The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad (1988)

We wanted to keep the Weekend Buff light on this Labor Day holiday – don’t want anyone working too hard trying to follow a plot.  What would be better than checking out The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad (1988).  A laugh a minute brain candy movie that will leave you in a good mood.

What’s not to love about this movie – cops, baseball, Weird Al Yankovic, and a psychotic murderer on the loose.  But enough about OJ Simpson.  The Naked Gun is slapstick comedy at its finest.  The film doesn’t waste a minute in its relentless pursuit of laughs.

The Naked Gun film series is a spinoff from the short lived 6-episode Police Squad! TV series from 1982.  When the comedy went from TV to the big screen it became a big hit.  The movie stars Leslie Neilson (who came a long way from campy 1960’s Westerns to a comedic star) as Lt. Frank Drebin, Priscilla Presley as love interest Jane Spencer, and Riccardo Montalban (KHHAAAAANN!!) as the villainous Vincent Ludwig.  OJ Simpson is miscast, ironically playing Detective Nordberg, and let’s just say he is a better fugitive than he is an actor.  Reggie Jackson however steals the show portraying the incomparable Reggie Jackson – Hypnotized Robotic Assassin.

We don’t want to get into the plot – because that’s not important right now – or ever  – but you can’t help but come out of this movie smiling. 

And that is what we all could use right now, a long weekend, a BBQ, and a few laughs.  So, enjoy The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad this Labor Day.  It runs about an hour and a half and contains about 500 gags and jokes.  Appreciate them all. 

The Naked Gun streams for free on Paramount or Cinemax on demand or it’s available for rent for the usual $3-4 bucks on all major services.