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Superman — it's my five-star movie of the summer
Superman — it's my five-star movie of the summer

Times

time12-07-2025

  • Entertainment
  • Times

Superman — it's my five-star movie of the summer

He stumbles, he falls, he bleeds — occasionally he even sneaks a look at his social media mentions. How telling that, after 20 years of mis-starts and misfires, vulnerability would be the key to making Superman work on screen again. James Gunn's new Superman is not perfect but it has wit, smarts, pace and the same sardonic, goofy humour that Gunn brought to Guardians of the Galaxy. How strange that a film about misfit mutants would prepare him for the straight-arrow Superman — but Gunn seems to understand what we want: hope, heart, a dash of silliness and the same sense of up-and-at-'em adventure that made the original comic strips buzz. Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No, it's the summer movie we've all been waiting for. Superman has always represented a distinct type of corn-fed American optimism — McCartney to Batman's Lennon. The creation of scrawny, short-sighted, Jewish ghetto kids from Manhattan's Lower East Side who dreamt of being Douglas Fairbanks, Superman recalls a balmier, more innocent time in American history when the mission to 'smack down the bullies of the world', as one of Superman's creators, Joel Siegel, put it, didn't send everyone diving for their Chomsky. The problem that has bedevilled adaptations since the 1978 original is: how do you make that optimism work for more cynical times, now that 'the bullies' and 'America' are no longer mutually exclusive categories? Here's how: no origin story. We don't need to hear again how the planet Krypton blew up and Kal-El crash-landed in Mom and Pop's backyard before heading to the big city to work for The Daily Planet. Instead Gunn sets us right down in the thick of it: Superman (David Corenswet) has just taken a beating from an armoured monster let loose by the rogue republic of Boravia. 'Did you consult with the president?' Lois Lane (Rachel Brosnahan) demands to know during a date that quickly turns into a combative interview. 'You seemingly acted as a representative for the United States of America.' • The actors who played Superman, ranked from worst to best 'I wasn't representing anyone but me,' he protests. 'And … doing good.' So much for truth, justice and the American way. Go tell it to a congressional committee. Such hand-wringing over the burden of power is par for the course in superhero movies these days, but critiques of American unilateralism only go so far when your hero wears red underpants. Superman's saving grace has always been his slight silliness because it has kept him from the solemnity that clogs up the works with Batman and all the other edgier heroes, so intent on giving us a guided tour of their dark sides. The most radical thing about Gunn's film is not that it nods to the Washington bearpit, but Superman's insistence that kindness is 'the real punk rock'. Whether shielding a girl from exploding debris or a dog from a falling building, he would Make America Kind Again. Arrayed against him is Lex Luthor (Nicholas Hoult) trying to turn the US Department of Defense against its most famous illegal alien so he can make a mint from arms deals involving his latest batch of superheroes, or 'metahumans' as they are known. He's like a cross between Tony Stark and Elon Musk. Metahumans are everywhere these days, including a gang of do-gooding showboats who call themselves the 'Justice Gang' — Green Lantern (Nathan Fillion), Hawkgirl (Isabela Merced) and Mister Terrific (Edi Gathegi) — and whose exploits explain at a stroke why people might flock to a boy scout like Superman. He spends half his time preventing the collateral damage from his fellow superheroes' interventions. More than just reinventing his star, then, Gunn has invented a universe in which Superman makes sense, which is almost as important: the DC Universe is go. • Read more film reviews, guides about what to watch and interviews Corenswet is pretty much perfect in the role. After the stony severity of Henry Cavill labouring under his saviour complex in Zack Snyder's humourless Man of Steel — a film so embarrassed by the Superman mythos it couldn't even bring itself to say his name — Corenswet has the casual, locker-room vocab ('Hey, buddy') and underdog gallantry of a gentle-giant athlete. Dimpled and decent, he plays Superman with a slight bee in his bonnet about being thought too much of a Pollyanna and even has a dog named Krypto who tears up the Fortress of Solitude when Superman is not around, hurtling into action like a speeding bullet when needed. He's one of the best things in the film: Gunn knows how seriously to take his story and when to cut loose and have fun. Yes, the plot is a little busy with portals and black holes and all the usual interdimensional malarkey, but there's none of the lumbering heaviness that usually accompanies such plot devices. At just over two hours Superman has all the zippy action you want — the flying sequences come with Top Gun-style G-force buffeting and sonic booms — as well as the humour and heart that will get people coming back for more. In some ways the stop-start development process that has plagued Superman has paid off: Gunn took his time, got it right and has been rewarded with a bullseye. ★★★★★12A, 129min Tom Cruise's espionage swansong was the usual mix of daft plot and spectacular stunts, taking $575 million at the box office — but it needs about $800 million to break even. Cruise got out in the nick of time. Brad Pitt's charisma provided the horsepower for Jerry Bruckheimer's pedal-to-the-metal racing drama — Apple's first big hit at the box office, and Pitt's strongest ever opening weekend. Who said the stars were in eclipse? • The best films of 2025 so far The latest Jurassic Park movie, starring Scarlett Johansson, has had a soft opening compared with the previous three films in the series, but the director Gareth Edwards delivered the film at a relative snip — $180 million — as well as great monsters. Extinction will have to wait. Can Matt Shakman's retro-futuristic direction, together with stars Pedro Pascal and Vanessa Kirby, undo the 'meh' factor and reverse Marvel's downward spiral at the box office? Superhero fatigue is real. Times+ members can enjoy two-for-one cinema tickets at Everyman each Wednesday. Visit to find out moreWhich films have you enjoyed at the cinema recently? Let us know in the comments below and follow @timesculture to read the latest reviews

