In 2015, dark academia took the internet by storm in 2015 with Tumblr accounts taking an affinity to old buildings, mahogany wood furniture, and art galleries—so much so that it became an entire way of life! You can imagine Oxford students reading Shakespeare in a candle-lit café with black coffee steaming beside a rain-splattered window. It was the new go-to aesthetic, a marked change from the urban skateboarders of the 90s and the puffy pink Y2K fashion of the 2000s....

The sword-and-sandal genre was a classic of Golden Age Hollywood, credited with revitalizing the public’s interest in going to movie theaters after home television was introduced to the masses. In fact, without epic movies like Ben-Hur bringing audiences back to the big screen, it’s anyone’s guess as to where cinema might be today. And the greatest protagonist of the sword-and-sandal genre? The gladiator, of course! A man who’s thrust into the Colosseum—a giant death trap without exits, where the only way out is by the sword....

The 70s and 80s were a great time for war movies. Riding the tail-end of the Vietnam War, New Hollywood directors seized the opportunity to make large-scale anti-war epics. The famous four—which are all included on this list, obviously—became instant classics in cinema’s long history of war movies, and we still recommend them today. But there have been handfuls of other filmmakers who have taken their own stabs at making great Vietnam War movies, each exploring the horrors that young men faced in the jungle....

The jukebox musical is a special kind of musical. You still have the songs and the stories that are woven together, but the featured songs are of a particular type. What exactly is a jukebox musical? In cinema, the jukebox musical is just a musical where most—or all—of the songs are well-known songs from an existing singer or band (rather than original music). In other words, it’s a film that acts like a jukebox of greatest hits, which are all played to a story that somehow brings it all together....

The Pre-Code Hollywood era only spanned a (rough) total of four years, but the film industry crammed in as many films as possible to take full advantage of lax censorship laws. In the wake of the 1930s, Hollywood found itself in limbo between the newly invented “talkies” (sound pictures) and the Hays Code, enforced in 1934. Named after MPPDA President Will H. Hays, the code was a strict guideline for what movies could and couldn’t show....

When you’re stuck in a plane, train, or even the backseat of a car, you need a way to kill time… and board games are great for that! Of course, mobile games are more convenient—unless you’re like me and prone to motion sickness. Plus, these days I much prefer the tactile experience of cards and pieces, and we could all stand to spend less time staring at digital screens. So, I think everyone should have at least one portable board game or card game that they can take with them while traveling!...

I’m a huge sucker for TV pilot episodes. There’s a magical quality to the first episode of any TV show, mainly because that first episode is the doorway to endless potential and possibilities. A pilot episode has a lot of legwork to do—setting up characters, establishing the world, getting the audience invested in the plot, and standing out from other TV shows—but when done well, it can end up being the most interesting episode of the series....

In the 1993 romantic comedy Groundhog Day , Bill Murray stars as a disgruntled reporter who repeats the mundane holiday over and over again until he overcomes his narcissistic ways. Groundhog Day is now the most classic example of a time loop movie—so much so that “Groundhog Day” is officially defined in the Cambridge English Dictionary and MacMillan Dictionary as “a situation that happens repeatedly in exactly the same way.”...

While some anime villains are complex with noble intentions, there are others who are pure evil, corrupt, and without many redeeming qualities. They just want power and domination. Indeed, sometimes an anime villain isn’t fighting “for” something. Rather, they’re just in the business of spreading evil, wreaking havoc, and causing senseless deaths. But that doesn’t mean they’re boring! Here are our picks for the most evil anime characters who are ruthless and behave in wicked ways for entertainment, greed, power, control, or no apparent reason at all....

Anime series have different ways to showcase the powers of their characters, but one of the coolest and most memorable opportunities is to put all the characters against each other in a tournament. These organized fight events come with rules to follow, a ladder system, and a grand prize for the winner at the end. As with wars and other conflicts, tournaments and fight events are great for character developments, new relationships, and even heartbreaking outcomes....

