Latest news with #Smallville
Gizmodo
5 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Gizmodo
‘Urban Legend' Has '90s Nostalgia and Folklore Frights Worth Revisiting
Scream arrived in 1996, revitalizing slasher movies and ushering in a rush of imitators—much like Halloween and Friday the 13th did during the genre's first wave in the late 1970s and early '80s. Now we're in a third wave, with Scream's successful return and the recent releases of brand-new movies in the late '90s-early 2000s I Know What You Did Last Summer and Final Destination series. A few months ago, 1998's Urban Legend—which spawned two sequels you've never heard of—was tapped with the resurrection wand and may soon be finding new life under producer Gary Dauberman (The Conjuring Universe). But the original, written off by some when it was released as a coattail-riding cash grab, is worth a fresh look. Not only does it have a surprisingly good cast (including Twin Peaks' Alicia Witt, Robert 'Freddy Krueger' Englund, a just-post-My So-Called Life Jared Leto, Halloween series veteran Danielle Harris, future Smallville star Michael Rosenbaum, and '90s teen dreams Joshua Jackson, Rebecca Gayheart, and Tara Reid; there's even a cameo for Brad 'Chucky' Dourif), but its premise overtly draws on the very folktales that inspired the earliest slasher films. It's gimmicky, and it knows it—'An urban legend serial killer? It's a stretch,' a skeptical character points out—but we wouldn't have 1974's Black Christmas without that old yarn about the killer who calls from inside the house. Its setup gives Urban Legend a built-in list of terrors to choose from, as the script ticks off such scenarios as an axe-wielding killer hiding in the back seat of a car, the explosive blend of Pop Rocks and soda, the reveal of 'aren't you glad you didn't turn on the light?' scrawled in blood across a bedroom wall, and more. It's a lot of trouble for any maniac to go to. But having the main characters in college together, taking the same 'introduction to folklore' class, makes the elaborate death scenes at least thematically understandable, especially once the killer's motivation is revealed. That said, Urban Legend is also a deeply silly movie. It can't resist winking at the audience, whether that's playing 'Total Eclipse of the Heart' in a scene where you really need a character to 'turn around' (per the lyrics) and realize her doom is lurking just behind her; casting the star of A Nightmare on Elm Street as a creepy college professor; or having the car stereo of Jackson's character reveal he was blasting the Dawson's Creek theme song. The campus cop, played by character actor Loretta Devine, indulges her Pam Grier obsession in multiple scenes… just because. There are also tropes galore; the 'killer on a college campus' is a time-worn concept, with Black Christmas to thank once again. Nearly every slasher movie spirals from a misdeed in the past so unforgivable that gruesome payback is the only solution (at least according to the killer), and Urban Legend teases out the details of the reveal in a way that doesn't feel completely obvious. And even if you figure out who the parka-clad murderer is before the movie wants you to, the pieces fit together in a reasonably satisfying manner. Urban Legend being a relic of the 1990s means it's very dated to that specific pre-smartphone, early-days-of-the-internet era. Characters go to the library and school newspaper archives to look for clues that would take 10 seconds to look up in 2025, and they run to pay phones when they need to call for help. People's pagers go off at interrupting moments. Witt's character has to battle with her surly roommate to use their shared landline—interrupting the girl's dial-up message board trolling for goth dudes to hook up with. An Urban Legend remake set in contemporary times—as all the recent slasher reboot movies have been—would have far more advanced technology to help its characters communicate while figuring out what's happening around them. But it'll still need to tie into the stories that justify its title, perhaps by adapting and updating urban legends that have become viral sensations. These tales may catch fire thanks to the internet, but they still draw on our deepest, darkest fears. Are you in the house alone? Urban Legend streams on Shudder starting August 1. Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, what's next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who.