Siegel's marks 35 years making Montreal-style bagels in Vancouver
Siegel's marks 35 years making Montreal-style bagels in Vancouver

The Province

time16-05-2025

  • General
  • The Province

Siegel's marks 35 years making Montreal-style bagels in Vancouver

Siegel's makes Montreal-style bagels the traditional way, with a wood-burning oven that makes you 'bake by the seat of your pants.' Joel Siegel started Siegel's bagels 35 years ago and is celebrating the milestone occasion. Siegel is pictured at the Kitsilano location May 15. Photo by Jason Payne / PNG Reviews and recommendations are unbiased and products are independently selected. Postmedia may earn an affiliate commission from purchases made through links on this page. When Joel Siegel moved to Vancouver from Montreal in 1974, he quickly realized something was amiss: there were no Montreal-style bagels. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Exclusive articles by top sports columnists Patrick Johnston, Ben Kuzma, J.J. Abrams and others. Plus, Canucks Report, Sports and Headline News newsletters and events. Unlimited online access to The Province and 15 news sites with one account. The Province ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on. Daily puzzles and comics, including the New York Times Crossword. Support local journalism. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Exclusive articles by top sports columnists Patrick Johnston, Ben Kuzma, J.J. Abrams and others. Plus, Canucks Report, Sports and Headline News newsletters and events. Unlimited online access to The Province and 15 news sites with one account. The Province ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on. Daily puzzles and comics, including the New York Times Crossword. Support local journalism. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors 'All they had were like buns with a hole in them that came from Safeway,' he recalls. A few years later, he was 'between things' career-wise and decided to open up his own Montreal-style bagel shop in Kitsilano. But Siegel's Bagels took awhile to catch on. 'I started by being on the sidewalk with a little box with bagels and cream cheese and giving them away when people walked by,' he said. Over time, though, Siegel's Bagels became a civic institution, the Vancouver equivalent of Schwarz's Deli or St-Viateur Bagel in Montreal. Besides offering nine different types of bagels, it's where the masses get their Montreal smoked meat, rugelach pastry, and lox and cream cheese. On May 16, the store marks 35 years in business — and it's Siegel's 89th birthday. His daughter Parise now runs the business, but Siegel will be coming in from his home on Salt Spring Island for a celebration at the original location, 1833 Cornwall Ave. Stay on top of the latest real estate news and home design trends. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. If you've been to Siegel's, you may recognize Siegel as the tall, thin white-haired guy with the distinctive moustache. He recently shaved it off — 'I got sick of always having hair in my mouth' — but has reconsidered and is growing it back. Siegel grew up in Dolbeau, Que., a small town near Lac-St-Jean, 'way, way up north, where the road ends up, and where the train turned around.' Joel Siegel at first did everything in his bagel shop, including chopping the wood for the oven. Photo by Jason Payne / PNG At 13, his family moved to Montreal. St-Viateur Bagel was nearby, and he started working there as a teenager. But he had other careers before he came back to bagels: He drove semi-trucks for seven years, then was in the clothing business. Oh, and he was a race car driver. 'I raced with the SCCA, Sports Car Club of America,' he said. 'I raced all over the U.S. and did some racing in Europe. I won six championships racing a Viper.' But it had its drawbacks. 'One wreck I had at the Dallas motor speedway, I hit the wall,' he said. 'I broke my neck. I was really lucky to get out of the car alive. And then the following year I raced, and I won two championships.' This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Making bagels isn't as dangerous, but did have its challenges when he started up. He went back to St-Viateur Bagel in Montreal to brush up on his bagel-making skills, but St-Viateur's owner declined to partner in a Vancouver location. 'He told me to go and steal a couple of bakers from another bagel shop, which I did,' he said. At his Vancouver store, he did everything traditionally to make an authentic Montreal style bagel, installing a wood burning brick oven, flipping the bagels with the long wooden shiva paddle, and rolling the dough the way they do in Montreal. 'The recipe is everything, and then the preparation, rolling them by hand,' he said. 'Getting all the air out so they're dense. And getting a good shine on them from the wood burning oven is really a big factor.' Montreal bagels are quite different from bagels in other cities, such as New York. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. 'The recipe is different,' he explains. 'They use what we call a sourdough type of method, which we don't. New York bagels get harder much quicker, and I don't especially like sourdough. It's an acquired taste, I guess.' Baking with wood is also a bit of an art, because you have to 'bake from the seat of your pants.' In a regular oven, he explains, you turn it on, put the bagels in, 'and when the buzzer goes off, you take them out.' Cooking with wood, 'you have to pay attention to what you're doing, because you have to turn them, get them off the long boards, then put them on the fire brick. And you have to have a method of rotating them in the oven.' Smoked meat is also a Montreal specialty, different from the corned beef or pastrami you get in Jewish delis in other cities. 'It's the same brisket, but it goes into a different preparation, where the smoked pieces goes into brine, into barrels,' said Siegel, who imports his smoked meat from Montreal. 'It takes a week or two weeks for it to cure.' This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. He worked hard to make the store a success, chopping the wood himself for the oven. 'When we started, I did everything, I did the baking, I did the counter,' he said. 'But I said if I can convince half the people that live in Vancouver that came from Montreal to taste our bagels, I'll make it. Eventually we got the Montrealers to come into my shop, and it grew from there.' jmackie@ Read More

