Film & TV Picks: The Naked Gun, Lee Soo Man: King Of K-pop, YooBari TalkBari

The Naked Gun (NC16)

85 minutes, now showing

From starring in the Oscar-winning drama Schindler’s List (1993) to the money-making Taken action franchise (2008 to 2014), Liam Neeson – known for his on-screen tough-guy persona – is now goofing around, determined to make moviegoers laugh.

The Irish actor stars in The Naked Gun, a reboot of the crime procedural spoof trilogy that was a hit in the 1980s and 1990s, thanks to its lead actor, the late Leslie Nielsen. The last Naked Gun instalment was Naked Gun 33⅓: The Final Insult in 1994.

Neeson is gruff detective Frank Drebin Jr, son of Nielsen’s character Frank Drebin and the only person who can save the world from evil billionaire Richard Cane’s (Danny Huston) dastardly plans of world domination.

Joining Neeson in the comedy fest is Pamela Anderson, as blonde bombshell Beth Davenport, who asks Drebin Jr to investigate her brother’s murder.

Apart from visual buffoonery and slapstick comedy, the sizzling chemistry between Neeson and Anderson adds to the fun. The actors also continued their lovey-dovey antics at the movie’s recent promotional events. According to US entertainment sites People and Us Weekly, the actors are reportedly dating in real life after falling for each other on set.

Lee Soo Man: King Of K-pop

Prime Video

It is hard to avoid K-pop of late – it is everywhere. Animated film KPop Demon Hunters (2025) is still buzzing, and its soundtrack continues to dominate music charts in the United States and Britain.

BTS and Blackpink, the kings and queens of K-pop, are keeping their global fans on their toes with impending new album releases. Meanwhile, heirs apparent Stray Kids broke K-pop touring history with their recent Dominate World Tour, which reportedly grossed over US$260 million (S$333 million) across 54 shows.

To learn how K-pop became a cultural phenomenon, check out Lee Soo Man: King Of K-pop. Lee is the founder of SM Entertainment, the powerhouse behind idol groups such as Girls’ Generation, Super Junior, NCT and Aespa. Dubbed the father of K-pop, he helped orchestrate the blueprint for the industry.

The 107-minute documentary offers a no-holds-barred look into the brutal K-pop industry, from Lee’s notorious “slave contracts” to how he was eventually ousted from the company in a boardroom power struggle worthy of a K-drama.

YooBari TalkBari

YouTube

K-drama actor Yoo Yeon-seok is the host of this breezy talk show, in which he invites his colleagues to a pretty cafe and serves them a special brew.

Yoo – known for series like When The Phone Rings (2024), The Interest Of Love (2022) and Hospital Playlist (2020 to 2021) – is a certified barista and wows his guests with his coffees, teas and other drinks. His guests include former co-stars, such as Moon Ga-young and Chae Soo-bin, as well as industry acquaintances like Lee Jin-uk and Jung Chae-yeon.

The concept of the YouTube talk show is simple: friends catching up over drinks and also using the time to promote their new dramas or movies. Each episode is about 30 to 45 minutes long and there are about eight uploaded so far.

The main appeal of the show lies in how Yoo and his guests, in a casual and relaxed setting, reveal insights into their personal lives, likes and dislikes, as well as how their friendships are formed.