By Jonathan Klotz
| Updated 4 minutes ago

When someone says they’re an anime fan, it can mean anything. That’s the equivalent of saying “I like watching TV.” Anime is a huge swath of genres, stories, franchises, movies, and shows about anything you can possibly imagine. Who knew a show about giant, naked people would turn out to be one of the best anime of all time? And who would have thought that an anime about an ultrapowerful octopus who destroys the Moon and finds meaning in life working as a teacher for underprivileged children tasked by the Japanese government to kill him before he destroys the planet would be such a touching, thought-provoking, and humorous series?

That’s Assassination Classroom, and with its arrival on Netflix, it’s going to become even more popular. Then again, that also means even more people will judge it for its name, which, coincidentally, plays into one of the themes of your next favorite series. 

Assassination Classroom Is Not What It Sounds Like

Assassination Classroom starts off with the mystery of how this strange, yellow creature managed to destroy the Moon. For what purpose? Why is the Earth going to be next? And why does the creature agree to become a teacher for a year, with the instruction that one of his students will be the one to kill him? Finally, why is the creature, named Koro-sensei by his students, so good at the job? 

The Junior High students in Class 3-E are the real stars of the series, which quickly reveals itself to be more classroom than assassination. Sure, there’s other assassins that show up periodically, but the real joy of Assassination Classroom is to be found in the comedy of Koro-sensei’s hijinks while imparting real life lessons. 

Season 1 follows the basic plot of the students bonding with Koro-sensei and grappling with the idea that, eventually, they will have to kill him. It can be a little slow, and the humor isn’t for everyone, but then Season 2 hits, and the entire series takes off with the speed of a bullet train. By the end, you’ll not only have your own favorite among the students of Class 3-E, but you’ll wish you had Koro-sensei as a teacher. 

Assassination Classroom Faces Constant Bans And Boycotts

If Assassination Classroom is an emotional, comedic version of Dead Poet’s Society, then why has it joined a very different type of school anime and been banned in over 50 libraries and school districts across the United States? The name, for one, as Assassination Classroom puts an image in your head that’s technically correct, but there’s so much more to the story than that. Secondly, students having to kill their teacher sounds horrible in a vacuum, but in context, it’s an uplifting journey. Those who pushed for the bans never read the manga, never saw the anime, and, honestly, they likely haven’t read a book since eighth grade. 

Now that Assassination Classroom is coming to Netflix in May, you can experience the journey of Koro-sensei and Class 3-E for yourself. Lerche, the animation studio behind the series, isn’t a huge name in anime, but they went on to animate Dangonronpa 3 and Classroom of the Elite, making them the go-to for a very specific anime niche. You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, you’ll be impressed at Lerche’s animation style, and in the end, you’ll wonder how one of the best series of the last decade could be hidden away from those who would enjoy it the most.

For years, Keegan-Michael Key and Jordan Peele set the bar for sketch comedy, building a reputation for effortless on-screen chemistry.

But while their partnership once felt inseparable, their collaborations have quietly faded, with their most recent project being the 2022 animated film “Wendell & Wild.”

Now, a new claim from comedian Akilah Hughes is offering a possible clue. According to her, a planned project involving Key never got off the ground, a development she suggests could point to a deeper rift behind the scenes.

For years, Key and Peele were one of comedy’s most in-sync duos. But as their collaborations quietly faded, so did any clear explanation for why the pair stopped working together.

Now, comedian Akilah Hughes is offering a new account that’s raising eyebrows. She claims a once-promising sketch project she was developing with Key attached as a producer began to unravel after his wife, Elle Key, became involved in the process.

According to Hughes, what started as a straightforward creative partnership quickly grew complicated, with competing voices shaping the direction of the project. She further alleges that a lawsuit filed by Elle ultimately shut the production down, which she suggests could hint at deeper dynamics behind Key’s long-standing professional distance from Peele.

Online Sleuths Question What Ended The Duo

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The latest claim has also spilled over into online discussions, where some users have begun connecting the dots between Key’s personal life and his long-running creative distance from Peele.

On Reddit, several commenters pointed to alleged behind-the-scenes dynamics as a possible factor, with some suggesting that issues involving Elle may have influenced how his projects moved forward.

One user described the situation as an “open secret” in certain industry circles. Another claimed they had previously been cautioned about working with Key due to concerns tied to his personal life. None of those claims has been substantiated.

