Category: Limelight

Celebrity breakups, rich people problems, and actors pretending they’re just like us. If it sparkles or self-destructs in public, it’s probably here.

Variety’s Top 20 Comedy Movies Spark Outrage After “Airplane!” Lands at #62

If you want to start a fight in a group chat, just ask everyone to name the greatest comedy movie of all time.

Variety apparently did exactly that, then poured gasoline on the internet by ranking Airplane! at a criminally low #62. Sixty. Two. At that point, why even make a list? But hey, their Top 20 still gives plenty to argue about, especially if you’re into classic comedies, cult favorites, or movies your parents insist “you just had to be there” to appreciate.

For anyone Googling best comedy movies, top comedy films ever, or funniest movies of all time, here’s what Variety says belongs at the top of the pile.

Their number one pick is The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad! and honestly, that’s a choice with big goofy energy.

Leslie Nielsen’s deadpan genius absolutely deserves recognition, even if we can debate whether it’s the single greatest comedy ever made. Right behind it is Some Like It Hot, the 1959 classic that’s still quoted, referenced, and studied today. Billy Wilder fans are celebrating, teenagers everywhere are shrugging, and film professors are pumping their fists in victory.

Meanwhile, Annie Hall sits at #3, followed by The Great Dictator at #4, proving the list leans heavily on iconic, influential films, not just the ones that make you spit out your drink laughing. By the time you hit the middle of the Top 10, the list really starts to feel like a comedy hall of fame: Waiting for Guffman, Monty Python and the Holy Grail, Duck Soup, Fargo, Young Frankenstein, and Groundhog Day. This is basically the comedy starter pack for anyone who wants to pretend they’re serious about cinema.

Spot #11 goes to Buster Keaton’s silent-era masterpiece Sherlock Jr., which probably delighted exactly three cinephiles while confusing everyone who just wanted to know where Step Brothers is.

Tootsie, Dr. Strangelove, and Sideways follow, giving the list a nice mix of satire, character comedy, and movies your dad quotes annually.

Then you get deep cuts like Playtime and His Girl Friday, plus cult classics like The Heartbreak Kid and mockumentary legend This Is Spinal Tap. Rounding it out are It Happened One Night and Superbad, the lone modern teen comedy in the Top 20, representing an entire generation that believes McLovin is basically Shakespeare.

Is this list perfect? Absolutely not. Is ranking Airplane! outside the Top 10 a cinematic crime? Yes. Should we still enjoy arguing about it? Always.

Here’s the full Top 20 according to Variety:

  1. The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad! (1988)
  2. Some Like It Hot (1959)
  3. Annie Hall (1977)
  4. The Great Dictator (1940)
  5. Waiting for Guffman (1996)
  6. Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975)
  7. Duck Soup (1933)
  8. Fargo (1996)
  9. Young Frankenstein (1974)
  10. Groundhog Day (1993)
  11. Sherlock Jr. (1924)
  12. Tootsie (1982)
  13. Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964)
  14. Sideways (2004)
  15. Playtime (1967)
  16. His Girl Friday (1940)
  17. The Heartbreak Kid (1972)
  18. This Is Spinal Tap (1984)
  19. It Happened One Night (1934)
  20. Superbad (2007)

Feel free to yell your disagreements into the void. Variety probably can’t hear you over the sound of all that chaos they just caused.

The Ultimate “Stranger Things” Playlist to Get You Ready for the Final Season

If you’ve been counting down the days until “Stranger Things” returns, you’re definitely not alone.

With the final season dropping, fans everywhere are rewatching old episodes, brushing up on the Upside Down lore, and of course, putting together the perfect “Stranger Things” playlist. After all, the show’s music has basically become its own character. Think Kate Bush blasting while Max runs for her life, or Eddie shredding Metallica in one of the most metal moments in TV history.

If you’re hosting a watch party or just want to feel like you’re biking through Hawkins with the crew, here are the essential songs you’ll want on repeat. These tracks have all appeared in the series over the years, and they nail that nostalgic, eerie, synthy, monster-fighting vibe fans love.

Let’s begin with the biggest one. Yes, that one.