Tom's Guide
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Tom's Guide
If you loved ‘Superman,' you need to watch ‘Smallville' — and you can stream all 10 seasons on Hulu
There's a new Superman in Metropolis, and while his face is new, he feels eerily familiar. Since the beginning, Superman has always felt like two characters: Kal-El and Clark Kent. Every hero has a secret identity, but few are as tricky to balance. Most actors tend to favor one over the other. But in 2025's "Superman," David Corenswet nails both. He brings classic charm and moral clarity while making the character his own. We meet him already established at the Daily Planet and as a hero — no tired origin story, just immersion. While Corenswet shines, what thrilled me most was the film's embrace of Clark's roots. Too often, Superman movies skip over what actually makes him Clark: the Kents. Watching certain scenes, I felt like I was back in 2001, reliving Tom Welling's journey from farm boy to hero in "Smallville." Now that Kansas is back in the spotlight, it's the perfect time to revisit Clark's coming-of-age. While "Smallville" is largely pre-cape, its monster-of-the-week structure gives us a deep dive into Clark's most complex relationship: Lex Luthor. And with Nicholas Hoult's sharp new Lex still fresh, now's a great time to binge-watch all 10 seasons of "Smallville" on Hulu — whether it's your first watch or your hundredth. One month free trial! Try Hulu free for 30 days and check out movies like "The Amateur" at no cost. Yes, Clark is an alien. But what most Superman movies overlook is the fact that he was raised human. The Kents didn't just give him shelter — they gave him his values. Like the new film, "Smallville" focuses on life on the farm, showing Clark's version of a 'normal' upbringing. The Kents may not be wealthy, but they raise him with humility, kindness, and a deep respect for life. In "Smallville," John Kent won't let Clark accept a new truck from Lex, even after saving his life. The lesson? You don't get rewarded for doing the right thing. Without that foundation, Clark could've easily gone the way of Nathan Fillion's Green Lantern — or worse, become someone like Lex, who masks selfishness with noble intent. The Kents in "Superman" (2025) are even more grounded. Their house is run-down, their farm modest. But what they give Clark is priceless: identity, purpose, a compass. 'It's who you are, not where you come from,' John tells him — a sentiment echoed throughout "Smallville." Get instant access to breaking news, the hottest reviews, great deals and helpful tips. I've said it for years: Michael Rosenbaum is the best Lex Luthor. Most versions dive too fast into villainy, skipping the complexity. Lex isn't just a criminal — he's a brilliant, obsessive, deeply broken man. "Smallville" took liberties with Clark and Lex's origin, but their bond is the soul of the show. It's layered, tragic, and unforgettable. No surprise the top "Smallville" fanfiction ship is Clark and Lex. Over time, Lex becomes obsessed with Clark's secret, and their trust slowly unravels. Rosenbaum gave us a slow, painful descent into darkness, as Lex's curiosity morphs into paranoia. Hoult's Lex in "Superman" echoes that same DNA: unhinged brilliance fueled by insecurity. Both actors capture Lex's deep need for power and control, laced with just enough humanity to make you flinch. I don't usually feel for villains — but Rosenbaum's Lex gets me every time. People love to complain that superhero movies are 'too political' now. But Superman's always been political. He's an alien immigrant who fights for the powerless — that's baked into his DNA. The 2025 film leans into that legacy, just as the original comics tackled war, corruption, and inequality. "Smallville" isn't overtly political, but it still explores power and morality — especially through Lex's rise in later seasons. If the movie's commentary hit home, you'll find quieter echoes in Clark's small-town struggles and Lex's ambition. And importantly, neither version gives us a perfect hero. Corenswet's Clark is cocky and stubborn, and some of the film's chaos is his own doing. Same goes for "Smallville's" Clark, who hides the truth from Lex and walks away when honesty might have changed everything. Superman's strength isn't just in flight or heat vision — it's in trying to do the right thing, even when he fails. And that drive doesn't come from Krypton. It comes from the Kents. Follow Tom's Guide on Google News to get our up-to-date news, how-tos, and reviews in your feeds. Make sure to click the Follow button.
Time Out
7 days ago
- Entertainment
- Time Out
Superman
Even those cinemagoers who have grumbled about the preponderance of superhero origin stories – and I'm guilty there – might feel a touch of remorse watching writer-director James Gunn's puckish and political (but wildly overstuffed) blockbuster skip merrily past all the basics of DC's most righteous figure. The Guardians of the Galaxy man, probably mindful of the many Super-movies that have come before his, races through Kal-El's origins in a handful of captions over the opening frames: an Antarctic vista into which a battered and vulnerable Superman (David Corenswet) is hurled after his first defeat in battle over the skies of Metropolis. In those few sentences, establishing the existence of metahumans on Earth and the arrival of Superman from the planet Krypton 30 years prior, this DC reboot skips jauntily past the entire plot of Richard Donner's 1978 classic. So, there's no orientation, none of the scene-setting Smallville stuff with Jonathan and Martha Kent (though they do get a touching later scene). We're not getting those early flirtations with girlfriend Lois Lane (the impressive Rachel Brosnahan) either, or even Clark Kent learning how to use The Daily Planet 's nifty-looking CMS. In fact, we're not getting much of Clark Kent at the most in medias res -iest bit of storytelling imaginable, a gambit that feels more and more misguided as the