Keegan-Michael Key Reflects On ‘Alchemy’ With Jordan Peele

While speculation continues to swirl, Key has previously spoken in glowing terms about his creative bond with Peele.

In a 2024 interview, the comedian reflected on their early days together, dating back to their time on MADtv in 2004, when the pair began developing the chemistry that would later define their success.

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“We lived together for a few months and would write and talk about comedy, who we liked and why we liked them, and how that worked in the architecture of what we were trying to build comedically,” Key recalled, per PEOPLE Magazine.

He went on to describe their partnership as a kind of “alchemy,” shaped in part by their shared background at Chicago’s Second City and what he called a mutual creative language.

Keegan-Michael Key Admits He Rarely Sees Jordan Peele Now

As their professional paths have diverged, Key has acknowledged that his connection with Peele has changed off-screen as well.

“We don’t see each other that often anymore,” Key admitted in an interview, calling the distance “a tragedy.”

Still, he suggested the shift wasn’t driven by conflict, but by evolving ambitions. According to Key, their careers began pulling them in different directions as their individual goals in Hollywood became clearer.

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“His desire was to start exploring the horror genre, and my desire was to do more dramatic work like I had been trained in school,” he explained.

Key Insists Bond With Peele Remains Strong

Despite the distance in their day-to-day lives, Key says his bond with Peele hasn’t disappeared.

“Whenever we have an opportunity to see each other, we do,” Key shared, explaining that they still make a point to connect whenever their schedules align.

He added that trips to Los Angeles often turn into reunions, with Peele among the first people he reaches out to. “I land, and I go, ‘Hey buddy, we’re in town,’ and often we get to have dinner,” he recalled.

According to Key, those moments feel effortless, which reflects the connection they built early in their careers.

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“Our relationship is like a good friend’s relationship, where you pick up where you left off,” he said, noting that even after time apart, their dynamic remains familiar and unchanged.

By Chris Snellgrove
| Published 4 seconds ago

One of the earliest events in The Empire Strikes Back is Luke Skywalker being attacked by a Wampa on Hoth. It’s a sobering moment signaling a more serious sequel. Even though Luke saved the entire galaxy in the first Star Wars movie, he got nearly taken out by some local wildlife in the second.

However, that sudden Wampa attack also had an important purpose: it helped provide an in-universe explanation for why our hero’s face looked different. You see, Mark Hamill had gotten into a car accident, and the onscreen attack helped cover up the fact that the Luke Skywalker actor had facial reconstruction surgery.

Using an onscreen incident to explain an actor’s real-life scars is a pretty clever trick. It’s also one that was used in Buffy the Vampire Slayer, though most fans never noticed.

In the episode “Lovers Walk,” Cordelia falls onto a piece of rebar, leaving the character with a nasty scar. A few years back, Cordelia actor Charisma Carpenter revealed that this was a case of art imitating life, as she was impaled by rebar (and subsequently gained her own gnarly scar) at the tender age of five years old!

A Girl Walks Into A Rebar

“Lovers Walk” was a Season 3 episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer that focused on wacky romantic drama. Spike is trying to use a love spell on Drusilla to make his old girlfriend love him again. Resident witch Willow, meanwhile, is having an emotional affair with Xander, despite the fact that she’s dating Oz and he’s dating Cordelia. After they are kidnapped and believe they will die, Willow and Xander share their first kiss; a horrified Cordelia sees this and runs up some stairs in disgust. Unfortunately, the stairs collapse, and she is impaled on some rebar. She survives, but Sunnydale’s ultimate mean girl is left with a major scar.

When “Lovers Walk” first aired, this seemed like nothing more than a classic case of misdirection. The audience is worried about Willow and Xander dying, and the last thing they expect is for would-be rescuer Cordelia to nearly get killed. But in 2019, Charisma Carpenter revealed that she had suffered a very similar injury when she was a small child. In retrospect, it seems that this very specific event may have happened to Cordelia to explain away Carpenter’s real-life scar in case it ever appears onscreen again.

Giving The Fans What They Want

On X, Carpenter responded to a fan who felt bad about scars on their body. “Hey Kiddo, late 2 this tweet but I want U 2 know I get scar shame. I have a thick, wide scar about 4″ on my belly. I was 5 when I was impaled by a rebar,” she wrote. “My scar is a part of my story, but it’s not who I am. It doesn’t define me. It makes me unique. Just like urs makes U unique.”

