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In just a few weeks, The Naked Gun will return to theaters, reviving the classic slapstick police comedy franchise that first debuted in 1982. Given that the film satirizes law enforcement, Andy Samberg's involvement in the project is notable, especially since he starred in the police sitcom Brooklyn Nine-Nine, is part ofThe Lonely Island alongside director Akiva Schaffer, and frequently collaborates with him on comedic projects.

In an interview with ScreenRant, Samberg shares that despite him not having any role in The Naked Guy, he has seen it early via private/test screenings. And just like producer Seth MacFarlane, he too misses the comedy style of the 80s and gives the upcoming movie his praise, especially for Liam Neeson and Pamela Anderson's performances.

"We're not in Naked Gun, but Naked Gun is so good. It's just pure joy. I mean, I'm biased, obviously; Akiva is my guy. But everyone...

Before Tom Cruise was driving motorcycles off cliffs, clinging to planes, and fighting bad guys atop moving trains in the name of "Mission: Impossible," the franchise had its humble beginnings in the form of a very '60s CBS series. The original "Mission: Impossible" was a spy series with a rotating cast of characters created by Bruce Gellar, who died in a plane crash just five years after the show ended. Several key cast members have passed away in the years since then, including Peter Graves, Greg Morris, Martin Landau, Steven Hill, and, of course, Leonard Nimoy.

"Mission: Impossible" was a huge success when it aired, winning 10 Emmys throughout its seven-season run and producing 171 episodes. The show inspired an '80s revival series, but "Mission: Impossible" really took off when Cruise (and Brian De Palma) got a hold of the franchise in 1996. The near-superhuman character Ethan Hunt was created for the movies,...

From left: Jon Voight, Tom Cruise in Mission: Impossible (Paramount), Ving Rhames, Simon Pegg in Mission: Impossible—Dead Reckoning Part One (Paramount) Graphic: AVClub Wtf is the Imf? The answer to that question, like many aspects of the long-running Mission: Impossible franchise itself, can be convoluted, elusive, frustrating, and rewarding, in equal measures.

The Imf then and now: The Mission: Impossible TV cast show (1966-1973) and the stars of Mission: Impossible—Dead Reckoning Part One (Paramount).Photo: Bettmann (Getty Images)

Wtf is the Imf? The answer to that question, like many aspects of the long-running Mission: Impossible franchise itself, can be convoluted, elusive,...

Covert operations, shadowy government agencies, foreign intrigue, technological wizardry, masters of disguises, heist-like action, self-destructing tapes — Mission: Impossible had it all. Oh, and that iconic theme song, of course. Mission: Impossible ran for seven seasons and 172 episodes on CBS before ending 50 years ago, on March 30, 1973. Steven Hill, Barbara Bain, Greg Morris, and Peter Lupus made up the original Impossible Mission Force — whose missions, should they choose to accept them, involved retrieving sensitive information, recovering ill-gotten goods, neutralizing targets, and averting geopolitical crises. As the show progressed, the faces of the Imf changed — and not just because of the latex masks the operatives so often wore for disguises. Peter Graves took over as Imf leader, and Martin Landau, Leonard Nimoy, Lesley Ann Warren, and Sam Elliott joined the elite team full-time. With the Mission: Impossible finale a half century behind us — and the next installment of Tom Cruise’s Mission: Impossible...

Welcome, readers. Your mission, should you choose to accept it, will require you to enter the following giveaway. The opportunity lies in winning the entire collection of the Mission Impossible Original TV Series on Blu-ray. Now that the set has been officially released (as of December 1), we’re giving three lucky geeks the opportunity to win one of their own! A cool 143 hours of footage, this set provides the perfect escape into a world full of anonymity, deception and corruption…totally unlike our world…maybe.

Click here to enter via our official giveaway page!