Kate Bush’s “Running Up That Hill (A Deal with God)” is practically synonymous with the series at this point. Then there’s Metallica’s “Master of Puppets”, forever tied to Eddie Munson’s heroic guitar solo. Journey’s “Separate Ways (Worlds Apart)” captures the show’s emotional punch, and Bon Jovi’s “Runaway” fits the rebellious energy of Season 2.

The list only gets more fun from there. The Cars’ “Moving in Stereo”, The Clash’s “Should I Stay or Should I Go”, and Toto’s “Africa” bring back some of the most memorable early-season moments. No explanation needed. If you know, you know.

Here’s a list of must-have tracks featured on the series so far:

  1. “Running Up That Hill (A Deal with God)”, Kate Bush
  2. “Master of Puppets”, Metallica
  3. “Separate Ways (Worlds Apart)”, Journey
  4. “Runaway”, Bon Jovi
  5. “Never Ending Story”, Limahl
  6. “Rock You Like a Hurricane”, Scorpions
  7. “Moving in Stereo”, The Cars
  8. “Should I Stay or Should I Go”, The Clash
  9. “Every Breath You Take”, The Police
  10. “Tarzan Boy”, Baltimora
  11. “Psycho Killer”, Talking Heads
  12. “Africa”, Toto
  13. “Islands in the Stream”, Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton
  14. “Just Another Day”, Oingo Boingo
  15. “Hazy Shade of Winter”, The Bangles
  16. “Time After Time”, Cyndi Lauper
  17. “Pass the Dutchie”, Musical Youth
  18. “Sunglasses at Night”, Corey Hart
  19. “Whip It”, DEVO
  20. “Girls on Film”, Duran Duran

If you’re still hungry for more Hawkins nostalgia, there are over 160 additional songs here, and Spotify even has an official playlist ready to go.

So crank up the volume, grab your Eggos, and get ready. This soundtrack will have you feeling like you’re right there in the Upside Down.

William Shatner Once Shat His Pants on Stage

William Shatner has always been a great storyteller, but this one might be his most unforgettable.

During a recent chat, the 94-year-old legend admitted he once had a full-on bathroom emergency right in the middle of his 2012 Broadway run of Shatner’s World: We Just Live in It. And yes, it happened on opening night. If you’re searching for William Shatner story, Shatner Broadway, or embarrassing celebrity moments, you’ve come to the right place.

Shatner explained that he’d been dealing with stomach issues that day, and the second he stepped onstage, things took a turn.

As he put it, “All of a sudden, I have to go. In fact, I’m going to use the past tense. I had gone.”

That’s… not the kind of dramatic reveal Broadway usually aims for.

He didn’t try to power through it either. Shatner told the audience there had been a “technical difficulty,” then ducked offstage to deal with the crisis. He later joked that “things were coming out of me I didn’t know existed,” which is both horrifying and impressively honest.

But in true showbiz fashion, he got himself cleaned up, walked back onstage, and finished the performance like nothing happened.

According to him, the show ended up being “very successful,” which feels like an understatement considering what he endured.

It’s one of those celebrity confessions that instantly becomes internet gold, partly because Shatner tells it with a kind of dramatic flair no one else can quite pull off. And honestly, it’s kind of refreshing. Most stars pretend they’re not human. Shatner shares a story that proves he absolutely is, even if the universe decided to humble him at the worst possible moment.

If nothing else, it’s a comforting reminder that even Captain Kirk has had a humiliating day at work. And he still got a standing ovation.

Nate Bargatze Is Seriously Trying to Build a Nashville Theme Park

If you thought Nate Bargatze was just doing a bit when he talked about opening his own theme park . . . SURPRISE! He was completely serious.

The Nashville comedian has officially started taking real steps toward creating Nateland, which would be the first brand-new theme park in the Nashville area since the legendary Opryland USA closed its gates in 1997. For fans of Nate, theme parks, family fun, or anything remotely Tennessee, this is big entertainment news, and it has people buzzing with curiosity.

At a theme park industry conference in Orlando this week, Nate confirmed that his production company, also called Nateland, is partnering with an entertainment design firm to explore what a Nashville-based, Bargatze-branded theme park could actually look like. That means plans are finally moving past the “fun idea” phase and into “let’s see if this thing is legit doable” territory.

