Entertainment
Raunchy, R-Rated Comedy With Stacked Cast Is A Side-Splitting PR Disaster
By Robert Scucci
| Published
When a band gets too famous for its own good, it’s only a matter of time before tensions rise and the entire operation falls apart, which is broken down beautifully in 2016’s Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping. If you’re familiar with The Lonely Island, you already know what kind of humor you’re signing up for, since the film is written by and starring Andy Samberg, Jorma Taccone, and Akiva Schaffer. Functioning as a Behind the Music–style mockumentary, Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping brutally lampoons the music industry by showing just how quickly the pop culture media machine chews up and spits out its artists the second their popularity starts to wane, all while delivering consistently side-splitting results.
Like most musical mockumentaries, Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping follows a fairly predictable “this happened, then this happened, then this happened” story structure, but that hardly matters here. You want to see everything that happens because whenever something happens, a PR disaster is usually right behind it. This slice-of-life delivery never wears out its welcome because The Lonely Island, or “The Style Boyz” in this case, know exactly how to command the crowd, the press, and the viewing audience watching the whole thing unravel in real time.
Boy Band Breakup And Its Messy Aftermath
Centering on Connor Friel’s (Andy Samberg) solo project, Connor4Real, Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping gives us a crash course on the past collaboration responsible for his meteoric rise to fame. Back in the day, Connor was an integral part of the pop trio The Style Boyz alongside his childhood friends Lawrence “Kid Brain” Dunn (Akiva Schaffer) and Owen “Kid Contact” Bouchard (Jorma Taccone), performing under the name “Kid Connor” when things were far simpler.
When Connor’s infamous “Catchphrase Verse,” co-written by Lawrence, launches him into superstardom, Lawrence leaves the group after receiving no credit for his contributions. This effectively leaves Owen behind as well, relegating him to a de facto DJ role for Connor’s new solo venture.
Owen’s creative input is brushed aside in favor of Connor writing by committee, reducing him to pressing “play” on an iPod and serving as a hype man while Connor remains the face of the entire operation. After a series of increasingly poor business decisions courtesy of their manager Harry Duggins (Tim Meadows), Connor slowly becomes a public punchline when his sophomore album, Connquest, gets torn apart by critics.
The real nail in the coffin for Connor’s career comes in the form of an endorsement deal with home appliance company Aquaspin. Much like the U2 incident where iPhone users had an album forced onto their devices against their will, Connor4Real’s release is installed into dishwashers and smart fridges everywhere, producing exactly the kind of backlash you’d expect from a marketing stunt that wildly overestimates its audience’s patience while simultaneously blacking out the power grid.
As Connor’s career steadily flushes itself down the toilet, he’s no longer able to headline his own tour, forcing Harry to bring on an opening act in the form of up-and-coming rapper Hunter the Hungry (Chris Redd), whose popularity quickly eclipses Connor’s. Despite leaning into increasingly unhinged gimmicks in a desperate attempt to stay relevant, disaster after disaster follows, culminating in a wolf attack at his televised wedding to Ashley (Imogen Poots), who he’s only been dating for six months.
Caught between his past life with his original band and a new life that’s doing him no favors, Connor is forced to confront his own ego with help from his publicist Paula (Sarah Silverman) before his career lands in the gutter with no chance of recovery.
Standard Mockumentary Fare Done Exceedingly Well
If Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping sounds like another riff on Walk Hard or This Is Spinal Tap, that’s because it absolutely is. But it earns its keep by being completely shameless in its execution. The concert footage and musical setpieces boast surprisingly high production values, which help sell just how far Connor4Real falls from grace while refusing to listen to the people closest to him.
The celebrity cameos, including but not limited to 50 Cent, Miley Cyrus, Adam Levine, Questlove, Pharrell Williams, T.I., A$AP Rocky, and Michael Bolton, do a lot of heavy lifting. The B-roll interview segments in particular sell the Behind the Music angle far better than they have any right to, grounding the chaos in something that feels just real enough to be a VH1 special.
Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping also leans hard into its behind-the-scenes absurdity, especially once you learn that the pop tabloids are run by Will Arnett, Eric André, Mike Birbiglia, and Chelsea Perretti. Their entire job consists of laughing, offering half-hearted commentary, and drinking from multiple metal water bottles at the same time, because that’s all corporate culture requires these days.
In short, everything you see here has been done before, but the satire remains sharp because the film fully commits to its own ridiculous spectacle. It knows exactly when to linger on the absurdity and when to cut away before the joke wears thin.
A box office bomb turned cult classic, Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping is one of those movies you owe it to yourself to watch if you’re willing to embrace just how ridiculous it gets. You shouldn’t expect anything less from The Lonely Island. If you’re in the mood for sensation, spectacle, and a media-friendly fall from grace, you can stream it right now on Prime Video.
Entertainment
Kathy Hilton Shares the Style Rule She Passed Down to Paris and Nicky: 'You Don’t Need the Whole Kitchen Sink'
Less really is more, just ask Kathy Hilton.
The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star spilled the effortlessly chic beauty and style tips she passed down to daughters Paris, 45, and Nicky, 42, while hosting a fête for LoveShackFancy’s Sweetheart fragrance at her Bel Air, California home on March 20.
Though Hilton loves a glamorous moment (and throws a party like no other), she’s all about keeping things polished, and never overdone.
“A classic rule I’ve told Paris and Nicky is to be comfortable. I’d rather be a little underdressed than overdressed because you can always throw on fun earrings or change your shoes if you’re leaving work or getting off a plane,” she tells ET.
“You don’t want to come in with the whole kitchen sink and make a fool out of yourself. Dim it down a little bit. Just be fresh, pretty, and confident. That’s the best,” the entrepreneur continues.
Naturally, the mother-daughter trio shares more than just style advice, they share closets too.
“They can’t wear my shoes because I have a smaller foot, but they wear my jewelry, my accessories, and my handbags. … I recently borrowed a bag that was so cute from Paris. She was calling every day saying, ‘I’m going to come by and get my bag.’ … She knows her inventory and doesn’t forget, but I’m happy that she takes care of her things and that she’s appreciative,” the Bravo star says.
When it comes to what Hilton actually keeps in her purse, she leans into easy and practical items.
“I carry an eye mask that I found years ago at a drugstore in New York, pale pink silicone foot pads for comfort, my little fan, and my Lorna Murray hat because it gives an outfit a great look, makes me look a little bit taller, and keeps the sun off my face,” she explains.
“I’m also always trying the latest and newest product to moisturize my lips because they’re chronically dry, and I love the Revive neck cream and can’t put on makeup without it.”
Beyond her essentials, one thing Hilton never leaves the house without is a signature spritz.
“I spray my perfume at the end, but I make sure I don’t have pearls on. … I have a collection of fragrances. … There are ones I would wear to a ladies’ lunch, and others that are romantic and sexy that I would wear after 5 p.m. for dinner with my husband.”
Luckily, her current favorite works for just about any occasion.
“Sweetheart is so fruity and floral, and the bottle is the pinkest, most sparkly, and gorgeous. … It’s perfect for spring and summer because it’s happiness in a bottle. … I like to bring a little bit of summer everywhere I go. … Hot girl summer every day, even in the winter,” Rebecca Hessel Cohen, founder of LoveShackFancy, notes.
“It can take you anywhere. … It’s so beautiful that you want to just hold it or keep it on your dressing table,” Hilton continues.
Still, there is one area where Hilton doesn’t hold back: health and wellness.
“I do Tru Niagen IV treatments every week and take two of their supplements every day to give me energy. … I’m a mad professor with putting things together. I always have my lotions and potions, and everyone loves it. … My girls are very into it and it’s fun to compare notes.”
Through it all though, her philosophy stays grounded.