It’s a fairly touching response, one that shows just how much this Buffy the Vampire Slayer actor cares about her fans. But it also provided us with an answer to a decades-old fan question: in a show filled with vampires, werewolves, and other nasty demons, why the heck was Cordelia injured by something as simple as some rebar? Now we know that, for whatever reason, the Buffy producers wanted to give the character a scar that corresponded to Carpenter’s own injury.

Even though Charisma Carpenter’s scar didn’t make many more prominent appearances onscreen, the producers were likely thinking ahead. Soon, the actor would be one of the leads in the popular Buffy spinoff Angel, and they had no way of knowing if future episodes would require her to show where she is scarred.

Thanks to the rebar incident in “Lovers Walk,” they didn’t have to worry about covering that old injury up. But they might never have thought to do this if nearly two decades earlier, George Lucas hadn’t thought to explain Mark Hamill’s own scars by having his Luke Skywalker character get injured onscreen!

The Bachelor alum Madison “Madi” Prewett believes Charlie Kirk reaped “many rewards” upon his assassination at 31.

“We live for an audience of one. We live to please one. We are going to be face-to-face with one,” Prewett, 30, preached on the Monday, April 27, episode of her “Stay True” podcast. “We’re going to have to give an account to that one who is the king of all kings in the name above every name, and we will all be face-to-face with him one day. And it is a good wake-up call to how are you living your life?”

She continued, “So often we just get caught up in all the things and in a lot of things that just don’t really matter. I guarantee you if Charlie could come back, it’s, like, that’s one of the biggest messages he would just say is just, ‘Wake up. So many of us are living for worthless things.’”

Right-wing media personality Kirk was shot and killed during a speaking engagement in September 2025. He is survived by his wife, Erika, and their two children.

Related: Charlie Kirk’s Protegee Compares His Death to Mourning Princess Diana

Isabel Brown, who was the late Charlie Kirk’s protégée, is still grieving his sudden death at 31. “I think there’s been a difficult level of processing this that’s maybe confusing to the average person,” Brown, 28, said on the Monday, April 27, episode of the “Stay True” podcast, referring to Kirk as her mentor. “Those […]

“Now that he’s in heaven, I can’t even imagine all the rewards he got in heaven of just for truth and, um, and loving people,” Prewett speculated. “That is what we’re here on this earth to do.”

Prewett further told her podcast guest, Kirk’s former Turning Point USA staffer Isabel Brown, that she is living that same mission “so beautifully.”

“Christ gave us a very, very specific command to be salt and to be light,” Brown, 28, said on the podcast. “Ultimately, both salt and light have one thing in common: They dramatically transform the environment around them. … Our obligation, not just opportunity as Christians, is to do everything we can to fight for what is good and true and beautiful.”

Brown called Kirk her mentor during the “Stay True” appearance, noting that it had been difficult to process her grief.

“Those of us who worked for him for so many years and who knew him personally all talk about it all the time that we have to kind of process in two layers right now,” she explained. “You’re mourning the loss of this amazing person who meant so much to you intimately, someone who you owe your career to, someone who you owe your family to. I can’t tell you how many hundreds or thousands of families like mine met at a TPUSA conference and worked for Charlie, and we all have children now.”

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Brown continued, “There’s this personal aspect to it that, of course, takes years and years and years to get through, and that’s just grief when you lose anyone in your life, but especially in such a traumatic way. Then, there’s this extra societal redefining layer of grief that I think we last, honestly, experienced in culture probably with the death of Princess Diana.”

Diana was killed in a 1997 car accident in Paris at the age of 36. The People’s Princess’ sons, Prince William and Prince Harry, received an outpouring of support and well-wishes across the globe.

“I haven’t seen huge prayer vigils all over the world and people leaving teddy bears on the sidewalk and lighting candles in their community and all of these things ever since then,” Brown said. “This is a level of complete world-changing, cultural change that I don’t really know how to process yet, because for me it was just my friend Charlie. I think that will take a lot of time to get through. I think our country certainly lost a moral leader of a generation.”

