The show, which released its season 3 finale today, has been renewed for another season at Disney+. That means we’re going to be joining Charles (Steve Martin), Oliver (Martin Short) and Mabel (Selena Gomez) to solve another murder next year.

‘Only Murders in the Building’ hails from co-creators and writers Steve Martin and John Hoffman (‘Grace & Frankie’, ‘Looking’). Martin and Hoffman executive produce along with Martin Short, Selena Gomez, ‘This Is Us’ creator Dan Fogelman and Jess Rosenthal.

Season three finds Charles, Oliver & Mabel investigating a murder behind the scenes of a Broadway show. Ben Glenroy (Paul Rudd) is a Hollywood action star whose Broadway debut is cut short by his untimely death. Aided by co-star Loretta Durkin (Meryl Streep), our trio embarks on their toughest case yet, all while director Oliver desperately attempts to put his show back together. Curtains up!

The series has been consistently well received by critics and has garnered multiple awards nominations and wins including season two’s Emmy nominations for Outstanding Comedy Series, Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series, and many others. All three seasons of ‘Only Murders in the Building’ are Certified Fresh on Rotten Tomatoes and are available to watch on Disney+ in the UK.

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We’ve all known what it’s like to be desperate to get home after work, only for the gods of transport to array against us. In that sense, we are all Steve Martin, who plays marketing executive Neal Page, a man desperate to be with his wife and kids in time for the Thanksgiving celebrations. What should be a straightforward journey from New York to Chicago turns out to be a living nightmare of delays, cancellations and frustrations. Neal must do battle with inconsiderate fellow-passengers, a shortage of taxicabs, flights grounded from snow and the vagaries of a chaotic but good-hearted travelling companion, salesman Del Griffith (John Candy). The fates have thrown all of the aforementioned his way. At rush hour, Neal tumbles into the road after tripping on Del’s suitcase and is almost crushed under the wheels of oncoming traffic. To add insult to injury, Del then takes his cab. This sets the tone for a series of unfortunate events that plague Neal, only for Del to keep turning up in his life, and in trying to help out, invariably courting disaster and making things far, far worse.

An uptight man at the best of times, and used to things going his way, the stress of an appalling journey brings out the worst in Neal, turning him into an unpleasant, irritable and often arrogant traveller. Conversely, Del is happy-go-lucky, taking life in his stride. The two are polar opposites, but where Del takes a shine to Neal, he’s blissfully unaware of just how much he is getting under his fellow traveller’s skin – until finally Neal explodes. The result is Steve Martin at his very best: a cruel but desperately funny diatribe directed at Del, which keeps cutting to Candy’s wounded and crestfallen face. You feel bad for laughing, but you can’t stop!

As well as the sensational two leads, ‘Planes, Trains and Automobiles also boasts some great cameo appearances by familiar actors. Kevin Bacon is the young businessman who races Neal for a taxicab before he makes it out of New York City. Dylan Baker proves what an excellent character actor he is with a fine comic turn as a hillbilly sent to provide our intrepid duo with a lift to the railway station. His attention to detail shows real craftsmanship.

I absolutely adored ‘Planes, Trains and Automobiles’ as a child. I remember squirming in embarrassment when Neal, at the end of his tether, directs a foul-mouthed rant at a car hire saleswoman. As something of an easily irritated and overly-neurotic traveller, perhaps I subliminally related to Neal from an early age. Watching it again as an adult, as I have done twice in recent years, the film is undiminished in my eyes. ‘Planes, Trains and Automobiles’ is a masterpiece of cinema, and a work of genius by the late, great John Hughes, whose string of hits captured the spirit of the 80s and 90s.

‘Planes, Trains and Automobiles’ is a hugely-successful buddy movie. The chemistry between Steve Martin and John Candy is superb throughout. It is satisfying that their characters are such polar opposites – Martin tightly-coiled and meticulous, Candy a laissez faire slob. But they both ensure that, even when the comedy touches on the slapstick (I’m thinking of driving the burnt-out car), the two leads are completely credible as rounded human beings. For that reason, it warms the heart to see each learning from one another. For all his annoyances, Del finally rubs off on Neal and teaches him to be a better, more tolerant version of himself.

Spending time in the company of these two great comic talents is a pure pleasure, but with a script this well-plotted and put-together, it makes for cinematic gold. You will laugh, you may well cry, but the big-hearted ‘Planes, Trains and Automobiles’ is sure to warm your cockles as delivers up a morality tale stuffed to the rafters with truth about the human condition. It is best enjoyed as a wintertime treat, as the movie is set in late November in snowy conditions. Apart from a bit of bad language, ‘Planes, Trains and Automobiles’ is generally accessible to the whole family, younger children excluded.

