1 week ago Forget festive schmaltz, the best Christmas film this year is a gay biker dom

Die Hard isn’t a Christmas film, claims the British public. But Pillion reminds us that the finest festive films reflect the complexities of the seasonCan Die Hard – the 1988 action movie starring Bruce Willis as an NYPD detective hoping to reconcile with his estranged wife on Christmas Eve – be called a Christmas film? The annual debate had officially reached my street WhatsApp group when a happily married couple decided to launch a poll. With 18 votes against four, the result from my road was a landslide “yes”. One neighbour even shared a picture of their Die Hard tree baubles to prove the point.But an official poll by the British Board of Film Classification has now asserted the contrary – with 44% deciding that Die Hard should not be designated a Christmas movie, against 38% in favour. To some, even with the odd tinsel-strewn tree thrown in, the gun fights, violence and hostage-taking just don’t feel festive. For an admirable 5% of respondents, it remains their favourite Christm...

Politics

2 w. ago Russia ‘ready’ for war with Europe, Putin says as peace talks with US begin

Russian president accuses European powers of preventing peace in Ukraine as he meets with Witkoff and KushnerRussia-Ukraine war – latest news updatesVladimir Putin has accused European powers of preventing peace in Ukraine and threatened that Russia was ready for war as Donald Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff and his son-in-law, Jared Kushner, arrived for talks at the Kremlin on Tuesday evening.Moments before the closed-door meeting with Witkoff and Kushner, Putin made a series of hard-edged remarks. Speaking to reporters, he accused European governments of sabotaging the peace process and said that “European demands” on ending the war in Ukraine were “not acceptable to Russia”. Continue reading...

Politics

2 w. ago Stranger Things 5: Creators reveal who they almost killed off

As Stranger Things returns for its fifth and final season, we break down everything you need to know ahead of the hugely anticipated finale.

Events

2 w. ago Stranger Things creators warn fans what to expect from Volume Two

Final season is releasing on Netflix in three volumes

Events

3 w. ago Stranger Things creators hope hit Netflix show has ‘great legacy’

Stranger Things volume two arrives on Boxing Day and the finale is on New Year’s Day.

Events

3 w. ago Stranger Things creators reveal which two characters came closest to dying

‘It would have defeated the purpose,’ Duffer brothers said ahead of final season

Events

3 w. ago Stranger Things creators reflect on filming 'really hard' series finale

The Duffer Brothers have opened up about the final episode of Stranger Things which arrives on Netflix this week

Culture

last month Better late than never! 18 characters whose late arrival lifted TV shows

From Brienne of Tarth in Game of Thrones to the Hot Priest in Fleabag and of course Dr Frasier Crane, we salute the game-changers who boosted later seasons of our favourite seriesWelcome. Nice of you to finally join us. Hope it was worth the wait. Yes, sometimes a late addition can improve a drama or comedy so much it becomes hard to imagine the show without them. Not every series gets the casting chemistry spot-on straight away. A select few of our favourite TV characters weren’t even on the show when it launched.We’ve selected 18 characters whose gamechanging arrival in later seasons lifted the whole show and added to its legacy. Behold the super-subs who came off the TV bench and scored a winner Continue reading...

Culture