By Robert Scucci
| Updated 29 seconds ago

Back in the 80s, being ugly on screen basically meant throwing a pair of glasses and some baggy clothes on a smokin’ hot babe. The most blatant case of this, at least to my knowledge, is 1988’s Alien from L.A., starring Kathy Ireland, who not only appeared in 13 consecutive Sports Illustrated swimsuit issues, but also landed on the cover three times.

In the movie, which plays like a strange combination of The Wizard of Oz and Journey to the Center of the Earth, our hero sets out to find the lost city of Atlantis, rescue her missing father, overcome her alleged homeliness, and show her surface-dwelling ex-boyfriend what he’s missing out on, all before riding off into the sunset on her new dude’s motorcycle.

Ironically, Alien from L.A., a direct-to-VHS outing, was followed by its straight-to-video sequel, Journey to the Center of the Earth (1989). After watching this one, I don’t think I’ll be watching that one. But it exists, and both titles are streaming on Tubi, so you can do whatever you want with that information.

These Glasses Are Holding Me Back! 

Alien from L.A. is insulting to your intelligence in just about every way. We’re introduced to Wanda Saknussemm (Kathy Ireland), a woman who clearly hits the gym nine days a week, has long, flowing hair, and legs for days. If only it weren’t for those pesky glasses that are supposed to convince the viewer she’s a dud, as if no mortal man has ever fantasized about a sexy librarian. She also speaks in an incredibly squeaky voice that becomes a running joke.

Anyhow, her boyfriend Robbie (Don Michael Paul) dumps her for not being adventurous, whatever that means, and this sends our covert hottie on a soul-searching excursion to Zamboanga, North Africa, in search of her long-lost father, Professor Arnold Saknussemm (Richard Haines). As the legend goes, Arnold disappeared while searching for the lost city of Atlantis, claiming the city is of alien origin.

While digging through her father’s belongings, Wanda falls into a seemingly bottomless pit and eventually ends up in a strange underground society inhabited by miners who have never breached the surface. Though these inhabitants look just like humans, they refer to Wanda as an alien. Soon enough, she learns what’s truly at stake, but only after a bounty is placed on her head for invading their community.

What follows is a series of events involving a miner named Gus (William R. Moses), a shadowy government conspiracy led by General Rykov (Janie Du Plessis) tied to her imprisoned father, a steady stream of jokes about Wanda’s squeaky voice (it’s an affectation, she can stop talking like this whenever she wants), and a hunky rogue agent named Charmin’ (Thom Mathews).

Truly Terrible, But Also Kind Of Fun

After sitting through Alien from L.A., I’m still not sure what to make of it. It’s contrived, overtly campy, and the hero’s journey never fully clicks. When the film finally wraps, Robbie sees Wanda in a bikini and suddenly realizes he was dating a stone cold fox the entire time. Of course, this happens after Wanda wakes up from her “dream” and, in a clear callback to The Wizard of Oz, says as much.

If the movie has anything going for it, it’s the set design, which is actually pretty neat in that kitschy, low-budget way. Think foam rock formations with dry ice pumping behind them, along with some surprisingly fun city shots that give everything a cartoony vibe. Throw in Deep Roy’s Mambino character with the comically long eyelashes that are never explained, and you’ve got a bizarre viewing experience that won’t teach you anything new and might actually make you a little dumber in the process.

As of this writing, you can stream Alien from L.A. and its sequel, Journey to the Center of the Earth, for free on Tubi.

Over the decades, the works of J.R.R. Tolkien have long been revered and celebrated for their depth and overall quality of entertainment. It’s that love that ultimately drove Peter Jackson in the early 2000s to direct the critically acclaimed The Lord of the Rings trilogy, which cemented the franchise’s spot among the greats. Fast-forward another two decades, and the world of Middle-earth is back in focus on so many levels. The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim was released in 2024, an animated feature that focused on Rohan and that nation’s greatest leader, Helm Hammerhand (Brian Cox). Peter Jackson is also working on two spin-off movies: the first, The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum, and an untitled project set after Return of the King, written by Stephen Colbert.

Two years prior, Prime Video transported us, on a pretty expensive budget, to the Second Age of Middle-earth in The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, which brought us ever closer to some of the most important parts of Tolkien lore prior to the main trilogy on-screen. After two seasons, Rings of Power is poised to return for Season 3 soon, with war looming on the horizon for Middle-earth. The projects just keep on coming for fans of the lore, with a new open-world Lord of the Rings RPG that is sure to intrigue gamers in the works.