The sign of a good comedy movie is that it is eminently quotable. Everyone recognises, “Those aren’t pillows!” and there are a few other classic moments and lines of dialogue that have become part of the public consciousness. The only aspect of the movie I found unsatisfying is a musical score that has aged horribly, and which grates from time to time. It’s not enough to prevent me from awarding ‘Planes, Trains and Automobiles’ with the full five stars. It looks more stunning than ever on 4K UHD, which brings the best out of the snowy landscapes.

For those who enjoy extra features, this new edition is replete with them. A second Blu-ray ‘lost luggage’ disc includes never before seen deleted and extended scenes that aficionados will want to check out. They were recently discovered in John Hughes’ archive. You can also see Dylan Baker’s original audition. The 4K UHD disc contains the featurette ‘Getting There is Half the Fun: The Story of Planes, Trains and Automobiles’, as well as fitting tributes to the extraordinary legacies of John Hughes and John Candy.

Cast: Steve Martin, John Candy, Laila Robins, Kevin Bacon, Dylan Baker Director: John Hughes Writer: John Hughes Certificate: 15 Duration: 92 mins Release date: 21st November 2022 Buy ‘Planes, Trains and Automobiles’

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From the minds of Steve Martin, Dan Fogelman and John Hoffman, “Only Murders In The Building” follows three strangers (Steve Martin, Martin Short and Selena Gomez) who share an obsession with true crime and suddenly find themselves wrapped up in one.

When a grisly death occurs inside their exclusive Upper West Side apartment building, the trio suspects murder and employs their precise knowledge of true crime to investigate the truth. As they record a podcast of their own to document the case, the three unravel the complex secrets of the building which stretch back years. Perhaps even more explosive are the lies they tell one another.

Soon, the endangered trio comes to realize a killer might be living amongst them as they race to decipher the mounting clues before it’s too late.

‘Only Murders in the Building’ hails from co-creators and writers Steve Martin and John Hoffman (‘Grace & Frankie,’ ‘Looking’). Martin and Hoffman will executive produce along with Martin Short, Selena Gomez, Jamie Babbitt, ‘This Is Us’ creator Dan Fogelman and Jess Rosenthal.

Take a look at the key art for the series below:

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This beloved 1987 adaptation of Edmond Rostand’s Cyrano de Bergerac is a wonderfully old fashioned piece of filmmaking. Reminiscent of the golden era of Hollywood romance, there’s a touch of whimsical fantasy running through the film, thanks in no small part to Steve Martin’s excellent script, which lovingly updates the play for modern audiences.

Roxanne tells the story of C.D. “Charlie” Bates (Martin), a small town fire chief with an abnormally large nose. When the woman of his dreams moves to town – the Roxanne of the title, played by Daryl Hannah – Charlie is afraid to act on his feelings, as he is embarrassed about his nose.

Meanwhile, there’s a new fireman in town, in the shape of Chris (Rick Rossovich), a super handsome, strong silent type. Just like Charlie, he too falls in love with Roxanne. Everyone assumes based on his looks that he must be a ladykiller, when in fact nothing could be further from the truth. When he’s around beautiful women he is a clumsy, awkward, klutz, who has panic attacks and throws up.

With Charlie unable to declare his love, and Chris unable to string a sentence together, they unwittingly join forces to express their love to Roxanne. With Chris’s good looks acting as a vacuous mouthpiece, Charlie teaches him what to say to her, he writes letters for Chris to send to her, and in one inspired scene involving a radio earpiece and a hunting cap, he directly feeds lines for him to speak to her.

Daryl Hannah does a great job as the woman in the middle of all this. She is no desperado, looking to be defined by the love of a man. She is an astronomer who moved to a town in the mountains so she can track the course of a comet. That two men have fallen head over heels for her is just something she has to deal with.

Steve Martin is on spectacular form, as the eloquent, athletic and swashbuckling fire chief. Intelligent, poetic, funny, and good in a fight. There is no man in town who can match him. In the opening scene, he bests two would be assailants with nothing more than a tennis racket and his rapier wit. In the film’s most famous scene, a local buffoon calls him “big nose”, and he reels off twenty better insults to the delight of everyone in the bar. It is a classic moment that still stands up today.

It’s such a cliche, but who cares I’m going for it, they really don’t make ’em like this anymore! So effortlessly charming and lighthearted, and built on a fabulous script and winning performances from a wonderful cast. Roxanne is a terrific throwback to a less cynical time, when romantic comedies still managed to be both romantic and funny.