Whether you grew up watching the series or want to go back in time to learn the espionage that inspired the global and super successful movie franchise, the I.M.F. team is ready to fulfill their mission. Follow Daniel Briggs (Steven Hill) and later, Jim Phelps (Peter Graves) as they lead their crew of experts around the world!

Landau (center) with "Mission:Impossible" co-stars (clockwise) Peter Graves, Greg Morris, Peter Lupus and Barbara Bain.

By Lee Pfeiffer

Oscar-winning actor Martin Landau has passed away at age 89. Landau had originally intended to be a cartoonist before studying at the esteemed Actors Studio in New York City. With his intense looks and persona, he began to be noticed by Hollywood studios. In 1959 he was cast as James Mason's gay henchman in Alfred Hitchcock's classic "North by Northwest". It was Landau who suggested playing the role as a not-so-closeted homosexual, a rather daring strategy for the era. The result made Landau standout in a cast of heavyweights that included Cary Grant, Eva Marie Saint and Leo G. Carroll. Roles in epic films such as "Cleopatra" and "The Greatest Story Ever Told" followed. Landau also appeared regularly on popular TV programs including "The Twilight Zone", "The Untouchables", "I Spy", "The Wild,...

It's almost impossible to believe, but Mission: Impossible made its debut on CBS 50 years ago today.Created by Bruce Geller, the action-adventure drama followed the missions of top secret government agents. Over the show's run, the cast included Greg Morris, Peter Lupus, Peter Graves, Steven Hill, Barbara Bain, Barbara Anderson, Martin Landau, Leonard Nimoy, Lesley Ann Warren, and Sam Elliott.Read More…...

This weekend marks Hercules’ return to the big screen. A staple in the hero canon, the half man, and half god has slayed lions, bedded mortal women, and even hung out with the Three Stooges. Over the past seven decades, the hero has transformed from an Italian Stallion of the 1950s to the Blockbuster Beefcake we see today thanks to Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and Kellan Lutz taking on the title role. With the former’s film (Hercules directed by Brett Ratner) opening this weekend, we thought it was a good time to look at the evolution of Hercules on the big screen.

’50s: The Italian Stallion

A star of the “sword and scandal” genre, Hercules became a regular fixture in Italian cinema during the 1950s. These historical epics were seen as the country’s answer to successful big-budget Hollywood films, such as Spartacus and The Ten Commandments.

Subsequently, the...

This weekend marks Hercules’ return to the big screen. A staple in the hero canon, the half man, and half god has slayed lions, bedded mortal women, and even hung out with the Three Stooges. Over the past seven decades, the hero has transformed from an Italian Stallion of the 1950s to the Blockbuster Beefcake we see today thanks to Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and Kellan Lutz taking on the title role. With the former’s film (Hercules directed by Brett Ratner) opening this weekend, we thought it was a good time to look at the evolution of Hercules on the big screen.

’50s: The Italian Stallion

A star of the “sword and scandal” genre, Hercules became a regular fixture in Italian cinema during the 1950s. These historical epics were seen as the country’s answer to successful big-budget Hollywood films, such as Spartacus and The Ten Commandments.

Subsequently, the...

Phoenix -- The self-proclaimed "America's Toughest Sheriff" is joining forces this weekend with action movie star Steven Seagal to train volunteer armed posse members to defend Phoenix-area schools against gunmen.

Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio announced the controversial plan in the wake of the December Newtown, Conn., school shooting that left 27 people dead, including the gunman and 20 first-graders.

The exercise is planned for Saturday at a closed school site in suburban Fountain Hills outside Phoenix where sheriff's Swat members will act as shooters and 25 teenagers will play the part of students during mock scenarios involving up to three gunmen.

Seagal, best known for his roles in movies such as "Above the Law" and "Under Siege," will lead training on hand-to-hand defense tactics, among other techniques, drawing from his expertise in martial arts, according to a sheriff's office news release.

Arpaio's office didn't respond to requests for comment Friday, and Seagal...