And yes, the park would be called Nateland because Nate knows a good branding opportunity when he sees one.

Right now the early vision is for a park spanning more than 100 acres, with a focus on what Nate described as good, clean family fun. So, think less edgy thrill rides and more wholesome entertainment that fits his comedy vibe. No word yet on whether the park will include a ride where Nate quietly judges your life choices while sipping sweet tea, but we can dream.

If Nateland becomes a reality, it would mark the end of a nearly 30-year theme park drought in Nashville.

For longtime locals, Opryland’s closure is still a sore spot, and the idea of a fresh, homegrown amusement park has sparked nostalgia mixed with cautious optimism. Nashville has grown into a major tourism magnet, so the timing honestly makes sense. With millions of visitors already flooding the city for concerts, sports, and bachelorette parties, adding a theme park might be the most on-brand thing Nashville has done in years.

Of course, this announcement is still in the feasibility stage. There are no blueprints, no opening date, and no confirmation of what kinds of attractions Nateland would include. But even the possibility has fans excited, especially since Nate Bargatze is one of Nashville’s biggest comedic exports and has built a huge following around his clean, self-deprecating humor. A family-focused theme park actually fits him surprisingly well.

Paris Hilton Responds to Rumors She Was Targeted by Jeffrey Epstein

There is a wild new twist in the ongoing public fascination with the Jeffrey Epstein scandal, and it involves a name the internet absolutely loves to click on. Yes, Paris Hilton is back in the headlines, but this time it is for a rumor she wishes people would stop attaching her to.

In the 2020 documentary Surviving Jeffrey Epstein, one of Epstein’s former associates says that Ghislaine Maxwell once spotted a teenage Paris Hilton at a party and immediately wanted an introduction. The dramatic quote, which has been floating all over social media again, was allegedly, “Oh my god, who’s that? She’d be perfect for Jeffrey.”

If any of this actually happened, Paris says she has zero memory of it.

In a new interview, she brushed the whole thing off, saying, “I don’t even remember ever meeting [Maxwell]. I’m such a good clickbait name.” And honestly, she is not wrong. Few celebrities can fire up search engines and gossip pages quite like Paris, who built an empire on exactly that kind of attention, in all the ways she chose to.

Still, there’s photographic evidence that it happened. Paris Hilton and Ghislaine Maxwell were photographed together at an event in 2000, when Paris was around 18 or 19. Incidentally, Donald Trump is in the picture, too.

So yes, Paris and Maxwell crossed paths. But as for the idea that she was almost recruited into Epstein’s orbit, Paris Hilton herself is very clear: she has no recollection of anything close to that. And given how much of her life has already been picked apart in the public eye, she seems more amused than bothered that her name still gets tossed into the rumor mill with such enthusiasm.

Straight Guys Are Owning Up to Their Man-Crushes, and the Internet Is Loving It

It is not always easy to get straight men to openly acknowledge that another guy is attractive.

For some reason, saying Chris Evans looks like a human superhero statue still feels like a line many dudes refuse to cross. But over on Reddit, the walls apparently came tumbling down, and the results have been wildly entertaining.

A thread asked men to name the guys they find attractive or might even make an exception for, and thousands of replies came rolling in. The list has been delightfully honest, packed with Hollywood icons, rugged heartthrobs, and the occasional wait, seriously? Him? But mostly it is a greatest hits collection of the men who have defined cool, charisma, and general jawline excellence.

The thread has also sparked plenty of conversation across social platforms, where people are having fun comparing picks, defending their personal favorites, and declaring certain names as mandatory entries.

Spoiler alert, Chris Evans is basically the undisputed king of the straight-man crush universe.

Here is just a sample of the names Redditors dropped, and honestly, it is hard to argue with the lineup. We’re talking major star power, classic Hollywood legends, and guys who have entire fan bases dedicated to their hair alone. The list includes Chris Evans, Hugh Jackman, Henry Cavill, Timothy Olyphant, Ryan Gosling, Ewan McGregor, and even peak 1980s Harrison Ford. Several old-school icons made the cut too, like Paul Newman and Robert Redford, proving that a good smolder never goes out of style.