Siegel's marks 35 years making Montreal-style bagels in Vancouver
Siegel's marks 35 years making Montreal-style bagels in Vancouver

Vancouver Sun

time16-05-2025

  • Business
  • Vancouver Sun

Siegel's marks 35 years making Montreal-style bagels in Vancouver

When Joel Siegel moved to Vancouver from Montreal in 1974, he quickly realized something was amiss: there were no Montreal-style bagels. 'All they had were like buns with a hole in them that came from Safeway,' he recalls. A few years later, he was 'between things' career-wise and decided to open up his own Montreal-style bagel shop in Kitsilano. But Siegel's Bagels took awhile to catch on. 'I started by being on the sidewalk with a little box with bagels and cream cheese and giving them away when people walked by,' he said. Stay on top of the latest real estate news and home design trends. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Westcoast Homes will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. Over time, though, Siegel's Bagels became a civic institution, the Vancouver equivalent of Schwarz's Deli or St-Viateur Bagel in Montreal. Besides offering nine different types of bagels, it's where the masses get their Montreal smoked meat, rugelach pastry, and lox and cream cheese. On May 16, the store marks 35 years in business — and it's Siegel's 89th birthday. His daughter Parise now runs the business, but Siegel will be coming in from his home on Salt Spring Island for a celebration at the original location, 1833 Cornwall Ave. If you've been to Siegel's, you may recognize Siegel as the tall, thin white-haired guy with the distinctive moustache. He recently shaved it off — 'I got sick of always having hair in my mouth' — but has reconsidered and is growing it back. Siegel grew up in Dolbeau, Que., a small town near Lac-St-Jean, 'way, way up north, where the road ends up, and where the train turned around.' At 13, his family moved to Montreal. St-Viateur Bagel was nearby, and he started working there as a teenager. But he had other careers before he came back to bagels: He drove semi-trucks for seven years, then was in the clothing business. Oh, and he was a race car driver. 'I raced with the SCCA, Sports Car Club of America,' he said. 'I raced all over the U.S. and did some racing in Europe. I won six championships racing a Viper.' But it had its drawbacks. 'One wreck I had at the Dallas motor speedway, I hit the wall,' he said. 'I broke my neck. I was really lucky to get out of the car alive. And then the following year I raced, and I won two championships.' Making bagels isn't as dangerous, but did have its challenges when he started up. He went back to St-Viateur Bagel in Montreal to brush up on his bagel-making skills, but St-Viateur's owner declined to partner in a Vancouver location. 'He told me to go and steal a couple of bakers from another bagel shop, which I did,' he said. At his Vancouver store, he did everything traditionally to make an authentic Montreal style bagel, installing a wood burning brick oven, flipping the bagels with the long wooden shiva paddle, and rolling the dough the way they do in Montreal. 'The recipe is everything, and then the preparation, rolling them by hand,' he said. 'Getting all the air out so they're dense. And getting a good shine on them from the wood burning oven is really a big factor.' Montreal bagels are quite different from bagels in other cities, such as New York. 'The recipe is different,' he explains. 'They use what we call a sourdough type of method, which we don't. New York bagels get harder much quicker, and I don't especially like sourdough. It's an acquired taste, I guess.' Baking with wood is also a bit of an art, because you have to 'bake from the seat of your pants.' In a regular oven, he explains, you turn it on, put the bagels in, 'and when the buzzer goes off, you take them out.' Cooking with wood, 'you have to pay attention to what you're doing, because you have to turn them, get them off the long boards, then put them on the fire brick. And you have to have a method of rotating them in the oven.' Smoked meat is also a Montreal specialty, different from the corned beef or pastrami you get in Jewish delis in other cities. 'It's the same brisket, but it goes into a different preparation, where the smoked pieces goes into brine, into barrels,' said Siegel, who imports his smoked meat from Montreal. 'It takes a week or two weeks for it to cure.' He worked hard to make the store a success, chopping the wood himself for the oven. 'When we started, I did everything, I did the baking, I did the counter,' he said. 'But I said if I can convince half the people that live in Vancouver that came from Montreal to taste our bagels, I'll make it. Eventually we got the Montrealers to come into my shop, and it grew from there.' jmackie@

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