“I’ve always mixed high and low. I’m as happy at Target and Walmart as I am on the seventh floor of Bergdorf Goodman.”
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Entertainment
Pro Wrestler Dennis Condrey, Chuck Norris and More Stars We Lost This Year
Hollywood mourned the deaths of some of its most legendary stars in 2026.
The year started off with Broadway performer and influencer Bret Hanna-Shuford’s death at age 46. At the end of the month, comedy acting icon Catherine O’Hara died at age 71.
In February, Designing Women’s Camilla Carr died at age 83, Dawson’s Creek actor James Van Der Beek died at age 48, Harold and Maude star Bud Cort died at 77, Robert Duvall died at age 95 and actor Eric Dane died at age 53. That same month, Lizzie McGuire actor Robert Carradine‘s family confirmed his death on February 23.
Dallas star Annabel Schofield, former NASCAR driver Chase Pistone, Ghostbusters actress Jennifer Runyon, British actor John Alford, Back to the Future actor Matt Clark, British reality TV star Jordan Wright, Chuck Norris and pro wrestler Dennis “Loverboy” Condrey all died in March.
Scroll down to remember all the stars who died in 2026:
Entertainment
The Zombie Remake As Good As The Original Horror Classic
By Brian Myers
| Published
Remakes are a source of a great divide among horror fans, seemingly split into even-numbered camps that either welcome new visions of old classics or consider the very thought of reimagining a beloved film blasphemous. When it was announced in 1989 that George Romero’s zombie cult classic Night of the Living Dead would be remade for modern audiences, the news was met with mixed reaction. For those who have seen the finished 1990 version, most will agree that it is every bit as much of a gem as its 1968 predecessor.
The Night of the Living Dead remake begins in the same way of the original, with brother and sister Johnny and Barbara (played by Bill Moseley and Patricia Tallman, respectively) visiting their mother’s grave in a country cemetery in Pennsylvania. While putting flowers on the plot, the siblings are attacked by an elderly man. In the scuffle to protect his sister, Johnny is killed.
Barbara runs from the graveyard and finds what she thinks is an empty farmhouse. But a small group of zombies, much like the one that attacked her and Johnny in the cemetery, are there to greet her. She is suddenly joined by a man named Ben (Tony Todd), who helps her keep the undead at bay.
The Night of the Living Dead remake continues along much of the same path as the Romero original, with the farmhouse being occupied by a group of survivors in the basement. Conflict between the newcomers and the squatters arises, with devastating consequences. With limited resources and even fewer options, the small group tries to develop a plan to escape and find better digs.
The Night of the Living Dead remake marks the directorial debut for special effects and film makeup wizard Tom Savini. While he did not work on the 1968 Romero original, Savini became a staple of Romero‘s subsequent films. The filmmaker/special effects master helped to bring the undead to life on screen with Dawn of the Dead and Day of the Dead, as well as lending his acting talents to small roles in several of Romero’s films that include Dawn of the Dead and Martin.
The Night of the Living Dead remake brought the horrors of the original in full, gory color. Little is left to the imagination in this version, and Savini was forced to edit out some of the more brutal scenes to avoid an NC-17 rating. The added gore aside, the movie sticks pretty close to the original as far as plot and character development, with one glaring and welcomed exception.
For the role of Barbara, Savini had actress Patricia Tallman (best known for her role on Babylon 5) evolve the character over the course of the film into a powerful player who takes no prisoners. This is a far cry from the original Barbara from 1968, who was meek and pretty helpless.
The Night of the Living Dead remake delivers better performances from its stars, particularly Tallman and Tony Todd. Sharp-eyed horror fans will recognize two faces from the 1968 version in Bill Cardille (who played a TV news reporter in both versions) and Russell Streiner, who played Johnny in the 1968 version and was cast as Sheriff McClelland in the 1990 reboot.
You can stream the 1990 remake of Night of the Living Dead on Amazon.
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