It can be hard to keep up with all the new books that come out every year, especially in the numerous fantasy genres and subgenres. It’s even harder to keep up when you realize there are so many great classic fantasy books still worth reading if you haven’t already. Between all of those books, you might feel like you don’t have time to add anything new to your reading list—and you might be right!...

The most fondly remembered indie movies may be from decades ago, but independent cinema continues to thrive this millennium. Established filmmakers continue to solidify their legacies as they bring indie films to mainstream audiences, and lesser-known movie studios find hidden talents who can showcase their skills on the big screen. Many more indie movies are given the recognition they deserve. The 2000s provided an avenue for aspiring filmmakers and their fans to bring their projects in front of more eyeballs than ever before....

When it comes to funny TV shows, I’d argue that the 90s was the greatest decade for sitcoms. Are my memories tinted rose because I grew up during those years? Maybe! But even so, those shows were good. There’s no denying the fact that the sitcoms of the 90s were some of the most influential of all time. A few of them haven’t aged well, but many of them have—and they’re still great today....

When it comes to high-quality fantasy role-playing games, few aspects are as uniquely special as their soundtracks. Unlike science fiction video games—which I also love, so don’t think I’m judging—fantasy video games don’t just transport you to the future , but to places that are entirely new worlds . Here are the best fantasy RPG soundtracks that effectively capture that magical ingredient that no other genre has. Note: I considered entire soundtracks for this, not just one-off hits or iconic themes....

There are so many great scenes in the Harry Potter movie franchise, from the whimsical takes in Christopher Columbus’s Sorcerer’s Stone to the stunning cinematography of Alfonso Cuarón’s Prizoner of Azkaban to the atmospheric drama of David Yates’s later films. Related: Famous Movie Directors and Their Cinematic Styles, Explained Narrowing down the best scenes from the eight movies is a tough task! But it’s also a fun way to remember the highlights that made the franchise’s 10-year run so iconic, emotional, and special....

In anime, demon characters aren’t always like the typical demons you might find in movies and TV shows. Anime demons can range from cute to awesome, rude to flirtatious, lovable to hateful. And yet, they do share some commonalities with Western demons—and in certain anime series, those terrifying characteristics do show up. The demonic nature of a character often paves the way for that character’s development, whether it’s a demon lord who becomes the hero who saves the day, or an ally who might betray the main character at any moment....

Dungeon masters for D&D have a tough job. The 5th Edition of the D&D Player’s Handbook is packed full of rules to learn in order to make the game as seamless and smooth and fun as possible. However, one of the central principles of DMing has always been to adapt the rules and make the game work best for your table . That’s where D&D house rules come in! Related: The key traits shared by all the best D&D DMs...

James Corden had no idea what he’d unleash when he first started Carpool Karaoke . It started as a segment on The Late Late Show in 2015, then morphed into its own series in 2017 ( available to stream on Apple TV+ ). The premise is simple: Carpool Karaoke: The Series is an easy-to-watch reality show that showcases two celebrities who sing along to their favorite songs as they cruise around a city together....

Hollywood is chock full of beloved movie directors who have diehard fans that can quote nearly every line from their most favorited works. But even the greatest Hollywood movie directors can produce films that get buried in the recesses of their filmography—and the unfortunate fact is that some of those forgotten films are true masterpieces. Sure, these movies that flew under the radar may have been lauded by critics at the time, but for one reason or another, they were skipped over by general audiences....

Stanley Kubrick is one of the greatest and most influential filmmakers in cinema history. His extreme attention to detail earned him a reputation as a demanding perfectionist—so much so that he would force actors to repeat dozens of takes just so he could capture the exact performance he needed. Elstree Studios claims that Kubrick shot more than 1.3 million feet of film on The Shining : about 120 takes for every shot used, compared to the usual 5 to 15 takes on a normal filmmaking production....

Nothing thrills in quite the same way as a good disaster film, able to keep you on edge for the entire runtime as it ratchets up your anxiety and fear and tension to levels that get your palms drenched. Most disaster movies have characters at odds with nature, which is itself a unique experience in cinema. Sure, it can become clichéd and even ridiculous at times, but when a filmmaker hits the right blend of cinematic spices, there are few genres as appealing for audiences....

Taika David Cohen, better known as Taika Waititi, is the New Zealand filmmaker who recently directed Thor: Ragnarok (2017) and Thor: Love and Thunder (2022). He’s also known for films such as Boy (2010), Hunt for the Wilderpeople (2016), and Jojo Rabbit (2019) . Before he joined the Marvel Cinematic Universe, he starred in and directed several indie films and many TV productions. Taika Waititi has a uniqueness to him that spills over into his work, and his recent projects have made into a very influential artist....

In 2019, The International had a prize pool of over $34 million, making it the most profitable esports tournament for players in the history of pro gaming. In fact, The International has been the tournament to beat since 2014, back when its prize pool was just shy of $11 million. By comparison, the 2018 LoL World Championship offered a prize pool of $6.5 million while the 2019 Fortnite World Cup Finals (Solo) had a prize pool of $15 million....

While tabletop RPGs like Dungeons & Dragons can technically be played with just your imagination and a cheap set of dice, the experience can be so much better with a few personal upgrades. And one of the best upgrades is premium dice! High-quality dice sets are obviously luxury purchases. They’re going to cost you more than a basic set of mass-produced dice from the dollar store. However, if you’re developing a serious taste for tabletop gaming, the benefits of premium dice are well worth it....

Since the turn of the millennium, the world of television has exploded to new heights. Audiences now expect a level of depth, complexity, and quality unlike ever before—and network executives demand impossible feats from their creative teams. Even if most TV networks can’t afford to finance huge drama series with cinematic production values, they still strive for a final result that’s somewhat close. Because if they don’t, no one will watch....

In 2021, after four years of constant bombardment by fans, Warner Brothers finally released Zack Snyder’s Justice League . The four-hour-long flawed masterpiece wasn’t without detractors, but it was an undoubted improvement over Joss Whedon’s version. Of course, this film was supposed to be the crowning moment for DC—the moment when their premier superheroes came together on the big screen for the first time to save the world. However, it wasn’t the shining cinematic spectacle they’d hoped for....

Horror movies chill you to the bone with horrifying imagery of demons, ghosts, blood, guts, and gore. Murder mystery podcasts may not have jump scares, but they’re still just as horrifying. When watching a horror movie, you know it’s fake—but most murder mystery podcasts feature real stories. If you weren’t scared of staying home alone at night before, now you’ll want some company. These true crime podcasts will give you a reason to get scared....

Seeing the word “roguelike” on a game’s description is enough for me to know that I won’t like it. I’ve given many different roguelikes a chance, including Streets of Rogue , Enter the Gungeon , Nuclear Throne , and even Crawl . There’s nothing wrong with any of these games—it’s just the fact that I don’t understand the appeal of roguelikes. So, what irks me about roguelikes the most? These are the main reasons why I just can’t bring myself to enjoy roguelikes....

Settlers of Catan —now officially shortened to Catan but still lovingly referred to as “Settlers” by many—is a wonderful gateway board game for newbies. If your friends still think of board games as Monopoly , Taboo , and Cranium , then Catan is one of the best ways to open them up to a whole new world of modern board game mechanics! Related: Board games for people who hate board games...

On a recent trip to Australia, I had a bit of downtime so my friends and I decided to look for some mobile games we could play with each other, either on one device or with multiple devices. What followed was a deep dive through the App Store and Google Play Store. We tested over a dozen games across several days… …and we managed to narrow it down to a handful of local multiplayer mobile games that are well worth your time....