Cast: Steve Martin, Daryl Hannah, Rick Rossovich, Shelley Duvall Director: Fred Schepisi Writer: Steve Martin Released By: Eureka Entertainment Certificate: PG Duration: 107 mins Release Date: 21st November 2016

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Comedy, being the subjective beast that it is, pretty much makes criticism entirely redundant. You either find it funny or you don’t. Of course some films are more than just pure comedy, and they actually have something to say, perhaps something political or satirical, something about the human condition, or maybe a romantic story to tell. If you don’t laugh at these films, there may at least still be something that you can take away.

Some films however, are nothing but jokes. They live and die by how much they make you laugh. The Jerk is one such film. It is a ludicrous showcase for the talents of Steve Martin, in his breakout screen role. There’s no real plot or characters to speak of, just a series of set ups for Martin to do his thing, and how much you like it will depend entirely on how much these antics tickle your funny bone.

Martin plays idiot Navin Johnson, who has been brought up by a poor black family, believing himself to be their biological son. When he learns that he was adopted he wails, “you mean I’m gonna stay this colour?”

He leaves home, not to find his real family, but to find his fortune. On his way to achieving his goal, he hitchhikes to St Louis, works at a Texaco garage and becomes the target of a random psychopathic killer with an assault rifle (M. Emmet Walsh). Fleeing this lunatic, he joins a travelling carnival and shacks up with a sexually aggressive stunt biker (Catlin Adams). He then meets his true love (Bernadette Peters) and finds his fortune by inventing the Opti-Grab, a handle that goes on the bridge of glasses.

The fame and wealth are sadly short lived, when it is revealed that Opti-Grab is making people go cross-eyed. He is sued and loses everything.

The Jerk fully embraces its stupidity, never balking from absurdity, crassness or offensiveness. If there’s a joke to be made, The Jerk isn’t afraid to tell it. I would estimate that there is at least one visual or verbal gag for every minute of screen time. As a result it is very erratic, with a lot of jokes landing way off target. But when they land, boy do they land.

Since being released in 1979, the film has become something of a cultural touchstone, finding its way onto many “greatest of all time” lists, and is now widely considered to be one of the most influential and hilarious comedy films ever made.

There is clearly a lot of love for this film. But as I stated at the top of this review, comedy is very subjective, and I can imagine some people sitting through this entire film without so much as raising a smile, never mind laughing. This reviewer however, laughed his ass off.

Cast: Steve Martin, Bernadette Peters, M. Emmet Walsh, Jackie Mason Director: Carl Reiner Writer: Steve Martin, Carl Gottlieb & Michael Elias Released By: Fabulous Films Certificate: 15 Duration: 94 mins Release Date: Monday 28th March 2016

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Ron Howard’s Parenthood is over 25 years old, yet it is one of those films that seems to be shown on TV with almost alarming regularity. I guarantee it will be playing on some channel at some point this week. However, its enduring popularity can be explained simply: it is a timeless classic. Funny, insightful, and above all else, it is truthful.

It examines the choices we make – as parent or child – and how they affect our families. It also manages to convey the pain and anxieties of childhood, juxtaposed with the responsibilities, stresses and compromises of parenthood. And it does all this whilst still being funny.

The film tells the story of the multi-generational Buckman family. At the heart of the family, is Gil (Steve Martin) a father of three, who is struggling to balance his high-pressure job with the emotional demands of his family. His sister Helen (Dianne Wiest) is a single mother, trying to raise two teenage kids. Her eldest (Martha Plimpton) is shacking up with drag racer Tod (Keanu Reeves). Her youngest (Joaquin Phoenix) is running around with a bag of porno films. Gil’s other sister Susan, (Harley Kozak) is married to a pompous academic (Rick Moranis) who is trying to mold their three year old into a child genius. Into this mix we also have Gil’s father Frank (Jason Robards) with his very old school approach to parenting. He is the man that Gil is desperately trying not to be. And finally, Gil’s younger brother, Larry (Tom Hulce), the black sheep – a degenerate gambler and liar.

Director Ron Howard handles this vast ensemble with consummate skill. It is perhaps a bit too heavily weighted towards the father/son relationships, but this is to be expected seeing as the writers and director are all male. Despite this, everyone in the cast is given their moment to shine in a running time that still comes in at two hours.

Everyone is fantastic in the film, including the child actors, but the real star turns are Steve Martin, Jason Robards and Dianne “the best thing in everything she’s in” Wiest. The scene where she finds her daughters private photos is a real high point.