Modern favorites also showed up in full force. Pedro Pascal is the the Internet’s emotional support celebrity… Jason Momoa is a god… and Idris Elba and David Beckham remain internationally recognized as unfairly good-looking.

What makes the thread so fun is not just the names, but the way guys genuinely bonded over the shared experience of thinking, Yeah, okay, that dude is cool. There is something oddly wholesome about seeing a bunch of straight men casually celebrate other men’s looks without turning it into a big thing. If anything, it feels like the internet taking a collective step toward being more relaxed, more confident, and definitely more honest.

Reddit may be full of chaos on most days, but every now and then, it delivers a gem like this, where people just have fun hyping up handsome dudes. And if nothing else, it proves this much: straight men might not always admit it out loud, but they definitely know a good-looking guy when they see one.

America’s Most Hated NFL Team Revealed, and It’s Not the Chiefs

If you assumed the Kansas City Chiefs were the villains of the NFL right now, Google says otherwise.

A Canadian sports betting site dug through Google Keyword Planner data to find out which teams get the most negative searches across the country, and the results are pure football-fan drama. If you love NFL rankings, team rivalries, and a little bit of online chaos, this one is for you.

According to the data, the Philadelphia Eagles take the crown as the most hated team in the United States.

The runner-up spot goes to the Las Vegas Raiders, who lead the hate-charts in eight states. That probably won’t surprise anyone who has ever argued with a die-hard Raiders fan, or anyone who has simply seen a Raiders fan.

In third place, the New York Jets and Green Bay Packers tie with six states each. The Jets being on the list feels almost expected at this point. The Packers, on the other hand, might have simply inherited the resentment that comes with decades of winning.

Rounding out the top tier of villainy are two more iconic franchises. The Dallas Cowboys and the Pittsburgh Steelers tie at three states each, proving that even though Cowboys fans call their team America’s Team, at least a few states would very much like to opt out.

All of this comes from search trends, not polling, so the data reflects what people are actively googling. And yes, that means people are literally sitting down at their laptops and typing in things like “I hate the Eagles.”

The dedication is impressive.

While the Chiefs didn’t crack the top five, their absence might be the biggest twist. Maybe the Taylor Swift era softened their internet footprint. Maybe Patrick Mahomes is too likable. Or maybe America has simply redirected its energy toward booing the Eagles.

If you want to go full map-nerd, there’s a visual breakdown showing exactly which states hate which teams. It’s a strangely beautiful piece of sports-fan cartography.

In the end, it’s a reminder that football loyalty runs deep, football hate runs deeper, and Google sees absolutely everything.

PHILADELPHIA, PA – OCTOBER 02: A Philadelphia Eagles fan cheers before the start of the Eagles game against the San Francisco 49ers at Lincoln Financial Field on October 2, 2011 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images)

Labubu Goes Hollywood: A Movie Is on the Way

Collectors, brace yourselves, because the Labubu craze is about to go from key chains to the big screen.

Sony has officially picked up the film rights to Labubu, the tiny, sharp-toothed critters that have been dangling from backpacks and belt loops everywhere. If you thought the fad might fade soon, well, nope. A Labubu movie is happening, and these fuzzy little gremlins are about to get a whole lot harder to escape.

Right now, the project is still in its earliest stages, which means there are more questions than answers. Sony hasn’t announced a director, a producer, or even whether the movie will be animated or live-action.

And honestly, a live-action Labubu might send half the audience straight under their seats. An animated version might be less scream-inducing, but no promises.

For anyone late to the Labubu phenomenon, these creatures are collectibles from China, mostly sold through Pop Mart in “blind box” packaging. That means you don’t know which character you’re getting until you open it, a feature that has turned many casual shoppers into full-on treasure hunters. Fans clip them to bags, backpacks, belt loops, and pretty much anything that can hold a key ring. The price usually sits between $20 – $50 bucks depending on whether you’re grabbing a vinyl or plush version, but the resale market can be… ambitious.

Because the toys are so popular, rare designs tend to spark bidding wars, and knock-offs are just about everywhere. A movie could boost all that even further, which means collectors might be both thrilled and terrified right now.

