Christine, and she won’t be content until her imprecation is completed.

Unless you count the supernatural thriller The Gift or 1999’s For Love Of The Game, Drag Me To Hell is the first horror film that Sam Raimi has directed since Army Of Darkness. If you do the math (or in my case, pull out the calculator), that’s 17 years ago. Yes, 17 years! That’s how old Miley Cyrus a.k.a. Hannah Montana a.k.a Billy Ray Cyrus Jr. is (don’t ask me how I know this). And that’s also how old Zac Efron was in 17 Again (again, please don’t ask me how I know this). Sure, Raimi’s Ghost House Pictures has been producing a bunch of genre projects, but Drag Me To Hell...

Some folks were outraged when news first hit that Nicolas Cage would be starring in a remake of Bad Lieutenant.  Others were confused when Werner Herzog came on as director and announced it had nothing to do with the original Abel Ferrara film.  Still others like myself didn't give a shit either way.  As if to answer the concerns, questions, and indifference of film fans worldwide the first psuedo-trailer has found it's way online.  And it is a doozy.  Check it out here. Looks amazing doesn't it?  And the script!  "We don't hit women down south! What are those fucking iguanas doing on my coffee table?  You don't have a lucky crack pipe?  Shoot him again... his soul's still dancing!"  Absolutely brilliant stuff here.  Always the master thespian, Cage inhabits the role of a crazy cokehead with authenticity unseen since Chevy Chase snorted a six-foot line in Modern Problems.  And that accent... if...