3 h. ago Can Predator: Badlands finally prove a shared universe with Alien was a good idea?

With the film’s promising teaser trailer, the world’s eyes have flipped silver and it’s party time in the cryo-sarcophagus aisle of Space Ikea! Continue reading...

Politics

4 d. ago I was so high on gas and air while giving birth that I asked the midwives to rate how much fun they were having

Emma, a Birmingham City University student, shared her experience in a video on TikTok which has gone viral, with more than 116,000 likes.

Society

1 week ago Eclipse review – Tom Conti stars in intriguing but elusive tale of a mysterious death

Conti plays twin brothers, one of whom is suspected of the other’s murder, in this dreamy but frustrating fableSimon Perry’s elusive, lugubrious, faintly bizarre psychodrama from 1977, based on a novel of the same name by author and travel writer Nicholas Wollaston is now re-released; it is a dreamily directionless movie which resists, or almost resists, categorisation. It seems as if it is going to be a thriller or supernatural mystery, and you can wait almost until the final credits for some final narrative flourish or definitive plot shock that would prove what it’s all been about. And in fact there is a revelation, but it is presented so coolly that you will be expecting something else to come afterwards. An unsympathetic producer might well want to cut this film by two-thirds and present it as an episode of Roald Dahl’s Tales of the Unexpected, but that would be to lose the flavour and perhaps the meaning. I’m still not sure what I think about Eclipse, but it’s certainly distin...

Events

1 week ago Eclipse review – Tom Conti stars in intriguing but elusive 70s tale of a mysterious death

Conti plays twin brothers, one of whom is suspected of the other’s murder, in this dreamy but frustrating fableSimon Perry’s elusive, lugubrious, faintly bizarre psychodrama from 1977, based on a novel of the same name by author and travel writer Nicholas Wollaston is now re-released; it is a dreamily directionless movie which resists, or almost resists, categorisation. It seems as if it is going to be a thriller or supernatural mystery, and you can wait almost until the final credits for some final narrative flourish or definitive plot shock that would prove what it’s all been about. And in fact there is a revelation, but it is presented so coolly that you will be expecting something else to come afterwards. An unsympathetic producer might well want to cut this film by two-thirds and present it as an episode of Roald Dahl’s Tales of the Unexpected, but that would be to lose the flavour and perhaps the meaning. I’m still not sure what I think about Eclipse, but it’s certainly distin...

Events

1 week ago Northampton’s growing list of Lions contenders sparkle in Castres thrashing

Northampton 51-16 Castres: The Saints set up a Champions Cup semi-final date with Leinster that could prove crucial to Andy Farrell’s final selection

Politics

2 w. ago Here’s one key thing you should know about Trump’s shock to the world economy: it could work | James Meadway

It’s hard to say if the president truly knows what he’s doing. But there is a precedent for the US causing short-term chaos and reaping long-term gainIt’s less than a week since Donald Trump’s sensational announcement that he was unilaterally ending the world’s trading system with the imposition of a 10% minimum tariff for trading with the US – and a very much higher rate for those countries unfortunate enough to have the US as a major export partner. Long-term allies such as Japan and South Korea have been hammered with tariffs of around 25%, while export-dependent poorer countries such as Vietnam, which sells about a third of its exports to the US, have been hit with tariffs in excess of 45%. A further round of global debt crises is possible as heavily indebted countries face the sudden loss of export earnings.Global stock markets have tumbled as panicked investors dump shares, and political condemnation has been near-universal. China has already retaliated with 34% tariffs, threa...

Politics

2 w. ago Enzo Maresca’s rotation gamble fails as Brentford hold Chelsea to goalless draw

Enzo Maresca’s calculated gamble did not come off. Chelsea’s head coach turned into the Tinkerman, benching Cole Palmer, Pedro Neto and Nicolas Jackson in an attempt to keep his best forwards fresh for the run-in, but his side’s hopes of qualifying for the Champions League were dented by their failure to summon any attacking inspiration before it was too late.In fairness a point against motivated opponents may not prove to be the worst result in the final reckoning. Even so Chelsea have not won on the road since December and victory here would have tightened their grip on fourth place. The sense that this was a missed opportunity lingered, even if a punchy and resolute Brentford had chances to end an eight-match winless run at home. Continue reading...

Events

2 w. ago Rogers and Malen’s fast start earns Aston Villa win over Nottingham Forest

How Aston Villa were made to sweat for a seventh successive victory. At least the manner in which Nottingham Forest swarmed their goal as they pushed for a second-half equaliser may prove a decent dress rehearsal for Wednesday’s quarter-final at Paris Saint-Germain.Forest pulled a goal back through half-time substitute Jota Silva and then dialled up the pressure but the visitors, determined to emulate Villa by gatecrashing the Champions League, were beaten by early goals from Morgan Rogers and Donyell Malen. Continue reading...

Politics