Choose to accept the mission this holiday season when every single episode of the thrilling series Mission: Impossible arrives in a magnificent 56-disc set. Perfect for television fans, Mission: Impossible - The Complete Television Collection Gift Set will be available on DVD December 11 from CBS Home Entertainment and Paramount Home Media Distribution. Highlighted by never-before-released inside looks and extended interviews with the show's celebrated stars, the set includes all seven seasons of the original Golden Globe and Emmy award-winning series along with its 1980s revival, together for the first time in dynamite-shaped packaging.

Mission: Impossible - The Complete Television Collection Gift Set also contains must-see bonus features. The two-part exclusive featurette entitled "Birth of the Mission" and "Mission Debriefing," gives fans a special behind-the-scenes look at the series, and includes never-before-released interviews with Mission: Impossible stars Peter Graves (Jim Phelps), Barbara Bain (Cinnamon Carter) and Martin Landau (Rollin Hand). In addition,...

Blu-ray & DVD Release Date: Dec. 11, 2012

Price: DVD $359.99

Studio: CBS/Paramount

One of the great all-time Cold War spy drama-action TV shows arrives in the 56-disc set Mission: Impossible: The Complete Television Collection.

We ain’t talking about the Tom Cruise Mission: Impossible movies starring Tom Cruise (like last year’s Ghost Protocol), which are quite fine in their own right, but rather the original one. Or, as purists might put it, the real one!

Highlighted by a newly-produced bunch of bonus features, the set includes all seven seasons of the original series which ran from 1966 through 1973, along with its 1988-90 revival, in cool-looking dynamite-shaped packaging. The original series minus the revival was previously issued on DVD back in 2009 and is still available.

The original action drama Mission: Impossible follows the adventures of the skilled I.M.F. (Impossible Missions Force) team who carry out highly dangerous and mysterious tasks for the government.

June 17: Actor Peter Lupus (TV's "Mission: Impossible") is 80. Singer Barry Manilow is 69. Comedian Joe Piscopo is 61. Actor Mark Linn-Baker ("Perfect Strangers") is 58. Director Bobby Farrelly ("There's Something About Mary") is 54. Actor Thomas Haden Church ("Sideways," "Wings," "Ned and Stacy") is 51. Actor Greg Kinnear is 49. Actress Kami Cotler ("The Waltons") is 47. Actor Jason Patric is 46. Singer Kevin Thornton of Color Me Badd is 43. Actor-comedian Will Forte ("Saturday Night Live") is 42. Actor-rapper Herculeez of Herculeez and Big Tyme is 29.

June 18: Musician Paul McCartney is 70. Movie critic Roger Ebert is 70. Actress Constance McCashin ("Knots Landing") is 65. Actress Linda Thorson ("The Avengers") is 65. Keyboardist John Evans of The Box Tops is 64. Actress Isabella Rossellini is 60. Actress Carol Kane is 60. Actor Brian Benben ("Private Practice") is 56. Actress Andrea Evans ("The Bold and the Beautiful") is 55. Singer Alison Moyet is 51. Keyboardist Dizzy Reed (Guns N' Roses) is 49. Country singer-guitarist Tim Hunt (Yankee Grey) is...

In this incarnation of our Videolog column (which began in 1982 with VHS and Betamax and later laserdisc), Starlog posts information weekly regarding selected genre titles being released (or re-released) now on DVD and Blu-ray. Prices listed are Msrp, though any clickable links lead to Amazon where the savings can be significant.

DVD Releases for November 3, 2009 (Posted late due to our recent Fango event in Vegas)

Aliens In The Attic (Fox, $29.99 DVD; $39.99 Blu-ray): It’s summer vacation, but the Pearson family kids are stuck at a boring lake house with their nerdy parents. That is until feisty, little, green aliens crash-land on the roof with plans to conquer the house and then Earth. Using only their wits, courage and video game-playing skills, the youngsters must band together to defeat the aliens and save the world—but the toughest part might be keeping the whole thing a secret from their parents!