movie slips deeper into generic superhero terrain in a packed but muddled second half. A giant chasm is carving its way towards Metropolis? Superman is being washed towards a black hole on some kind of quantum waterway? After a while you genuinely start craving a scene where it's just Clark and Lois enjoying a quiet date night. That's surely closer to the heart of this franchise than this torrent of identikit dust-ups. Sparky superdog Krypto will not be for everyone Instead, his umpteenth attempt to get DC's superhero universe airborne throws in team-ups with Green Lantern (Nathan Fillion), Hawkgirl (Isabela Merced), and someone called Mister Terrific (House 's Edi Gathegi, getting the coolest stuff to do here), plus a pair of superbads with shades of Zod's sidekicks, and a bunch of super robots, not to mention the odd giant monster and more than a few falling skyscrapers. The story cedes the floor to the villain: Lex Luthor, played by Nicholas Hoult as an alpha tech man-baby with a pathological need to do away with his Kryptonite foe. He has Supes dancing to his tune throughout, turning the US government and the public against him, and using portals to ship his adversaries to his own interdimensional prison. Ya- awn. On the upside, there's Superman himself. David Corenswet, talented-spotted by Gunn playing Pearl 's creepy projectionist, makes the best Man of Steel since Christopher Reeve, a lovely balance of sweetness, strength and self-doubt bubbling beneath the surface. Like a walking Athena poster, he's born to cradle a baby in his bulging arms. This being a James Gunn movie, he gets a green alien one with a funny face. Its fate makes a cute interlude in one of the (very) many VFX-drenched action sequences. And I enjoyed sparky superdog Krypto! A mundane-looking white pooch, he's a sidekick whose lack of proper training and licky nature makes him a menace to foes and friends alike. Admittedly, he won't be for everyone. Best of all, Gunn never shies away from the political optics of this immigrant hero and his zeitgeisty nemesis, a billionaire megalomaniac adept at manipulating talk shows and social media discourse alike. Luthor even gets his own troll farm staffed by rabid typing monkeys trying to make the hashtag 'Supershit' stick online. (Fox News went with 'Superwoke' instead.) A Superman movie that starts with this immigrant saving an unarmed, possibly Palestinian-coded populace from a neighbouring despot is more than honouring the spirit of Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster's creation. For Gunn, who has injected superhero movies with a winningly irreverence since his R-rated indie Super, ridding the DCEU of its bombast and self-seriousness is a step in right direction. Whether, like his alien hero, he can arrest the march of time and reinvigorate this tired genre is another matter. In cinemas worldwide Fri Jul 11.
Express Tribune
20-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Express Tribune
Jack Quaid praises David Corenswet's Superman as hopeful and inspiring in James Gunn's new film
David Corenswet's portrayal of Superman in James Gunn's 2025 film is earning high praise, most recently from Jack Quaid, who voices the Man of Steel in My Adventures with Superman. Sharing his reaction on Threads, Quaid wrote, 'I absolutely loved SUPERMAN! Can't think of the last time a movie gave me so much hope. They did the big blue boy scout proud. I laughed. I cried. People in the audience cheered! A CHEER?! In 2025?! Incredible!' Corenswet, who has previously praised Smallville's Tom Welling and Christopher Reeve's legacy, also received notes of encouragement from Henry Cavill and Tyler Hoechlin. Now, Quaid has joined that chorus with a message that resonated with fans. He signed off affectionately: 'Sincerely, Anime Superman 🫡.' Quaid voices Clark Kent in the animated series that explores a younger Superman's early years in Metropolis. His words carry weight not just as a fellow actor but as someone who's embodied the same character in a different medium. The new Superman film has dominated the global box office, tapping into nostalgia while offering a fresh, emotionally grounded take.
AsiaOne
20-07-2025
- Entertainment
- AsiaOne
Vampire Diaries actor Paul Wesley is engaged , Entertainment News
Paul Wesley is engaged. The Vampire Diaries star, 42, has asked 25-year-old model Natalie Kuckenburg for her hand in marriage - and she said "yes". Paul proposed with a dazzling oval-shaped ring as displayed in a black-and-white photo of him holding her hand with the giant sparkler on the ring finger. Natalie simply captioned the post: "Yes [white heart emoji]." [embed] On July 16, Paul revealed the pair were on vacation in Tuscany, Italy. He captioned a carousel from the romantic getaway on his profile: "A beautiful time in Tuscany." The couple then travelled to the Amalfi Coast on July 17. Days earlier, Paul celebrated his significant other's birthday by sharing a series of snaps of the couple, including a black-and-white shot of them kissing near the water. He penned: "It's my favourite person's birthday @nataliekuckenburg." [embed] Paul and Natalie were first seen together in November 2022. In a 2024 interview, the Smallville actor gushed that one of the "most important things" about their relationship is their ability to make each other laugh often. He told PEOPLE: "There's two people that are the funniest people in my life - Number one, my dog, and number two, frankly, my girlfriend. "I think the reason we get along so well is because all we do is laugh, and I think it's probably one of the most important things in a relationship." Wesley's engagement comes just over a year after his divorce from Ines de Ramon, 32, was finalised. The actor announced in September 2022 that he had split from his spouse earlier that year, and cited "irreconcilable differences" as the reason for ending their three-year union. Jewellery executive Ines has also moved on - with Hollywood star Brad Pitt, 61. [[nid:719931]]