As the film goes on it continues to explore serious and sometimes dark material. The cynic in me wonders if the film is asking the question, how much does having children ruin your life? Then on the flipside, how much do parents project their own troubles onto their kids and ruin their lives? As Tod so eloquently puts it, “you need a license to buy a dog, or drive a car. Hell, you need a license to catch a fish! But they’ll let any butt-reaming asshole be a father.”

Is being a parent really worth all this trouble? Well, the film certainly thinks so, with it’s final “awww wuck at all da wickle baybeez” scene that wraps up the film. Had this film not chosen to end on such a mawkish note it would have been almost perfect.

Cast: Steve Martin, Mary Steenburgen, Dianne Wiest, Jason Robards, Keanu Reeves, Martha Plimpton, Rick Moranis Director: Ron Howard Writer: Babaloo Mandel & Lowell Ganz Released By: Fabulous Films Certificate: 15 Duration: 124 mins Release Date: Monday 28th March 2016

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Lawrence Jameson is a sophisticated confidence trickster, forging a living from the rich and gullible. When Freddy Benson arrives on the French Riviera, the duo briefly become partners in crime before the wealthy Christine Colgate checks in. In a battle to secure her assets, Lawrence and Freddy go head-to-head in a hustle of ever-growing proportions.

Based on the Eighties film starring Michael Caine and Steve Martin, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels is a tautly adapted comedy from Jeffrey Lane, punctuated by bold and brassy musical numbers from David Yazbeck. Sympathetic to the original story yet suitably augmented for stage, the comedy makes the leap to musical effortlessly thanks to a bank of upbeat and bold showstoppers such as Great Big Stuff; a number about material greed and Her I Am; a traditional Broadway number showcasing the leading starlet’s vocals. Catchy and cheeky, the music is consistently uptempo and drives the show at a relentless pace.

The play features Michael Praed as Jameson, who in this performance was seamlessly understudied by Kevin Stephen-Jones in a distinctly regal performance which honed the cool mannerisms of Roger Moore. All fine manners and courtesy, Stephen-Jones presents a slick trickster with a delicious flare. Noel Sullivan of Popstars fame is a youthful and cheeky Benson, providing a feckless charm and rough-mannered wit which is endearingly shambolic. Sullivan has several opportunities to expose his famous vocal abilities whilst also proving a fine technique in physical comedy, particularly in a scene where he pretends he has lost the use of his legs. His scenes with Carley Stenson as seductive siren Christine Colgate provide plenty of laugh-out-loud moments, whilst Stenson steals the stage with a range of truly excellent vocal performances.

A cute subplot sees a burgeoning romance between Muriel Eubanks (Geraldine Fitzgerald) and Andre Thibault (Mark Benton). Fitzgerald glows with an honest dignity throughout the play whilst Benton, blessed with the gift of a superbly charismatic face, falls hopelessly in love with her. Filled with longing looks and pelvic thrusts, the tension and comedy between Fitzgerald and Benton is undoubtedly one of the highlights of the show.

Those who expect plenty of stage business in their musicals will not be disappointed with the grandiose production design from Dirty Rotten Scoundrels. Offering art deco influences and a curious mash of 1930s dress with contemporary flourishes, the play presents rapid scenic changes with ease and ingenuity, transforming the stage from hotel to promenade and garden to basement. The production design offers particularly good provision for the dance numbers, which are grand in scale and quick of step. Indeed, between the meticulous scenic details and the evocational movements of the dance ensemble, the French Riviera comes alive with a vivid potency.

Whilst some movie adaptations, particularly musicals, can fall short of the material that inspired them, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels manages to succeed on almost every level. The story is strong and absorbing, with comedy which is superbly distilled and performed. Musical numbers are both punchy and memorable, whilst the dance is energetic and impressively purposeful. A classic game of cat and mouse which is endlessly entertaining and meticulously realised for the stage, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels is full of pros without a single con. It’s the perfect summer night’s treat.

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From the creators of How To Train Your Dragon, Shrek and The Croods, Home features the voice talents of Rihanna, Jim Parsons, Steve Martin and Jennifer Lopez.

When Earth is taken over by the overly-confident Boov, an alien race in search of a new place to call home, all humans are promptly relocated, while all Boov get busy reorganizing the planet. But when one resourceful girl, Tip, (Rihanna) manages to avoid capture, she finds herself the accidental accomplice of a banished Boov named Oh (Jim Parsons). The two fugitives realize there’s a lot more at stake than intergalactic relations as they embark on the road trip of a lifetime.

Home doesn’t have a set release date yet in the UK but we’ll keep you posted as soon as we know. Watch the trailer for Home below:

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