Now, there is yet another project that offers a chance for fans of The Lord of the Rings to relive the original trilogy like never before. The Lord of the Rings trilogy is set to be relived courtesy of Ascension. Titled The Lord of the Rings: Ascension, it will consist of three new expansion sets for Ascension. Each set will adapt the main trilogy of The Lord of the Rings titles, with The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers, and The Return of the King all listed as part of the project. However, as of the time of writing, there is no firm release window available at this time.

What Is ‘The Lord of the Rings: Ascension’ About?

Ascension was first released in 2011 on iOS before making its way to Android devices in 2014. Ahead of the release of The Lord of the Rings: Ascension, an official game description from Stone Blade Entertainment, the studio behind the project reads: “The fate of the world hangs by a thread… Recruit heroes, acquire powerful cards, and shape your strategy as you build your strength, all while confronting the quiet, ever-present pull of The One Ring. The game is fast to learn and difficult to master; each choice carries weight, and the path to victory is never without cost.” Speaking about the project, Stone Blade Entertainment founder and Ascension creator, Justin Gary, sounded excited about the coming project, noting, “Middle-earth comes alive in your own hands as you’re able to build a deck with the heroes of The Fellowship.”

The Lord of the Rings: Ascension does not have a release date yet.

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Release Date

December 19, 2001

Runtime

178 Minutes

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Writers

Fran Walsh, Philippa Boyens, Peter Jackson, J.R.R. Tolkien

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Producers

Barrie M. Osborne, Bob Weinstein, Harvey Weinstein, Mark Ordesky, Robert Shaye, Tim Sanders

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Aww, Roomies! Chris Brown’s oldest son, Aeko, has the internet doing double takes and asking, “Where did the time go?” Fans are pointing out how much Aeko has grown after Breezy shared a photo of them together.

RELATED: Congrats! Chris Brown Seemingly Confirms Arrival Of Baby With Jada Wallace In Sweet Message (PHOTOS)

Chris Brown’s Son Steals Hearts With New Adorable Photo

On Wednesday, April 29, Chris Brown shared a new photo on his Instagram Story showing him kicking it with his son Aeko, whom he shares with Ammika Harris. The flick shows them posted up in what looks like a parking lot. Chris looks down at his mini-me while Aeko cheeses and stares straight into the camera. In his caption, he wrote, “Excited for what’s coming ….”. Fans immediately reacted to the new flick, with many noting Aeko’s height and physical similarities to his daddy!

Fans Can’t Get Over Breezy & Aeko’s New Flick

Folks kept dropping heart-eye emojis in response to the flick of Breezy and his son over in The Shade Room’s comment section. Meanwhile, others couldn’t get over Aeko’s cuteness.

Instagram user @velvetvixen.vip wrote, “Lil man standing tall already, that bond hits different ❤️” 

Instagram user @allthingschristopherr wrote, “my stepson so handsome 🥰🤎” 

While Instagram user @pr3ttyface.bre2 wrote, “Aeko so cute 🥰 🥰🥰” 

Then Instagram user @keiashapetersofficial wrote, “Aeko is getting so tall 🥺 he was just a babyyy.” 

Another Instagram user @_alexisgolden wrote, “He always look sooo excited 😭” 

Instagram user @nykeviajones wrote, “He’s adorable.” 

While another Instagram user @truly.rare wrote, “His daddy son af 😂❤️” 

Then another Instagram user @travismalloy wrote, “Twins.” 

Finally, Instagram user @konyiaa wrote, “Nephew getting big 😍🥹” 

Chris Recently Became A Father Of Four

Speaking of daddy duties, Chris Brown recently became a father of four. On Sunday, April 26, Chris confirmed that he welcomed a baby boy with his partner Jada Wallace. Jada shared photos from her maternity shoot on Instagram along with a pic of their newborn son. Chris slid into her comment section to celebrate his arrival, writing, “Taurus Gang” Chris shares his eldest daughter Royalty with Nia Guzman, his son Aeko with Ammika Harris, and his daughter Lovely with Diamond Brown. Chris and Jada haven’t revealed their newborn son’s name yet.

RELATED: Stay Mad! Chris Brown Calls Out Critics For Rage-Baiting Fans Ahead Of Tour With Usher (PHOTO)