When it comes to urban fantasy novels, there are few names bigger than Harry Dresden. Jim Butcher’s wizarding private eye ticks a lot of boxes—there’s something for everyone. From the high-stakes action of battling mythical monsters to the angsty romance subplots, it’s no surprise why The Dresden Files remains one of the most popular fantasy book series today. Yet, as good as the series is, it can be incredibly uneven. The first few books get off to a painfully slow start, while some of the later books feel incomplete or half-hearted....

Nothing’s more fulfilling than commanding a herd of warriors, and using them to completely decimate your foes. Real-time strategy (RTS) games are all about this kind of combat, which is what makes them so fun to play. If you’re itching to take charge of your own empire, make tactical decisions, and lead an army, you’ll want to check out these addicting RTS games available on PC. 7.Stellaris Stellaris comes from the same developers of Europa Universalis , and it shows....

There’s something about the police character archetype that makes cinema thrilling—from ones who stick tightly to the rules, to ones who break free and operate on their own terms while using their badges as shields to protect them from criticism. The chase can be relentless, and small details can make the difference between success and failure. Following a cop on their journey to pick up scattered clues? It’s almost like a game for the audience....

You may have heard the term “isekai” used to describe several modern anime series. But what does isekai mean? How is it different than, say, “shonen” or “shojo”? What’s so special about isekai, and why are many isekai anime series so successful? Isekai is a category of fantasy or sci-fi anime series and movies that involve characters who are transported to another world—one that’s vastly different from the real world....

Korean TV series (“K-drama”) have become one of the fastest growing areas of Western TV-watching culture in the past several years. The numerous high-quality Korean series and films have shown audiences why South Korea is now a hub for auteur-driven projects and excellent storytelling, fully emerged after Bong Joon-ho’s Parasite won multiple Academy Awards at the 2020 Oscars. The Korean TV series Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha dropped on Netflix this year and was lauded for its great storytelling and fun characters, achieving worldwide popularity in the process....

Take your pick of any ten video games from the past few years—doesn’t matter which system they’re on—and I bet at least three of them have some degree of roguelike elements. One of them may even use the term “roguelike” directly in their marketing strategy for the game. Am I exaggerating? Maybe, but more and more it feels like I’m not. Roguelikes, roguelites, and roguelike elements have infiltrated pretty much every aspect of modern gaming....

VPNs have exploded in popularity over the last decade, and for good reason: they provide many clear benefits for all kinds of internet activity, especially online gaming. You may think VPNs are a gimmick or an overhyped fad—and I wouldn’t blame you for thinking that given how many VPN ads are splattered across podcasts and YouTube videos. But if you aren’t using a VPN in today’s online landscape, you’re only depriving yourself of benefits and protections....

When you play D&D, you’re usually turning to the official D&D books to create your character. You might feel limited by these characters (though there are tons of official options). If you’re looking to liven up your Dungeons & Dragons games with some craziness, you should check out the homebrew scene. Once you dig into the world of homebrew classes, you might never play Dungeons & Dragons with just the basic content from the official books again....

Greek mythology is populated by all kinds of famed heroes, gods, and goddesses. One of the most prominent mythologies in Western culture, it’s the inspiration behind numerous books, movies, TV shows, and even video games. And yet, as widespread and clichéd as it might be, many of us are still utterly fascinated by its narrative depths. Whether you’re just getting started or you already know a lot, there’s always more to learn and explore when it comes to Greek mythology....

Just a few years ago, streaming services were extremely specialized. You had music streaming services, video streaming services, and game streaming services—with very little overlap. Indeed, Netflix isn’t just for movies and TV shows anymore. You can play games now! Just don’t expect anything close to Xbox Game Pass or PlayStation Plus. Think more along the lines of Apple Arcade. What’s surprising is that there are actually some great games on Netflix that are actually worth playing....