More Labubu content? Fun. Higher prices? Not as fun.

The Labubu brand already has a devoted fanbase online, so a movie makes sense in the same way every toy eventually gets a movie. But it will be interesting to see how Sony brings these oddball characters to life. Labubu toys have a very specific vibe, equal parts cute and mildly unhinged, and translating that into a family-friendly film, or even a not-so-family-friendly one, feels like a challenge.

Swifties Beat AC/DC in a Seismic Showdown in Melbourne

If you ever needed proof that Taylor Swift’s fans can shake the earth, here you go. And yes, we’re talking literal ground-shaking.

A new report out of Melbourne says AC/DC may have rocked the city Wednesday night, but Taylor Swift rocked it harder. According to scientists, her Eras Tour created stronger seismic activity at the exact same venue.

AC/DC’s show at Melbourne’s iconic venue did register measurable vibrations, landing in the 2 – 5 hertz range. That puts it in the category of the kind of movement you’d expect when tens of thousands of fans jump, stomp, and scream at once. Their speakers added to the low rumble too, since big subwoofers essentially punch sound directly into the ground.

But the Seismology Research Center says that as solid as AC/DC’s readings were, Taylor Swift’s three-night run produced even bigger blips on their monitors.

In fact, a scientist there flat-out confirmed that the most powerful signals they recorded came from Swift’s concerts.

Swifties will tell you they don’t mess around, and apparently neither do the sensors.

One thing the scientist emphasized is that this has nothing to do with how loud the concerts sound. Seismographs don’t pick up audio. They pick up the physical movement traveling through the ground, which means the culprit is a mix of heavy bass and thousands of fans jumping in sync. At Swift’s shows, the crowd participation is basically a coordinated sport, so it tracks that the venue would rumble like a minor quake.

He explained it like this: the speakers on the stage sit directly on the ground, so they transmit vibration downward. Then you add tens of thousands of feet leaving the floor at the same time during songs like “Shake It Off”, and suddenly the earth is part of the choreography.

For Melbourne, this isn’t the first time music has moved the earth, but it may be the most dramatic example of how different artists produce different seismic signatures. AC/DC brings the thunder, but Taylor Swift apparently brings the tectonic plates.

So in the battle of rock legends versus pop superstardom, science has spoken. And the scoreboard reads: Swifties, 1; Seismic Stability, 0.

When Tom Cruise Became the New Elvis (And Not in a Good Way)

I don’t love Tom Cruise.  And it’s not the Scientology.  Or maybe it is and I just don’t know it.  He’s weird.  Let’s just put it down to that.

But there’s one movie of his that I’ve seen probably a hundred times or more; if not start-to-finish, then in bits and pieces as I’ve happened upon it while channel surfing and been powerless to pass it by:  “The Firm”.

Released in 1993, “The Firm” stars Cruise as Mitch McDeere, a Harvard Law graduate recruited by a small firm in Memphis.  What Mitch soon discovers is that the firm secretly represents the Morolto crime family . . . a.k.a. the mafia, and there’s no way out.  At least not alive.

Mitch ends up stuck between the firm, the mob, and the feds, who want him to snitch, which would get him disbarred, and put him on the mafia’s not-so-loved list.

His solution?  Instead of revealing client secrets, he gives the government evidence of massive overbilling at the firm . . . enough to indict every partner on federal charges; destroying the firm and keeping him from getting whacked.  Or so he hopes.

“The Firm” is a tense, well-written thriller with great characters . . . including Wilford Brimley ignoring his diabeetus and playing against type as the evil, badass head of security for the firm.  (“What do you think I am here, a fuckin’ night watchman?!”)

But here’s where The King comes in . . .

Mitch doesn’t come up with the overbilling idea on his own.  He gets it from a client.  A black client.

But at the end of the movie, when an FBI agent asks him how he came up with it, he says, “It was on the bar exam.  They made me study like hell for it.”

In other words, he steals the intellectual property of a black man and passes it off as his own.  Not only that, but he does it in Memphis, Tennessee, the home of the man who did it best: Elvis Aaron Presley.

And he never even offered so much as a “Thank you very much.”

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